Lack of timely hitting doomed the Lady Rattlers softball team during its first two games against North Carolina A&T this weekend, but it made up for that in game three with a 13-0 victory at the Lady Rattlers Complex.
The Aggies (12-19, 5-1 MEAC) claimed the first two games 8-3 and 9-5, respectively, but the Lady Rattlers (16-25, 2-5 MEAC) regrouped for the victory during game three. FAMU produced 30 hits collectively during the first two games but fell short because of stranded base runners.
“The girls made a decision and they didn’t want to be swept, so they played hard,” said assistant coach Lori Goodart about the team’s game-three victory. “We talked about the timely hits to drive runs in, and we did that in the third game. We didn’t get those timely hits in the first two games.”
During game three, FAMU’s defense performed efficiently and recorded no errors, which have troubled the Lady Rattlers all season. The Lady Rattlers improved offensively as well, as Kiefi Myrick and Venica Brown both hit homeruns during the second inning.
“We’re playing like we have nothing to lose, and we might as well play hard and give it our all,” infielder Tera Gainor said. “This boosted our confidence; hitting homeruns gave us confidence today. Even though I didn’t hit a homerun, I am proud of my teammates for hitting homeruns. Now our goal is to make it and win it in the MEAC tournament.”
Jennifer Lindsey (7-7) earned the win for the Lady Rattlers through five innings pitched, recording three strikeouts and three hits. Alexandria McAfee (1-8) pitched four innings for the Aggies, giving up 15 hits and 10 earned runs.
Before game three began, the Lady Rattlers huddled for motivation. The huddle was effective, as FAMU quickly earned a 5-0 lead during the first inning. The Lady Rattlers never looked back, pounding 15 hits to the Aggies’ three.
“We had the extended huddle to give ourselves encouragement, and it was for more motivation for us to go out there and win,” pitcher Whitney Robinson said. “It was a way for us to go out here and keep our heads up. We needed that win.”
The Lady Rattlers will look to mirror their game-three performance against the Jacksonville University Dolphins (22-18, 4-4 Pioneer) today at the JU Softball Complex.