Morgan State Freshman Jailah Mason Sets New Penn Relays High Jump-College Record

Jailah Mason
Hometown: Sterling Heights, Michigan
High School: Adlai E. Stevenson HS

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Morgan State freshman Jailah Mason set a school and Penn Relays record in the high jump on Thursday during the 121st edition of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mason's personal-best height of 6-00.5 in the high jump-college, broke the previous Morgan State and Penn Relays mark of 5-10.75, which was set by Brittany Robinson during the 2006 Penn Relays.

Fellow freshman Jess St. John would place ninth in the shot put-championship with a throw of 46-11.

On Friday, Shenel Crooke ran a time of 11.91 in the 100 meter dash to finish 15th.

121st Penn Relays
April 22-25, 2015
Philadelphia, Pa.

Morgan State Finishers

High Jump College
1. Jailah Mason, 6-00.5

Shot Put Championship
9. Jess St. John, 46-11

100 Meter Dash
15. Shenel Crooke, 11.91

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Moves into First Place with 9-4 Win at Fenway Park

BOSTON, Massachusetts – Florida A&M (17-22, 13-8 MEAC) moved into first place in the MEAC Southern Division after completing the sweep over North Carolina Central (19-25, 12-11 MEAC) by a score of 9-4 on Saturday at Fenway Park. The Rattlers scored six runs over the final four innings and Ryan Kennedy’s two-run home run over the Green Monster in the eighth inning sealed the win. The FAMU bullpen held NCCU scoreless and with just three hits over the final 3.2 innings.

Alec Wong led the offense going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, while Michael Birdsong added a 2-for-4 day at the plate.

Rattler reliever Brandon Fleming (6-1) earned the win after pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief with two hits and a season-high four strikeouts. Starting pitcher Ryan Anderson pitched 5 1/3 innings while allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and one strikeout.

NCCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind Christian Triplett’s two-run home run over the Green Monster. Ronald Thompson led off with a walk and Triplett blasted a two-run home run down the left line that was just fair.

The Rattlers grabbed their first lead, at 3-2, with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Jeremy Barlow doubled off the Monster while Peter Jackson and Jared Walker drew back-to-back to load the bases with two outs. Wong then tied the game with a two-run single into right field. Walker broke the tie as he scored on a passed ball that went through the legs of Eagle Catcher Kocalcik.

Florida A&M pushed its’ lead to 4-2 with a single run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Marlon Gibbs doubled into the left center gap, with one out, and was awarded third on a balk. After Ryan Kennedy walked, AJ Elkins brought home Gibbs with a sacrifice fly to left.


N.C. Central would tie the game at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. Triplett cut the FAMU lead to 4-3 as he led off the inning with his second home run of the game over the Monster. Eric Kimber quickly followed with a double to right and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Kovalcik. Trevor Theissen then tied the game as he plated Kimber with an RBI single to right. Theissen stole second and took third on the errant throw as Barlow tried to catch Theissen stealing second. Brandon Fleming would come in for relief and struck out the next two batters to keep the game tied.

FAMU broke the game open with three runs in the sixth to make the score 7-4. Jackson walked to start the home half of the sixth and went to second on a sac bunt from Walker. Wong’s single to left would put runners on the corners with one out and Wong later moved to second on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch allowed Jackson to score from third and Wong to go to third. Still with one out, Gibbs walked as runners were now on the corners to force another pitching change as Andrew Vernon came in for the Eagles. Gibbs stole second as Kennedy struck out looking, before Wong came home on a passed ball and Gibbs was able to score on a wild pitch.

Kennedy’s two-run home run into the second row of the Green Monster, in the eighth inning, put the game away by a final score of 9-4.

NCCU reliever Kyle Shields (2-4) suffered the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Shields only recorded one out with one walk. Starter Devin Sweet lasted 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with five walks and one strikeout.

Florida A&M will be off this week due to finals, but returns to action next weekend at North Carolina A&T for the final MEAC series of the season. Game one is Saturday, May 2 at 5:00 PM ET and the series will conclude with a doubleheader on Sunday, May 3 beginning at noon.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics and live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com.

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Norfolk State Freshman Romero Hines Wins Long Jump at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  Redshirt freshman Romero Hines helped the Norfolk State men's track and field team cap its 2015 outdoor season in style by winning the college section of the men's long jump on Friday at the Penn Relays.
 
Hines set a new personal record for the second time in three meets, leaping 7.51 meters (24 feet, 7.75 inches) to top the field of 40 athletes. His previous best was a mark of 24-3.5 from the Hampton Relays two weeks ago.
 
