TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A big eighth inning in the first game and a walk-off home run in the second game caused the North Carolina A&T baseball team to lose two heartbreaking games to Florida A&M on Saturday, 10-7 and 3-2, at Moore-Kittles Field.
The two close calls were crucial as the Aggies (3-20) dropped to 1-9 in the MEAC race. The top four teams from the MEAC southern division advance to the MEAC tournament held May 13-17 in Salisbury, Md. The good news for the Aggies is that there are still 13 conference games remaining.
A&T was hoping to gain some ground in the standings against the Rattlers this weekend and were headed in that direction in both games.
Brandon Wilkerson led the Aggies in Game 1 by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Ryan Janstch, A.J. Hunt and Erik Montero had two hits apiece with Janstch adding two RBI. Game 1 saw the Aggies rally from a 6-3 deficit in the sixth inning. Sophomore Kyle Clary started the rally with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Wilkerson. Montero followed with a double to put runners at second and third.
Montero's hit led to the Rattlers to replace starting right-hand pitcher Chase Jarrell with right-hander William Carrasco. Carrasco's balk allowed Wilkerson to score to cut the Rattlers lead to 6-5 while Montero moved to third. Janstch tied the game at 6 as his ground out to second base allowed Montero to score.
FAMU (10-15, 6-5 MEAC) regained the lead in the seventh before the Aggies tied the game again in the eighth as Janstch's RBI double to center field scored Hunt who also reached on a double. But the Rattlers took the lead for good in their half of the eighth as A.J. Elkins' RBI sacrifice fly to right scored Logan Seymour for the 8-7 lead. Alec Wong and Marlon Gibbs would also score in the inning off RBI from Gibbs and Brian Davis.
The Rattlers used Marcus Roberts (LHP) and Kenny McDonald (RHP) came on in the ninth to keep the Aggies off the board. Cleveland Westbrook (2-0) picked up the win and McDonald got his fifth save of the season. Jason Gifford (0-1) took the loss for A&T. Alec Wong was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI for the Rattlers.
Wong was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and in the second game as his walk-off home run in the seventh earned FAMU the win.
But the second game was more about pitching. In what was a pitcher's duel, the Aggies tied the seven-inning game at 2 in the seventh with an Adan Ordonez double down the left-field line to score pinch-runner Micah Carmony. Ordonez was able to advance to third with one out thanks to a wild pitch, and the Aggies put another runner because of a walk. But McDonald came on to get the final two outs of the inning.
McDonald's pitching set up Wong's heroics as he hit his home run off freshman Jerry Liang (0-4). McDonald (2-0) picked up the win. Ordonez was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
The two teams wrap up their three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1.
