TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Senior right-hand pitcher Tim Luth remained undefeated in conference play and senior Dawnoven Smith drove in three runs to lead the North Carolina A&T baseball team to a 5-2 win over Florida A&M Friday night in the first game of a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to be played at FAMU Stadium.
N.C. A&T (17-13, 7-3 MEAC) is now an impressive 6-1 on the road in conference play. Luth went six innings and surrendered two runs, five hits and three walks while striking out three. Luth is 4-1 on the season and 3-0 in the MEAC.
Senior Leon Davidson pitched three scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season as he lowered his ERA to 0.48.
The Aggies recorded 12 hits led by junior Dustin Baber and senior Jason King who had three hits apiece. Baber scored twice and drove in a run while King scored and posted an RBI.
It was the Aggies offense that made things comfortable for Luth early by taking a 3-0 lead over the first two innings of the game. In the Aggies first, Baber opened the game by earning a walk. King doubled to put runners on second and third, setting the table for Smith who ripped a double into center field for a two-run RBI single. The Aggies added another runner to the basepaths but could not add to their 2-0 lead.
It did matter, however, as Baber and King got the Aggies going again in the second. With two outs, Baber and King singled to give Smith another chance to drive in a run. He did so by doubling to left for a 3-0 Aggies advantage.
FAMU took back a run in their half of the second thanks to an RBI double from Kaycee Reese. The Aggies grabbed their three-run lead again in the fourth as Baber drove in a run with an RBI single after Justin Williams doubled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Tony Mack.
After FAMU scored a run in the sixth off Luth as Tuck Rayburn homered, the Aggies turned the game over to Davidson in the seventh. The Rattlers (11-21, 4-6 MEAC) did mount a threat in their half of the ninth.
With Rattlers at first and second with two outs, Davidson got Jared Weber, who represented the game’s tying run, to fly out to center to end the game. The Rattlers were led by Octavien Moyer who went 3-for-4.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.
