The FAMU Lady Rattlers (5-5) split their Saturday double-header with the UNF Lady Ospreys Saturday at the FAMU Lady  Rattlers Softball Complex.

The Lady Rattlers edged the Lady Ospreys by a score of 2-1 in the opening game of the double header.  Melissa Oliphant slugged two hits and drove in a run for the Lady Rattlers.  The second score came on an error by the Lady Ospreys.

Amanda Reyes (3-3) picked up the win, going the distance for the Lady Rattlers.  She allowed only five hits while getting three strikeouts. 

FAMU’s Tara Vincent and Erika Garcia each slugged a hit in the game. 

For the Lady Ospreys, Kara Rutenbar knocked two hits and their only RBI.


The Lady Rattlers got behind early in game two of the twin bill, but fought back to tie the game in the 6th inning. 

Implementing international rules for extra innings following the 7th inning, in each inning after the 7th, a runner was placed on second base to start the inning.

In the 8th inning, left fielder Jasmin Donaldson scooped a base hit to left field by UNF’s Kara Rutenbar and threw out Stephanie McAdams at home with the assistance of a great plate block by Joyce Harold.

The Lady Ospreys scored on a deep double in the top of the 9th inning.  The Lady Rattlers were unable to answer in the bottom of the 9th.

The next action for the Lady Rattlers is March 5-7 at the FAU Tournament in Boca Raton.  Next home action for the Lady Rattlers is March 10, for a double header against James Madison.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Feb. 19) - The defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament champion Florida A&M Lady Rattlers were predicted to win the 2010 MEAC Softball title as voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors. 

Delaware State was picked to finish first in the Northern division, while the Lady Rattlers were picked to win the Southern division along with the conference’s tournament title.
 
The Lady Rattlers finished the 2009 season with a 30-32 overall record and an unblemished 12-0 mark in conference play.  FAMU cruised through the MEAC championship winning 4-of-5 games including a 9-1 rout against Bethune-Cookman in the tournament final.  Head coach Veronica Wiggins recorded her 500th career victory last season and guided the Lady Rattlers to their ninth conference title overall since 1993
 
Delaware State finished third in the north with an 8-6 MEAC record and 23-24 overall mark.  The Lady Hornets won the conference title in 2008 but feel short of the title repeat in 2009 losing to Florida A&M and Hampton in back-to-back games in the championship tournament.
 
The 2009 MEAC Player of the Year Ryanne Hill of North Carolina A&T was selected as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.  Hill led the MEAC in doubles (15), and ranked second in hits (60) and total bases (96).  She led her team in hitting (.361), third best in the MEAC, and recorded five home runs, 15 doubles, three triples and 46 RBI in 49 starts last season.
 
FAMU’s Amanda Reyes, who was named the 2009 MEAC Pitcher of the Year, also received the preseason pitching honor to start this season.  Reyes finished with a 22-20 record including three saves and an ERA of 2.66 in 255.2 innings, second most in the MEAC last year.  She was undefeated in conference play with an 8-0 mark and finished with a conference low ERA of 0.36.
 
Hill and Reyes are joined by Alyssa Velazquez (NSU), Tamra Griffin (MSU), Sharde’ Estep (Ham), Kelsie Saunders (Ham), Rebecca Kirshner (How), Jada Jefferies (Ham), Courtney Young (How), and Rebecca Barnes (NSU) to round out the preseason team.
 
Allison Garcia (B-CU), Ciera Gordon (How), Jasmine Donaldson (FAMU) and Brianeisha Eure (NSU) received honorable mention.
 
Conference play begins April 2-3 with all MEAC northern and southern divisional teams in action. 

The 2010 MEAC Softball Championship tournament is scheduled for March 13-15, 2010 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Feb. 17) - Third baseman Melissa Oliphant accounted for FAMU’s only runs in a 9-2 loss to Florida State at Lady Rattler Field in the annual meeting between the city's two Division I programs.

Oliphant belted a two-run homer over the left-field fence in the bottom of the seventh, but by then the hole was too deep for FAMU to claw out.

The Seminoles scored the first two runs of the ballgame in the top of the first and they stood until Tory Haddad's solo home run in the top of the fourth.

"It's bittersweet," Oliphant said. "Obviously you want to be happy about something like that (homer), but we didn't come out with the win so it's kind of disappointing. We had a close start, but we've got to start from the beginning and then finish."

FSU put the game out of reach with three runs in the top of the seventh, building a 9-0 lead.

FAMU couldn't do much against FSU starting pitcher and former Chiles High standout Sarah Hamilton, who pitched just two innings without a hit for her second win of the season, striking out five batters.

FAMU starter Amanda Reyes, who had a record-setting season last year, didn't get much going against FSU in her first start.

FAMU also used three pitchers. Reyes lasted five innings, giving up six of the 10 hits FSU had. The others came off Oliphant and Jennifer Lindsay, who threw one inning each.

