Birmingham, Ala. – A disappointing back-and-forth loss to Alabama State turned into a 19-0 whacking of Grambling State as the Wildcats move on to day 3 of the 2022 SWAC Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama.
Game One – Alabama State 8, Bethune-Cookman 7
The Hornets struck first with a triple and two base hits in the bottom of the second that scored a pair of runs.
Malik Stephens pulled the Wildcats even with a two-run homer to dead center field that scored
Jan Reyes in the top of the third.
The Hornets re-took the lead at 3-2 on an error and an RBI double in the bottom half of the third. An inning later, three straight two-out singles made it 5-2.
It did not take the Wildcats long to respond, plating three runs in the top of the fifth on four hits.
Christopher Patterson grabbed a pair of RBI and
Brian Perez drove him in to tie things at 5-5.
Alabama State jumped in front again on an RBI single down the left field line that made it 6-5.
The back-and-forth continued into the seventh, as the Wildcats tied things up once again on a
Jeremy Garcia RBI single. One batter later,
Jan Reyes legged out a fielder's choice that allowed
Brian Perez to come around and score to put B-CU in front, 7-6.
Alabama State had the last laugh as they took the lead in the bottom of the eighth and held on for the 8-7 victory.
Nolan Santos made the start. He went six innings, allowing six runs – four earned – on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Six strikeouts for Santos puts him at 113 on the season over 96.1 innings pitched, setting a new Bethune-Cookman program record for punchouts in a single season. The record previously stood at 111 strikeouts set by Richard Rodriguez over 109.1 innings in the 2006 season.
Dale Michaud took over in the seventh. He allowed a run on one hit and a walk with a strikeout in one inning of work.
Brenton Fisher allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout in one inning – he took the loss.
Game 2 – Bethune-Cookman 16, Grambling State 0
The Wildcats pounced first in game two as
Jan Reyes reached base on a hit-by-pitch and came around to score on a
Malik Stephens fielders' choice in the top of the third.
B-CU erupted for three straight base hits on three straight pitches in the top of the fourth, bringing home two runs on a Peña double and a
Jeremy Garcia single that made it 3-0. Garcia came around to score on an error, and the Wildcats led, 4-0.
The Wildcats broke things wide open in the top of the fifth as
Brian Perez sent a moonshot over the wall in left field, scoring
Matthew Garcia and
Irvin Escobar to make it 7-0.
The inning continued as the Wildcats loaded the bases, and Stephens took a ball to the hip to bring another run home. Reyes scored on a passed ball, and
Matthew Garcia singled for the second time in the inning as the B-CU lead ballooned to 11-0.
The Wildcats' run was far from over. Perez walked in a run with the bases loaded, Peña doubled in a pair, Perez scored on a wild pitch and Peña scored on a dropped fly ball in center field. Everything came up Wildcats, and B-CU went up 16-0.
That was not all for B-CU. With a pair of runners on in the seventh,
Franki Febles homered to left, finishing things off for the explosive Wildcats offense at 19-0.
The game ended after seven innings thanks to the SWAC's 10-run mercy rule.
"Our guys bounced back," Hernandez said. "In a tournament like this, especially with the way we lost in game one, we just want to make sure the guys stay confident. Out backs were against the wall, but that's when it reveals character. Our guys responded in a big way."
Hector Vazquez made the start. He blanked the Tigers over seven innings on just four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
With the Wildcats facing a tough doubleheader tomorrow, Hernandez will have his team locked in and ready to play.
"We just have to stay true to who we are. We have to stay true to what we teach and take it one game at a time. This is a battle tested groups of guys – they've been there, done that. Our season is on the line against a talented Alabama State team, but we know we can hang with them."
"I feel confident in our guys," Hernandez continued. "It's going to be a dogfight tomorrow – I wouldn't want to do it with anybody else."
Notes
- In 15 innings of play Friday, the Wildcats scored 26 runs.
- The Wildcats only scored 12 runs in an entire game twice this season. As one might guess, 12 runs in the fifth inning marks the most in a frame by the Wildcats this season – their previous high was 8 in the sixth inning at Jackson State on May 8.
- 19 runs and 17 hits both also set season-highs – breaking previous highs set on April 3 at Mississippi Valley State
- Nine different Wildcats recorded hits in game two
- In game two, Brian Perez earned four RBI. Boris Peña came through with three.
- Malik Stephens finishes his day with three hits, three runs scored, and four RBI.
- Matthew Garcia finished his day 5-9 with three runs scored and two RBI.
- Christopher Patterson and Boris Peña both finished the day with four hits over the two games.
- Matthew Garcia has hits in nine straight games. He has registered multiple hits in eight of his last twelve games.
- Stephens, not to be outdone after Wednesday night, ties Boris Peña for the team lead with six homers on the season.
- Perez joins Stephens as the only Wildcats to notch 4 or more RBI in a game twice this season – no other Wildcat has done it once.
Up Next
The road to the championship game won't be an easy one for the Wildcats. They must take both games of a doubleheader and rematch with Alabama State tomorrow to move on. The first of two potential win-or-go-home games is set for 1 p.m. EST tomorrow.
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