Savannah State bounced back from a setback last night to even this weekend’s series with a shocking 9-6 victory over Bethune-Cookman in baseball action Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Wildcats entered this weekend’s series ranked as the top team in Black College Baseball.
Savannah State (16-9) scores runs in four of the last five innings to put away the Wildcats despite the fact that B-CU hung around long enough to try and mount a late rally. B-CU starting pitcher Joseph “Gio” Gautier was not his normal self on the mound today as the strong-throwing left-hander allowed four runs (two earned) in five and 2/3 innings on the hill for the Wildcats.
SSU jumped on top first with two runs in the top-half of the first as shortstop Brandon Javis collected one of his four hits in the game with a run-scoring double to plate lead-off hitter Kyle Wilkerson. Javis came in to score when designated hitter Brett Pointer recorded a ground-rule double to put the Tigers up, 2-0.
In the bottom of the first, B-CU (15-10) came rolling back with two runs of their own. Mark Brooks and Jos? Ortiz reached safely on back-to-back walks, and Neal Jones collected a triple to right to knot the game at 2-2.
Both pitchers seemed to settle in at that point, especially the left-handed Robert Ramsdale for SSU. Though not throwing especially hard by any means, Ramsdale was consistent and thorough to thwart the Wildcats efforts today.
The teams traded runs for a while in the third, fifth and sixth innings, respectively, until SSU retook the lead in the seventh frame with two runs off B-CU reliever Concepcion Guzman. Javis singled and advanced on a wild pitch, while the turning point of the game occurred immediately after. Of the Wildcats’ four errors on the day, one of the biggest was a strikeout posted by Guzman, but a passed ball tagged to backup catcher Jorge Velez allowed Pointer to reach safely with first base unoccupied. Second baseman Santos Adames came in to score on the play as the ball sailed to the right of B-CU first baseman Osvaldo Torres.
The Tigers of SSU collected another run in the inning off a sacrifice fly from Andrew Mendez to bring in Javis from third. That put SSU up, 6-4.
B-CU collected a score in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead at 6-5, but three runs in the eighth for SSU was all that was needed to seal the game at tie the series at one game apiece.
Javis’ three-run homerun in the eighth-his fourth of the campaign, was the final blow for the Wildcats.
The win went to SSU’s Ramsdale who improved to 5-1 on the year, while Guzman took the loss to move to 1-3. For Guzman, it was his second consecutive loss on the mound in consecutive appearances. He had a ninth-inning homerun tagged to him for a game-winner against Pittsburgh two weeks ago in West Palm Beach, Fla.
SSU was led at the plate by Javis with an incredible 4-for-5 showing including a homerun and a double with three runs and three RBI. Behind him were four other Tigers with multiple hits?which accounted for all 12 of their hits on the day. Everyone who hit today earned multiple hits for SSU.
B-CU was led by Lozada as the only Wildcat ballplayer with multiple hits as he was 2-for-4 with one run. Neal Jones was 1-for-3 with three RBI from his right field position. The four errors today in the field by the Wildcats was the most since their 10th inning setback to Illinois State in the first game of a doubleheader back on Mar. 8 of this year.