DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman junior Louis Lipthratt picked up his first win of the season Friday night, while a total of five Wildcats registered multi-hit performances as Bethune-Cookman defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 13-8 in the first of a four-game series between the two sides at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
 
Bethune-Cookman (3-2) wasted little time getting to Purdue Fort Wayne starting pitcher JD Deany, as the Wildcats tacked on two runs in the home-half of the first inning.
 
With Luis Tuero walking from the leadoff spot, left fielder Garret Chun delivered a triple to the wall in left center to plate the Wildcats third baseman and put BCU up, 1-0. Hylan Hall then recorded a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Chun to cross and give the Cats a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Maroon and Gold added another pair of runs in the bottom of the third to extend the lead, 4-0.
 
Once again it was Tuero kicking things off at the top of the lineup with a leadoff single to right, later advancing himself into scoring position on a passed ball by Purdue Fort Wayne (1-4) catcher Dylan Stewart. Tuero would eventually score off an error charged to the Mastodons outfield extending from a hit by BCU's Hall. First baseman Robert Moya would plate the second run of the inning with his double to left to bring around Hall on the play.
 
On the night, the Mastodons committed four errors as a team.
 
The Mastodons finally got to BCU starting pitcher Louis Lipthratt in the top of the fifth, as the visitors registered four runs to knot the game at 4-all.
 
Left fielder Colton Shirley led off the inning with a double to center field, followed by a base on balls drawn by Eli Tencza. With Stewart reaching safely on an error charged to Lipthratt on a sacrifice bunt attempt by the Mastodons catcher, the bases stood loaded for Jarrett Bickel at the top of the PFW order, as he unleashed a two-run single to center that halved the Wildcats lead, 4-2. Ben Higgins later posted a two-out, two-run scoring single to center that evened the game at 4-4.
 
BCU quickly answered with two runs in the home-half of the fifth, as Chun scored on an error charged to the Mastodons outfield, followed by another score off a PFW infield error.
 
The Cats led 6-4 after five innings in the books.
 
Caileb Johnson's leadoff homer in the top of the sixth off BCU reliever Gabriel Perez brought PFW to within 6-5.
 
But it would be the Wildcats scoring four runs in the bottom of the frame to blow the game open.
 
Tuero plated the first two runs of the inning when he delivered a two-run single to right that scored both Jeremy Garcia and Irvin Escobar. Three plays later, first baseman Robert Moya picked up a two-run single past the glove of Cade Nelis at second base to push the Maroon and Gold lead out to 10-5.
 
After the Mastodons pegged a run back in the top of the seventh, Bethune-Cookman scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Chun doubled to the wall in left to help score Tuero and second baseman Colton Olasin. And it was Hall tallying a sacrifice fly to right that brought in Chun.
 
PFW went on to score two runs in the top of the ninth, as Stewart sent a ball clear the wall in left for his first home run of the year, as well as Grant Thoroman scoring on a wild pitch with two outs.
 
The win was secured by Lipthratt (1-0) as he worked five innings on the bump, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits, and recording seven strikeouts against one walk. Perez pitched two innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits, while Joan Gonzalez pitched a clean eighth inning with a pair of strikeouts. Yoansell Diaz closed the game in the ninth.
 
The loss went to PFW's Brody Fine (0-2) out of the bullpen, with the right-hander giving up three runs (one earned) on two hits. Starter Deany did not factor into the decision as he tossed three innings, being tagged for four runs (three earned) on four hits, two walks and accounting for four strikeouts.
 
Braedon Blackford finished 3-for-5 at the plate for the Mastodons with an RBI.
 
For BCU, it was Tuero and Chun each going 3-for-4 at the dish, and each scoring four runs and driving in two, respectively. Hall was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. And Escobar turned in a 2-for-4 evening at the plate with a run scored.
 
The two teams will meet for games two and three of the four-game series on Saturday, with the first game of a scheduled doubleheader taking place at 3 p.m.
 
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