MONTGOMERY, Ala. |
Omar Melendez tossed seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts to help Alabama State University take a key 1-0 win over Florida A&M University on Friday at the Wheeler-Watkins Basketball Complex.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
FINAL: Alabama State 1 | Florida A&M 0
Location: Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex | Montgomery, Ala.
Records: Alabama State 28-15, 16-3 SWAC | Florida A&M 21-19, 15-4 SWAC
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams combined for three hits through the first six innings.
- Will Brown singled but was stranded after Omar Melendez got two strikeouts swinging to end the inning.
- Alabama State took a 1-0 lead in the seventh. Ali Lapread stroked a one-out double and scored on a Corey King single.
- Joseph Pierini led off the eighth with a double only to be thrown out at the plate by Lapread to keep the Hornets lead at 1-0.
- Luis Rodriguez struck out the side in the ninth to end the game.
ON THE MOUND
- Omar Melendez (8-0) posted eight strikeouts while scattering four hits over 7.0 scoreless innings as the winning pitcher.
- Hunter Viets (5-0) gave up one run on five hits with two strikeouts to suffer the loss for the Rattlers.
- Rodriguez (5) limited FAMU to one hit and struck out five to record the save.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Melendez notched his SWAC leading ninth win on the mound.
- Rodriguez moved him into a three-way tie for the SWAC saves lead with five.
- The Hornets finished with five hits on the night with Lapread's double as the only extra base hit for the Hornets.
- Randy Flores, King, Cristian Lopez, Jamal George each had singles.
UP NEXT: Alabama State and Florida A&M University meet in game two of the series begins on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
