March 22, 2008

Final Stats

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida A&M Rattlers dropped a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader to archrival Bethune-Cookman University by scores of 10-0 and 9-1 at Moore-Kittles Field Saturday afternoon.

The defending MEAC champion Wildcats (13-7, 2-0 in MEAC) built early leads in both games to cruise to the sweep over the Rattlers (2-10, 0-2).

In the opener, B-CU forged a 7-0 lead in the first two innings, scoring three runs in the first and four in the second. They added single runs in the third, seventh and ninth innings to close out the scoring.

Hiram Burgos (2-0) was the winning pitcher for B-CU, working seven innings, fanning six, while scattering seven hits. FAMU's Cirilo Manego (0-3) took the loss, getting lifted in the second after yielding seven runs on four hits with four walks.

The Wildcats finished Game One with eight hits, led by Emmanuel Castro's two hits, while FAMU totaled seven hits in the opener, as seven different players had at least one hit.

In the nightcap. B-CU built a 6-0 lead after four innings, with a three-spot in the second, one in the third and two more in the fourth.

FAMU, which finished Game Two with just one hit. a second inning single by Thaddeus McBurrows, plated its' lone run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Corey McFadden, who was hit by a pitch from B-CU starter Joseph Gautier, later scored from third on Darryl Evans' sacrifice fly to right field, for a 6-1 score.

The Wildcats finished with 10 hits highlighted by Jose Lozada and Neal Jones with two hits apiece. Jones and Osvaldo Torres both homered, ending the game with a combined five RBI (Jones, 2; Torres, 3).

B-CU closed out the scoring with two runs in the fifth and a single run in the seventh for the 9-1 final count.

Gautier (2-1) was the winning pitcher for the Wildcats, allowing one hit and one run, striking out four with two walks in five innings of work. Miguel Parga (0-1) got the loss for FAMU, allowing eight runs on eight hits in four and two-thirds innings.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Rattlers and Wildcats close out the conference-opening series Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Moore-Kittles Field.... The Rattlers will host two games this week against Alabama State Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and Albany (Ga.) State Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.