Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Universities Lady Rattlers Softball team had a bittersweet experience as they faced the Lady Tigers of Savannah State during a double-header game Saturday.
The Lady Rattlers battled the Savannah State Tigers to keep their title as the MEAC (Middle Eastern Athletic Conference) Champions.
In game one, the Lady Rattlers defeated the Lady Tigers with a score of 3-2. Unfortunately in game two, the Lady Rattlers fell short in an 11-7 loss.
During game one, the Lady Rattlers were off to a great start by scoring the first run. The score was tied for a while, but the Rattlers managed to score the last run in the final inning.
The Lady Rattlers did a phenomenal job in game two, scoring four in the first inning, but the Savannah State Lady Tigers picked up their agility and proceeded to score runs following that.
FAMU was able to tie up the game going into the seventh inning; nonetheless, the Lady Tigers hit multiple home runs and received the victory in game two.
Third year infielder, Raven Moseley, felt they had no choice, but to put up a fight against the Lady Tigers, since FAMU is the reigning MEAC champions.
“Seeing that we won the championship last year, we know that there is an automatic target on our back and we know that these teams are coming to fight and we refuse to lay down,” Moseley said.
Laying down was the last thing that the Lady Rattlers did. Although they were starting to lose the second game, they continued to play hard.
Second year pitcher, Amber Fullwood, hit a homerun in the last inning of game two.
“We played hard, tried to fight, and we got kind of down, but it comes down to finishing hard and having pride in your team,” Fullwood said.
FAMU Assistant Coach Lori Goodart was happy with her team’s performance and was grateful for the split game.
“I was particularly happy in the second game,” Goodart said. “When we went down, we didn’t quit fighting. The game is full of highs and lows and we’re going to learn from it and move on.”
The Lady Rattlers will have to regroup quickly,playing their third and final game for the MEAC championship title Sunday at noon against the Lady Tigers.