Hines also ran a leg on the Spartans' 4x200 meter relay team on Friday. He joined Steve Coles, Jaylen Carr and Michael-Thomas Brownas the quartet finished second in its heat and 14^th overall out of 44 teams in the event.
 
Freshman Chris Lee also competed Friday in the shot put, recording a best throw of 15.32 meters (50-3.25).

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications

COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Hampton Pirates Win Two Relay Titles at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Relay gold is a big deal at the historic Penn Relays, which were held at Franklin Field this past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the Hampton University men's track & field team won two such races.

The Pirates took home gold in the IC4A final of the 4x200-meter relay and the college final of the 4x400-meter relay.

Jasper Savoy (Branywine, Md.), Trey Holloway (Chesapeake, Va.), Justin Beatty (Bowie, Md.), and Chidi Okezie (Philadelphia, Pa.) ran a 1:24.36 in winning the 4x200 IC4A race, after turning in a 1:25.88 – the 11th fastest time – in the heats.

Beatty and Okezie were also on the 4x400 squad – along with Edose Ibadin (Glendale, Md.) and Rayon Black (Kingston, Jamaica) – that took college gold with a season-best 3:08.67.

Holloway was also sixth in the 110-meter hurdles with a 14.11 – after running a season-best 13.87 in the heats.

Donmanique Hardy (Lawrenceville, Va.) was sixth in the college long jump with a mark of 7.26 meters (23 feet, 10 inches).

On the women's side, Hampton turned in a pair of top-seven finishes in the relay events, finishing seventh in the championship final of both the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay. Tanisha Greene (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Le'Quisha Parker (Silver Spring, Md.) were on both squads.

Greene and Parker teamed with Kristian Young (Dallas, Texas) and Meshala Morton (Stafford, Va.)
to run a 46.79 in the 4x100 final, while Greene, Parker, Ce'aira Brown (Philadelphia, Pa.), and Malekah Holland (Brooklyn, N.Y.) ran a 3:38.88 in the 4x400 final.

The 2015 MEAC Outdoor Championships will be held this coming Friday and Saturday at North Carolina A&T's Irwin Belk Track in Greensboro, N.C. The Lady Pirates are the defending MEAC outdoor champions, as well as the reigning indoor champs.

For more information on Hampton University track & field, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

RESULTS

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Chris Clack throws 3 TDs, But Morgan State Defense posts victory in Spring Game

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Chris Clack entered today's Blue-Orange Spring Game as the Bears' third string, but his play on the field showed that he is certainly in the race for the starting quarterback position.

The redshirt sophomore-to-be completed 8 of 13 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Blue, however it was the Orange who held on for a 62-57 win before a spring-game crowd at Hughes Stadium.

"Chris [Clack] did a great job," said Coach Lee Hull. "Chris always tells me, 'Don't forget about me coach, I'm in this race coach.' "

"He did a great job today. He had very good command of the offense and he hit the receivers when they were open. He did a great job!"

Coach Hull was enthused about the overall performance of his team.

"I thought the game was very competitive on both sides of the ball," said Hull. "It [the game] came down to the very last play. Because it was tied (57-57), that's why we went for it on fourth down... so if the offense made the first down they would've won, and if the defense stopped them they would've won. The defense came up with the stop to win the game."

"The game turned out exactly how I wanted. It was a very competitive game and everybody was competing. There were a lot of good things, and there were some bad things that we have to clean up. But for the most part it was a pretty clean game."

Defense had dominant moments throughout the contest. Ayodeji Agbelese registered three of the 10 sacks for the Orange.

"I thought they flew around and made plays," Hull said of the defense. "They didn't have any takeaways or turnovers, but they played sound and that's what you really want."

"They made it hard on the offense to move the football. I like what I see out of them so far!"

The game was played under partly sunny skies with temperatures in the 60s.

Trailing the defense 25-8, Clack helped put the Blue team on the scoreboard when he hit Maurice Lewis on a 53-yard scoring pass with 11:51 left in the half. He also tossed a 16-yard TD strike to freshman wideout Ryan Davis, followed by a 41-yard TD pass to Aaron Strums.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nuggets reach NAIA qualifying mark in 400 relay again

Clarke Allen #1263 & Devinn Rolland #1275

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Chelsea James, Tylor Row, Clarke Allen and Devinn Rolland ran the 400-meter relay in a national qualifying time of 48.13 seconds Saturday and finished third at the Southern Miss Invitational track and field meet.