In the third inning, FAMU got its first hit on a single by Joyce Harold with two outs, finishing the night with three hits.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Lady Rattlers will return to action this weekend in the UCF Softball Classic in Orlando, starting Friday, Feb. 19 and running through Sunday, Feb. 21.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 20) - The Florida A&M University Softball team split their first four games in the UCF Invitational at the UCF Softball Complex Friday and Saturday.
FAMU (2-3) blanked Villanova, 6-0 on Friday and nipped Troy University, 5-4 on Saturday, while dropping a 4-2 decision to South Carolina on Friday and a 4-0 bout to North Florida on Saturday.

@The Lady Rattlers were scheduled to close out the tournament on Sunday afternoon against host University of Central Florida (UCF) at 3 p.m.
 
• On Friday, FAMU defeated Villanova University, 6-0 in their first game, finishing with a season-high 12 hits, led by Tenisha Dixson and Melissa Oliphant with three hits each.
 
Villanova (0-1) tallied five hits with five players finishing with one hit each.
 
Amanda Reyes (1-1) picked up the win for the Lady Rattlers, going the distance, striking out three and allowing five hits in seven innings of work.
 
A Melissa Oliphant homer in the bottom of the third gave the Lady Rattlers a 1-0 lead.
 
An Arianna Stewart triple in the bottom of the fifth scored both Taylor West and Erika West.  Then Stewart would score on a  Shayla Clark sacrifice fly to centerfield, increasing FAMU’s lead to 4-0.
 
Dixon led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer to right field followed by a West single scoring Oliphant, who doubled in the previous at bat for the 6-0 final.


In their second game Friday, FAMU dropped a 4-2 decision to the University of South Carolina, tallying eight hits with Tenisha Dixon and Arianna Stewart finishing with two hits each.
 
Jennifer Lindsey (0-1) took the loss for the Lady Rattlers as she gave up six hits and four earned runs, while striking out in six innings of work.
 
Dixon gave the Lady Rattlers an early 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth as she scored on a Melissa Oliphant single up the middle.
 
The Gamecocks scored all four of their run in the bottom of the third as Briana Hamilton was walked in, followed by a Mendes single up the middle scoring Borchardt.   Then both Lauren Lackey and Adele Voigt would score as Walker scored on a Lindsey Walker sacrifice fly to left field and Voigt scoring on a passed balled.
 
FAMU scored their final run in to the top of the fifth as Dixson scored on Joyce Harold fielder’s choice for the 4-2 final.

 
• On Saturday, FAMU split two games, falling to North Florida, 4-0, before edging past Troy (Ala.) University, 5-4.

In the early loss against UNF, FAMU finished the game with two hits, as Tenisha Dixon and Joyce Harold both had one hit each.
 
UNF (2-9) tallied ten hits with Carolina Torre and Ariana Godwin both finishing with two hits apiece.
 
Devyn Finley (2-6) picked up the win for UNF, by going the distance allowing two hits and striking 11 in seven innings of work.
 
Amanda Reyes (1-2) took the loss for FAMU, giving up eight hits and four earned runs in three innings of work.
 
The Ospreys plated three runs in the bottom of the third as both Godwin and Jackie Reese scored on a Caroline Torre single down the left field line.  Then Britanie Block would score on a Devyn Finley single up the middle, giving UNF a 3-0 lead.
 
Airen Payne would score the Ospreys final run on a wild pitch for the 4-0 final, in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Dixon’s triple in the top of the sixth inning would break up the UNF’s no-hitter, after five complete innings of play.


In the nightcap Saturday, FAMU (2-3) picked up their second win 5-4, led by Jasmin Donaldson, as she collected three of the Lady Rattlers’ six hits.
 
Troy (5-1) was led by Kala Moore and Hayden Gann, who both finished with two hits each as the team finished with 10 hits.
 
Jennifer Lindsey (1-1) picked up her first win of the season as she gave up three earned runs and struck out one in seven innings of work.
 
The Lady Rattlers took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third as Donaldson scored on a passed ball, followed by Dixon scoring on a wild pitch.  Then Ashante Shepherd would score on a Taylor West sacrifice fly to centerfield.
 
In the top of the fourth inning, Troy would push across two runs as Katie Ely was walked in and Sarah Shield would score on a wild pitch, cutting FAMU’s lead to 3-2.
 
Shayla Clark gave the Lady Rattlers a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth as she scored on a Donaldson single down the left field line.
 
TU tied the game at 4-4 as Kaitlin Kenned scored on a Nikki White sacrifice fly to leftfield, followed by Moore scoring on a FAMU infielder’s error.
 
FAMU would win the game in dramatic fashion as Donaldson scored on a West bases loaded single to left field, giving the Lady Rattlers the 5-4 win in the bottom of the seventh inning.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (May 8)  - Florida A&M took advantage of numerous Hampton miscues Friday evening to defeat the Lady Pirates, 8-0 in five innings, advancing to the championship round of the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament at the Ormond Beach  Sports Complex.

Florida A&M (28-30) which dropped a 4-3 decision to Bethune-Cookman University in the semifinals on Friday morning, will face their archrivals for the 2009 MEAC Championship here Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

A second and deciding game, if needed, would start at 3:30 p.m.

The Lady Rattlers, who are 3-1 in the tournament so far, are in search of their ninth league title and their third in the last five years, must defeat Bethune-Cookman (3-0 in tournament play) twice on Saturday to lay claim to the league crown.

