The SWAC title is heading to Tallahassee for the first time, as the Florida A&M Rattlers defeated the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 9-6 in the league’s championship game.
The Florida A&M bats got it going early. Ty Hanchey’s RBI double brought home the game’s first run in the top of the
Back-to-back singles by Sebastian Greico and Janmikell Bastardo gave FAMU a 3-0 lead.
B-CU got on the board in the bottom of the second via a solo homer off the bat of Manny Souffrain to draw within 3-1.
RBI singles from Garrett Chun and Roberto Moya were the highlights of a Bethune-Cookman two-run bottom of the third that trimmed the FAMU lead down to 4-3.
An error and a fielder’s choice ushered in FAMU’s next run, pushing the lead to 5-3.
Hanchey led off the top of the seventh with a hit and Geico brought him with a shot over the right field fence to extend the Rattlers’ lead to 7-3.
Hanchey later blasted a solo home run of his own over the right field fence in the top of the eighth to put the Rattlers up 8-3.
A two-run homer by Moya in the bottom of the eighth cut the lead to 8-5.
As the FAMU bats were driving in runs, Florida A&M starter Hunter Vietz, after allowing the runs in the second and third innings, settled in and kept the Wildcats scorless for the next four innings.
A pair of runs in the eighth spelled the end of Vietz’s day. In his 7 2/3 innings of work, he allowed five runs, struck out five on a season-high 127 pitches.
Greico’s RBI double gave the Rattlers more breathing room, extending their advantage to 9-5. Hyland Hall’s RBI groundout cut the lead to 9-6.
The Rattlers secured the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will await its opponent in the regional round.
