TALLAHASSEE, Fla- Savannah State began their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule with a double-header loss to Florida A&M at Moore-Kittles Field.

The Rattlers won the opener 7-5 and completed the sweep with a 4-3 victory in the second game.

SSU had 11 hits in the first game but stranded 11 runners on base.

The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth.

In the fourth, Hector Benitez hit a RBI triple and Khayld Cox hit a RBI single while in the sixth, Bryce Luken hit a two-run single.

FAMU scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score.

Cox scored a run for Savannah State (9-10, 0-2 MEAC) in the top of the eighth to give the Tigers a 5-4 edge but Florida A&M rallied for three runs in the bottom half of the inning as Cameron Johnson hit a two-run single and Ben Ellzey hit a RBI single for a 7-5 lead.

Luken had two hits and drove in two runs for SSU. Greg Smith  was tagged with the loss. Smith pitched one inning and gave up three runs, two hits and one walk while recording one strikeout.

Johnson drove in two runs for FAMU. Hunter Fillingim was the winner on the mound, pitching 1.1 innings and giving up one hit and no runs.

In the second game, Ellzey scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the seventh for give the Rattler a one run victory.

FAMU (13-5, 4-1 MEAC) scored one run in the third and a solo home run by Russell Rauh in the fourth put the Rattlers in front 2-0.

SSU scored three times in the fifth to go ahead 3-2 as Jacob Lightle hit a two run double and scored himself on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Gerdts.

Both team had nine hits but Savannah State made three errors The Rattlers left 10 men on base while SSU left five.

Gerdts, Luken and Lightle all had two hits for Savannah State. Austin Robinson pitched six innings and struck out four but was tagged with the loss.

John  Capra and Garrett Wilkinson each had two hits for FAMU. Fillingim pitched one third of an inning and was declared the winner.