DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman dropped a 9-3 decision to the University of South Florida in midweek baseball action on Tuesday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, as the visiting Bulls scored eight runs across three late innings to end the Wildcats five-game winning streak.
 
USF (10-16) scored eight runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, respectfully, to break open what was a 1-1 ballgame after five complete.
 
Right fielder Daniel Cantu walked to lead off the sixth inning, before Travis Sankovich posted a hit to move Cantu in scoring position at second base with one out. A passed ball from Bethune-Cookman catcher Irvin Escobar allowed both runners to advance a base, setting the stage for Marcus Brodil to collect an RBI sacrifice fly to left that brought in Cantu.
 
USF led 2-1 heading into the seventh inning.
 
The Bulls scored four runs in the seventh, widening their lead at 6-1.
 
Cantu's two-run scoring double to right field off Bethune-Cookman (14-11) relief pitcher Santiago Gomez pushed across both Eric Snow and John Montes, respectively. First baseman Rafael Betancourt followed with a single off Gabriel Perez, who entered moments before in replacing Gomez on the hill for the Wildcats, to make it 5-1 as Drew Brutcher scored. Sankovich registered his second hit of the evening with a two-out RBI single to third that scored Cantu.
 
The Bulls' lead stretched to 9-1 in the top of the eighth off the end of a three-run scoring double down the line in right from Cantu – his third hit of the game, as USF's Brutcher, Snow and Montes each scored on the play.
 
BCU chipped into the lead in the home-half of the eighth with a two-run home run from pinch hitter Jason Hodges – his first homer of the season and the team's 13th overall, bringing the Wildcats to within 9-3.
 
USF scored in the top of the first inning when Brutcher's sacrifice fly to deep center allowed leadoff hitter Montes to score from third, after he began the game with a ground-rule double.
 
The homestanding Cats tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning, as the Maroon and Gold used a Hylan Hall double to center field to score Luis Tuero. BCU looked to score additional runs before a lineout into a double play caught Hall off the bag at second to end the frame with runners on the corners.
 
USF starting pitcher Lawson Gailey grabbed the win to earn his first victory of the season and improve his record at 1-2. He went five innings on the bump, allowing one run on three hits, two walks and collecting three strikeouts. The loss went to BCU's Gomez, dropping his record for the campaign at 0-2 in working 3.1 innings and giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits.
 
Montes and Cantu each had three hits for the Bulls, with the team recording 14 hits as a unit on the evening. Cantu added five RBIs and scored two runs.
 
BCU was paced offensively by Tuero turning in a 2-for-4 night at the plate and scoring two runs.
 
The Wildcats return home Friday, March 31, as Florida A&M visits Jackie Robinson Ballpark for the first of a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.
 
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