Bethune-Cookman took the first game while Florida Atlantic snatched the nightcap in a quasi-doubleheader held at the FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. on Tuesday afternoon/evening. The first game was a resumption of a game originally started in Daytona Beach back on Feb. 26.
B-CU (33-19) took the first game by a score of 10-8. FAU recorded the win in the second game, originally scheduled for this date, 12-2.
The Wildcats trailed the continuation 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning with both relief pitchers from that previous contest starting the game, so to speak. B-CU went with senior Darrin Young, while FAU (26-21) went with Nick Melendres.
The Maroon and Gold erased their deficit with the help of Osvaldo Torres’ three-run homer to left field in the fifth that vaulted the Wildcats out in front, 6-4.
Sophomore Justin Hoyte began the at-bat in the sixth with a double and later scored with Mark Brooks’ RBI ground-out. With the bases loaded, the Owls of FAU had nowhere to put Torres as they walked him to push the B-CU advantage out to 8-4. Two more runs would cross in the frame when senior Neal Jones collected a pair of RBI with a single to center that plated Jose Lozada and Patrick Jones for the 10-4 B-CU lead.
FAU made things interesting in the top of the seventh with four runs of their own, including a Nick Arata leadoff homerun, followed by a Travis Ozga homer as well.
B-CU ace closer Phil Enright picked up his third save in four games, as well as his seventh of the year, to help the Wildcats shutdown the Owls late in the game and preserve the win.
Darrin Young earned his first decision of the year for the Wildcats with the win to improve to 1-0, while Melendres fell to 2-1 for FAU out of the pen.
In the second game of the day, FAU quickly jumped out in front off B-CU starter Felix Machado. The sophomore was just not his self as he was tagged for four runs (three earned) and eight hits in four innings on the mound.
FAU scored two runs in the bottom of the second frame as William Block led off the at-bat with a homerun to left field to collect his ninth of the year. Arata later singled to centerfield to bring around catcher Nick Criaris for the 2-0 Owls lead.
B-CU cut into the lead in the third when Jose Ortiz brought in Hoyte with a single shot back up the middle. Hoyte led off with a double for his second of the day.
FAU scored two more runs in the fourth before B-CU catcher Drew Clark stopped the bleeding for a moment for the Maroon and Gold with a fifth inning solo homerun for the junior’s third homerun of the year.
A huge seven-run eighth inning off B-CU relievers Samuel Rodriguez and Arles Rivera allowed the 12-2 final score in favor of the Owls.
This is the second time in as many years the Wildcats and Owls have split their series. The two perennial conference powers in their respected leagues went 2-2 last year while going 1-1 this season.
Ortiz was the big hitter for B-CU in the second game as he was 3-for-4 with a RBI, as well as Clark and Hoyte just behind him with two hits a piece. FAU was led by shortstop Arata with a 3-for-4 day and four RBI, while teammate Block added three hits as well.
The loss went to Machado of the Wildcats who fell to 3-4 on the year, while the Owls’ Mike Gipson collected the win to improve to 4-1 on the campaign.