DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A blustery Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark saw Bethune-Cookman drop a 2-0 decision to Central Connecticut State in the opener of a three-game series.

CCSU, picked to win the Northeast Conference this year, got a combined three-hit shutout from Andrew Braun and Dylan Benton to win its season opener on a night the wind gusts got as high as 35 MPH.

Bethune-Cookman is now 3-2.

Nick Rogers took the loss, despite giving up just two hits and striking out six. CCSU played small ball and capitalized on Wildcat errors to record unearned runs in the third and fifth.

Jordan Pinto worked three innings of one-hit relief and registered a ninth inning pickoff.

Andrew O'Dea broke up Braun's no-hitter with a fifth inning double, while Shamir Morales doubled in the eighth and Matthew Garcia singled in the ninth for the Wildcats.

Game two of the series is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, with Alec Mendez slated for the start.