SAVANNAH, Ga. – Despite a valiant ninth-inning comeback attempt, Bethune-Cookman was unable to erase a five-run deficit late in the game, as the Wildcats fell to Savannah State, 6-5 in the rubber match of a three-game series at Tiger Field on Sunday. With the loss, the Wildcats drop their third consecutive MEAC series.
Entering Sunday's affair with a chance to win the Southern Division of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Bethune-Cookman needed a win in its final conference game of the season in order to keep the dream of holding the top spot in the MEAC Championships alive.
Savannah State (19-30, 12-12 MEAC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs scored in the second and third inning.
Bethune-Cookman (16-37, 14-10 MEAC) cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth.
With freshman Jameel Edney lining a double down the left field line with one out, that allowed senior Jordan Robinson to plate him two batters later with a two-out double that followed Edney's hit inside the bag at third for his 10th double of the season.
The Tigers would stretch the lead at 5-1 in the home-half of the fifth.
Right fielder Brian Miller began the Tigers' at-bat being hit by a pitch from B-CU starter Alex Seibold, before the junior right-hander was eventually relieved by junior closer Clint Clymer. Clymer would walk the first two men he faced, including a bases loaded walk to Charles Sikes. That allowed Mendez Elder to walk in for the score, putting SSU up at 3-1.
On the ensuing at-bat, third baseman Zachary Brigham produced a two-run double, crossing both Jonathan Moore and Harrison Moore for the 5-1 advantage.
The teams traded a pair of runs in the eighth, as B-CU used an Edney sacrifice fly to left that allowed shortstop Demetrius Sims to score from third.
B-CU trailed 6-2 entering the ninth.
Senior centerfielder Jake Welch sandwiched a hit between a pair of Wildcats outs, setting the stage for senior Bryant Munoz and the freshman Sims to reach base safely. In the middle, Welch would score the inning's first run on a throwing error credited to the Savannah State outfield.
With two men aboard for the Maroon and Gold, first baseman Nathan Bond picked up his second hit of the game – none bigger than the two-run scoring down to right, pushing across Sims and Munoz.
With the Tigers' lead trimmed at 6-5 and Bond in scoring position, SSU pitcher Zach McCormack got Austin Garcia to line a shot back to the mound, with the throw to first ending the B-CU comeback effort.
McCormack (4-2) collected the win for SSU, going the distance with five runs allowed (four earned) on nine hits. He struck out five and walked two.
The loss went to Seibold, dropping his record at 4-5 on the year. He worked 4.1 frames, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits allowed, striking out two and walking a pair.
The Wildcats offense was paced by Sims, Bond, Edney and Welch with two hits apiece. Bond would plate a pair, while Sims scored twice.
The Wildcats will conclude the 2015 regular season with a pair of nationally-ranked foes in South Florida, beginning with Florida Atlantic on Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. The following day, the Cats face the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables.
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