TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 23) - The Florida A&M Baseball team staged a come-from-behind effort in the bottolm of the ninth inning that fell just short as they dropped a 10-7 non-conference decision to Mercer University Tuesday evening at Moor-Kittles Field.
FAMU (18-24) trailed 10-5 headed to the bottom of the ninth before scoring two runs on four hits, and had two men on when the game ended.
Mercer (21-20) got four home runs over the first four innings, to overcome a 4-1 FAMU lead, which the Rattlers built on the strength of a four-run second inning. The visiting Bears chipped away at the FAMU lead, eventually taking the thanks to single runs in the fifth and sixth innings which broke a 4-4 tie.
FAMU took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI single by Malachi Mitchell; a sacrifice bunt RBI by Ryan Coscarella, and a two-run double by Robert Robinson.
After the Rattlers plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to close to 6-5, Mercer barged ahead by five runs, 10-5, with a four-run eighth.
But in the bottom of the ninth, pich hitters Dexter Martin and Eric Blanc both singled, then advanced to second and third on a one out passed ball. Robert Robinson's sacrfice fly to center scored Martin, followed by an RBI single by Octavien Moyer, which plated Blanc for a 10-7 count.
Tucker Rayburn followed with a single past first base, before Jared Weber struck out to end the threat.
Moyer led FAMU with two of the team's eight hits, while Robert Robinson finished the game with a hit and three RBIs. Brett Maxwell, Ryan Coscarella and Malachi Mitchell also drove in a run each Tuesday.
FAMU reliever Josh Wilson (2-4) got the loss after working four innings, allowing five runs on six hits, with two strikeouts.
WHO'S ON DECK: The Rattlers head to Montgomery, Alabama for a Wednesday bout against Alabama State, starting at 5:00 p.m.