In Friday evening’s elimination final, FAMU managed three hits, but were aided by Hampton’s three  errors, three hit-by-pitches, and two wild pitches.
 
Nicole Terryn, Joyce Harold and Jasmine Donaldson had FAMU’s three hits Friday evening, while Tiffany Brents led Hampton (26-23) with two hits.

Amanda Reyes (20-15) in her fourth game on the mound for the Lady Rattlers picked up the win, as she allowed three hits and striking out seven in five innings of work.

Rhianna Green scored FAMU’s first run in the bottom of the of first on a  HU’s infielders error.  Shayla Clark would then be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded scoring Alesha Wells, which was followed by a Harold single up the middle scoring Brianna Weaver.

Raven Johnson would hit into a fielder’s choice to score Terryn, followed a pair of Lady Pirate infielder’s errors which would score both Harold and Johnson, giving the Lady Rattlers a 6-0 lead.

 

FAMU would plate two more runs in the bottom of the third as Donaldson singled up the middle scoring Harold, and then Donaldson would score on a HU’s infielder’s error for the 8-0 final.

Earlier in the day, Florida A&M dropped into the loser’s bracket of as arch rival Bethune-Cookman defeated the Lady Rattlers 4-3, suffering their first loss against a MEAC opponent this season.

FAMU finished with 12 hits led by Rhianna Green with three, followed by Shayla Clark and Jasmine Donaldson with two hits each.

B-CU (20-34) tallied nine hits and were led by Ashley Taylor with a team high three hits, while Allison Garcia finished with two hits.

Garcia (16-24) picked the win for the Lady Wildcats, giving up two earned runs and striking out five in seven innings, while Amanda Reyes took the loss for the Lady Rattlers, as she gave up nine hits, one earned run and struck out seven in seven innings of play.

Green gave FAMU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as she scored on a Nicole Terryn hit to left field. 

The Lady Rattlers increased their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second as Joyce Harold scored on a Green double to left field.

B-CU took advantage of two FAMU infielder’s errors, scoring Ashley Taylor and Ashton Hinds, followed by a Sabrina Ferguson single to left field scoring Garcia, putting the Lady Wildcats ahead 3-2 in the top of the third.

An illegal pitch scored Garcia, increasing the Lady Wildcats lead to 4-2 in the top the fifth.

FAMU pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth as Donaldson scored on a B-CU’s infielder error, for the 4-3 final

 

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (May 7) - The Florida A&M University Softball team used a four-run first and five-run third to barrell past Maryland Eastern Shore, 10-2 in five innings in the first game of the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Tourney, here Thursday morning at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
 
FAMU (26-29)  finished with 11 hits, led by Rhianna Green with three hits, followed by Alesha Wells, Brianna Weaver and Shayla Clark, who finished with two hits each.
   
Amanda Reyes (18-17), the 2009 MEAC Pitcher of the Year, picked up the win for FAMU, allowing three hits and striking out six in five innings.
 
Mishayla Truttman (3-6) got the loss for the UMES (20-17), giving up six hits, six earned runs and striking out one in two innings of work.
 
The Lady Rattlers grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first as Brianna Weaver singled to right field scoring Green for a 1-0 FAMU lead.

Weaver would later score on a Shayla Clark single up the middle for  a 2-0 count, then a UMES infielder’s error allowed both Clark and Nicole Terryn to score for a 4-0 FAMU lead.
 
FAMU increased their lead in the bottom of the third as Megan Moore was walked with the bases loaded, scoring Clark, making the score, 5-0.

A Lady Hawks’ wild pitch cleared the bases for FAMU, scoring Jasmine Donaldson, Raven Johnson and Joyce Harold for an 8-0 advantage, followed by a Weaver single scoring Alysha Wells, making the score, 9-0 FAMU.
 
 The Lady Hawks got on the board in the top of the fourth on a pair of doubles with Hannah Mills scoring a Kendra Saunders double to left field, with Saunders later scoring on an Ebony Hahn double to left field, cutting FAMU’s lead to 9-2.
 
Donaldson scored the Lady Rattlers' final run of the game as Green hit an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth for a 10-2 lead.
 
WHAT'S NEXT: FAMU will return to action at 7 p.m. Thursday, as they take on the winner of the 1:30 p.m. Delaware State-Norfolk State opening round game.

 ORMOND BEACH, Fla. ( May 7) - The Florida A&M University Softball team advanced to Friday's semifinals in the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament as they defeated Delaware State, 5-1, in quarterfinal action, here Thursday evening at the Ormond Beach Softball Complex.
 
 FAMU (27-29) won their eighth straight game and captured their 12 win in their last 16 games Thursday evening, after finishing with eight hits, led by Alesha Wells, Brianna Weaver and Nicole Terryn, all with two hits each. Terryn also finished with a game high four RBIs.
   
The Lady Rattlers rode the arm of junior Amanda Reyes (19-17) once again as she got the win - her second of the tournament - by going the distance, allowing five hits, one earned run and striking out four in seven innings of work.
 