The Gold Nuggets met the B-standard for next month's NAIA National Championships at Gulf Shores, Ala. It's the fourth time this season that the XU women produced a qualifying mark in this event.

James, Allen and Rolland were part of the other three XU qualifying marks. Row ran this relay for the first time this season.

Xavier's best 400-relay time this season was a school-record 47.22 April 11 at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships.

Also earning top-10 finishes for Xavier were Rolland (5.20 meters/17 feet, three-quarters of an inch) and Ireyon Keith (5.09 / 16-8 1/2) in the long jump and Row in the 100 hurdles (15.76). Rolland was fifth, Row placed sixth, and Keith finished eighth.

The meet was Xavier's sixth of the outdoor season and probably the final one before nationals. Tulane canceled its May 2 meet in which Xavier planned to compete. The NAIA National Championships will be May 21-23.

Here are all of Xavier's Saturday results from the Southern Miss Invitational:

Women
 100:  Chelsea James, 12th in 12.40; Devinn Rolland, 15th in 12.71; Katelyn McMorris, 19th in 13.01
 100 Hurdles:  Tylor Row, 6th in 15.76
 400 Relay:  Chelsea James, Tylor Row, Clarke Allen, Devinn Rolland, 3rd in 48.13
 Long Jump:  Devinn Rolland, 5th in 5.20 meters (17 feet, 3/4 inch); Ireyon Keith, 8th in 5.09 meters (16 feet, 8 1/2 inches)

Men
Did not compete

Results

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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WSSU Rams Roll Over VSU Trojans 13-0; Clinch CIAA Regular Season Crown

North Carolina -- The Winston-Salem State Rams rode the arm of Sam Burton on the mound, and Dylan Dombrowskas and Nathan Steger hit back to back home runs in the third inning to propel the Rams to a 13-0 beating of the Trojans this afternoon at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, NC.

With the win, Winston-Salem State improves to 32-13 overall, 12-1 in the CIAA, while Virginia State falls to 23-13 overall and 8-5 in the CIAA.

The Rams also earn their fourth consecutive CIAA regular season crown, and will go into next week's CIAA Tourney as the top seed.

WSSU got on the board early, as Nathan Steger singled to right scoring Des Roberts and Colby Keene in the first inning to give the Rams a 2-0 lead.

The Rams added three runs in the third inning, as Connor Andrus doubled to start the inning and Dylan Dombrowskas homered to left field. Nathan Steger followed with a solo home run to give WSSU a 5-2 advantage.

Winston-Salem State would blow the game wide open with eight runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings, to give the Rams a 13-0 win.

Sam Burton pitched a masterful game for the Rams, throwing a complete game, giving up just two hits, with three walks and five strikeouts in the shutout. Only three balls left the infield on the afternoon.

Nathan Steger led the Rams with the bat, going 5 for 5 on the afternoon, with one run scored and five runs batted in. Des Roberts went 3 for 3 with three runs scored and one run batted in, while Jacob Barber went 2 for 5 with three runs batted in. Dylan Dombrowskas was 2 for 4 with one run scored and two runs batted in, and Connor Andrus was 2 for 4 with three runs scored and a run batted in. Taylor Idol also finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one run batted in. Colby Keene went 1 for 4 with a run scored, and Chris Kane also went 1 for 4 with a run scored. Rashad Webster also scored a run on the afternoon.

The Rams and Trojans will have a long day on Sunday, as they will attempt to play three, seven inning games, to finish the regular season. The teams will look to start the first game between 11:30am and 12pm, depending on field conditions from this evening's rain. All games will be played at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, NC.

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COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

QB competition key in UAPB Spring Game

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- Ben Anderson didn't miss a significant snap because of injury over the last four years. And other than a rough patch in his first game as starting quarterback as a freshman, Anderson didn't miss any because of ineffectiveness, either.

Over the last four seasons Anderson provided Arkansas-Pine Bluff Coach Monte Coleman with something every coach can appreciate: quarterback stability. The Little Rock Parkview graduate started 45 games, set school records for passing and total offense and helped deliver the Golden Lions a SWAC championship in 2012.

Coleman is facing the flip side of that luxury now, trying to find a replacement for a player who has been so dependable from a pool of players who have virtually no substantial experience.

"You've got nothing," Coleman joked Saturday regarding UAPB's quarterback experience. "You've got to start over. But it's a good starter."

In reality, Coleman has plenty.

Four quarterbacks took turns guiding the offense during a 90-play final spring scrimmage Saturday at Golden Lion Stadium. Sophomore Marcus Terrell, who threw three passes last season, and junior Nolan Sorensen took turns leading the Black team offense, which consisted of the No. 1 offense and defense; and sophomore Brandon Duncan and freshman Collin Willis took turns with the Gold team.

