DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Juan Pizarro allowed just one hit in his third start of the year, while Michael Cruz registered two home runs as Bethune-Cookman took down North Florida, 4-1 on Tuesday evening inside Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Redshirt senior right-hander Juan Pizarro (Bayamón, P.R.) made his second consecutive start against the visiting North Florida Ospreys (13-10) on Tuesday evening, but the result was far different than the previous outing. After dropping his first decision of the year a week ago at home against the Ospreys, Pizarro was nearly untouchable against the visitors from Jacksonville, Florida this time around.
Allowing a hit in the opening half-inning of the contest, Pizarro did not allow another hit in his stint on the mound for the night.
Bethune-Cookman (9-12) would get on the board first in the home-half of the first inning.
Singling to start the at-bat, senior Rakeem Quinn (Port St. Joe, Fla.) – making his first start in centerfield, came around to score after advancing on back-to-back fly balls hit to the outfield. It was Danny Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) plating Quinn from third with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Both starting pitchers settled in from that point, as neither allowed more than a single hit until the bottom of the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, junior catcher Michael Cruz (Aguadilla, P.R.) delivered the first of two home runs on the evening for the former Clarendon College all-star, lifting a leadoff homer to deep right off UNF starter Frank German.
That would push the B-CU advantage to 2-0.
In the top of the eighth, an error charged to the B-CU infield would come back to haunt the Wildcats as leadoff man Kyle Brooks reached on an errant throw from shortstop Demetrius Sims (Ann Arbor, Mich.), allowing the UNF shortstop to land on second base with the overthrow to first. A play later, pinch hitter Alex Merritt delivered a RBI single back up the middle, pushing across Brooks and cutting into the Bethune-Cookman lead, 2-1.
All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason selection and closer Clint Clymer (Ormond Beach, Fla.) toed the rubber in relief for the Maroon and Gold, getting the final out of the frame with a grounder to Jameel Edney (West Palm Beach, Fla.) at second.
With B-CU clinging to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, Cruz punched out his second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot to right center that also scored Quinn.
That brought the score to the final margin of 4-1 in favor of the homestanding Wildcats.
Pizarro was the driving force for B-CU on the mound, logging his first quality start of the year with 6.2 innings worked, allowing just the single hit in the first inning and striking out two batters against three walks. Sophomore Joseph Calamita (Lake Worth, Fla.) worked an inning in relief of Pizarro, allowing just the one unearned run on a pair of hits.
And it was Clymer working the final 1.1 innings, giving up a hit and striking out one Osprey to earn his first save of the campaign.
With the win, Pizarro evened his record at 1-1 for the year, while UNF's German took the loss to keep him winless at 0-3 on the spin. German tossed 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits, while managing four strikeouts and four walks.
The Wildcats offense was paced by Cruz with a 2-for-3 effort, adding three RBI and two runs scored with his two home runs. For Cruz, it was his second multi-home run game in the last four days, as he plated a pair of homers in the series-opening win at North Carolina Central on Saturday in Durham, North Carolina.
Behind Cruz was Quinn with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate, also scoring twice. Sims added the other hit with B-CU totaling five hits altogether in the game.
Bethune-Cookman continues its midweek slate Wednesday, March 23, as the Wildcats travel south to face the No. 5 Miami Hurricanes inside Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables, Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., with the game being broadcast live on ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app on all mobile devices.
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