DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Michael Cruz and José Carballo each posted home runs Wednesday evening, as Bethune-Cookman took down visiting Quinnipiac by a count of 8-3 in non-conference baseball action at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
With Bethune-Cookman celebrating the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier with his first-ever game in the farm system of the Brooklyn Dodgers at what was then known as City Island Park in Daytona Beach, pregame festivities included five gentlemen who played an integral part in Jackie Robinson's debut in Daytona Beach, Florida. That list included Albert Bethune, grandson of the late Mary McLeod Bethune, with whom Jackie Robinson and his family stayed on then Bethune-Cookman College's campus due to racial inequality and housing unavailability in Daytona Beach.
For the second time in the last four games, Bethune-Cookman (6-11) found itself trailing in the opening inning.
Quinnipiac (5-8) leadoff hitter Matthew Batten lifted a two-strike fastball clear the left field wall for a home run, putting the visiting Bobcats on top, 1-0.
However, B-CU starting pitcher Donté Lindsay would settle down and allow just one additional run in his six innings pitched on the night.
With the Wildcats trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, Bethune-Cookman used its second seven-run inning of the season to explode out to an insurmountable advantage. B-CU scored seven runs in the third inning a week ago in a 17-3 defeat of perennial power UCF.
Designated hitter Clay Middleton kicked off the Wildcats' fourth inning at-bat with a single, followed by right fielder Nathan Bond's run-scoring triple – his first extra-base hit of the campaign. Sam Brooks would bring in Bond for the tying run a play later, using a sacrifice fly to allow the preseason All-MEAC selection to scamper in from third.
With the score tied at 2-all, senior first baseman José Carballo recorded his first home run of the season with a two-run shot over the fence in right, just narrowly staying inside the foul pole, scoring Trent Nash on the play as well. Nash doubled a play earlier, allowing Carballo's round-tripper to put the Wildcats ahead, 4-2.
With Rakeem Quinn bunting for a single, and Jameel Edney being hit by a pitch, it set the stage for catcher Michael Cruz to lift his first home run of the season over the fence in right field to put the Cats on top, 7-2.
That would chase Bobcats starting pitcher Andrew Workman, as the right-hander had kept the B-CU lineup quiet until the fourth inning outburst.
In taking the loss, Workman went 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits, while recording three strikeouts against two walks.
B-CU would score an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, when leadoff hitter Rakeem Quinn tallied his third hit of the night. This time, it was a RBI single to right, scoring Carballo from third.
That gave B-CU an 8-2 advantage.
Quinnipiac would score its final run in the top of the ninth.
Bobcats designated hitter Robert Pescitelli crossed Matthew Payero from third, as he was pinch running for catcher Matthew Oestreicher who reached earlier in the inning with a base on balls from B-CU reliever Ivan Coutinho. Coutinho would load the bases with one out, before Joseph Calamita entered the game to collet back-to-back outs and end the game.
In the loss, Workman dropped to 0-1 on the campaign.
Meanwhile, Donté Lindsay managed his second consecutive win, as well as a second consecutive quality start for the Maroon and Gold. The Cleveland native tossed six innings, giving up just two runs – both solo home runs, on seven hits. He allowed a single walk and struck out six batters.
The B-CU offense was paced by Quinn with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish, driving in a run and scoring once. Middleton and Nash each posted double-digit hits as well. Meanwhile, it was Cruz with three RBI via the home run, and Carballo with two on his homer.
Bethune-Cookman steps back into conference play this weekend, traveling to North Carolina central for a three-game set beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 19. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m., at Durham Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina.
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