March 17, 2012
Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)
Reach Baseball Contact Michael Stambaugh for more details by E-Mail
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 series lead on North Carolina Central with 5-4 and 3-0 wins in Saturday's doubleheader on the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first park at the Wildcats' own Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Timely hitting proved to be the killing stroke in each game, moving into a tie for the divisional lead and giving B-CU its fourth series win of 2012.
The Wildcats played very defensive-minded across the doubleheader, showing solid hitting, but only in spurts, as three big innings decided the two games.
“We have to come ready to play from the first pitch,” said Head Coach Jason Beverlin of somewhat streaky hitting against NCCU. “We can't decide what points in the game are important, because every play in the game is important from the first pitch to the last. You never know when one lapse in concentration could be the play that costs us the game.”
In game one, Bethune-Cookman errors came into play early in the contest, with the Eagles capitalizing for three runs in the second inning, two unearned. NCCU added another in the fourth on an RBI fielder's choice play to take a four run lead.
However, B-CU's defense and pitching locked in and put the squeeze on the Eagles, shutting NCCU down for the remaining five innings.
With just three hits through the first five frames, all it took was for B-CU to find a spark to get back into the game. The sixth inning proved to be that spark, set off by a single to right by David Lee. Brashad Johnson reached on a fielder's choice, overtaking home on an RBI double by Anthony Stokes. Juan Pizarro tripled straight down the line into the right field corner to bring Stokes home, and Jake Welch split the infielders up the middle to bring him in, and narrow the lead to just a single run.
B-CU came back in the seventh for more, taking advantage of a bobbled tag at first on Brandon Turner to lead off the inning. Turner stole second and moved to third on an Alejandro Sanchez single. Both crossed the plate on a Lee two-RBI double up the middle, claiming the first B-CU lead of the afternoon, holding on for the win to open the series.
In game one, starter Gabriel Hernandez threw six innings with two K's, allowing two earned runs. Making his first appearance in two weeks, Bryan Rivera (1-2) held the fort for 2.1 innings, collecting the win with one strikeout and only one hit allowed, before Jordan Dailey added his fourth save of the year, tacking on the final outs of the game.
Game two of the doubleheader proved to be a clash of the defenses, staying scoreless into the bottom of the fourth, when B-CU made a major move to claim control of the game.
“Our defense the second game was much better,” Beverlin said. “I thought we were locked in defensively.”
In the fourth, Sanchez jumpstarted the Wildcats with a single to right center, moving into scoring position for B. Johnson's single up the middle to send him home and put B-CU on the board. Just three pitches later, B-CU collected a little cushion, as a Stokes long ball stayed fair inside the left foul pole for his third home run of the year, a two-run shot to put B-CU up 3-0.
Though the Eagles put up a rally in the sixth, the Wildcats escaped a one out, bases loaded jam without a run scored to keep NCCU blanked with only one inning to go in the shortened doubleheader game.
“Rayan [Gonzalez] was making big pitches all day when he had to,” Beverlin said. “He was attacking the strike zone, and I think he felt much more confident because [his teammates] were playing good defense. That needs to carry over into tomorrow. It's going to be important that our guys show [Sunday starter Scott Garner] that they're ready to pick up the ball.”
Starter Rayan Gonzalez (4-0) earned the win and logged the first complete game of his career, and B-CU's first this season; also his second shutout on the year. Gonzalez logged eight strikeouts with two walks, only allowing four hits in seven innings to take B-CU to 2-0 against the Eagles.
“Rayan really came up big for us in that second game,” Beverlin noted. “He was in control from start to finish; they just didn't have an answer for him. We needed him to step up like that because of where we were at offensively coming into that game. “
Brashad Johnson went 4-6 with an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wildcats at the plate in the doubleheader. Stokes was 2-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.
The Wildcats (11-9, 3-2 MEAC) extend their win streak to six and move into a divisional tie with Florida A&M. B-CU returns to action tomorrow with North Carolina Central (3-16, 2-3 MEAC) at 1:00 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, looking to collect their second series sweep of the year.
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