DURHAM, N.C. – Ricky Page pitched Florida A&M (25-18, 15-5 MEAC) to a doubleheader split at North Carolina Central (24-26, 11-12 MEAC) at the Durham Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon. After the Rattlers dropped game one 9-6, Page pitched a complete game shutout with a career-high eight strikeouts as FAMU won 4-0. He scattered five hits, didn’t walk a batter and only went to a three-ball count one time the entire game. Brian Davis’ solo home run in the sixth inning of game two gave Florida A&M its’ first lead of the day and FAMU added three more runs in the seventh inning to seal the win.
In game one, Ben Ellzey was 3-for-4 at the plate for the Rattlers with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while Jacky Miles, Jr. (2-for-5) and Cameron Johnson (2-for-4) each had multi-hit performances. Miles, Jr. had an RBI with two runs scored, while Johnson added an RBI and a run scored. Davis led FAMU in game two going 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
JoJo Durden (1-2) suffered the loss in game one after allowing five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Durden rebounded to only allow one unearned run on two hits over the next four innings, but the lead was insurmountable. He finished the day working five innings with six runs (five earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and five walks.
NC Central scored all it would need with five quick runs in the bottom of the first inning of game one to take an early 5-0 lead. Ellington Hopkins drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a double to right field by Trevor Theissen. Hopkins would come home to score the game’s first run on a groundout to first by James Dey. Carlos Ortiz then plated Theissen with an RBI single to right field. Zachary Marszal added another single to place runners on first and second with one out, before Tom Prospero hit his third home run of the season, a three-run shot over the fence in short right field.
FAMU scored a single run in the second inning to cut the lead to 5-1. Miles, Jr. belted his fourth home run with one out in the second inning to cut the lead to 5-1. The Rattlers had a chance to add to the run total, but nothing else came across in the inning for Florida A&M. Ellzey singled to left field and Johnson followed with an infield single that ricocheted off the glove of the pitcher. Both runners moved up a base on a groundout to third by Willis McDaniel, but AJ Elkins flew out to right field to end the scoring opportunity.
NCCU added an unearned run on two A&M errors in the second inning to push the lead back to five runs at 6-1.
The Rattlers cut the lead to 6-4 with three more runs in the fourth inning. Miles, Jr. singled to left field with one out and Ellzey walked to put runners on first and second. Miles, Jr. then came home to score on an RBI single from Johnson that went through the right side. A sacrifice bunt from McDaniel advanced the runners before Elkins dropped in a two-run single into right field.
Florida A&M kept chipping away at the Eagle lead with another run in the fifth inning to get within one at 6-5. Davis led off with a single into right field and stole second as Miles, Jr. went down swinging for the second out. Davis then came home to score on an RBI single into center field from Ellzey.
In the seventh inning, the Eagles scored three runs (two earned) to push their lead to four runs at 9-5.
FAMU would score one final run in the ninth inning for the final score of 9-6. Alec Wong drew a leadoff walk and with one out Dillard was also walked to put runners on first and second. Ellzey then doubled off the wall in right field as Wong came around to score.
Devin Sweet (4-2) picked up the win in relief after working 2.1 innings of relief and allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Game two turned into a pitchers duel until the Rattlers broke through in the sixth inning. Davis crushed a solo home run over the wall in right center field to lead off the sixth inning and give the Rattlers their first lead of the day at 1-0. The home run was Davis’ fifth of the season.
Florida A&M increased its’ lead to 4-0 with three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Ryan Hutson led off with a single down the left line, Gibbs was then hit-by-pitch and Wong drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Davis then walked in Hutson from third for the second run of the game. Dillard would then ground into a 5-2-3 double play for the first two outs of the inning as Davis and Wong advanced to second and third. Miles, Jr. would plate Wong from third with an RBI single to left field. Davis moved to third on the play before coming home for the third run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Cameron Scalzo (5-5) took the loss in game two after allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
Florida A&M and NC Central will close out their three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 PM at the Durham Athletic Park.
***FAMU Athletics
