DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Baseball split a league-opening doubleheader with Alabama State on Friday evening, with the Wildcats taking the first game 5-4, before falling 11-3 in the nightcap at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The games were the first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) contests of the 2023 season for both ball clubs.
 
GAME ONE: BETHUNE-COOKMAN 5, ALABAM STATE 4
Bethune-Cookman scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete a comeback and take the opening game of a three-game SWAC series with league foe Alabama State courtesy a 5-4 decision on Friday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
 
With the game tied at 4-4, Bethune-Cookman (9-9, 1-0 SWAC) right fielder Hylan Hall doubled to center field in opening the Wildcats at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Robert Moya was hit by a pitch on the ensuing play, a wild pitch from Alabama State reliever Shadai Colon put both base runners in scoring position with nobody out. Brian Perez would later walk with two outs to load the bases for the Wildcats.
 
Hall would scamper in from third on a wild pitch, the second of the inning surrendered by Shadai Colon, allowing BCU the game-winning run and 5-4 final score.
 
Alabama State (10-9, 0-1 SWAC) scored in the top of the first inning courtesy a Jack Hay single to left that brought in leadoff hitter Randy Flores for the 1-0 Hornets lead.
 
BCU answered in the home-half of the frame off the end of a Robert Moya RBI single to left which was enough to score Garret Chun from second, after the Wildcats' centerfielder doubled to left in his opportunity earlier in the at-bat.
 
The score stood 1-1 after an inning played.
 
ASU would step ahead in the fifth with three runs, including a pair of home runs from Trenton Jamison and Jamal George.
 
With the Wildcats trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Maroon and Gold began a two-out rally with a single by Hall. After Moya singled on the next play, it allowed Boris Peña to collect his second home run of the campaign. The BCU left fielder delivered a towering shot to left in order to score three on the play and knot the game at 4-all.
 
Joan Gonzalez earned the win in relief action for the Wildcats, bumping his record to 2-0 on the year. Starter Nolan Santos went seven innings on the bump for the Maroon and Gold, allowing four runs on eight hits, one walk and registering a game-high 12 strikeouts. Gonzalez went the final two innings on the bump, allowing just one hit and one walk while recording a pair of strikeouts.
 
Alabama State's Sebastian Colon was tagged with the loss to even his record for the year at 1-1.
 
Jamal George led the Hornets offensively with three hits and a RBI.
 
Bethune-Cookman was led at the dish by Hall and Moya each going 2-for-3, respectively, while Peña added three RBIs.
 
GAME TWO: ALABAMA STATE 11, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 3
Alabama State scored eight runs across the first two innings to run away with an 11-3 win over Bethune-Cookman in the nightcap of a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Friday evening.
 
Alabama State (11-9, 1-1 SWAC) put up three runs in the opening inning, and added five in the second to chase Bethune-Cookman starting pitcher Daniel Gaviria early in the contest. The BCU left-hander went just 1.1 innings on the bump for the Wildcats in giving up six runs (four earned), on six hits and picking up just one strikeout.
 
A two-run home run from ASU designated hitter Jack Hay – his fifth of the season, put the Hornets up 8-0 in the top of the second inning.
 
Bethune-Cookman (9-10, 1-1 SWAC) got on the board in the home-half of the fourth, using an RBI fielder's choice ground out from catcher Irvin Escobar to plate Hylan Hall and bring the Cats to within 8-1 at that point.
 
The Hornets added two runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead, 10-1.
 
It would be the homestanding Wildcats scoring a run in the bottom of the frame, as Hall's RBI single to second scored Colton Olasin.
 
The two teams traded runs in the ninth inning, as the Wildcats' Hall produced his third hit of the game – as well as his second RBI of the contest, bringing BCU to the 11-3 final.
 
The win went to ASU starting pitcher Ricardo Rivera, as he upped his record to 3-0 on the season, as he worked the minimum five innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Gaviria took the loss for BCU to even his record at 2-2 on the season.
 
The Maroon and Gold were led at the dish by Hall's three-hit evening, while designated hitter Luis Tuero collected two hits, as well as Olasin with two hits.
 
The two teams will meet back at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Saturday at noon for the rubber game of the series.
 
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