 Brittney Ruark (17-11) took the loss for the Lady Hornets (23-21), giving up six hits, five earned runs and striking out three in four and two-thirds innings of work.
 
 It was a game that started out as pitcher's duel, with both pitchers only yielding one hit, after three innings of play.
 
 However, it was Terryn's three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth that broke up the scoring drought, scoring both Courtney Harold and Alesha Wells, giving FAMU a 3-0 lead.
 
 The Lady Rattlers plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase their lead to 4-0, as Brianna Weaver singled to right field scoring Jasmine Donaldson.  Then a Terryn single to up the middle scored Rhianna Green, giving FAMU a 5-0 lead.
 
 DSU pushed across a run in the top of the seventh as Jojo Shields singled to left field scoring Tawny Reeger for the 5-1 final.
 
 WHAT'S NEXT: FAMU will return to action tomorrow as they will face Bethune-Cookman University at 11:30 a.m., in semifinal action, with the winner advancing to Saturday's 1:00 p.m. championship game.
 
 

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (May 6) -  Florida A&M’s Amanda Reyes was selected as the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year it was announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
Post season awards were to be distributed to all honorees during a pre-tournament banquet Wednesday night at the Center for Civil Engagement on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors.

Reyes finished the season with a 17-17 record, including three saves, and an ERA of 2.54 in 215.1 innings, second most in the MEAC.  

She was undefeated in conference play with an 8-0 mark, and two saves, and recorded a conference low ERA of 0.36. She led the MEAC in 33 pitching statistical categories including but not limited to saves (3), innings per game (4.68), hits allowed per game (6.73), runs allowed per game (3.58), strikeouts per game (5.53), walks allowed per game (2.11), earned runs per game (2.54) and home runs allowed per game (0.20).

Her consistent play from the circle helped the Lady Rattlers to an unblemished 12-0 overall record and the southern divisional title.

Joining Reyes on the All-MEAC team from FAMU were senior outfielder Rhianna Green of Union City, California and freshman outfielder Jasmin Donaldson of Rockledge, Florida.

Norfolk State led all MEAC teams with five student-athletes who earned post season honors.  Two student-athletes received first team selections and three were named to the second team.  Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore picked up four first and second-team honorees followed by Florida A&M who had three named to the MEAC’s post season teams.

Joining Reyes (FAMU) and Hill (NCAT) on the first-team were Alyssa Velazquez (NSU), Meghan Ramsey (NSU), Kelsi Saunders (HAM), Evelyn Garcia (HAM), Tamara Griffin (MSU), Mishayla Truttman (UMES), Andrea Waters (DSU), Rhianna Green (FAMU), and Kendra Saunders (UMES).

ORMOND BEACH, FLA. (May 7) - The 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Championship gets underway here Thursday, May 7 beginning at 10 a.m. as Florida A&M, the #1 seed in the Southern Division will face Maryland E. Shore, the #4 team from the North.

Also playing at 10 a.m. will by the North's top seed, Howard University, who will face the South's #4 seed, North Carolina A&T.

Games three and four, pitting Bethune-Cookman (South 2) against Hampton (North 3) and Delaware State (North 2) against Norfolk State (South 3), will begin at 1:30 p.m.  

Two second round games will be played in the loser's bracket Thursday at 4:30 p.m., followed by two winner’s bracket contests at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday’s two 7:00 p.m. game winners will advance to the final in the winner’s bracket on Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Four elimination games are slated for Friday as well, beginning at 9:00 a.m. with the winners of Thursday’s 4:30 games against the losers of Thursday’s 7:00 bouts.

The winners of those two early games will meet at 3:30 p.m. Friday, with the survivor of that game advancing to face the loser of the 11:30 a.m. winner’s bracket final at 5:30 p.m.

The winner of Friday’s 5:30 game will face the winner of Friday’s 11:30 a.m. contest in Saturday’s championship finale set for 1:00 p.m.
 
Admission for the 2009 MEAC Softball Championship is $5 for children, students and seniors.  Ticket prices for the entire tournament are $12. Tickets are available at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex beginning on May 7.

MORE FAMU TOURNAMENT NOTES
FAMU riding a wave into tournament
The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers (25-29, 12-0 in MEAC) come into the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship riding a positive swing in recent games…. Winners of six straight and 10 of their last 14, FAMU may be peaking at the right time, after just seven wins in their first 30 games (7-23)… FAMU played their traditional heavy tournament schedule in the first half of the season before diving into league play….. The Lady Rattlers are 18-6 after a doubleheader sweep of Savannah State on March 14, which also handed Coach Veronica Wiggins here 500th career win…..

Lady Rattlers seeking ninth conference title
FAMU, which has won eight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles since the league began championship play in 1993, has endured a two-year title drought (2007, 2008) after winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006… Prior to those back-to-back crowns, FAMU had gone five frustrating seasons (2000-01-02-02-04) without a title, as their archrivals, Bethune-Cookman began a run of success winning five straight pennants…. FAMU won six of the first seven league titles (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999) and have made four other finals appearances (196, 2001, 2002, 2003)…. Overall, FAMU is 52-18 in league tournament play….

