DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Baseball completed a doubleheader sweep of nonconference opponent Purdue Fort Wayne in a Saturday doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The Wildcats took the first game 9-5, before then coming back to collect a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
 
With the sweep of Saturday's doubleheader, Bethune-Cookman has now won the first three games of the four-game weekend series between the two schools.
 
Game One: Bethune-Cookman 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Jorge Braceras bagged his first home run of the season Saturday afternoon in helping power Bethune-Cookman to a 9-5 win over Purdue Fort Wayne in the first game of a doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
 
Bethune-Cookman (4-2) plated four runs in the home-half of the opening inning to set the tone early-on.
 
Catcher Jorge Braceras laced a two-run scoring single to right field to open the game's scoring, as Hylan Hall and Garret Chun scored on the play. Two plays later, centerfielder Jeremiah Guzman drove in a pair with a double down the line in right that allowed both Braceras and Boris Peña to score.
 
After Purdue Fort Wayne (1-5) scored a run in the top of the second, the homestanding Wildcats added a pair of runs in the bottom of the third.
 
Robert Moya started the Maroon and Gold at-bat with a double to center, and eventually scored off a wild pitch from the Mastodons starting left-hander Jacob Myer. The BCU lead swelled to 6-1 when shortstop Jeremy Garcia registered a double to right field in order to cross Guzman.
 
The Cats added three additional runs in the bottom of the seventh as Braceras registered the team's first home run of the 2023 campaign with a deep shot clearing the left field wall. It was a three-run home run that also scored teammates Manny Souffrain and Moya.
 
The Wildcats led 9-1 heading into the top of the eighth inning.
 
After Purdue Fort Wayne's second baseman Cade Nelis pushed out a ground-rule double, he was plated off the bat of Caileb Johnson's double to center. The Mastodons made it 9-3 when Jacob Walker collected a sacrifice fly to cross Johnson from third.
 
The Mastodons added two runs in the top of the ninth to produce the final 9-5 score.
 
The win went to BCU starter Nolan Santos, as he collected his first decision of the campaign in working five frames, allowing just the one run on five hits scattered, three walks, and going on to collect nine strikeouts. Derrius York collected the save for the Maroon and Gold in turning in four innings out of the bullpen, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, four walks and three strikeouts.
 
The loss went to Purdue Fort Wayne's Jacob Myer (0-1), as he went 4.2 innings on the hill, allowing six runs on seven hits and producing five strikeouts.
 
PFW's Jarrett Bickel was 4-for-5 at the top of the lineup, while designated hitter Johnson was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
 
BCU was led at the dish by Braceras with his 2-for-4 effort, including the three-run homerun – finishing with five RBIs in the contest.
 
Game Two: Bethune-Cookman 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Manny Souffrain hit two home runs while Dale Michaud and Joan Gonzalez were steady on the mound in helping Bethune-Cookman complete a doubleheader sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne on the strength of a 7-4 score line Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Souffrain, a sophomore from Miami, powered out his first home run of the year in the home-half of the first inning, using a three-run shot clear the wall in right field to score Garret Chun and Luis Tuero on the play.
 
Bethune-Cookman (5-2) led 3-0 after an inning played.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne (1-6) immediately responded with three runs of the Mastodons own in the top of the second.
 
First baseman Caileb Johnson delivered a two-run double to center field, while Luke Miles would bring Johnson home a play later with his RBI single shot straight back up the middle.
 
BCU starting pitcher Santiago Gomez would work just two innings in the game, as he allowed three runs on three hits and struck out four batters against two walks. Gomez worked 59 pitches in the two-inning outing.
 
In the same inning, another Wildcats' long ball made it 4-3 as Jeremiah Guzman sent one into dead center. It was the first homer of the season for the Jersey City, New Jersey native.
 
Dale Michaud took over to start the third on the mound. He worked three quiet innings before the Wildcats and Mastodons traded runs in the sixth. Purdue Fort Wayne grabbed a run on an RBI single, while the Wildcats quickly jumped ahead again after another Souffrain homer – this one again to right.
 
Dale Michaud finished his night with four full innings pitched, also on 59 pitches. He allowed one earned run on three hits with a walk and three punchouts. He earned the win to move to 1-0 on the year.
 
The Wildcats bolstered their lead in the seventh as Luis Tuero walked, advanced to third on a failed pickoff, and later scored on a wild pitch from Mastodons reliever Bryce Martens. The Wildcats went on to load the bases, and Souffrain took ball four to walk in his fifth RBI of the evening to make it 7-4.
 
Joan Gonzalez earned the save – his first of the campaign. He tossed three innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts.
 
For PFW, they were led offensively by Ben Higgins' 2-for-4 effort at the dish.
 
The Cats were sparked by Souffrain's two home runs, while Tuero, Guzman and Colton Olasin all recorded hits for the Maroon and Gold as well.
 
The two teams will conclude the series Sunday at noon.
 
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