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AAMU Bulldogs sweep doubleheader from Alabama State to win Magic City Diamond Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Rickwood Field has seen its share of baseball history in its more than 100 years of existence.

On Saturday, a new chapter was written when the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader from Alabama State, 8-3 and 5-2 to win the inaugural Magic City Diamond Classic.

It was the first series sweep of the Hornets by A&M since 2010 and the wins ended ASU's streak of winning 17 straight series.

The Bulldogs are 16-8 in the SWAC East (24-24 overall), 1 1/2 games behind first-place Alabama State (16-5) and .033 percentage point behind Jackson State (14-6).

In the first game Saturday, Andrew Utterback and Dustin Dhanani each homered as Joshua Freeman picked up his second straight win.

In the nightcap, A&M scored two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth inning en route to the win.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Bulldogs scored when Ty Russell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Austin Hulsey to tie the score. And, one out later, Dhanani was walked with the bases still loaded and Utterback scored for a 2-1 A&M lead.

In the fifth inning, Ben Lott hit a one-out triple and scored on Hulsey's single. After Utterback singled, Julio Nunez ripped a double, driving in Hulsey and Utterback for a 5-1 lead.

Utterback finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Nunez was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.

Starter Caleb Bowen went five innings giving up a run on two hits and four walks. Taylor Knight pitched three innings of scoreless relief and Utterback picked up his sixth save of the season pitching in the ninth inning.

Dhanani had three RBIs in the opener and Utterback drove in two more runs.

Dhanani's first RBI came in the second when he singled to score Justen Folger.

Utterback homered in the third inning with Ben Lott on base for a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Dhanani homered to left field to score Jordan Friend for a 5-0 lead.

After the Hornets scored in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs countered when Justen Folger singled to drive in Hulsey for a 6-1 lead.

The Bulldogs' final two runs came in the seventh inning when Patrick Dodson scored on a wild pitch and Friend's foul ball sacrifice fly scored Utterback from third base.

Hulsey, Utterback, Folger and Dhanani each had two hits while Utterback also had 2 RBIs and a run scored.

Freeman pitched seven innings and struck out seven to pick up the win. Devin Smith and Utterback closed out the win.

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COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Georgia Regents Augusta Jags Advance To DI Golf Championships With Win At MEAC Tourney

SAVANNAH, Georgia – With round three cancelled due to weather, the GRU Augusta men's golf team won the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Golf Tournament Championship at the Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah, Ga., by 36 strokes to advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships.

LIVE SCORING

A new face to the conference, the Jaguars became an associate member of the MEAC in September. The team ranked No. 49 entering the championship in Golfstat's head to head rankings.

Due to inclement weather in the third and final round, the Jaguars, with a 36-stroke lead following the second day of competition, earned the conference title and automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. With an unfinished shotgun-start in Saturday's play, all scores returned back to the completed 36 holes of the second round, confirming GRU as the champion.

The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Selection Show will air May 4 at 10 a.m. on the Golf Channel.

The Jaguars combined to shoot a 19-under par 557 through 36 holes of the tournament and had 43 combined birdies through two rounds. Robin Petersson won the event for the Jags, while Maverick took second and Broc Everett third to highlight the Jags.

GRU's Robin Petersson, who led the field with a 5-under par 67 after day two, was named the Most Outstanding Performer. For the tournament, Petersson carded 12 birdies, two bogies and one double bogey to finish 8-under par 136 overall.

GRU's Jake O'Keefe was named Outstanding Coach. "This was fantastic," said Coach O'Keefe. "Our guys played well and to win was our goal. It was a nice feat and to have all of our guys finish in the top 10 was great. I look forward to representing the MEAC in the NCAA Regionals and we will continue to do our best to keep this going."

GRU's Maverick Antcliff finished in second place after shooting a one-under par 71, four strokes from the overall lead in the second round. Antcliff carded three birdies and two bogeys to combine for four-under par thru 36 holes.

Viktor Edin registered an even par in round two and finished seven strokes from the overall lead with a one-under par 143.

GRU's Broc Everett finished in a tie for third with Bethune-Cookman's Ian Clark, at 2-under par 142. Everett fired a 3-over par 75 and Clark finished a 1-over par 73 in the second round.

Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State finished tied for second place at 17-over par 593 to receive the 2015 Co-Runners Up award.

