TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Baseball split a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader on the road against Florida A&M on Saturday afternoon, with the Wildcats ultimately falling in the series to the Rattlers at Moore-Kittles Field. BCU opened the day with an 8-1 win, but dropped the nightcap, 10-9.
 
GAME ONE: BCU 8, FAMU 1
Bethune-Cookman sophomore Tyler Krull set the tone on the mound with seven strong innings, while the Wildcats got timely run support in order to even the series and take the first game of two played Saturday afternoon against Florida A&M, defeating the Rattlers by a score of 8-1 at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (22-16, 9-5 MEAC) opened the game fast with two runs in the opening half-inning.
 
Junior catcher Jordan Stacy drew a bases loaded walk that pushed across classmate Adonis Lao, while first baseman Chase DeBonis placed a sacrifice fly to centerfield that saw Jameel Edney scamper in from third.
 
After FAMU (18-16, 8-6 MEAC) cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats answered in kind with four runs in the top of the third.
 
Josten Heron started the scoring being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing sophomore designated hitter Danny Rodriguez to come in on the play. That was immediately followed by Kyle Corbin's two-run scoring single up the middle that crossed DeBonis and Stacy.
 
The BCU lead extended to 6-1 when shortstop Demetrius Sims scored Heron with a RBI knock to left field.
 
Nate Sterijevski punched out his first home run of the year to lead off the fifth that only added to BCU's advantage, 7-1.
 
The final 8-1 margin was produced for the Maroon and Gold with an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Lao's single shot back up the middle past the glove of FAMU reliever Daniel Rodriguez allowed Heron to score for the second time in the game.
 
Tyler Krull picked up the win on the mound in order to move his record for the year out to 4-1. He went 7.1 innings in yet another quality start for the West Palm Beach, Florida native, allowing just the one run on six hits. He walked two and struck out two as well.
 
Meanwhile, the loss went to FAMU starter Aubrey McCarty, dropping his record for the season down to 4-3.
 
The BCU offense was headed up by Corbin, Lao and Rodriguez each registering three hits at the plate.
 
GAME TWO: FAMU 10, BCU 9
Florida A&M erased an 8-1 deficit in the rubber game of a three-game set – and the second of two played on Saturday afternoon, picking up a crucial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball series win against visiting Bethune-Cookman, 10-9 at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Florida. The game was a scheduled seven-inning affair.
 
With Bethune-Cookman leading 8-1 in the middle of the fifth inning, Florida A&M exploded for four (4) runs in the home-half of the frame.
 
Left fielder Aubrey McCarty's two-run double scored Brian Davis and Octavien Moyer, bringing the Rattlers to within 8-3. The next two runs scored courtesy a Garrett Wilkinson single up the middle that drove in teammates Ben Ellzey and McCarty, respectfully.
 
FAMU (19-16, 9-6 MEAC) would score five runs in the bottom of the sixth in order to complete the comeback and take a 10-8 lead. For the homestanding Rattlers, it would be their first lead of any kind on the day.
 
The big blow during the scoring rally was Wilkinson's three-run double to right center that ultimately produced the game-winning RBIs.
 
BCU tried to answer in the top of the seventh when Danny Rodriguez plated Chase Debonis with a two-out single to left, pulling the Maroon and Gold to within, 10-9. However, a strikeout from FAMU closer Hunter Fillingim closed the game leaving two stranded on the base path for the Cats.
 
For Fillingim, it was his team-leading fourth save of the season.
 
Bethune-Cookman (22-17, 9-6 MEAC) began the game strong, scoring four runs in the top of the second inning.
 
Jordan Stacy scored off an error after leading off the frame with a double. Three additional runs would score moments later with Kyle Corbin picking up the RBI on the strength of a single that crossed DeBonis. Corbin and Sterijevski would also score on the play, using an error charged to FAMU.
 
After the Rattlers scored one in the bottom of the second, BCU went back to work with three runs in the top of the third inning.
 
The inning was headlined by Sterijevski's two-run scoring single to plate Trent Nash and Stacy, respectively.
 
Sterijevski would continue his solid day at the plate with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth that saw teammate Nash score on the hard hit ball to right.
 
The win was secured by FAMU reliever Jamie Grant (5-1), as he worked 2.1 innings with just a run allowed on three hits, and a strikeout registered.
 
The loss went to BCU's Ivan Coutinho out of the bullpen, evening his record at 2-2 for the year.
 
Stacy led BCU at the plate with two hits and two runs scored. And it was Sterijevski producing three RBIs on a hit picked up as well.
 
Bethune-Cookman returns to action Wednesday, April 18, traveling to UCF for a midweek non-conference affair beginning at 6:3 p.m.
 
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