Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Chris Fulman hit a pair of three-run homers to lead a 15-hit attack as No. 3 seed Florida A&M eliminated No. 6 Norfolk State, 15-2, at the 2009 MEAC Baseball Championship on Saturday morning at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The Spartans' season ends at 22-23. FAMU (24-29) advances to play the loser of the North Carolina A&T vs. Bethune-Cookman game on Saturday evening.
NSU got on the board with a pair of two-out runs in its first time at bat against FAMU starter Adam Gordon (2-1). Juan Herrera (Santiago, Dominican Republic) singled in Drew Suttmiller (Chesapeake, Va.), and Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) knocked in Herrera with an RBI double.
But the Rattlers scored eight runs over the second, third and fourth innings to take control. Fulman blasted his first three-run homer of the day in the second off NSU starter Ryan Davis (Gilbert, Ariz.) to give the Rattlers a lead they would not lose.
FAMU added two runs in the third. Darryl Evans doubled and scored when the Spartans botched a FAMU sacrifice bunt, and Derrick Shaw knocked in the other run with an RBI single.
Three more Rattler runs crossed the plate in the fourth. Gabriel Rodriguez drove in one with a single, and Tim Schalch plated two more with a single of his own for an 8-2 FAMU lead.
Fulman capped a seven-run sixth inning with a two-out, three-run homer to the same spot as his first round-tripper. The game was stopped after seven innings due to the 12-run rule.
Gordon earned the win by pitching all seven innings and scattering six hits. He walked two and struck out six. Davis (1-3), making just his second start of the season, allowed six runs, five earned, in three-plus innings.
Fulman was 3-for-4 with six RBI. Stavone Martin also was 3-for-4, while Schalch was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Evans had a pair of doubles, scored twice and stole a base. Shaw added two hits and two RBI.
Jerrod Farley (Chester, Va.) was 2-for-2 in his final game as a Spartan. Joyce and Herrera were both 1-for-3. Farley, Chris Williams (Suffolk, Va.), Jason Donovan (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Anselmo Cantu (Virginia Beach, Va.) all capped their Spartan careers on Saturday. Four-year letterwinners Williams, Farley and Cantu contributed to 95 NSU wins in the past four seasons.