Florida A&M finished fourth at 31-over par 607. North Carolina Central (625), Maryland Eastern Shore (658) and Hampton (663) round out the seven-team field.

For more information on the MEAC Men's Golf Championship or other sponsored sports, visit www.MEACsports.com.

The Division I Men's Golf Selection Show will air Monday, May 4 at 10:00 a.m. on the Golf Channel.  For more information on the MEAC Men's Golf Championships or other sponsored sports, visit www.meacsports.com.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow GRU Athletics at www.jaguarsroar.com and receive short updates on Facebook at GRU_Jaguars and on Twitter at @GRU_Jaguars.

COURTESY GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY AUGUSTA MEDIA RELATIONS

Change coming with JCSU's Blount; Rebuilding is certain for 2015 campaign

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith football in April won’t be the same when September rolls around.

The Golden Bulls have a new head coach in Kermit Blount and player turnover is coming through graduation. If Blount’s history is an indicator, he’ll emphasize an attacking style based on personnel.

“You’re going to see a team that’s going to be very aggressive on the field and competitive on the field and doing all the right things off the field,” he said.

The good news for Blount is he gets a chance to remake the program in his own image, especially on offense, where the majority of last year’s skill position players are graduating. The Golden Bulls weren’t very productive in 2014 as JCSU scored an average of 13.2 points per game, worst in the 12-team CIAA. The Golden Bulls were shut out four times and managed just 277.7 yards on offense. Change was in the works, but changing coaches and philosophies accelerate the process.



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Jared Walker’s Big Day Lifts FAMU To Doubleheader Sweep Over NC Central

PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island – Jared Walker’s offensive outburst lifts Florida A&M (16-22, 12-8 MEAC) to a doubleheader sweep over North Carolina Central (19-24, 12-10 MEAC) on Friday at McCoy Stadium. After having to switch venues due to unexpected field conditions at Jim Rice Field in Roxbury, Massachusetts, FAMU swept NCCU 6-3 and 3-1 at McCoy Stadium, 46 miles away in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, at the home of the Pawtucket Red Sox. Walker went 7-for-8 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored on the day. The Rattlers scored three runs in the sixth inning to take game one 6-3 and held the Eagles to just one run in the fourth inning of game two.

Ryan Kennedy and Peter Jackson each added three hits on the day.

The Rattlers scored as many runs in the bottom of the first inning of game one as they did the entire series against NCCU in Durham earlier this season.



Marcus Roberts (1-0) earned his first career win after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief and didn’t allow a hit with two strikeouts. Kenny McDonald walked the first batter he faced, but struck out the very next batter for the final out to record his sixth save of the season. Rattler starter Chase Jarrell tied a career-high with six strikeouts while working five innings in the no decision. Jarrell allowed three runs on five hits with one walk.

Brandon Fleming (5-1) took the win in game two as he recorded the final two outs of the fourth inning. Alex Carrasco worked the final two scoreless innings for his first save of the season. Game two starter Ricky Page worked 3 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

The Eagles scored first in game one with a single run in the top of the first inning. Eric Kimber led off the game with an infield single and stole second before Mitchell McCary’s sac bunt advanced him to third. Carlos Ortiz was hit-by-pitch with one out, Ronald Thompson struck out and Christian Triplett was also hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Conrad Kovalcik then drew a bases loaded walk to score Kimber from third for the first run of the game. Jacobi Harris would then strike out to end the inning and keep the scoring damage at one run.

FAMU answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Walker led off the home half of the first by ripping a single back up the middle and moved to third as Alec Wong followed with a single through the right side. Walker would score from third as Marlon Gibbs reached on a fielder’s choice bunt back to the pitcher, but an errant throw home trying to catch Walker scoring allowed Wong and Gibbs to go to second and third. Wong then scored the second run on Kennedy’s RBI single to left.

NCCU regained the lead, at 3-2, on Triplett’s RBI double with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. McCrary singled up the middle and advanced to third on Thompson’s two-out double down the right line. Triplett followed with a two-run double down the right line to give Central the lead in what proved to be their final runs of the game.

The Rattlers took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth inning for a score of 5-3. Kennedy led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt from AJ Elkins. Brian Davis would then tie the game at 3-3 with an RBI single through the right side. Michael Birdsong followed with a single to right to place runners on first and second with one out and Jeremy Barlow loaded the bases with a walk. After a strikeout to Jackson, Walker put the Rattlers in front with a two-run single to center for his third hit of the day.

Florida A&M added one more run in the eighth for the final score of 6-3.