FAMU SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS
Year   MEAC Record* Overall
2006        14-0            40-25
2005        11-5            37-33
1999        13-3            34-31
1998        11-3            38-35
1997          9-3            43-22
1995        10-2            20-32
1994        12-0            34-29
1993        12-0            34-25

(*)-Regular season

FAMU finishes fifth perfect MEAC season
Florida A&M finished their fifth perfect season in MEAC this year, turning in a 12-0 record…. That could prove to be feather in their cap as their four previous unbeaten clubs reached the conference finals, with three coming home with the ultimate prize… The lone blemish on the record – the 1996 squad – suffered a pair of heartbreaking 1-0 losses in the finals to Hampton University….

FAMU SOFTBALL’S PERFECT SEASONS
Year    Record *     Final Result
2009        12-0        ??????
2006        14-0        Won MEAC Title
1996        12-0        MEAC Runnerups
1994        12-0        Won MEAC Title
1993        12-0        Won MEAC Title

FAMU seeking first Ormond Beach crown since 1999
The Lady Rattlers will be seeking to win their second title at the Ormond Beach venue, having captured the title of the first tourney held there in 1999…. FAMU is 1-3 all-time in finals at Ormond Beach (W, 1999; L, 2001; L, 2001; L, 2003)…

MEAC Tournament began at Florida A&M in 1993
Florida A&M, the all-time leader in championships for women’s softball in MEAC history, was the first host of the tournament from 1993 through 1998…. FAMU was a near imperfect host, winning all but of the tournaments (1996) held in Tallahassee….

Lady Rattlers remain top of the league
In 17 seasons of softball competition in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Lady Rattlers have won 181 regular season games – tops in the MEAC…. FAMU has a 181-50 mark with this year’s tournament looming ahead…

Milestone coach Wiggins hits 500 club
Florida A&M coach Veronica Wiggins is in her 18th season at the helm in Tallahassee, having fashioned a 500-win career with the Lady Rattlers…. The 1990 graduate of FAMU owns a 517-581 career record including this year’s 25-29 rebound season…. After winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, FAMU languished through back-to-back 40-loss seasons and a 12-14 conference mark the past two years, making this year’s performance all the more outstanding…. Because of the tournament-heavy schedule FAMU plays in the first half of the year (25 games in five tournaments in the first seven weeks of the season), the Lady Rattlers have a record which reflect some of that stiffer competition…. But
Wiggins has always believed that the quality competition will help her teams during the rigors of conference play….

FAMU looking for another NCAA trip too…
The Lady Rattlers are hopeful of returning to the NCAA Tournament should they capture the MEAC title, which would be their seventh postseason trip overall and their fourth regional bid all-time…. FAMU’s previous postseason appearances began with NCAA Play-In series in 1995, 1997 and 1998, with their final four trips being of the regional variety in 1999, 2005 and 2006, when the league was awarded an automatic NCAA berth after the tournament field expanded from 48 teams to 64 teams.

Amanda Reyes may be FAMU’s missing piece
In FAMU Softball’s previous title winners, the Lady Rattlers have always had a dominant pitcher…. After two years of struggle as they sought to replace all-time strikeouts and wins leader Danielle Brown and 2006 MEAC Rookie of the Year Tiffany Johnson, now a part of the rotation at Georgia Tech, FAMU may have found an answer to that need in junior twirler Amanda Reyes… The California native, who was a star hurler for nearby Tallahassee Community College, is coming off a super weekend, when she tossed a perfect game and a two-hitter in the three-game series against South Carolina State…. Reyes finished the regular season at 17-17, but posted a perfect 8-0 in league competition… She recorded 170 strikeouts in 215.1 inninings of work with a nifty 2.54 ERA, 19 complete games and three (3) saves…. She has tossed nine shutouts and posted an earlier no-hitter, giving her two no-nos this season…. She ranks nationally in the Top 30 in both saves (23) and shutouts (29)….

Oliphant FAMU’s “Ms. Versatile”
Florida, New York native (no, that’s not a misprint) Melissa Oliphant would likely been listed as “Most Versatile” on this year’s Lady Rattler squad…. The club’s top offensive performer, Oliphant is hitting .327 with five (5) homer runs, 26 RBIs in 52 games…. She has a club-high 18 extra base hits with 10 doubles and three triples, plus the five round trippers, rnaking second in hits (52) and runs (23)…. When she isn’t playing shortstop, Oliphant is in the pitching circle, having turned in an 8-5 record with 44 strikeouts in 90.1 innings, with a 4.11 ERA…

Veterans playing leading roles
Seven upperclassmen have been a big part of the revived FAMU Softball fortunes this season, led by the multi-talented Oliphant…. Seniors Rhianna Green (.302, 4 triples, 15 RBI, 29 runs scored, 13 stolen bases), Nicole Terryn (.300, 5 extra base hits, 14 RBI) and Alesha Wells (.261) are next in the pack behind Oliphant…. Juniors Ashley Jones (.261, 6 doubles, 2 HRs, 17 RBI) and Joyce Harold (.191, eight extra base hits, 12 RBI, 11 stolen bases) have also contributed to the cause as well….

