ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Michael Cruz collected his league-leading 11th home run Sunday afternoon, helping Bethune-Cookman to a 7-6 win over visiting Savannah State at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. With the win, the Wildcats complete their first series sweep of the 2016 campaign.
With the game tied at 5-all midway through the seventh inning, Bethune-Cookman (14-19, 7-5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) plated the eventual winning run with a pair in the bottom-half of the inning.
With two outs and the bases loaded on Savannah State relief pitcher Alex Wright, senior left fielder Rakeem Quinn plated Clay Middleton and Brandon Wilkes for the 7-5 advantage. Middleton reached on a single up the middle to start the at-bat, while Wilkes was hit by a pitch.
Sophomore pitcher Joseph Calamita took the ball to work the eighth, allowing just a single hit. And it was senior All-MEAC closer Clint Clymer picking up his second save of the year, allowing an unearned run in the ninth. But it was redshirt sophomore Demetrius Sims turning the game-ending double play himself, flipping over to freshman Danny Rodriguez at first to end the game.
Savannah State (9-24, 4-8 MEAC) opened the game's scoring in the second inning.
Tigers' third baseman Jacob Lightle crossed Somto Egbuna with a deep sacrifice fly to right, putting his team on top, 1-0. Khalyd Cox then doubled inside the bag at third, allowing designated hitter Malcom Moore to score from second, giving SSU the 2-0 advantage.
B-CU would answer to take the lead with a flurry of runs in the bottom of the third.
Quinn began a two-out rally with a double, advancing a pitch later on a wild pitch from Savannah State starting left-hander Trevor McKenna. Quinn would score on the next play as sophomore second baseman Jameel Edney singled to shallow center field. Three pitches later, it was junior designated hitter Michael Cruz powering his 11th home run of the year to deep right.
The Wildcats led 3-2 after three innings played.
Savannah State reclaimed the lead in the top-half of the fifth when right fielder Mendez Elder delivered a two-run double to the wall in left center, putting the Tigers up, 4-3.
However, the Maroon and Golf countered in the bottom of the inning.
Senior right fielder Nathan Bond crossed Cruz with a single shot back up the middle to tie the game at 4-all. That set up Sims for a RBI single to score Middleton who reached earlier with a single to left.
Bethune-Cookman carried a 5-4 lead into the sixth frame.
Charles Sykes of the Tigers quickly erased the deficit for SSU with a run-scoring single to right field, driving home Cox who singled and stole second just a batter earlier.
The win went to freshman reliever Tyler Krull, picking up his first decision of the campaign out of the bullpen. Krull, a hard-throwing right-hander from West Palm Beach, Florida, entered the game in the fifth inning with the Cats down by a 4-3 decision and a runner on with no outs. The Cardinal Newman High alum scattered four hits, allowing just one run and struck out three batters.
The loss went to SSU's Brandon Whitmore out of the bullpen, dropping his record for the year at 0-2.
B-CU starter Alex Seibold tossed four innings without factoring into the decision, allowing four runs on six hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. Conversely, SSU starter McKenna went 4.2 innings without a decision, giving up five runs on nine hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
Five different Wildcats pounded out two hits in the game, including Quinn at the top of the order with a 2-for-3 showing, adding two RBI and a run scored. Middleton was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Bond and freshman Josten Heron were 2-for-4 each.
Bethune-Cookman returns to action Wednesday, April 13, as the Wildcats travel to FIU in Miami. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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