ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida A&M split its Saturday slate in Orlando, using a big swing from Amari Brown to power past Dartmouth 8-3 in the opener before running into a tough UCF lineup in a 21-2 loss in the second game. The Rattlers showed resilience in the first contest by rallying from an early deficit, then struck first again in the nightcap before the Knights pulled away.

Game 1: Florida A&M 8, Dartmouth 3

Florida A&M responded after falling behind 2-0 and flipped the game in the third inning behind Brown's bat. The senior delivered the biggest moment of the afternoon with a grand slam that gave the Rattlers a 4-2 lead and put them in control.

After Dartmouth cut the deficit to 4-3, Florida A&M answered with another surge in the fifth. The Rattlers plated four runs in the inning, with Keeleigh Spooner's two-run single serving as the key hit to extend the lead to 8-3.

Samantha Smith went the distance in the circle and earned the win, improving to 3-3 on the season. The senior right-hander allowed three earned runs on eight hits over seven innings, walked two and struck out one.

Brown finished 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, while Spooner added two RBIs. Jordan Douglas also contributed with an RBI and two walks. Florida A&M's offense stayed disciplined throughout, drawing nine walks, and every starter reached base in the victory.

Game 2: UCF 21, Florida A&M 2

Florida A&M opened the second game with two runs in the top of the first and briefly seized the early momentum, but UCF answered quickly and took over from there. The Knights scored 21 runs over the next four innings to pull away for the win.

The Rattlers' best offensive moment came in that opening frame, which stood as their highest-scoring inning of the game. Samantha Smith led Florida A&M at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.

Freshman Sariah Espada took the loss in the circle for Florida A&M. Despite the setback, the Rattlers finished the day with a split in Orlando and moved to 9-10 on the season.