March 4, 2008

Box Score

Daytona Beach, Fla. - José Lozada was 4-for-4 at the dish with two runs driven in on Tuesday night as Bethune-Cookman University downed Georgia Southern University, 10-7 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Both teams had to wait for 20 minutes while heavy rains moved through the Daytona Beach area prior to the start of the contest.

B-CU (4-3) senior shortstop José Lozada was a blistering 4-for-4 at the plate for the Wildcats on the day as he drove in two runs and scored twice as well. Chris Brown's RBI single through the left side started things off in the bottom of the first inning to plate Lozada and José Ortiz on the play.

The Wildcats added to their lead in the second frame as Neal Jones scored from third base on a stolen base attempt by Mark Brooks heading hard to second. Brooks gave himself up on the play to allow the speedster Jones time to score from third. Lozada his second run of the game later in the frame courtesy an Osvaldo Torres single through the left side.

With the Wildcats on top 5-0 after two innings, the visiting GSU Eagles (4-5) finally got to B-CU starter Roman Lancara in the third inning. A furious two-out rally was started by right fielder Chris Shehan's double to center that plated Matt Miller. That was followed up by an RBI triple from A.J. Wirnsberger to score Shehan from third.

The `Cats answered with their biggest scoring outburst of the game with four runs in the bottom of the third.

The first three players for B-CU reached base safely before GSU starter Justin Davis was relieved from the mound by Charlie Strohecker. The `Cats used a two-run scoring single from Brooks to plate Jones and Drew Clark on the play. They scored two more runs later with a two-run scoring double from Lozada to score Brooks and Justin Hoyte.

The B-CU bullpen was put to the ultimate test in the fifth and sixth frames when Lancara seemed to get tired on the mound. The freshman pitcher was charted with six earned runs on 81 pitches through 4.2 innings of work.

The Eagles used three runs in the fifth on a pair of RBI hits from Shehan and Wirnsberger to bring the Eagles to within 9-7 after six innings of play.

The Wildcats got an insurance run in the home-half of the seventh inning off a Neal Jones single and an error charged to the GSU outfield.

That brought the score to the final of 10-7.

The pitcher of record for GSU was Justin Davis who fell to 0-1 on the year. Lancara, on the other hand, moved to 1-0. He is still held accountable for a possible win and/or loss when play continues in May between Bethune-Cookman and Florida Atlantic.

GSU was led offensively by Miller with three hits in five hits to the dish. He also scored twice for the Eagles. Behind him was Phillip Porter, Shehan, Wirnsberger and pinch hitter Jonathan King with two hits apiece.

B-CU was led at the plate by Lozada's 4-for-4 evening, as well as Brooks with a 3-for-5 day and two RBI.

The `Cats will have little time to relax now as they host intrastate foe University of South Florida tomorrow night at 6 p.m. back at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Tickets are still available at the gate.