SALISBURY, Md. – Joseph Calamita worked out of a bases loaded, no outs jam in the top of the ninth inning to preserve a 6-5 Bethune-Cookman win over Florida A&M on Thursday afternoon at A.W. Perdue Stadium. The game was the first of Day Two action at the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Championships.
 
Bethune-Cookman (31-23) led 6-3 heading into the top of the ninth inning, but the drama was just about to begin.
 
The first three men reached safely for Florida A&M (27-25) to load the bases with no outs. At that point, BCU junior left-hander Joseph Calamita toed the rubber in place of closer Ivan Coutinho. Willis McDaniel was hit by a pitch following a fly out to left, allowing pinch hitter Octavien Moyer to score from third.
 
That cut into the Wildcats advantage, 6-4.
 
FAMU designated hitter Aubrey McCarty reached safely on an error charged to Calamita as he mishandled a ball back to the mound, allowing the Rattlers' pinch hitter Brian Davis to slide in on the play.
 
At that point, BCU led the game, 6-5.
 
But a strikeout to Ben Ellzey and a fielder's choice to BCU second baseman Nate Sterijevski flipping to shortstop Demetrius Sims at second base closed the game – and preserved the win for the defending MEAC champions from Daytona Beach.
 
Bethune-Cookman stepped out in front early-on, as the Wildcats got to FAMU starting pitcher Ryan Anderson for two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Sophomore first baseman and All-MEAC First Team selection Danny Rodriguez collected his league-leading ninth home run of the year with a two-run shot over the wall in left centerfielder that also scored Jameel Edney on the play.
 
The Rattlers would answer in the top of the second when Ellzey registered his fifth home run of the campaign in two-run fashion to also bring around teammate McCarty who led off the inning with a single.
 
That tied the game at 2-all after two innings played. Between the winners of the last two MEAC titles, respectfully.
 
The Cats stepped back in front in the home-half of the second innings courtesy a Sterijevski RBI groundout that drove across right fielder Kyle Corbin, after the Orlando, Florida junior led off the BCU at-bat with a triple.
 
BCU would carry a 3-2 lead across the next four innings.
 
Wildcats starting pitcher Anthony Maldonado secured a quality start, going six innings on the bump. In all, the All-MEAC First Team member from West Palm Beach, Florida allowed just the two runs – via the Ellzey two-run shot in the second inning, in five hits scattered. He also walked two and struck out three Rattlers.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, BCU added a run on a Chase DeBonis sacrifice fly to left field that allowed designated hitter Austin Garcia to race in from third.
 
That increased the BCU lead at 4-2.
 
FAMU brought a run back in the top of the seventh as BCU freshman relief pitcher TJ Densmore loaded the bases with one out. The Rattlers would score Daniel Rodriguez on a sacrifice fly to left off the bat of McDaniel to cut the Rattlers deficit at 4-3.
 
But in the eighth inning, sophomore centerfielder Josten Heron pushed out his second home run of the year with a two-run shot to left field that also scored Sterijevski to put BCU out to a 6-3 advantage.
 
With the win, Maldonado improved his record at 8-3 on the year. The save went to Calamita, picking up his second of its kind on the campaign. Calamita went an inning on the bump in the ninth, striking out one and not allowing a hit in the process.
 
The loss went to FAMU's Anderson, dropping him at 4-3 on the season. He went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
 
The BCU offense was paced by three players with two hits each, including Sterijevski with a run scored and a run driven in. Corbin had two hits in four appearances, adding a run. And it was Adonis Lao going 2-for-4 as well.
 
Bethune-Cookman will now face the winner of the day's second game between the top seed out of the Northern Division (Norfolk State) and the Aggies of North Carolina A&T. With impending weather set to hit the Salisbury, Maryland area Friday evening, all games have been moved up three hours on Friday. Thus, Bethune-Cookman's game will begin at 9 a.m.
 
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