Newcomers having instant impact too
Several new faces have helped fuel the resurgent Lady Rattlers this season, led by Reyes on the mound, along with freshmen Briana Weaver, Raven Johnson, Jasmin Donaldson, Tara Vincent and Megan Moore…. Weaver (.255, 5 extra base hits, 10 RBI), Johnson (.254), Donaldson (.280, 42 hits, 10 RBI, 10 stolen bases), Vincent (.264, 5 extra base hits, 2 HRs, 8 RBI) and Moore (.211, 5 doubles, 13 RBI) have all seen serious playing time this season…. Vincent, who has missed the past 20 games due to injury, is due back in time for the tournament, which is good news for FAMU….

Snake Bites and Ginger Snaps….
Seven of the 13 Lady Rattlers on the roster hail from outside the Sunshine State…. The Harold sisters, Joyce (junior) and Courtney (freshman) are from the Motor City of Detroit…. Amanda Reyes (Scotts Valley) and Rhianna Green (Union City) are this year’s California girls… Decatur, Georgia can lay claim to two freshmen Lady Rattlers, Raven Johnson (Southwest DeKalb HS) and Megan Moore (Decatur HS), while junior Melissa Oliphant hails from one of the best-named hometowns, Florida, New York….. Head coach Veronica Wiggins is the longest tenured softball coach in the MEAC with 18 years of continuous service since taking the reins of the program in 1992…. Wiggins actually had a hand in bringing the fastpitch game to FAMU in 1988, when she served as an assistant coach for two seasons under Sandra Pearsall (1988, 1989), who was hired to convert the Lady Rattlers from slowpitch to fastpitch….

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 2) – Florida A&M  junior rightpitcher Amanda Reyes was perfect from the circle Saturday afternoon, tossing the first perfect game ever for the Lady Rattler Softball team in a 7-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series opening win over South Carolina State on the FAMU campus.

The opening win and the 12-1 victory in the second half of Saturday’s twinbill lifted FAMU to 24-29 overall and 11-0 in the MEAC with only Sunday’s regular season finale (12 noon) remaining.

Reyes (16-17), a Scotts Valley, California native, faced the minimum 21 batters for a seven inning game Saturday, striking out seven against South Carolina State, allowing no walks and no base runners.

The junior righthander, who did a tour at Tallahassee Community College before coming to Florida A&M, had already tossed a no-hitter earlier this season, an 8-0 decision on March 19 against Savannah State.

Saturday’s win boosted her 2009 record against MEAC competition to 7-0, with a possible encore performance coming Sunday in the final game of the series.

In the opener, FAMU finished with 11 hits led by Nicoile Terryn, who had two hits and two runs driven in, followed by two hits each from Joyce Harold and Raven Johnson.

FAMU scored three runs in the third for a 3-0 cushion, adding a pair of runs in the fourth and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Game Two went only five innings as South Carolina State (7-29, 0-11 in MEAC) succumbed early under a 13-hit FAMU attack, falling behind 8-0 after three innings.

The Lady Rattlers broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the bottom of the second, then added five in the third and four in the fourth, after SCSU plated its’ only run of the day in the top of the fourth.

Joyce Harold, Jasmine Donaldson and Melissa Oliphant led a quintet of FAMU performers with two hits in the second game, with Harold and Donaldson each driving in three runs, while Oliphant added a pair of RBIs. Briana Weaver and Megan Moore also had two hits and an RBI each.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Lady Rattlers close out their regular season schedule today at 12 noon against South Carolina State on the FAMU campus.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 26) – The Florida A&M Women’s Softball team clinched the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference South Division title Sunday with a 6-0 shutout win over archrival Bethune-Cookman University at Sunnyland Park.

The Lady Rattlers (9-0 in MEAC, 22-29 overall) rode the pitching of Amanda Reyes and a 15-hit offensive attack to complete a three-game sweep of the Lady Wildcats (15-32, 5-4 in MEAC).

Reyes (15-17), struck out three with no walks, scattering eight hits in seven innings to improve to 7-0 in MEAC play this season.

Rhiana Green led the Lady Rattlers with three hits, followed by Melissa Oliphant, Briana Weaver, Shayla Clark, Raven Johnson and Jasmin Donaldson with two hits apiece.

Green, Clark and Nicole Terryn each drove in two runs Sunday for FAMU, which scored two runs in the second, one in the third and three runs in the fourth.

Sunday’s win not only clinched the top seed position in the South Division for FAMU in the upcoming Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament (May 7-9 at Ormond Beach, Florida), but has them in prime position to capture the #1 overall seed with three games remaining.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Lady Rattlers will break for spring semester finals, then return to play next Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, as they host South Carolina State in the regular season finale on campus.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 25) – The Florida A&M Softball team remained perfect in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a doubleheader sweep of Bethune-Cookman, 2-1 and 10-2 here Saturday afternoon at Sunnyland Park.

With Saturday’s twinbill sweep, the Lady Rattlers improved to 21-29 overall and 8-0 in the MEAC – keeping them the league’s lone unbeaten club in conference play.

Amanda Reyes (14-17) was the winning pitcher in Game One for FAMU, checking the Lady Wildcats (15-31, 5-3 in MEAC) on four hits, with eight strikeouts, allowing one run and one walk.

