Florida A&M scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 2-1 Blue Hose lead and take the 3-2 win over the Presbyterian College softball team in the second game of the day at the Rebel Spring Games in Winter Haven, Fla.
The Blue Hose, who drop to 6-6, play two more Saturday, Mar. 7, with a 10 a.m., game against Akron and a 12:15 p.m., match-up against Lehigh. Florida A&M improves to 3-19.
After a 1-2-3 first inning, Florida A&M's Denise Anderson opened the bottom of the first with a single to right. Two batters later Amber Fullwood put her on second with a base hit to left. Anderson would score off a double by Alyssa Weaver a couple of plays later to put the Rattlers up 1-0 early.
Erin Ruff came through in the fourth to knot the game at 1-1 with her second home run of the season, this one over the left field wall to give PC its first run of the game. Erin Taylor doubled to left the next at-bat and would advance to third off a wild pitch, but the next two batters popped to second and grounded out to pitcher to keep another run from coming home.
The Rattlers threatened in the fifth with back to back singles to open the frame. The PC defense stepped up, getting three straight outs to keep the score at 1-1.
Hope Rogers opened the top of the sixth with a double down the left field line and advanced to third off a fly-out to left by Ruff. She scored the go-ahead run the next at-bat off the sacrifice fly by Taylor to give PC the 2-1 lead.
Florida A&M put a runner on third in the sixth, but a ground-out to third and a pop up to short helped preserve the 2-1 PC lead.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, PC loaded the bases off a bunt single by Jill McLean, a walk by Kersten Legacki and a hit by pitch from Petik. It was for naught as the next PC batter fouled out to the catcher to head to the bottom of the seventh with the slim 2-1 margin.
A single and error put runners on first and second for Florida A&M to open the bottom of the seventh. After both runners advanced off a sacrifice bunt, the Rattlers brought the game-tying run in off a base hit to the shortstop by Jessica Nathan. The game-winner came in off a single up the middle by Anderson the next play to as Florida A&M ended the game with the 3-2 victory.
Sydney Seigler surrendered one earned run off 10 hits for the loss (2-2), while Kenya Pereira earned the win (2-11), going the distance with eight hits, two earned runs and five strikeouts. PC also had one error in the game, going one-of-14 with runners on base.
McLean recorded three hits, with Ruff adding two and one RBI. Taylor was one-for-two with one RBI as well. Nathan and Anderson helped lead Florida A&M, recording two hits and one RBI apiece. Weaver went a perfect three-for-three with a RBI as well.
