Late-inning errors allowed Florida A&M to take the lead and pull away, stealing a road series from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
FAMU defeated the UAPB baseball team 11-5 to clinch the three-game series at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex.
UAPB (9-16, 4-2 SWAC) coach Logan Stout said the Golden Lions made too many mistakes and took bad approaches at the plate.
“If this group of guys plays clean baseball — doesn’t have to be excellent plays, just make the routine plays, play clean baseball, throw strikes — they’re going to win 90% of their games, and they didn’t do that,” Stout said. “About as bad a game they’ve played. It’s unfortunate, but I’d rather get it out of our system now than later in the season.”
Florida A&M (9-13, 4-2) took the lead in the seventh inning by scoring 2 unearned runs. UAPB had not committed an error in the first six innings, but second baseman Konner Giddley and shortstop Aaron Grant combined for three in the seventh.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
After the first two errors, FAMU pinch hitter Alex Monile hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring a runner home and give the Rattlers a 6-5 lead. After Grant misplayed a ball that could have ended the inning against the next hitter, second baseman William Brown, who hit an RBI single to make it 7-5.
The unearned runs spoiled an otherwise solid relief outing from right-hander Reagan James (1-2), who held FAMU to two hits with two strikeouts and no walks in three innings. He did not allow an earned run.
The Rattlers added 4 runs on three hits and an error in the ninth to pull away.
UAPB had opportunities to rally. The Golden Lions had runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the seventh and with two outs in the eighth but struck out and hit two fly balls to center to strand the runners.
The Golden Lions finished the game stranding 11 runners after tallying seven hits and eight walks. UAPB stranded a combined 20 runners in the series.
Stout said had the Golden Lions gotten timely hits with runners on base, they would have easily won the series.
“Sometimes I think guys just try to do too much,” Stout said. “They’re trying to do too much versus keeping the same approach they had when no one was on base. Part of that just comes with maturity.”
UAPB led 3-1 through two innings after bringing nine hitters to the plate in the second, but FAMU tied the game in the third and took a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
The Rattlers used a lineup with eight right-handed hitters and one switch hitter against UAPB left-handed starter Ryland Morin. That lineup chased Morin with one out in the third inning after he allowed 3 runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Stout said better pitch execution would have negated the right-handed lineup.
“We don’t look at the batter,” Stout said. “You look at the plate. It’s 17 inches. Throw the ball over the 17 inches, and we didn’t do it. We were all over the place. The hits don’t hurt you. It’s when it’s a walk, walk, then a hit. … The pitcher, instead of hitting corners, right, and elevating and working the zone, he’s just throwing right down the middle.”
FAMU starter Jesus Campa didn’t last much longer than Morin, exiting after 31/3 innings. UAPB scored 4 runs, 2 earned, against him with four hits and five walks and one strikeout. Right-handed reliever Clark Lincoln (1-0) and left-hander Jackson McKenzie held UAPB to 1 unearned run the rest of the game.
After FAMU took the 5-3 lead, the Golden Lions scored a pair of unearned runs to tie the game. Third baseman Zach Wieder hit an RBI single in the fourth, and Giddley drove in a run on a suicide squeeze bunt in the fifth to even the game at 5.
UAPB got the first two hitters of the sixth inning on base but grounded into a double play and flew out to end the threat, missing a chance to take the lead. FAMU took the lead for good in the next half inning.
The Rattlers won the series after UAPB won 11-4 on Friday but lost 7-5 on Saturday.