NCCU Starter Cameron Scalzo (2-1) suffered the game one loss, for his first loss of the season, after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

In game two, the Rattlers scored first with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Walker led off with a walk and moved to second as Gibbs was hit-by-pitch with one out. After Kennedy flew out to left, Elkins plated Walker with an RBI single back up the middle.

N.C. Central had a scoring opportunity in the top of the third inning with two outs and runners on second and third, but Triplett struck out to end the scoring threat.

Central would tie the game at 1-1 with a single run in the top of the fourth inning. James Dey walked with one out, moved to second on a passed ball before Cory Williamson also walked to put runners at first and second. That forced a pitching change as Brandon Fleming came in for relief of starter Page. Fleming walked the first batter he faced in Theissen and Dey scored next to tie the game as McCrary beat out a double play ball at first base on his grounder to short.

FAMU answered with a run in the bottom half of the fourth inning to take back the lead for good at 2-1. After a Barlow walked and Walker singled to left with two outs, a throwing error by Eagle second baseman Williamson allowed Barlow to come around and score the go-ahead run.

The Rattlers tacked on another run in the fifth inning to push their lead to the final of 3-1. Kennedy led off with a rare infield double as his pop fly was brought back across the diamond by the wind. Elkins advanced Kennedy to third with a sac bunt then Kennedy and Birdsong executed the double steal as Kennedy stole home. Kennedy was in a run down trying to score, which allowed Birdsong to advance all the way to third as Kennedy worked his way out of the rundown to score.

Florida A&M and North Carolina Central will close out the three-game series on Saturday at Fenway Park in Boston. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM and will be televised on the New England Sports Network (NESN). Freshman Ryan Anderson will be on the hill for the Rattlers.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics and live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

TSU Stout, Fultz Named to OVC All-Newcomer Team

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama – Jermey Fultz and Andy Stout have been named to the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer team. The duo became the second and third golfers in school history to receive the distinction. Current senior James Stepp in 2012 was the first Tiger to be selected to the squad.

Stout was second in the OVC for newcomers with a 73.6 strokes per round average. On the year, Stout gained a top five finish, a top 10 finish and three top20 placings. The Manchester, Tenn., native carded his best outing of the season on Mar. 17, as he fired a 5-under, 67, during the third round of the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate.

Fultz finished just behind his fellow classmate with a 73.9 strokes per round. The Knoxville product placed in the top 20 three times and shot a career best 5-under, 67, during the first round of the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate on Oct. 20.

The Tigers continue play during the second round of the OVC Championships on Saturday at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

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Gold Nuggets Add Transfers to Increase Recruiting Class to 3

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Friday the signing of Amani Davis of Cypress, Texas, and Caitlyn Spane of Jackson, Miss., to women's basketball scholarships. Both are 5 feet 11 inches tall; Davis is a forward/center, and Spane is a forward/guard.

Davis averaged 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game the past two seasons for McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. She scored in double figures 13 times and had a pair of double-figure rebounding games. As a freshman in 2013-14, Davis was honorable-mention all-region and helped McLennan's Highlassies qualify for the regional tournament.

Davis graduated from Cypress Springs High School in 2013. She was first-team all-district as a senior and won team awards for MVP and most improved player. Her single-game highs included 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Spane will transfer from the University of North Florida, an NCAA Division I member in Jacksonville. She averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds for UNF in 2014-15 and produced a double-double — 14 points and 10 rebounds — against Edward Waters, one of Xavier's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents. She scored 10 points and made 2-of-2 3-pointers against NCAA DI Tennessee State, the Ohio Valley Conference tournament champion last season.

Spane averaged 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in two seasons at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., and helped the Lady Bobcats win the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges state championship her sophomore year. She was a three-year basketball starter and a four-year volleyball starter at Terry (Miss.) High School and had a 32-point game as a senior in which she was 15-of-15 from the floor.

Davis will be a biology/pre-medical major at Xavier, and she hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon. Spane will major in political science. Both were honor-roll students in high school, and Davis made the honor roll multiple times at McLennan.

"Amani and Caitlyn are two nice additions to our program," XU coach Bo Browder said. "Both are versatile players. They will help our inside and outside game next season. We did not have enough of those types of players last season."

The Gold Nuggets have signed three for 2015-16. Guard Mikayla Bates of Baton Rouge, La., signed last week.

Xavier was 18-15 in 2014-15 and finished second in the GCAC regular season and tournament. The Gold Nuggets qualified for the NAIA Division I National Championship 18 of the past 21 seasons.

