Bethune-Cookman Holds Off Jacksonville, 7-6

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -The  Bethune-Cookman Wildcats jumped out early but the  Jacksonville Dolphins rallied and surpassed the 'Cats, holding on to the final inning, when B-CU came through with the crucial plays to tie it up and take the lead in the bottom of the ninth for the 7-6 win.

From the start, it looked like a high scoring day for the Wildcats, as they put three on the board in the first frame, set off by Peter O'Brien's RBI single through the left side. Emmanuel quickly followed up with a two-RBI double, which could have been ruled a grand slam, pushing the  'Cats out on top.

Despite the hot start, JU's defense clamped down and cut off scoring opportunities for B-CU, holding them without another run until the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins jumped back into it, churning out their own three-run inning in the top of the fourth. In the sixth, JU pushed on top with two more runs, and added another in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead.

Finally getting back on the board, the 'Cats started to chip away at the lead, scoring two runs in the seventh with Ryan Durrence cracking a two-RBI double to right center, making it 6-5.

With closer Joseph Munoz on the mound, B-CU held JU in check, as he completed 2.2 innings with four strikeouts, no runs, no walks, and just three hits.

Josh Johnson got on base as a pinch hitter, taking a base on a wild pitch, and racing to home plate to beat the throw on an Alejandro Sanchez single, knotting it up at 6-6. Two batters later, ruled a single as the damage was done, Castro hit another big shot to the right center wall, batting in Sanchez and claiming the 7-6 victory for the Wildcats as the overjoyed dugout rushed out to their teammate.

Castro was a huge leader for B-CU on offense in the Wildcats ten-hit outing, hitting 2-5, but with three RBI. O'Brien went 2-3 with one RBI, while Durrence went 1-3 with two RBI.

For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com

Tribe Starts Fast, Holds off Late NSU Rally

 

NORFOLK, Va. - William & Mary jumped out to a 4-0 lead, then held off a late-inning charge from host Norfolk State to take a 6-5 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

The Tribe (11-13) led 4-0 after the top of the fourth, but NSU (7-14) rallied to get within 6-5 in the later innings. The Tribe win wasn't secure until W&M reliever Brett Koehler dodged a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth.

W&M took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Buster Gean walked then advanced to third on Jonathan Slattery's double. Ryan Williams plated Gean with a sacrifice fly for the game's first run.

The Tribe tacked on two more runs in the third. Gean drove in one with a groundout and Slattery followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Devin White's squeeze bunt gave the Tribe a 4-0 lead in the fourth.

NSU cut its deficit in half with single runs in the fifth and sixth. James Taylor's RBI single in the fifth got NSU on the board, and consecutive doubles by Chris Warren and Sammy Serafine brought the Spartans within 4-2 in the sixth.

Williams stretched the W&M lead back to four runs with a two-run double in the top of the seventh. But the Spartans answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. TiQuan Griffin led off with a single and scored on a two-out Tribe error. Later, John Lynch delivered a two-run single, scoring Brandon Hairston and Chris Joyce, to cut NSU's deficit to 6-5.

But John Farrell pitched a scoreless eighth and Koehler a scoreless ninth to hold NSU at bay. But it wasn't without some drama. Taylor led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to left-center field off Koehler. Hairston was then hit by a pitch. John Rasberry followed with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third bases with one out.

But Koehler fanned Joyce for the second out of the inning, then walked Lynch intentionally to load the bases and set up a force at any base. Koehler got ahead of Chris Warren 0-2, but Warren worked the count to 3-2. Koehler then struck Warren out on a high fastball to end the game and earn his fourth save of the year.

For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com