Coming off of a successful victory against Alabama State University ,the Florida A&M University baseball team headed to Dover, Del. to face the Delaware State University Hornets in a three game series on Sunday.
The Rattlers were looking to keep themselves in the win column but were swept in all three games with scores of 15-8, 4-5 and 11-4. This drops the Rattlers down to seventh in the MEAC.
The first two games of the series were a doubleheader. In game one, FAMU brought their bats to the ballpark and battled as they outhit DSU 15-14, but left six stranded on base.
The Hornets pitcher Derek Marshalsea showed off some of his skills. Marshalsea held the Rattlers from scoring as he only allowed six hits, four earned runs and striking out two in two innings of relief, he picked up the win. While his counterpart Steven Dollar received the loss for the Rattlers as he gave up four hits, one run and striking out two in one and two-third innings of work.
DSU’s team dominated as their leader Warren Stimpson finished three-for-five from the plate scoring four runs with one RBI. The Hornets came in front of their home crowd on a mission as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Scott Davis scored on a Mike Rizzuto sacrifice fly to centerfield. Keith Hernandez would then score on a Joey Babuca’s single to left field. Then Tony Gatto would score on an infield error.
Jared Jeffries led off the top of the fourth inning with a line drive shot double to left field, and the Rattlers continued their strike as they would score on Justin Abney’s single to left field. Derrick Shaw followed with a score on a Jimmie Terrell sacrifice fly to right field, which cut the Hornets’ lead to 3-2.
DSU would come to together in the bottom of the fourth as Warren Stimpson scored on a Hernandez single through the left side. Then Abe Eubanks hit a double to leftfield scoring Davis. This put the Hornets up 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Rattlers then took an 8-6 lead in the top of the seventh inning as both Jimmie Terrell and Andre Dawson scored on a Scott Sheplak double to right centerfield. Then Jeffries would score on an error.
DSU scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh and three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning closing out a 15-8 win.
In game two, DSU outhit FAMU 8-7. Darryl Evans led the Rattlers in game two as he went two-for-four from the plate, scoring one run with one RBI, while both Eubanks and Stimpson finished with two hits each for the Hornets.
The Rattlers tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the second inning as Oscar Santalo grounded out to second scoring Terrell, followed by Justin Abney’s powerful homer to right center field.
DSU increased their lead to 5-2 in to the bottom of the fifth inning as Ryan Haas doubled to right field bringing in two runs.
The Rattlers would then score two more runs in the top of the sixth inning as third baseman Derek Shaw homered to right field, scoring Evans, but the Rattlers came up short in the end losing 4-5.
In the final game of the series the Rattlers were conquered by DSU’s freshman Elliot Gardner tossed his first complete game and Mike Rizzuto droving in three runs to lead Delaware State in a 11-4 win.
Rattler outfielder Elliot Bonner said the reason why they lost was because “we did nothing consistently all weekend.” The Rattlers (7-22-1) will continue their road trip as they head to Baton Rouge, La., April 21 to face Southern University in a two game series.