2015-16 Xavier women's basketball signees
Name Pos. Ht. Yr.* Hometown High School (College)
Mikayla Bates G 5-7 Fr. Baton Rouge, La. University
Amani Davis F/C 5-11 Jr. Cypress, Texas Cypress Springs (McLennan CC)
Caitlyn Spane F/G 5-11 Sr. Jackson, Miss. Terry (Jones County JC/North Florida)
* athletic classification at Xavier in 2015-16

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Vote for XU's Jazmin Taylor in Ebony Magazine HBCU Campus Queens contest

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Savannah State Sweeps B-CU For First Place In MEAC South

SAVANNAH,  Georgia – In a battle for first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division, Savannah State softball took sole possession of the top spot with a doubleheader sweep of Bethune-Cookman on Friday.

The Lady Tigers improved to 10-1 in MEAC play with the two wins and 17-15 on the season. SSU and Cookman will close out the series on Saturday with a single game, scheduled for 10 a.m. on Lady Tiger Field. Cookman falls to 8-3 in the MEAC, and 15-27 overall.

Savannah State racked up a combined 24 hits over the two games on Friday. The Lady Tigers held onto a tight lead in game one, curbing a Cookman rally to win 8-5. In game two, SSU spread out 12 hits over seven innings for an 11-6 victory.

The Lady Tigers are on a 10-game MEAC win streak, the longest since the school joined the conference in the 2012 season. SSU won the MEAC Southern Division regular season title in their first year of competition in the conference.

SSU added single runs in the first and third innings of game one. In the fifth, SSU exploded with a four hits, including a triple from Alexis Singleton, racking up five runs for a 7-0 lead.

Junior slugger Torrian Wright blasted her 16^th home run of the season in the same inning, scoring Amanda Hallman, and tying the school record for single season home runs. Wright set the record in her freshman year.

Wright continues to lead all of NCAA Division I softball in batting average (.565), on-base percentage (.750), and slugging percentage (1.304). As a team, SSU is ranked ninth nationally in home runs per game, averaging 1.67 an outing.

Bethune-Cookman broke their scoring drought in the sixth inning, platting three runs on five hits. SSU added a single run in the bottom of the sixth on a double from Amber Hallman that platted Wright.

In the top of the seventh, Cookman scored two runs on two hits, and a costly SSU error. With two runners on and two outs, freshman pitcherAshley Eichenlaub forced a groundout from Mariah Davis to end the game.

Eichenlaub, a Savannah native, pitched a full game to earn her 11^th win of the season. She allowed five runs (four earned) on 13 hits with two strikeouts and one walk.

The Lady Tigers had 14 hits in the game, and were led at the plate by sophomore Ama. Hallman who went 4-for-4. Amb. Hallman went 3-for-4 in the game, while freshman Brianna Harris and Wright each added two hits.

The Lady Wildcats came out firing in game two. B-CU platted two runs on one hit to open the game and tacked on another run in the third for a 3-0 lead.

Wright singled to left in the bottom of the third, scoring Harris who reached on a single. Amb. Hallman singled as well, scoring Ama. Hallman to cut the Lady Wildcat's lead to a single run.

B-CU extended their lead in the next inning with two runs on two hits. SSU stranded three runners in the bottom of the frame as the Lady Wildcats held onto a 5-2 lead into the fifth.

SSU owned the fifth and sixth innings. To open the bottom of the fifth, Amb. Hallman hit her 12^th home run of the season, scoring Wright who was walked.

The Lady Tigers' defense staved off additional scoring from Cookman in the top of the sixth, while going to work in the bottom of the frame. SSU racked up seven runs on four hits, including a three-run homer from Eichenlaub and triples from Harris and Singleton.

After trailing for four innings, SSU took an 11-5 lead into the final inning. B-CU platted a single run in the top of the seventh as Ama. Hallman struck out Melissa Berouty to end the game.

Ama. Hallman earned her sixth win of the season, pitching a full 7.0 innings. She allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Amb. Hallman led the Lady Tigers from the plate in game two, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Harris, Ama. Hallman and Eicenlaub each had two hits in the game.

Savannah State will finish up the regular season with a three-game MEAC home series against South Carolina State May 2-3, before heading to the 2015 MEAC Championship Tournament in Daytona Beach Fla. May 7-9.

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

ASU Track & Field: Pre-SWAC 2015 Outdoor Championship Interview

Florida A&M Wind Symphony provides superb performance at the Annual President's Concert

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University hosted the President’s Concert on April 22, 2015 at Lee Hall Auditorium. The event featured the University’s acclaimed Wind Symphony, which just completed a historical performance at the world famous Carnegie Hall.  Dr. Shelby R. Chipman, Conductor, led the Wind Symphony through a truly stellar performance.

