Bethune-Cookman Drops Game Two Heartbreaker to #19 Miami

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats fell in a 5-4 heartbreaker to the #19 Miami Hurricanes, falling short on a rally that came down to the final at-bat.

The Wildcats set the tone and gained momentum early, as Jairo Acevedo collected a backside two-run single through the first base gap to give B-CU a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

The game fell into another pitcher's duel as the Wildcats were blanked through the fifth and starter, Gabriel Hernandez (L, 5-2, 4K, 5 BB), locked in a no-hitter through four complete frames.

Miami first got on the board in the fourth, on a groundout. Brashad Johnson made a fantastic play to snatch the ball and beat the runner at first, but there was no halting the runner from third.

A walked leadoff batter came back to haunt the Wildcats in the fifth, with Miami taking the lead on a throwing error during the attempted putout at first, allowing two runs to pass through. The Hurricanes upped the ante with an RBI double and RBI single to go up 5-2 before reliever Bryan Rivera halted the run with a strikeout.

Bethune-Cookman was quick to respond, led off with a first-pitch homer absolutely crushed by B. Johnson to left field. Nick Johnson followed up with a ground double off the third baseman's glove, and Acevedo drew the UM lead down to just one with his third RBI of the game; a chopper off of and over the shortstop into left center field.

Both teams went to strong relievers to lock down the last half of the game; for B-CU, Montana Durapau stepped up and threw an outstanding game, with no hits, no runs, and four strikeouts in three innings.

Trailing 5-4 in the top of the ninth, Brandon Turner kept it alive with two outs, but the loss closed on a low-count strikeout to end B-CU's rally hopes and drop the series record to 0-2.

For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com

NCCU TAKES GAME ONE OVER FLORIDA A&M, SUSPENDS GAME TWO DUE TO RAIN

DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central tied a season-high with five errors, but the visiting Rattlers of Florida A&M committed seven as the Eagles earned a very crucial 13-7 game one win on Saturday afternoon at the Durham Athletic Park. The second contest of the day was suspended in the bottom of the first inning due to rain. 

No start time has been set for Sunday's doubleheader, stay tuned for more updates.

The second and final series of the year started off with a bang as both teams went back-and-forth through the first four innings as each team scored at least one run in every frame.

Florida A&M got it all started in the top of the first with two outs as outfielder Aaron Smith drilled his seventh double of the year down the left field line to put a runner in scoring position.  After Scott Sheplak reached on a Sam Fulmer error, Reginald Grant ripped his fourth double of the season and Daniel Lee's single drove in three runs giving the Rattlers a 3-0 lead.

NCCU battled back in the bottom of the first plating two runs without even recording a hit.  After Dylan Drayton flew out to centerfield, sophomore Tyson Simpson and Troy Marrowwere both hit-by-a-pitch.  Junior Luis Diaz reached base on a walk to load the bases for the Eagles and sophomore Carter Williamson drove in two runs on a fielder's choice setting a new modern day NCCU baseball record with 40 RBI breaking former Eagle Justin Goodson's 2007 record of 38 RBI in a single season.  The maroon and gray trailed 3-2 after one complete.

In the top of the second inning, FAMU's Jared Walker reached base on a Drayton error and advanced to second on a Khiry Hernandez's sacrifice bunt.  After infielder Ty Lawson reached on an infield hit and stole second base, Smith drove in a pair of runs with a single to centerfield, but was gunned down at second by Williamson to minimize the damage as NCCU trailed 5-2 heading to the bottom of the second.

The Eagles plated one run in the second to cut the deficit to two at 5-3 after freshman Tyler Murphy and senior Etienne Farquharson led off the frame with back-to-back singles.  Murphy was later cut off at home, but Simpson's single through the left side gave him 25 RBI on the year to plate the lone run of the frame.

Florida A&M struck back in the top of the third as Lee rapped his second consecutive hit of the day, and first baseman Dylan West singled to centerfield advancing on a Diaz fielding error as he moved around to third base and Lee scored from second, putting FAMU up 6-3 heading to the bottom of the third.

The maroon and gray got a little help from Mother Nature in the bottom-half of the third inning as a short rainstorm blew through the area, wreaking havoc on Florida A&M and the Eagles used that to take momentum in the contest.  With one out, FAMU walked the next two batters (Williamson and Plummer) as Murphy later reached on an error to load the bases.  Farquharson's single drove in the fourth run of the day and cut the margin to two at 6-4, and designated hitter Anthony Wilson tied the game up at 6 with a single to left field.

As soon as the third inning ended, the rain stopped but Florida A&M took the lead back 7-6 on a sacrifice bunt by Lawson scoring Hernandez in the top of the fourth.

The Eagles took the lead back for the final time in the bottom of the fourth on a Murphy single to centerfield that drove in Diaz and Marrow putting the maroon and gray up 8-7.

The final runs of the game were plated by NCCU in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Eagles scored five runs to take a 13-7 advantage.  With one out, Drayton singled followed up by Simpson who reached on the first of two errors by FAMU.  Diaz crushed his ninth double of the year to the wall in left field putting the maroon and gray up 10-7, giving Diaz 26 RBI on the year.  After Marrow was hit-by-a-pitch for the second time in the afternoon, Williamson reached on a catcher's interference and the pair later scored on a Ross Plummer single to left field putting the Eagles up 12-7.  The final run of the frame came as Wilson was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded making it 13-7 after five complete innings.

In the top of the sixth with runners on second and third base and one out, FAMU backstop Ryan Sheplak hit a dribbler back to Fulmer who threw it to first for the second out, and Farquharson gunned West standing too far off second base to thwart the Rattler rally.

Junior Ruben Rios entered the contest in-relief and allowed only two hits and retired the last seven batters to earn his first career save at NCCU as the Eagles won game one 13-7.

Fulmer earned his fourth win of the season with a gutsy effort going six innings, surrendering 12 hits and only two earned runs.

Every Eagle that started the contest recorded at least one hit, but Murphy (2-for-5 two runs and 2 RBI) and Farquharson (2-for-3 a run and an RBI) were the only ones to record multiple hits in game one.  Diaz, Williamson, and Plummer all amassed two RBI in the win, but Wilson despite going 1-for-4 at-the-dish finished with three RBI to lead the NCCU attack.

FAMU's West went 4-for-4 with an RBI, Lee finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead the Rattler offense who ended up with 14 hits in the loss.

For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com www.famuathletics.com