TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Junior right-handed pitcher Chase Jarrell came out of the pen to toss 6.1 innings of no-hit baseball, before the ninth inning, as Florida A&M (24-14, 14-4 MEAC) clinched the series over Savannah State (10-31, 5-10 MEAC) by a score of 9-6 at Moore-Kittles Field on Sunday. Jarrell (5-2) earned the win as he came in with two outs in the second inning and didn’t allow a hit until the first batter of the ninth inning. He closed out the game working 7.1 innings with three runs (one earned) on just two hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The win on Sunday clinched a spot in the upcoming MEAC Baseball Tournament for the Rattlers.
FAMU’s offense pounded out 14 hits and scored four runs in the second and seventh innings.
Five different Rattlers, Marlon Gibbs (2-for-3), Dylan Dillard (2-for-5), Cameron Johnson (2-for-4), Ben Ellzey (2-for-4) and Willis McDaniel (2-for-3), recorded multi-hit performances on Sunday for Florida A&M. Dillard and McDaniel added two RBI a piece in the win.
The Tigers scored first with a run in the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. Trey Sikes doubled down the left line with one out and Jonathan Moore singled off the leg of the second base umpire. The umpire called it a dead ball and didn’t allow Sikes to advance to third base. Mendez Elder was then hit-by-pitch to load the bases before Sikes scored from third on a wild pitch. Brian Miller ended the inning with a fly out to center field to strand runners at second and third.
FAMU would tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Jacky Miles, Jr. Gibbs beat out an infield single to start the inning and Alec Wong drew a walk. The walk was just the fifth of the season for SSU pitcher Ryan McCranie. Miles, Jr. plated Gibbs for the tying run on a single to right field and Wong tried to score the go-ahead run, but was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Khalyd Cox.
Savannah State regained the lead by a score of 3-1 with two unearned runs in the second inning. Bruce Cole reached on a fielding error by Ryan Hutson and moved to second on a wild pitch. Cole eventually scored the first run of the inning on another miscue from Hutson. Cox then drew a walk and came around to score an unearned run on another double from Sikes.
The Rattlers took the lead for good in the second inning with four runs on five hits for a score of 5-3. Johnson and Ellzey led off with back-to-back singles and with one out McDaniel loaded the bases with a single to left field. After Gibbs went down swinging, Wong singled to second base on a tough play as Ellzey came home to score. On the play, an errant throw to first allowed Wong to move to second base and Hutson came around to score the tying run. McDaniel and Wong scored as Dillard dropped in a two-run single into shallow right field as miscommunication between the right fielder and the second baseman allowed Dillard to reach safely.
SSU came within one run after scoring a single run in the third inning to make the score of 5-4. Elder was hit-by-pitch and advanced to third on an error from AJ Elkins as Barnes reached on a fielder’s choice. A walk to Brian Miller loaded the bases with no outs and Elder scored as Bruce grounded into a 5-3 double play.
Florida A&M put the game away for good with four runs on four hits to increase its’ lead to 9-4 in the seventh inning. Dillard led off with a single through the left side and Davis reached on a fielder’s choice, but a bad throw to second trying to turn a double play allowed both runners to advance to second and third. Miles, Jr., with a great at bat fouling off pitches, walked to load the bases before Johnson recorded an RBI single to right field to plate Dillard from third. With the bases still loaded, Elkins singled home Miles, Jr. with a ball through the left side and McDaniel dropped in a double down the right line as Ellzey and Shane Gordon came around to score the third and fourth runs of the inning.
Jarrell allowed his first hit of the day to the leadoff hitter, Cole, in the ninth inning as SSU was able to score two runs in the top of the ninth for the final score of 9-6.
Savannah State starter Ryan McCranie (1-5) took the loss as he pitched six innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with three strikeouts, two walks and one hit batter.
Florida A&M returns to action next weekend in Coral Gables, FL to face the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes at Alex Rodriguez Park for a three-game series. Friday and Saturday’s games will begin at 7:00 PM with Sunday’s series finale at 1:00 PM.
***Courtesy FAMU Athletics
