ATLANTA (WTXL) — The Florida A&M baseball team defeated Texas Southern 9-1 Wednesday in an opening round game of the 2023 SWAC baseball championship tournament at Mac Nease Ballpark on the campus of Georgia Tech University.
FAMU ended a scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning via a Janmikell Bastardo solo home run, which gave the Rattlers a 1-0 lead.
The Rattlers added two runs in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, Bastardo hit a three run homer to extend the FAMU lead to 6-0. Adam Haidermota added an RBI double to end a four-run frame to give FAMU an 7-0 lead.
Ty Hanchey added an RBI double, while Jared Weber had an RBI groundout to give FAMU a 9-0 lead.
Bastardo finished with four RBI in the win.
Texas Southern scored a run on an Alexander Olivo RBI single in the ninth inning.
Hunter Viets got the start on the mound for FAMU and went seven innings, gave up five hits, zero earned runs, zero walks and posted five strikeouts for the win.
Zach Morea pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Up next, FAMU, the No. 3 seed from the east division in the tournament, will play the winner of the Alabama State vs. Prairie View A&M game Thursday.
