NEW ORLEANS, La. (Feb. 16) – The FAMU Baseball Team took an early lead in Saturday evening's game against Eastern Kentucky, but fell victim to a 14-hit barrage in dropping an 11-2 decision in the Andre Dawson Classic at the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy complex.

In the top of the first, senior Willis McDaniel reached base on a one-out single, later scoring FAMU's first run on an EKU throwing error for a 1-0 Rattler lead.

The Colonels (1-1) answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, then added two more runs in the second to build a 5-1 lead.

The Rattlers cut the EKU edge to 5-2 in the top of the fourth, then Tucker Rayburn scored from third on Brian Hession's two-out single to right.

Eastern pulled away from FAMU scoring two runs each in the fifth, seventh and eighth for the 11-2 final tally.

FAMU finished the game with four hits. McDaniel, Hession, Brett Maxwell and Seyjuan Lawrence (double) recorded the hits for the Rattlers.

Rattler starting pitcher Kyle Coleman (0-1) took the loss, working four and one third innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, with seven strikeouts against one walk.

ON DECK: FAMU (0-2) will take on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Central Time in their Dawson Classic finale…. Tuesday (4:00), FAMU opens a six-game homestand with a single game against the University of Missouri at Moore-Kittles Field on the FAMU campus.