GREENSBORO (April 10, 2016) – North Carolina A&T completed their three-game series with the No. 1 team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference southern division, Florida A&M, with a 17-7 loss in eight innings at War Memorial Stadium, Sunday afternoon. The loss completes Rattlers three-game sweep of the Aggies.
As a result, FAMU (21-10) remains in first place with an 11-1 mark in the conference. The Aggies (8-27, 3-9 MEAC) were swept despite putting together 21 runs and 30 hits in the series. Sophomore Adan Ordonez had the most hits during the Aggies 11-hit Sunday by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Junior Kyle Clary contributed with a 2-for-4 day.
Sophomore Milton Rivera continued his hot streak. He went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. His hitting streak now stands at 19 games. The last time Rivera didn't get a hit in a game came on March 12 in the second game of a doubleheader against N.C. Central. Rivera is hitting .390 (30-for-77) during his hitting streak. There has only been six games this season where he has gone hitless and in addition, Rivera has reached base safely in 24 straight games dating back to March 6.
But the Aggies series against FAMU was mired by large numbers being put up in certain innings. The Rattlers had five different innings in which they scored four or more runs during the series. A big number of runs – seven – was again put up by the Rattlers in the fifth inning of Sunday's game. It came right after an Aggies rally in the home fourth where the Aggies entered the inning trailing 7-3.
In the fourth with one out, Junior Keenan Herring grounded out to third base with runners at first and third. The groundball allowed Myles Sowell, who reached base on walk, to score. With Clary now on second, sophomore Forest Kimbrell singled to score Clary to cut the Rattlers lead to 7-5.
The Rattlers started their scoring in what would be a decisive fifth inning with an RBI sacrifice fly from Ryan Hutson as Shane Gordon scored after tripling. Peter Jackson followed with a single and eventually stole second. He moved to third on a groundout before Marlon Gibbs brought him home on a single for a 9-5 Rattlers lead. After a single by Brian Davis and a walk to Jacky Miles, Jr., loaded the bases, Aggies reliever Leon Hunter, Jr. (RHP) forced in a run by walking Ben Ellzey.
Hunter was replaced by RHP Kaeson Wilson with the bases still load. On a 1-0 pitch Cameron Johnson delivered a crushing grand slam to put the Rattlers in front 14-5. RBI by Miles and Ellzey gave the Rattlers a 16-6 lead going into the Aggies seventh. The Aggies needed a run to prevent the game from ending due to the 10-run MEAC rule that states a conference game is over if a team trails by 10 or more after seven.
Two of N.C. A&T's top hitters did their part to keep the game going as Rivera doubled and Ordonez drove him in with an RBI double. But the Rattlers added another run in the eighth off an RBI single by Alec Wong to go back up 10. A double play and a Kimbrell foul out ended the game in the eighth for N.C. A&T.
The Aggies return to action Wednesday night as they face the Charlotte 49ers in Charlotte at 6. They will then embark on a big three-game conference series against rival North Carolina Central starting Saturday with a 1 p.m., doubleheader in Durham.
