First Inning Errors Doom Bethune-Cookman at No. 4 Miami

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A pair of first inning errors spelled trouble in the end for Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday night as the visiting Wildcats fell to No. 4 Miami by a score of 5-4 in non-conference baseball action inside Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park.

Miami (17-4) plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning, using two Bethune-Cookman errors to score two of the three runs in the frame.

Carl Chester began the at-bat reaching on an error charged to shortstop Demetrius Sims, as the redshirt sophomore’s throw pulled freshman first baseman Danny Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) off the bag. Two batters later, catcher Zach Collins singled to plate Chester for the 1-0 lead. Jacob Heyward tallied a RBI groundout in the next at-bat to plate Barr from third.

Collins would score from third one play later as B-CU senior left fielder Nathan Bond dropped a seemingly routine fly ball, accounting for an error, and the 3-0 Miami lead.

With Bethune-Cookman (9-13) trailing 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning, designated hitter Michael Cruz lifted his seventh home run of the season with a deep shot to right field, bringing his team to within a single run at 5-4.

In the ninth, Miami looked towards preseason All-America selection and Stopper of the Year candidate Bryan Garcia to close things out on the mound.

Sims reached safely on the second error of the night charged to the Canes infield. He would wind up at third on a sacrifice bunt from Rakeem Quinn and a tag-up on a fly ball to shallow right center.

However, it would be Garcia winning the battle against the freshman Rodriguez as the junior right-hander got Rodriguez to chase the first pitch he saw, grounding out to send the game and give the Canes a 5-4 victory.

Bethune-Cookman plated its first run of the game in the top of the second inning.

Jake Hellweg drove in Rodriguez from third with a sacrifice fly to right, after Rodriguez reached earlier in the at-bat via walk from Hurricanes starting pitcher Jesse Lepore.

The Wildcats pulled to within 3-2 in the top of the third as Sims singled to start the inning, eventually coming around to score when Cruz grounded out to shortstop Brandon Lopez.

B-CU tied the game at 3-all in the top of the sixth.

Bond singled to start the inning, while Hellweg laid down a sac bunt to move him into scoring position at second base. Two plays later, Sims’ RBI single to short allowed Bond to score and knot the game.

B-CU starter Donté Lindsay pitched a solid game after the rocky start in the first.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that Miami finally solved the left-hander with a Romy Gonzalez two-out, two-run scoring single shot back up the middle that scored Willie Abreu and Edgar Michelangeli. That allowed the Hurricanes to regain the lead, 5-3.

Miami reliever Keven Pimentel earned the win, upping his record to 2-0 on the year. He worked three innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Garcia grabbed his team-leading eighth save of the year with a clean ninth inning.

Lindsay took the loss for the Wildcats, falling to an even 2-2 on the campaign. He tossed 5.2 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits, adding two strikeouts and a walk. Tyler Krull, Charles Eytel and Zach Olszewski combined to go the rest of the way, keeping the Canes scoreless in their time on the hill.

The Wildcats offense was paced by Sims with a 2-for-4 night, adding a RBI and a run scored. Bond was also 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Cruz was 1-for-4 with a homer. For Cruz, it was his third home run in the last 24 hours, as he went yard twice in a win over North Florida on Tuesday night.

The next game for Bethune-Cookman will be Friday, March 25, when the Wildcats entertain North Carolina A&T State in a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series inside Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Friday’s action will consist of a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.

For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com

 

 

Late Rally Propels La Salle Past Hornets

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --- Delaware State led 5-2 before giving up four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 6-5 loss to La Salle at Hank DeVincent Field today. The Explorers scored the last six runs of the game after the Hornets led 5-0 in the bottom of the second inning.

The tying and go-ahead runs crossed the plate on a two-run homer by La Salle’s Ethan Springston off DSU reliever Darnel Maisonet with two outs in the seventh. Maisonet was the last of six pitchers to see action for the Hornets in the contest.

La Salle (7-14) also took advantage of two Delaware State errors in the seventh. The Hornets committed four errors in the contest.

Delaware State (2-17) opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. The rally began when Cameron Onderko drew a walk with two outs and bases empty. Austin Bentley followed with a single to center, giving the Hornets runners at second and first. After the runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, Jake Bartlett stroked a single to right field, sending Onderko and Bentley home with the first two runs of the game.

After DSU starter Jaylen Zielecki retired the Explorers in order in the bottom of the first, two by strikeout, the Hornets tacked on three runs in the second.

Evan Regez singled to lead off the second and scored on a two-out double by Todd Henry to give the Hornets a 3-0 lead. Maisonet followed with his first career homer, a two-run shot over the right field fence, to stretch the Hornets’ lead to 5-0.

La Salle answered with a run off Zielecki in the bottom of the second to cut the DSU lead to four.

The Explorers added a run in the third off Hornet reliever Gabe Rivera to pull to within 5-2.

Bentley and Maisonet had two hits each to lead the Hornets’ eight-hit attack. Kevin McGowan had two of La Salle’s six hits.

Delaware State reliever Cole Davis threw 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out four of the seven batters he faced.

La Salle reliever Jorge Jimenez, the third of five pitchers for the Explorers, picked up the win after tossing two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

The Hornets return to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at Coppin State. The teams will play a single game on Friday (Mar. 25) at 3 p.m. and wrap up the series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Mar. 26).

For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com