Daytona Beach, Fla. – A spot start for Joán Gonzalez and a pair of homers lifted the Wildcats to a series-opening victory over Alabama A&M, Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
 
How It Happened
 
Malik Stephens put B-CU (21-27, 15-9 SWAC) on the board in a hurry with a leadoff homerun in the first inning. He sent a ball deep over the wall in left center, tying the team lead with his fourth homer of the year.
 
The Wildcats doubled their lead in the fourth as Christopher Patterson opened the frame with a ringing double over the head of the centerfielder. Manny Souffrain drove him in two batters later with a single that sliced through the right side of the infield.
 
Alabama A&M (12-31, 8-16 SWAC) tied things up in the sixth with some two-out hitting, including a ground-rule double that made it 2-2.
 
Boris Peña put the Wildcats back in front with B-CU's second homer of the evening – another shot to deep left that made it 3-2.
 
Colton Olasin added some insurance with a sacrifice fly that scored Jeremy Garcia. Back-to-back wild pitches scored Franki Febles and Malik Stephens to put the Wildcats in control at 6-2.
 
The Bulldogs grabbed a run back in the ninth with a solo shot, but that was all as the Wildcats held on for the 6-3 win.
 
"We took care of business tonight," Wildcats head coach Jonathan Hernandez said after the game. "For a Friday night with five games left in conference play, we want to position ourselves to get a good seed as we get ready for the trip to Birmingham."
 
Joán Gonzalez looked strong in his sixth start of the season. Stepping in for an under-the-weather Louis Lipthratt, Gonzalez tossed seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.
 
"This is the best he's looked all year," Hernandez said. "It's always next man up for us and he did well. He gave us a chance to compete."  
 
Dale Michaud took over in the eighth. He chipped in two innings allowing just a solo homer and two walks.
 
Brenton Fisher worked his fourth save of the season allowing a hit with a strikeout in the ninth.
 
Notes

• Six different Wildcats collected hits in the contest. Stephens and Patterson each had two.
• Malik Stephens has reached safely in 19 straight games after a homer and a double tonight
• Gonzalez joins Louis Lipthratt and Nolan Santos as the only Wildcats pitchers to record over eight strikeouts or higher in a game this season.

 
Up Next

The Wildcats will look to secure the series win in the penultimate home contest of the season. Game two of the three-game series gets underway Saturday, May 14 at 6 p.m.    
 
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