JACKSONVILLE, Fla. | Softball is back for Florida A&M, and the Rattlers completed their opening weekend going 1-3, with their first win of 2022 coming against Winthrop.
Game One - Campbell, L 4-0
In the Rattlers' season-opener, they struggled on the defensive end as they had five errors and allowed three unearned runs. Offensively, they could get on base but could not find a way to score as they had six players left on base.
Cris'Deona Beasley pitched the whole game and only allowed three hits on 106 pitches while striking out five batters.
Game Two - North Florida, L 2-0
The Rattlers and Ospreys saw four scoreless innings until the bottom of the fifth when the Ospreys doubled to left-center to score their first run of the game. The Ospreys scored again in the sixth on a sac-fly to take a 2-0 lead. In the top of the seventh,
Melkayla Irvis reached first base on an error in the opening at-bat, but the Rattlers had three straight outs to end the game.
Game Three - Winthrop, W 4-3
The Rattlers picked up their first win of the season in exciting walk-off fashion. Winthrop opened the game up by scoring from a fielding error, but the Rattlers struck back in the bottom of the first as
Nyah Morgan drove in
Cris'Deona Beasley and
Melkayla Irvis as she doubled to right-center field to take a 2-1 lead. Winthrop retook the lead 3-2 off two unearned runs in the top of the third. Two innings later,
Nyah Morgan drove Beasley in again as she hit her second double in the game to tie it up at 3. In the top of the seventh, the Rattlers got out of a 2-out, bases-loaded situation as Beasley threw a wild pitch, but Morgan could recover the ball and throw it back to Beasley to make the out at home plate. In the bottom of the seventh, the Rattlers were able to load the bases, and
Nyah Morgan was up to bat with the opportunity to drive in more runs. Morgan made contact with the ball and reached on a fielder's choice as Winthrop threw for home, and
Mia Blasingane made it in safely on a throwing error for the Rattlers to win the game. Beasley picked up her first win of the season after coming in to relieve
Brandice Boatwright in the sixth inning.
Game Four - NC State, L 6-4
After winning in walk-off fashion to begin the day, the Rattlers faced a tough defeat to NC State as the Wolfpack hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to win the game with their walk-off. The Rattlers fell early to NC State, 2-0, but a 4-run third inning from the Rattlers gave them a 4-2 lead. The Wolfpack battled back, scoring a run in the third and the sixth to tie the game at 4 before winning it in the seventh.
Game Five - Jacksonville, Canceled - Rain
Next weekend, the Rattlers head to Gainesville with games against Florida, Villanova, Louisville, and Duke (two games).
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