Meanwhile, the Lady Rattlers finished the opening game with seven hits, led by Rhiana Green with two hits, followed by Nicole Terryn, Alesha Wells, Melissa Oliphant, Jasmin Donald and Joyce Harold with one hit each.

Terryn delivered the game-winning blow for FAMU though, as her sixth inning two-run double proved to be all they needed in the 2-1 win.

Game Two was a blowout as the Lady Rattlers rapped out 17 hits, closing out B-CU in five innings via the eight-run rule.

Green went 4-for-4, with three runs scored and three RBI, while Briana Weaver also went 4-for-4, driving in two runs for FAMU in the second game.

Raven Johnson was perfect at the plate too for the Lady Rattlers, going 3-for-3, scoring three runs, followed by Oliphant, who was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs.

Oliphant (7-5) also pitched a gem for FAMU, working five innings, allowing two runs on five hits. She drove in the game’s first run with a first inning single for a 1-0 lead, then keyed a four-run second inning with a two-run homer, as FAMU took a 5-1 lead.

Green made the score 7-1 in the third with a two-run triple, then Weaver’s two-run single in the fifth sparked a three-run rally to push the score to 10-2.

WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU and Bethune-Cookman will play here Sunday at 12 noon in the final game of the three-game series at Sunnyland Park.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 7) – The Florida A&M Women’s Softball team split a Tuesday home doubleheader with Jacksonville University, winning the second game, 1-0, after dropping the opener, 10-1 at the Lady Rattler Softball Complex.

Florida A&M (16-25) got a shutout performance in the nightcap from junior Amanda Reyes (11-15), who struck out five, walked one while scattering five hits in seven innings.

In the fifth and sixth innings, Reyes pitched out of bases loaded jams and in the seventh, two defensive gems – a leaping catch of a one-out line drive by second baseman Nikki Terryn, followed by shortstop Melissa Oliphant’s diving snare of a sinking liner up the middle to end the game – preserved the shutout.

FAMU plated their only run in the second when Megan Moore’s RBI double scored Ashley Jones, who had reached earlier on a fielder’s choice for a 1-0 lead.

Moore’s double was one of just three FAMU hits in the second game, as Terryn and Jasmin Donaldson each had a hit for the Lady Rattlers in the second game.

In the first game, the FAMU defense committed six errors opening the door for Jacksonville (19-25) to win 10-1.

The Dolphins pounded out 14 hits, while the Lady Rattlers managed just three hits including Melissa Oliphant’s fourth inning solo home run, her fourth of the season, which made the score 8-1.

JU scored one run in the second and five runs in the third, two more in the fourth and two more in the seventh off of FAMU starter Melissa Oliphant (5-3), who struck out two and walked three in seven innings.

WHAT’S NEXT: Florida A&M, which has won seven of their last eight games, will return to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play Saturday and Sunday during a three-game home series against North Carolina A&T…. Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday’s single game starts at 12 noon.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 5) - The Florida A&M Women’s Softball team swept a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series from Norfolk State this weekend, 5-0 and 3-1 on Saturday, plus a 2-1 thriller on Sunday morning.
FAMU (15-24, 3-0 in MEAC) rapped out 25 hits in the three games, while limiting Norfolk State (12-20, 1-5 in MEAC) to 11 hits.
Junior Amanda Reyes (10-15) won Saturday’s first game and Sunday’s outing, while picking up a save in Saturday’s second game, recording 20 strikeouts in 17 innings.

In the opener on Saturday, Melissa Oliphant homered and drove in two runs, while Ashley Jones drove in two more runs to spark the Lady Rattlers to a 5-0 win.

FAMU scored three runs in the first inning and pushed across two more in the fifth, while Reyes was keeping the Spartans at bay, striking out 11 and scattering three hits in seven innings.

In Saturday’s second game, Oliphant (5-2) got the win, working four innings, allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout on the mound, while aiding her own cause at the plate, with a team-high three hits.

Rhianna Green and Megan Moore each had two hits, while Green, Jasmin Donaldson and Joyce Harold each drove in a run.

Norfolk State took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but FAMU answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, before pushing across single runs in the fourth and sixth.

On Sunday morning, Reyes was back on the mound, fanning five while scattering five hits, allowing one run in the seventh with FAMU holding a 2-0 lead.

The Lady Rattlers scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, missing a couple of chances to break the game open.

FAMU finished with seven hits, let by Nicole Terryn with two hits, followed by Green, Oliphant, Jones Harold and Briana Weaver with one hit each.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Lady Rattlers will host Jacksonville University in a doubleheader Tuesday at 4 p.m., then return to MEAC play next Saturday and Sunday as they host North Carolina A&T.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (March 29) – The Florida A&M Lady Rattler Softball team swept a Sunday doubleheader from Winston-Salem State, 5-1 and 8-1 at South Park Field.

Florida A&M (11-24) pounded Winston-Salem (7-12) for 22 hits in the twinbill, beating out 15 hits alone in the second game Sunday.

Jasmin Donaldson went 3-for-4, while Rhiana Green added two hits and Ashley Jones had a hit and a pair of RBI in the opener.

