FAMU loses to rival B-CU in doubleheader

 

Florida A&M’s baseball team lost to Bethune-Cookman twice in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

The Rattlers (0-11, 0-3 MEAC) gave away a late-inning lead in the first game before falling 8-6 to the Wildcats (6-6, 3-0 MEAC). In the second game, FAMU could only muster four hits in a 7-0 shutout.

The Rattlers were ahead of the Wildcats 2-1 heading into the eighth inning of the final game, but were unable to close. B-CU rallied to a 3-2 victory to sweep the series.

Interim head coach Kevin Clethen said that despite the losses, the team showed several bright spots in both games.

“When we start making less mistakes; less errors, we will be able to compete at a higher level in the MEAC,” Clethen said.

David Duncan, a senior from Starke, Fla., pitched 6.1 innings. While Duncan gave up three hits in the first game, the six errors hurt the Rattlers the most.

FAMU took a 6-5 lead after scoring in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Wildcats scored three runs in the eighth, putting them ahead 8-6.

Peter Jackson, a freshman outfielder from St. Louis, said the team couldn’t close the door when they had the chance.

“We fought hard, but we let it slip away from us,” Jackson said.

The Rattlers couldn’t keep their bats going in the second game, going scoreless against Wildcats pitcher Scott Garner.

Heath Blackburn, a senior from Tallahassee, pitched five innings for the Rattlers, giving up four runs.

Blackburn said he didn’t know why the team couldn’t score in the second game.

“We got to have confidence,” he said. “We lack that on the field, and we got to have more.”

Marlon Gibbs, a freshman from Orange Park, Fla., had three of FAMU’s nine total hits from both games, including a double.

Jackson said the team has to get back to the basics to bounce back.

“We have to make the routine plays,” he said. “We can’t let those turn into the other team capitalizing and scoring a lot of runs.”

The Rattlers will play the Florida Atlantic University Owls Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.