DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Austin Garcia tallied three hits with two RBIs on Saturday afternoon as Bethune-Cookman defeated Boston College, 6-5 in non-conference baseball action at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. With the win, Bethune-Cookman took the series after also collecting a victory on Friday evening in the season opener for both teams.
 
With the score tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Bethune-Cookman (2-0) senior designated hitter Austin Garcia (LaBelle, Fla.) laced a double to right field that plated Cole Parks (Chiefland, Fla.) and Danny Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) for the 5-3 advantage. Two batters later following a Demetrius Sims (Ann Arbor, Mich.) walk, second baseman Nate Sterijevski (Clermont, Fla.) doubled to left, allowing Garcia to score and give BCU the 6-3 lead.
 
However, Boston College (0-2) countered with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut into the Wildcats lead.
 
Eagles' first baseman Mitch Bigras struck out swinging, but reached first base successfully as the TJ Densmore (Coral Springs, Fla.) pitch escaped the outstretched arm of Bethune-Cookman catcher Chase DeBonis (Tampa, Fla.). Leadoff man Jake Palomaki would later walk for the visiting Eagles, setting the stage for Michael Strem to bring Bigras and Palomaki home on a double to the left field gap.
 
That cut into the Wildcats lead, 6-5.
 
After Palomaki advanced to third on an error, sophomore reliever Tyler Krull (West Palm Beach, Fla.) entered the game to collect the final out on just one pitch with a fly out to center field.
 
Ivan Coutinho (Winter Park, Fla.) would enter the game in the eighth inning, collecting the save for the Wildcats.
 
Bethune-Cookman scored in each of its first two at-bats to race out to an early 3-0 lead.
 
The homestanding Wildcats plated a pair in the first inning when Parks advanced to third and scored on the play due to an error charged to the Eagles pitcher. That was followed by Jameel Edney (West Palm Beach, Fla.) racing in from third a play later with the aid of a fielding error charged to the Boston College second baseman.
 
Bethune-Cookman took a 3-0 lead in the home-half of the second after Kyle Corbin (Orlando, Fla.) struck out swinging, only to reach safely at first after the pitch from Brian Rapp went wide of catcher Aaron Soucy at the plate. That play also allowed DeBonis to score from third.
 
Boston College would plate a trio of runs in the top of the fourth inning to knot the game at 3-all.
 
In the Eagles at-bat, left fielder Scott Braren registered a run-scoring double, as well as Mitch Bigras with a RBI single to right. Palomaki's RBI single later in the inning tied the game at 3-3.
 
For the second consecutive game, neither team's starting pitcher factored into the win.
 
Boston College right-hander Brian Rapp went 2.2 innings on the bump, as he was touched for three runs (one earned) on three hits, adding two strikeouts against two walks. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman senior left-hander Donté Lindsay (Cleveland, Ohio) went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
 
Densmore (1-0) earned the win for the Wildcats in two innings of relief action on the bump. He allowed two runs (one earned), as he also collected five strikeouts against just one walk. The loss went to Boston College's Matt Gill (0-1) as he went two frames on the mound, allowing three runs on a pair of hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
 
Ivan Coutinho earned the save with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
 
The offense was led by Garcia with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, adding two RBIs and a run scored. Sterijevski collected a hit with a run driven in, as well as DeBonis and Edney with hits each.
 
Bethune-Cookman and Boston College conclude the series Sunday at noon back at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
 
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