April 17, 2012
Box Score
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – USF pinch hitter Buddy Putnam put the final notch on the board in the ninth, beating out a 3-2 count with a single up the middle to bat in the final run of the night, giving the Bulls the 4-3 lead over Bethune-Cookman in the teams' fourth and final meeting of the season, Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
After a back and forth game, the tight ninth-inning thriller could have only been expected between these two tough defensive opponents, in then end coming down to the final out in the series-ending heartbreaker.
“I'm very proud of the fact that in the last three innings we had a very team-oriented offensive approach, but early in the game, we let too many opportunities slip away,” said Head Coach Jason Beverlin. “I think had we had that same approach early in the game, it might have been a different outcome.”
USF (26-12) built an early lead on the Wildcats (23-15), scoring on a pair of RBI singles for right fielder James Ramsay in the first and third, but the Wildcats evened the score with one stroke, as David Lee's 2-2 count, two-run jack sailed over the left field wall.
The next two innings kept the scoreboard at a standstill, until a triple shot truly straight down the right field line to set the table for a USF sacrifice fly in the sixth to go up 3-2.
Facing crunch-time in the eighth, the Wildcats' Lee walked to lead off, and worked his way into scoring position, coming in for the second tie run on a wild pitch.
In the ninth, Ramsay put the ball in play and worked into scoring position. With two outs on the board, Putnam stepped in as the hitter splitting the middle infield into center for the RBI single and a one-run lead.
In the bottom half, a leadoff walk for pinch hitter Jordan Taylor was placed in optimum position, but a two out fly ball to right center concluded the tightly-contested game in a 4-3 USF win, leaving two Wildcats stranded.
The Wildcats hit the ball well at times, and had opportunities to pull ahead, but were unable to capitalize. B-CU left ten on the base, including four in the final two innings.
Ramsay played a significant role in the win for USF, batting in two of the Bulls' four runs, and scoring the winning run, amidst a 3-5 performance.
Lee's home run accounted for his 1-2, two RBI performance, while the Wildcats collected nine hits and had four batters go 2-4 against USF.
Now the road swing begins for Bethune-Cookman, as Saturday's doubleheader at North Carolina Central sets off 12 straight road games for the Wildcats, leading to 15 of the final 17 away. The Wildcats will not return to the confines of The Jack until a May 8 rematch with Jacksonville.
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