MADIERA BEACH, Fla. (Mar. 2) – The FAMU Women's Softball team got off to a 2-0 start in the EMU Tournament as of Saturday morning, with victories over Georgia Southern Friday (5-1), and UT Chattanooga Saturday morning (5-4).

FAMU 5, UT CHATTANOOGA 4, 8 Inns. - Saturday

On Saturday morning, the Rattlers needed extra innings to knock off 13-2 UT Chattanooga, 5-4.

Third baseman Hera Varmah's RBI single to left, scored Kimaya Watkins with the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth.

FAMU scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first on Alexis Day's RBI single up the middle, scoring Tyra Bowers for a 1-0 lead.

Chattanooga took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second, before FAMU tied the count, 2-2, on Shakayla Nixon's RBI single, which plated Watkins for her second run, in the bottom of the fourth.

The Rattlers pushed ahead, 3-2 in the fifth, when Jamesia Stoudemire scored on a UTC  throwing error. FAMU made it 4-2 when Taylor Rosier scored on an error.

UTC  tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth with a two-run rally, which led to extra innings.

The Rattlers rapped out 11 hits Saturday, paced by Day, Varmah, Shakayla Nixon and Alexis Blasingane with two hits each, while Day. Varmah and Nixon each had RBIs.

Junior Kyaira Brown was the winner in relief of starter Brandice Boatwright. Brown fanned four, allowing one run on one hit, with a walk in three rinnings. Boatwright scattered six hits, allowing three runs with a walk, and a strikeout in five innings.

FAMU 5, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 1 – Friday

The Rattlers finished their opening game with six hits in the 5-1 win over Georgia Southern, even though the story was the pitching of junior Kyaira Brown.

The Tallahassee native handcuffed the Eagles (11-5), allowing GSU on sixth inning run on six hits, striking out two against non walks in seven innings.

FAMU scored two runs in the top of the third, pushed across a single tally in the fourth, before closing out the game with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Alexis Day belted a two-run homer in the game, while Brown and Bowers each drove in a tally. That trio plus Stoudemire, Rosier and Varmah each had one hit. Stoudemire's hit was good for a triple, positioning her to score on Brown's single.

WHO'S ON DECK: FAMU (3-12) was slated to face Villanova at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, then close the event Sunday with two morning games, starting at 9:00 a.m.

EMU TOURNAMENT REMAINING SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 2

01:30 p.m. – FAMU vs. Villanova

Sunday, March 3

09:00 a.m. – FAMU vs. Sienna

11:30 a.m. – FAMU vs. Penn State