SANFORD, Fla. – Austin Garcia and Jake Welch combined for six hits and four RBI to drive Bethune-Cookman past North Carolina A&T, 13-3 on Sunday morning in the series finale of a three-game set at Sanford Memorial Stadium. The game was moved from its original 1 p.m. start due to inclement weather concerns in the Central Florida area.
After losing the series by dropping both games of a doubleheader on Saturday, Bethune-Cookman (15-29, 13-8 MEAC) looked like a completely different team a day later. And with first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division hanging in the balance, the Wildcats responded in dominant fashion.
B-CU scored four runs in the opening inning setting the tone early-on.
Following Jake Welch's leadoff single, second baseman Brandon Amendolare plated the senior left fielder with a double down the left field line. Austin Garcia traded places with Amendolare at second two plays later with a double to left, pushing the Wildcats lead to 2-0.
The lead swelled to 3-0 as senior Jordan Robinson scored from third on a passed ball. Later in the frame, Garcia trotted in from third on a Jameel Edney sac fly to center.
North Carolina A&T (6-31, 3-14 MEAC) starter Charles Cantrell was unable to get out of the opening inning as he allowed all four runs (three earned) on three hits. Kaesen Wilson would come on to work the next two frames.
The Wildcats added four additional runs in the third inning, swelling the lead at 8-1, after N.C. A&T scored a run in the top-half of the inning.
Jason Gifford came on the mound with one out in the third for A&T, but was immediately greeted with a single up the middle from first baseman Clint Clymer, the Wildcats normal closing pitcher. Clymer's single scored Nathan Bond from third, followed by a single from shortstop Demetrius Sims to load the bases. Clay Middleton scored Garcia with a groundout to third, and leadoff man Welch brought around Clymer and Sims with a deep single to center.
After scoring two more runs in the fourth, the Cats plated three insurance runs in the fifth, putting the conference's 10-run rule into effect.
Middleton began the fifth with a double to right, dropping just over the head of Aggies right fielder Brandon Wilkerson. Welch drove him in a play later on his third hit and RBI of the day. Welch scored for the second time in the game off a Bond sac fly, and the lead advanced to 13-1 in favor of the Maroon and Gold when Clymer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing across Amendolare for the score.
North Carolina A&T was able to get two runs back in the sixth, but B-CU relief pitcher Michael Austin worked a scoreless seventh with a strikeout to give B-CU the win.
Alex Seibold accepted the win to even his record at 4-4 on the campaign. Seibold tossed six frames, giving up three runs on four hits and striking out a season-high eight batters. The loss went to the Aggies Cantrell who fell to 0-6.
Welch finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and two scored. Garcia was a perfect 3-for-3 with two scores, a RBI and a walk. Bond and Sims each tagged two hits each as well.
With North Carolina Central dropping two-of-three at home against Savannah State, Bethune-Cookman continues to hold a half-game lead over the Eagles in the Southern Division standings.
Bethune-Cookman gets back to the diamond with a nationally-ranked laden five-game road trip, beginning Tuesday with a visit to the eighth-ranked ranked Florida Gators at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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