In the playing of "Marche Brillante," the Piccolos and Euphoniums musicianship were purely on point with perfect articulation, intonation and a joy to hear. The composition is the product of the creative genius of The Maestro himself, the late Dr. William Patrick Foster (August 25, 1919 – August 28, 2010), Chairman of the Music Department and Director of Bands, Florida A&M University (1946-1998).  "Hubba, Doc!"

If you missed the event, here are a few excepts from the President's Concert for your listening pleasure in high definition surround sounds.  As always, watch in 1080p HD, Wide Screen for maximum viewing pleasure.  Go Rattlers!

Xavier Nuggets' Briggs, Keith narrowly miss season bests

VINNIE BRIGGS 

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Vinnie Briggs and Ireyon Keith missed season bests in the women's triple jump by less than an inch Friday at the Southern Miss Invitational track and field meet.

Briggs jumped 10.55 meters (34 feet, 7 1/2 inches) to place sixth out of 11 competitors. Keith placed eighth in 10.27 meters (33-8 1/2). Briggs' season best is 10.57 meters, and Keith's best is 10.28.

It was Xavier's only competition during the opening day of the two-day meet. Xavier's women will compete Saturday in six track events and the long jump. Field events will start at 10 a.m. -- the women's long jump is scheduled for 2 p.m. -- and running events will begin at 1:10 p.m. The Gold Nuggets' first track event will be 1,500-meter run at 2:05 p.m.

Xavier's men will not compete.

Results

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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ASU Baseball Takes Game One Over Alabama A&M In Magic City Diamond Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Alabama State baseball team won for the 13^th time in 14 games with a 5-3 win over Alabama A&M in the inaugural game of the Magic City Diamond Classic at Historic Rickwood Field.

 

Chris Biocic, P.J. Harris and Ray Hernandez each had two hits asJoseph Camacho improved to 10-0 and Armando Ruiz earned his seventh save.

 

"A lot of times, you have to be able to win games when you're not swinging the bat well," Alabama State head coach Mervyl Melendezsaid. "I thought our pitching was phenomenal. Camacho gave us a lift. He struggled in a couple of innings, but he found his rhythm and did a very good job, keeping a very good offense off balance. I'm very proud of the team and their effort tonight. It was truly a team win."

 

Alabama State (28-12 overall, 16-3 SWAC) erased a 1-0 deficit with a three-run second inning. Waldyvan Estrada and Yamil Pagan walked to lead off the inning. After a fielder's choice forced out Estrada at third, Hunter Allen walked to load the bases.Joseph Estrada was hit by a pitch on a 2-1 count to score Pagan to tie the game. Hernandez then drilled a 1-2 pitch into left field for a single, scoring Harris and Allen for a 3-1 Alabama State lead.

 

The Hornets extended the lead in the third. Waldyvan Estrada singled to lead off the inning, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Pagan. Harris then singled to center on a 1-2 pitch to give Alabama State a 4-1 lead.

 

After Alabama A&M (22-24, 14-8) added a run in the bottom of the third, the Hornets scored again in the fifth. After Chris Biocic and Waldyvan Estrada walked, with one out both players successfully executed a double steal, with Biocic scoring on a throwing error for a 5-2 ASU lead.

 

Camacho went seven innings, allowing 10 hits (nine singles), three runs with two walks and seven strikeouts. Michael Estevez pitched the eighth ahead of Ruiz' two-ninth inning strikeouts to seal the win.

 

Alabama State and Alabama A&M will play a doubleheader Saturday at 3 p.m. with the live radio broadcast of both games on bamastatesports.com.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Three found guilty on all counts in FAMU hazing trial

Benjamin McNamee, Darryl Cearnel and Aaron Golson are facing 15 years in prison

ORLANDO, Florida -- A jury has found the last three former Florida A&M University band members guilty in the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.

Aaron Golson, Benjamin McNamee, and Darryl Cearnel have been convicted of felony hazing and felony manslaughter. The three were the last of 15 band members charged in Champion's death to stand trial. Most of the others took plea deals.

"A strong message needs to be sent: here are the consequences of what hazing is and what it does," said Pamela Champion (Robert's mother) after the verdict was read. "There's no pride in it."

The jury started deliberating at 3:45 p.m. Friday after a day of lengthy closing arguments. They returned their verdict shortly after 6:39 p.m.



VIDEO: STATE ATTORNEY Jeff Ashton on verdict

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