SALISBURY, Md. - Alex Seibold pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless relief, and Bethune-Cookman rode a strong early offensive showing to a 14-4 win over Norfolk State on Friday afternoon in a winner's bracket semifinal of the MEAC Baseball Championship at Perdue Stadium.
The game was stopped after eight innings due to the 10-run rule.
The Wildcats (27-25) advance to the winner's bracket final against Florida A&M at noon on Sunday, while the Spartans (27-20) fall into an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. Sunday against either Coppin State or North Carolina Central. No games will be played Saturday due to the forecast of heavy rains in Salisbury.
NSU jumped out in front with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Angel Rosario singled with one out and advanced to third on a long double by Brian Beard. Roger Hall's groundout scored Rosario. After a two-out walk to Kyle Vaas, Alex Mauricio lined a single to center field to score Beard.
But the Wildcats struck back for four runs in the top of the second. Danny Rodriguez led off with an infield single. After a flyout, Nathan Bond, Jameel Edney and Josten Heron hit three straight singles to tie the game. Nate Sterijevski and Rakeem Quinn knocked in runs with fielder's choice ground balls to give BCU a 4-2 edge.
Danny Rodriguez's solo homer in the third extended the Wildcats' lead to 5-2, but the Spartans drew within one by scoring twice in the bottom of the third. Rosario, Beard and Hall hit three consecutive singles to start the inning, with Hall notching his second RBI of the day. Kyle Vaas' sac fly then drew the Spartans within 5-4.
But Edney led off the fourth with a solo homer to push the lead back to two runs, at 6-4.
Michael Cruz hit a sacrifice fly and two more BCU runs scored on an error and a passed ball with two outs as the Wildcats stretched their lead to 9-4 in the seventh. Five more BCU runs scored in the eighth thanks in part to two NSU errors, accounting for the final margin.
Seibold (5-4) earned the win, relieving starter Tyler Krull in the third and keeping NSU off the scoreboard after the third. Seibold allowed just one hit, an infield single by Hall in the eighth.
Matt Outman (7-3) took the loss for the Spartans after yielding six runs in three-plus innings.
Beard, Rosario and Hall all went 2-for-4 for the Spartans, accounting for six of NSU's seven hits. Beard and Rosario scored two runs apiece and Hall knocked in two runs.
Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI for the Wildcats. Bond, Edney and Hosten had two hits each.