Florida A&M Baseball Shuts Down Jacksonville 5-1

Jacksonville, Florida – Florida A&M (4-6, 2-1 MEAC) pounded out a season-high 12 hits and the pitching staff shutdown the Jacksonville (5-7) offense en route to a 5-1 win at John Sessions Stadium on Tuesday night. The win is the fourth straight over JU. The Rattler pitching staff held the Dolphins scoreless with only four hits over the final eight innings. Eight different Rattlers recorded a hit in the win while Jared Walker, Ryan Kennedy, Marlon Gibbs and Michael Birdsong each had two hits apiece. FAMU’s bullpen has now allowed just one earned run in the last 21 innings.

Kendal Weeks (1-1) earned the win after working a pre-determined four innings and allowed just one run on four hits with a walk for his first win of the season. Ryan Anderson picked up the save as he pitched the final four scoreless innings and gave up just one hit with two strikeouts.

JU scored one run in the bottom of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. Cameron Gibson and Angelo Amendolare recorded back-to-back singles to start the home half of the first to put runners on the corners with no outs. Connor Marabell’s sac fly to left then scored Gibson from third for the Dolphins only run of the game.

The Rattlers answered and took the lead for good with two runs on three hits in the top of the second inning for a score of 2-1. Gibbs and Birdsong had back-to-back singles of their own to open the top of the second. Peter Jackson drew a walk to load the bases with no outs and Brian Davis singled to right to plate Gibbs from third to tie the game at 1-1. After AJ Elkins struck out, Jared Walker’s bunt popped up back to the pitcher but an errant throw to third allowed Birdsong to score the second run of the inning for the lead.

FAMU pushed across two more runs in the third inning on a pair of RBI from Gibbs and Jackson to increase its lead to 4-1. Kennedy led off the third inning with a double off the wall in left and advanced to third as Jeremy Barlow laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt. Kennedy would later score on Gibbs’ RBI single to left. Gibbs stole second on a hit-and-run play, where Birdsong struck out, and then took third on a wild pitch. Gibbs later came home to score on Jackson’s, two out, infield RBI single.

Florida A&M added one more run in the sixth inning for the final score of 5-1. Walker singled up the middle with two outs and stole both second and third. Walker would come home to score on a dropped third strike, passed ball, to Alec Wong that would have ended the inning.

Dolphin starter Shane Wise (0-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks for the loss.

FAMU returns home to Moore-Kittles Field for a five-game home stretch starting with a doubleheader against Savannah State on Saturday in the MEAC home opener. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM and game two will start shortly after the conclusion of game one. Chase Jarrell (1-1) will be on the mound in game one for the Rattlers, while MEAC Pitcher of the Week David Ogilvie (0-1) will start game two.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION