Pitching miscues aid FAMU loss to North Florida
The Ospreys scored nine runs in the first two innings as Florida A&M (14-21, 10-8 MEAC) fell 13-3 to North Florida (28-12, 6-3 A-Sun) in seven innings on Tuesday at Harmon Stadium. FAMU pitchers combined to walk six batters and had three wild pitches in the loss.
The Rattlers first hit didn’t come until the sixth inning and Ryan Kennedy hit a three-run home run, his fifth of the season, to put FAMU on the scoreboard in the sixth. Timothy Reker had a nice outing as he pitched a season-long 3.2 innings of relief allowing just one run on four hits with one strikeout and one walk.
Rattler starting pitcher David Ogilvie (0-5) wasn’t able to make it out of the first inning as he allowed four runs on one hit, walked three Osprey batters and didn’t record an out.
Florida A&M’s only runs came in the top of the sixth inning on Kennedy’s three-run home run to make the score 10-3. The Rattlers’ first hit of the game came as Jared Walker and Alec Wong recorded back-to-back singles with one out. Walker was forced out at third as Marlon Gibbs reached on a fielder’s choice, while both Wong and Gibbs moved to second and third respectively on a wild pitch. With two outs, and a 2-1 count, Kennedy smashed his fifth home run of the season over the scoreboard in left field to put the FAMU on the board.
Corbin Olmstead hit his second home run of the game in the sixth inning and Alex Merritt hit his second pinch-hit home run of the season in the seventh for a final score of 13-3.
Ospreys starting pitcher Zach Drury (1-0) earned the win, in his first collegiate start, as he worked four shutout innings in a pre-determined start. Drury didn’t allow a hit and recorded a season-high five strikeouts with one walk.
This weekend’s series in New Orleans against Texas Southern has been cancelled due to heavy rain all week in the New Orleans area.
Bethune-Cookman drops midweek game to Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A first inning grand slam mixed with an eight-run fourth inning allowed Jacksonville University to take a decisive 16-0 victory Tuesday night over Bethune-Cookman in non-conference baseball action at John Sessions Stadium. The game was broadcast live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app for mobile devices.
The game was called in the bottom of the eighth inning following a 30-minute lightning delay that eventually led to another lightning strike in the area moments before the game was to resume. However, the two coaches and umpires agreed to end it, rather than wait through another 30-minute delay. There was one out with the Dolphins batting in the frame.
Bethune-Cookman (14-27) starting pitcher Sidney Duprey was unable to get out of the first inning after collecting two quick outs, setting the table for a Jacksonville offense to match its most runs of the season – tying a 16-run outburst against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opponent Coppin State earlier in the year.
JU’s Nathan Disch worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, as well as Ryan Quintero tossing two scoreless frames.
The Bethune-Cookman offense was led by redshirt freshman shortstop Demetrius Sims with two hits in three at-bats, while Middleton and pinch hitter José Carballo each tallied a hit a piece.
Bethune-Cookman looks to turn things around this weekend when they host conference foe North Carolina A&T State for a three-game series at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, Florida. The weekend begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, 18, at 1 p.m.
Coppin State earns tie against Towson
TOWSON, Md. – Despite memorable efforts from Bryant Miranda, Jeffrey Fitch and Jack Kraft, the Coppin State baseball saw a late three-run edge disappear and had to settle for a 7-7 tie with Towson in 10 innings at soggy Schuerholz Park in a non-conference contest Tuesday afternoon.
The game was halted in the top of the 11th inning because of darkness.
It’s the first time Coppin State (3-25-2) has had two ties in a regular season according to athletic records dating back to 1984. Amazingly, Coppin State has played to a tie twice in a six-day period. The Eagles had four ties as a program since 1984. It was also the second draw this season for Towson (9-23-2).
Like last week’s deadlock at La Salle, this one was tough to take for the Eagles, who never trailed against the Tigers or for that matter, the Explorers. In each game, Coppin State led by at least three runs only to have both teams rally for the equalizer before the games could end.
Coppin State’s pitching trio of Jack Kraft, Yayha Muhammed and Chris Estrada did a yeoman’s job. Making his first career start, Kraft tossed three hitless and scoreless frames before allowing his first hit in the fourth inning. Muhammed struck out four batters in 4.1 innings. Estrada pitched out of trouble in the ninth and tenth innings after Towson tied the game.
Peter Bowles, who homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning, Richie Blosser and Spencer Sutton led the Tigers with two hits each. Pitcher David Marriggi struck out seven batters over four innings for Towson.
MEAC Sports Information
