SAVANNAH, Ga. – There came no better time for Bethune-Cookman Baseball to collect a key Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader sweep than Saturday afternoon when the Wildcats took down Savannah State on scores of 7-6 and 6-0 at Tiger Field. With the wins, BCU collects its second MEAC series win on the spin.
 
GAME ONE: BCU 7, SSU 6
Bethune-Cookman scored five runs across the seventh and eighth innings, respectfully, to secure a 7-6 come-from-behind win over Savannah State in the first of two games played on the day in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) baseball doubleheader at Tiger Field in Savannah, Georgia.
 
Bethune-Cookman (11-19, 5-5 MEAC) jumped out to the early 2-0 in the opening half-inning of the game.
 
Joran Stacy doubled down the left field line to plate Zach Spivey, followed immediately by Joseph Fernando's RBI triple in the same location that brought around Stacy for the 2-0 BCU advantage.
 
Savannah State (5-19, 2-8 MEAC) would regroup and take a 3-2 lead with a trio of runs in the bottom of the second inning.
 
Right fielder Khalyd Cox plated the Tigers' first run of the game with a single to first base, allowing Kyle Gerdts to score from second. Then, with one out, catcher Garrett Bogart delivered a run-scoring single to right field in order to bring around Cox and tie the game at 2-2. The deadlock was broken off the end of a Mason Calloway RBI single past a diving Fernando at second, driving home Cox.
 
The homestanding Tigers would add runs in the fifth and sixth inning to make it 5-2 in favor of the Tigers.
 
Bethune-Cookman knotted the game at 5-all in the top of the seventh, using three runs of its own.
 
With SSU going to the bullpen for relief pitcher Gregory Smith, after starter Trevor McKenna had already logged 123 pitches through six frames on the bump, the visitors from Daytona Beach, Florida started a two-out rally with a Joseph Fernando bunt single. After Jameel Edney singled and both runners later advanced on a wild pitch, senior Michael Deeb laced a RBI single to left that scored Fernando. Adonis Lao would tie the game with his two-run single to straightaway center.
 
In the eighth, Bethune-Cookman went back on top at 7-5 when Danny Rodriguez bagged his team-leading fifth home run of the year courtesy a two-run shot to left that scored Zach Spivey who started the frame with a single up the middle.
 
The Tigers would pull a run back in the bottom of the ninth as pinch runner Daryl Harper scored on an Ivan Coutinho wild pitch.
 
The win went to Coutinho (2-1), in fact, as the hard-throwing right hander worked the final three innings, allowing just the one run on four hits, two walks and registering five strikeouts in his time on the bump. The loss went to SSU reliever Paul Sheffield (1-2) as he worked 2.1 frames, giving up two runs on four hits and collecting a strikeout.
 
The BCU bats were paced by Fernando with a 3-for-5 day, adding a run and a RBI. Edney was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while teammate Lao was a perfect 2-for-2 in a pinch hitting role and playing left field, securing the game-winning RBIs in the process.
 
GAME TWO: BCU 6, SSU 0
Bethune-Cookman scored six runs in the top-half of the seventh inning to walk away with a 6-0 decision and a doubleheader sweep of Savannah State on Saturday afternoon in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) baseball play at Tiger Field in Savannah, Georgia.
 
A true pitcher's duel took place Saturday through six frames between BCU sophomore Anthony Maldonado, the 2018 MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and SSU right-handed ace Alex Wright.
 
Bethune-Cookman (12-19, 6-5 MEAC) began the seventh with senior Jameel Edney working his way on courtesy an error charged to Savannah State shortstop Noah Orlando. An Adonis Lao bunt single moved Edney to third, before the New Yorker worked his way into scoring position at second on a wild pitch from Wright.
 
The deadlock was broken as Giovany Lorenzo tripled to the wall in left center, scoring Lao and Edney for the 2-0 Wildcats lead. Nate Sterijevski followed with a RBI single to plate Lorenzo.
 
Sterijevski would eventually score on a wild pitch from Savannah State (5-20, 2-9 MEAC) reliever Tyler Robinson, allowing the Maroon and Gold to control a 4-0 advantage. The lead would become 6-0 when Joseph Fernando tallied a two-run triple to right center, bringing around Danny Rodriguez and Spivey, respectfully.
 
Anthony Maldonado (3-2), a tall sophomore from West Palm Beach, Florida, earned the win on the bump for the Cats in a complete seven-inning shutout, allowing just three hits, walking two and picking up five strikeouts on the day. The loss went to SSU starter Wright (0-4) as he was tagged for five runs (two earned) on eight hits, a walk and producing five strikeouts.
 
The bats were led by Spivey's 2-for-3 showing at the dish, adding a run scored as well. Lao was equally as impressive with a 2-for-3 performance as he also scored a run. Fernando provided a pair of RBIs on his lone hit of the day, that being a triple in the seventh. Lorenzo also added two runs driven across with his first triple of the year.
 
The two teams meet tomorrow for the final game of the series beginning at 1 p.m., back at Tiger Field in Savannah, Georgia.
 
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