FAMU scored two runs in the first, then added single runs in the third, fourth and fifth frames to build a 5-0 lead.

WSSU pushed across their only run in the bottom of the sixth in Sunday’s opener.

Junior Amanda Reyes (8-15) got the win for FAMU in the opening game, fanning nine Lady Rams, while allowing two hits with three walks in seven innings.

Melissa Oliphant (3-2) was the winner in the second game, allowing three hits, striking out six batters in seven innings.

Oliphant also helped her own cause, driving in four runs on three hits in the second game, while Rhiana Green went four-for-five, scoring three runs and driving in another.

FAMU drew first blood again in the second game, scoring four runs in the second inning, then adding two more in the fourth, before the Lady Rams plated their lone tally in the fifth.

The Lady Rattlers closed out the game with two runs in the top of the seventh.

The third game of the series will be played Monday at 1:00 p.m.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The likelihood of inclement weather this weekend has forced the Lady Rams’ weekend series to postponed, but the wait won’t be for long.

Instead of a Saturday doubleheader and a single game on Sunday, the Lady Rams and Lady Rattlers will face off in a Sunday doubleheader and a single game on Monday.

The series was originally scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, but weather forecasts for Saturday show a 70% chance or rain and thunderstorms.

The Lady Rams and Lady Rattlers will square off in doubleheader action on Sunday, March 29th beginning at 1:00 p.m. followed by a single game on Monday at noon.

The Florida A&M Women’s Softball team is nearing the halfway point of their 2009 schedule, playing valiantly during their rugged pre-conference schedule.

Coach Veronica Wiggins’ crew has played 24 games through March 8, with a 5-19 record overall against a schedule that has featured four weekend tournaments, with one more left this weekend (Rebel Games, March 13-16) in Kissimmee, Florida near Orlando.

Wiggins Closing On Milestone
Head coach Veronica Wiggins could soon be the third FAMU head coach this school year to hit a coaching milestone.

Wiggins, who is in her 18th season at FAMU, needs three (3) more wins to reach the 500 career win plateau, which would put her in the milestone class with head football coach Joe Taylor, who surpassed the 200-win plateau with a 9-3 record (206 wins after the 2008 season), and volleyball coach Tony Trifonov, who finished his 12th season at FAMU in 2008, having pushed past the 250-win barrier (253 wins to date).

The Season So Far
The Lady Rattlers opened the 2009 campaign 3-1 in the Tiny Laster MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta (Feb. 7-8), outscoring Southern University (9-3) and Alabama A&M (8-3) on the first day.

On Day Two, FAMU dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to Mississippi Valley State, then closed out the Challenge with a 3-2 win over Jackson (Miss.) State.

FAMU opened their home schedule on Feb. 11, with a 5-0 setback to crosstown Florida State, then dropped a doubleheader to Georgia Southern on Feb. 17, falling 9-3 and 9-0.

From there, FAMU returned to tournament play, playing five games in the USF Invitational in Tampa, Feb. 20-22.

The Lady Rattlers dropped all five contests, falling to Louisville, 11-3, Jacksonville (Ala.) State, 21-1, Eastern Michigan, 6-4, Rhode Island, 9-6 (in extra innings), and host South Florida, 8-0.

FAMU returned home for a twinbill against Mercer University on Feb. 24, dropping both ends of the doubleheader, 5-1 and 6-0, then headed to Orlando for the UCF Invitational Tournament, Feb. 27 through March 1.

At the UCF event, FAMU edged Tennessee State, 3-2 on Feb. 28 for their lone win in the five-game set. The Lady Rattlers were competitive despite suffering setbacks to Western Michigan (6-0), Stony Brook (7-2), UCF (7-0) and Villanova (7-3).

Last weekend, the Lady Rattlers were in Atlanta at the Buzz Classic, hosted by Georgia Tech, March 6-8, where they went 1-4 for the tourney.

FAMU grounded the Toledo Rockets, 5-3 on Saturday, March 7, while suffering setbacks to Austin Peay (5-2), Akron (5-0), Boston College (7-1) and Tennessee-Martin (3-1).

FAMU’s Leading Ladies
Offensively, Tara Vincent tops the club in batting at .264, with 3 doubles, 2 homer runs and 8 RBIs…. Ashley Jones tops the team in RBIs (10), doubles and is tied for the team home run lead with Vincent and Melissa Oliphant…. Oliphant (.197) has a double and six RBIs, ranked third in runs driven in….. Outfielder Rhiana Green leads the team in stolen bases (7 for 8), followed by Vincent (4 of 5) and Oliphant (3 of 4)…. Junior Joyce Harold leads the team in runs scored (10).

On the mound, newcomer Amanda Reyes (4-11) has been the ace of the staff so far, with 62 strikeouts in 89 innings, followed by Melissa Oliphant (1-1), who has worked 17.2 innings with 16 strikeouts.

WHAT’S NEXT: Florida A&M will tangle with the field of the three-day Rebel Games, Friday through Sunday, March 13-15 in Kissimmee, Florida, before returning home next Thursday, March 19 to host Savannah State University in a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at the Lady Rattler Complex.