ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman split a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) baseball doubleheader with in-state rival Florida A&M on Saturday at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. B-CU took the opening game, 6-5, while the Rattlers collected the nightcap, 6-3.
GAME ONE: BETHUNE-COOKMAN 6, FLORIDA A&M 5
Four different players collected multiple hits for the Wildcats, and sophomore pitcher Tyler Norris went four effective innings in the start, helping Bethune-Cookman take down Florida A&M, 6-5 in the opening game of a three-game MEAC series at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Florida.
With Bethune-Cookman (15-20, 8-5 MEAC) leading 6-3 in the top of the ninth inning, Florida A&M rallied to make it uncomfortable in the end for the homestanding Wildcats.
With runners on the corners and one out, FAMU (21-12, 11-2 MEAC) third baseman Ben Ellzey scored centerfielder Willis McDaniel to cut into the deficit, 6-4. After right fielder Dylan Dillard walked to load the bases, sophomore left-hander Joseph Calamita entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs.
Calamita immediately walked Jacky Miles, Jr., bringing the Rattlers to within a 6-5 deficit. However, Calamita settled down to get pinch hitter Ryan Hutson to ground out and preserve the win for the Cats – the first of its kind against the Rattlers in the last six meetings.
FAMU began the game with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning, using a Rakeem Quinn error in left to setup runs for Ellzey and first baseman Brian Davis.
Bethune-Cookman battled back to knot the game at 2-all in the home-half of the fourth inning.
Senior All-MEAC outfielder Nathan Bond doubled following a Danny Rodriguez walk to put two runners in scoring position with one out in the frame. After Brandon Wilkes was hit by a pitch to load the bases, shortstop Demetrius Sims reached on a fielder's choice as FAMU's Ellzey was credited with a throwing error, allowing Rodriguez to score from third. Freshman centerfielder Josten Heron then plated Bond with a fielder's choice RBI, knotting the score at two apiece.
After a single pitch in the top of the fifth, Norris exited the game with an apparent stomach illness, bringing in senior Alex Seibold from the bullpen.
The Wildcats went ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth, as the Maroon and Gold scored four runs in the half-inning at-bat.
FAMU junior right-hander Danny Rodriguez toed the rubber to begin the bottom of the inning in relief of Rattlers starter Jojo Durden.
Junior catcher Michael Cruz registered his league-leading 12th home run of the year with a deep shot to left center, putting the Cats on top, 3-2.
Wilkes later pushed across designated hitter Clay Middleton with a single through the right side, and Sims recorded a two-run scoring triple to left center to drive in Wilkes and Bond, appropriately. For Sims, the triple was the first of the year for the Ann Arbor, Michigan native.
FAMU scored a run in the top-half of the sixth, setting up the thrilling finish in the ninth.
Despite working just four innings, Norris picked up the win, as he was most effective in the outcome of the contest. He upped his record to 5-2 on the campaign as he allowed two unearned runs, scattering four hits and striking out three against two walks. Sophomore Alexis Herrera worked two scoreless innings, and Calamita closed the game in place of Clint Clymer in the ninth.
The loss went to FAMU's Rodriguez who fell to 3-2 on the year. He went four innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits, walking two and striking out one.
Bond, Cruz, Middleton and Quinn each picked up two hits in the game, including the solo homer for Cruz out of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Sims plated two runs in a hit for the Cats as well.
GAME TWO: FLORIDA A&M 6, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 3
FAMU left-hander Ricky Page was nearly untouchable for visiting Florida A&M as he helped his team to a 6-3 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the nightcap of a MEAC doubleheader at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Florida. In the loss, the Wildcats split the doubleheader on the day against the rival Rattlers.
In a strong outing on the hill, Page scattered just a pair of hits and walked four with a game-high seven strikeouts to lead Florida A&M (22-12, 12-2 MEAC) to the win.
On the other side, Bethune-Cookman (15-21, 8-6 MEAC) turned to freshman Tyler Krull who started his first-ever collegiate game.
The Rattlers jumped on the board first in the top of the second when Dillard lifted a full-count, leadoff homer to left, putting his team up, 1-0.
Krull settled after the home run, sitting down seven of the next eight batters until eventually tiring on a season-high 70 pitches in the top of the fourth inning.
With runners on first and second for the Rattlers, Johnson lined out to Wilkes at third. However, the throw from third trying to catch Miles at first base on the double play attempt was wide of B-CU's Rodriguez, allowing the two runners to advance 90 feet on the play. Two batters later, Hutson delivered a two-run scoring, bases loaded single to shallow left, putting the Rattlers up, 3-0.
After FAMU scored another three runs in the top of the sixth, B-CU battled back in the home-half of the seventh inning.
Heron singled to start the at-bat for the Wildcats, followed two batters later with a single from sophomore second baseman Jameel Edney. A double steal for Heron and Edney eventually led to Heron scoring on a throwing error charged to FAMU. Catcher Jacky Miles, Jr. tried to cut down Heron at third, but the throw was high over the glove of Ellzey, allowing Miami native Heron to score the Cats' first run of the game.
That allowed designated hitter Michael Cruz to line a double off the wall in straight away center field, scoring Edney from second and bringing B-CU to within 6-2.
The final run of the game was scored off a Middleton single to deep right, allowing Cruz to scamper in from second and bring the final score line of 6-3.
Page collected the win for the rattlers, improving to 3-2 on the year, as teammate Kendal Weeks picked up his team-leading fourth save of the year. Weeks saw just a single batter with two men aboard for B-CU in the ninth, getting a strikeout on Wilkes to end the contest.
Krull accepted the loss to even his record at 1-1 on the campaign, going a season-long four frames, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out three with two walks. Ivan Coutinho finished the game on the hill for the Maroon and Gold, tossing 1.2 innings, allowing a single hit and fanning three batters.
It was Edney leading the Wildcats offense with a pair of hits, aided by Cruz and Middleton with identical 1-for-3 outings and a RBI for each.
The two teams meet for the rubber game of the series Sunday back at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., while starters for both sides will be announced prior to the game.
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