Box Score
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - John Rasberry hit a three-run double to highlight Norfolk State's six-run second inning, and the Spartans rode a solid start from freshman Justin Bhatti to earn a 10-3 win over Florida A&M on Sunday in the rubber game of their MEAC series at Moore-Kittles Field.
The win improves the Spartans' record to 19-26 overall, 9-8 in the MEAC. FAMU falls to 17-35, 6-12.
Neither team scored in the first, but NSU quickly loaded the bases with just one out in the second. Sammy Serafine singled, Cameron Parsons reached on an error and TiQuan Griffin walked. John Lynch then knocked in a run with a fielder's choice, but FAMU did not record an out on the play, leaving the bases loaded. Rasberry followed by ripping a David Duncan offering down the left-field line to clear the bases.
Brandon Hairston then singled in Rasberry, and Hairston later scored after a pair of wild pitches by Duncan to make it 6-0.
NSU padded its lead to 8-0 in the third as Serafine tripled in Tyon Ore. Griffin then knocked in Serafine with a groundout.
The Spartans all but put the game away with two more runs in the fifth. Parsons singled with two outs. Griffin followed with an RBI triple, and Griffin scored on a throwing error by the FAMU outfield at the end of the play to make it 10-0.
That was plenty for Bhatti (2-6), who held FAMU scoreless until the seventh. The Rattlers narrowly averted losing in seven innings by the 10-run rule as Tobi Adeyemi hit a two-out, two-run single off Bhatti, ending the freshman right hander's day. Adeyemi and Adam Decker then executed a double steal of second and home to get FAMU within 10-3.
Bhatti, who also threw three scoreless innings of relief in Wednesday's loss at VCU, pitched 6.2 innings on Sunday. He allowed seven hits and three runs, walking two and striking out six. Raymond Morton pitched the final 2.1 innings and struck out three.
Hairston and Serafine led NSU with two hits apiece. Griffin went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Parsons and Serafine also scored two times each.
Duncan (3-6) took the loss for the Rattlers. He yielded seven hits and 10 runs, seven of them earned, in five innings of work. Adeyemi (3-for-4, two RBI) had three of FAMU's seven hits.
NSU now returns home for its final three regular-season games. The Spartans host North Carolina A&T in a MEAC makeup game on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Marty L. Miller Field, then conclude the regular season with a pair of games against Longwood next Friday and Saturday.
