PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas --Corie Lockette put together an outstanding performance at the plate Thursday, hitting two homers, but the Prairie View A&M Panthers fell to the Florida A&M Rattlers 17-14.
Beau Beaty (2-6) got the ball to start for Prairie View A&M (6-21, 2-7) and took the loss.
Lockette went 3-for-4 at the plate, supplementing his two home runs with five RBIs. Dylan Diaz added to Lockette's awesome power-hitting performance by going 1 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs along with one walk. Ryland Duson also helped out for the Panthers, going 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 1-0, the Panthers first put runs on the board in the third inning. Prairie View A&M's offense started clicking and put up six runs, including a three-run home run off the bat of Lockette.
The Rattlers then tied the ballgame at six before the Panthers came back to reclaim their advantage in the fifth inning. Prairie View A&M picked up a pair of runs in the frame, which brought the score to 8-6 in favor of the Panthers.
Prairie View A&M's lead had disappeared by the time the seventh inning arrived and turned into a 13-8 Florida A&M advantage, when the Panthers cut that deficit to 13-12. The Panthers hit two home runs in the inning on the way to scoring four runs.
The Rattlers expanded their lead to 14-12 before the Prairie View A&M offense got back in action, biting into that lead in the eighth. Ethan Walker crossed home plate with the lone run of the inning for the Panthers, bringing the score to 14-13 in favor of Florida A&M.
Florida A&M expanded their lead to 17-13 before the Panthers offense got back to work, narrowing that lead to 17-14 in the ninth. Prairie View A&M picked up a run on Sonnier Moses' one-out solo home run off of Jackson McKenzie. The Panthers were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
GAME NOTES
» Prairie View A&M got a two-homer day from Lockette.
» Duson put together a four-hit day for the Panthers.
» Prairie View A&M's power output was led by Lockette, who compiled two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Lockette drove in five runs for the Panthers.
» Every Panthers starter reached base safely in the loss.
» Prairie View A&M's highest scoring inning was the third, when it pushed six runs across.
» The Panthers took Florida A&M pitchers deep four times on Thursday.
» Walker stole two bases in Thursday's game.
» Prairie View A&M went 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Prairie View A&M pitchers faced 53 Florida A&M hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and 13 fly balls while striking out two.
» The Panthers drew four walks from Florida A&M pitching.
» Lockette led the Panthers at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs.
