SALISBURY, Md. – Chris Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with three RBI on Wednesday morning, lifting Delaware State past Bethune-Cookman, 6-2 in the opening game of the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball Championships at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. This year's event is being hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore.
Delaware State (15-27) wasted little time getting to Bethune-Cookman starting pitcher freshman Tyler Norris in the opening frame. The Hornets struck for a pair of runs to open the game, making the rookie right-hander throw 30 of his 92 pitches at the start.
With runners on second and third and one out for the Hornets, Gonzalez delivered the first of his two hits in the game with a two-run single to center field, scoring Charles Dailey and David Kimbrough for the 2-0 DSU advantage.
After scoring another run in the third, DSU would swell the lead to 4-0 in the fourth, using a leadoff home run to left center from right fielder Ron Farley.
Bethune-Cookman (16-39) finally solved Hornets starting hurler Lane De Leon in the seventh inning.
Freshman second baseman Jameel Edney began the Wildcats at-bat with a single to left, followed by a single to right from redshirt senior right fielder Jordan Robinson. Rakeem Quinn drove in Edney with a groundout to third, scoring the Wildcats opening run and cutting into the lead, 2-1. Catcher Clay Middleton then plated the second run on the strength of a single through the left side, knotting the game at 2-2, as Robinson scored on the play.
Junior right-hander Michael Austin relieved Norris to begin the sixth inning, but DSU finally got to the Sykesville, Maryland native in the eighth.
Justin Allen drove in Kimbrough on a sacrifice fly to deep right field, adding to the Hornets lead, 5-2. The final 6-2 margin came when Farley doubled to right field, scoring shortstop Cameron Onderko.
De Leon tossed seven innings for the Hornets in collecting his fifth win of the year, evening his record at 5-5. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out four batters.
The loss went to Norris, dropping him to 3-5 on the year. The Coral Springs, Florida native worked five innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits, walking two and striking out two.
First baseman Nathan Bond led the Wildcats at the plate with a 2-for-4 contest, while teammates Quinn and Middleton each tallied a hit and a RBI apiece.
Bethune-Cookman will await the loser of the Florida A&M vs. Savannah State/Maryland Eastern Shore game. That contest is slated for Thursday, May 14, at 12:30 p.m. Redshirt senior right-hander Keith Zuniga – a 2015 All-MEAC First Team member, will get the start for the Wildcats on the bump.
The championship finale is set for Saturday, May 16, beginning at 1 p.m.
The 2015 MEAC Baseball Championship tournament begins Wednesday, May 13 at 9 a.m., at the Delmarva Shorebirds Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. Admission is $8 per day or $25 for the four-day tournament. A complete tournament bracket can be found on www.MEACsports.com.
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