May 9, 2012

Box Score

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by Dan Ryan

DAYTONA BEACH – Bethune-Cookman Head Coach Jason Beverlin could feel the energy from both his team and FIU prior to Wednesday's home finale at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; make that the lack thereof as the Panthers downed the Wildcats 15-3.

T.J. Shantz drove in four runs as FIU (29-20) used a six-spot in the sixth and a five-spot in the seventh to pull away from a 4-3 game and helped the Panthers win the season series 2-1.

 “You could sense both teams didn't want to be out there,” Beverlin said. “We weren't really ready to play. We have to do a better job at the end of the season.”

B-CU (28-23, 16-4) has dropped five straight.

“I get it. We're tired.  It's been a long season. We're banged up a little physically. But it's the time of year where you can see the finish line and you have to give whatever you have left or it's going to end a lot quicker than we want it to,” Beverlin added.

B-CU kept it close early, pulling to 3-2 in the third and 4-3 after the fifth.

In the third, B-CU strung together a two-out rally. Josh Johnson scored on David Lee's single to right center while Brandon Turner scored an unearned run on an FIU error.

Turner manufactured his fifth-inning run by advancing to second after his single, stealing third and scoring on a Lee grounder.

Then FIU pulled away, reaching middle relievers Jairo Acevedo and Jordan Taylor for a combined 12 hits.

“Both were up in the strike zone quite a bit today and FIU did a good job of handling it,” Beverlin said. “We've done a good job of keeping the ball low all season, but for whatever reason today, we were up in the zone more.”

Jordan Dailey worked two innings of perfect relief that included a pair of strikeouts.

J. Johnson and Turner each had two hits. Brashad Johnson added a double.

B-CU travels to Savannah State for a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series beginning Friday. The series with the Tigers (18-30, 10-11) wraps up the 2012 regular season, proceeding next week's MEAC Baseball Championships in Norfolk, Va.

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