JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A shutout start by Brady Norris wasn't enough as Bethune-Cookman saw a 3-0 lead evaporate in a 4-3 setback to #24 Jacksonville University at Sessions Stadium.
The Wildcats (18-28) rallied in the ninth off Dolphin (31-14) closer Chris Mauloni. Nate Sterijevksi sprayed a two-out single into right, and then Jameel Edney grounded a base hit past third. Cleanup batter Danny Rodriguez hit a hard grounder to short that concluded the rally and Mauloni picked up his nation-leading 17th save of the season.
Norris pitched well in his second start of the season. He allowed only one hit through his first turn through the Dolphin attack, and erased a first inning single by Chris Lehane with a pick-off at first.
His final inning ended with a boom. With two on and two outs, Norris battled right fielder Duncan Hunter and eventually struck out the right looking. In total, Norris pitched five innings with three hits, no runs, a walk, and three strikeouts in his longest outing of the season.
The Wildcats struck first against JU starter Austin Temple. Jordan Stacy and Jake Hellweg each singled and then moved up a bag on a Chase DeBonis groundout to first. Kyle Corbin battled back from an 0-2 count and was hit-by-pitch to set a bases-loaded situation for Adonis Lao. Lao sent a 1-0 pitch into left center and gave BCU a 2-0 lead on his double.
The score remained steady until the sixth inning when Corbin drilled a two-out double down the right field line to plate Hellweg and the Cats held a 3-0 advantage.
The Dolphin bats awoke in the home half of the inning when reliever Joe Calamita was tagged for a pair of runs on an Angel Camacho two-run single to center.
JU took the lead in the seventh with another two-run inning. Jacob Southern and Connor Stephens both singled off Isaak Gutierrez (0-2) to start the inning. Hunter laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, and a Ruben Someillan groundout to short tied the game by scoring Southern. JU gained its first lead when Lehane reached on a two-out error and Stephens trotted home.
Greg Shannahan picked up the win to move to 1-2 with one unearned run off one hit in three frames.
Lao, Stacy, and Corbin each had two hits to contribute to BCU's total of nine.
Bethune-Cookman remains on the road with a three-game series against the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. First pitch is set for Friday at 7 p.m.
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– #BCUConquer –
