HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Staked to a four-run lead, Alabama A&M (6-15, 1-5 SWAC) pitching could not hold off an offensive barrage as they dropped an 8-6 decision to Florida A&M (8-19, 3-4 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I softball game on Friday, March 25.
 
The Bulldogs would waste no time cracking the seal on the scoring as a single and double put runners on second and third with two outs for senior first baseman Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.). She then proceeded to crank a ball deep over the centerfield fence for her second homerun of the year, this one giving A&M a 3-0 lead early.
 
Following another scoreless pitching performance in the second, Alabama A&M added on as freshman outfielder Da'Nijah Wade (Columbia, Tenn.) made it 4-0 when she drove home a run on a fielder's choice to third. It wouldn't stay that way long as FAMU notched a pair of runs in the top of the third on a similar play and a single by Desirae Beacham to cut the lead in half.
 
They would then explode for six runs on as many hits in the fourth, blowing it open at 8-4. Back-to-back two-RBI doubles by Kiauna Watson and Nyah Morgan sparked that rally and a double to right center by Brianne Hill capped it. An RBI single by sophomore shortstop Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) then sliced it to 8-5 and left a runner on third but the Bulldogs would not be able to capitalize.
 
They would rally in the bottom of the seventh, however, as freshman outfielder Allyson Riches (San Diego, Calif.) walked to lead it off and came around to score two batters later on a triple to left center by freshman outfielder Tatianna Roman (Cypress, Calif.). That would be as close as they would get though as the Rattlers shut things down with a foul our to third and a strikeout out to lock up the narrow two-run victory.
 
Watson led FAMU with three RBIs as part of a 1-for-4 day that saw her score a pair of runs while Morgan was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Destiny Cuevas also went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI and Beacham and Brianne Hill added the other RBIs. Cris'Deona Beasley started and went four innings and was the beneficiary of the Rattlers' six-run inning, using it to pick up the win and move to 5-8.
 
McKinney led the Bulldogs' offense, going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs off her long ball while Roman finished 3-for-4 with an RBI triple. Herbranson went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Wade pushed across the other run to wrap up the scoring for A&M.
 
Freshman pitcher Paige Scott (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada) started and went 3.2 innings to suffer the loss and fall to 2-6 while senior pitcher Alyssa Lopez (San Leandro, Calif.) threw 3.1 innings of one-hit relief and struck out four.
 
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs wrap up their three-game series with Florida A&M with a 12 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, March 26 at Bulldog Field.