ATLANTA – Southern University scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon, defeating Bethune-Cookman 4-2 in the first game for both teams at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament inside Mac Nease Baseball Park on the campus of Georgia Tech. The game was the second of the opening day of the 2023 SWAC Tournament.
 
With All-SWAC First Team pitcher Nolan Santos working into the eighth inning for Bethune-Cookman (29-26), the second-seeded Wildcats (Eastern Division) appeared in control before an error charged to BCU third baseman Luis Tuero allowed Southern first baseman O'Neill Burgos to reach safely with one out. One play later, catcher Gustavo Nava Sanchez laced a double down the right field line, while Burgos scored courtesy of an error by Hylan Hall in right field to knot the game at 2-all.
 
Southern (23-26) stepped in front on the ensuing play with Khyle Radcliffe's double to left center, scoring Sanchez for the 3-2 go-ahead score.
 
The Jaguars, the third seed from the SWAC Western Division, bumped the score to 4-2 with a two-out double down the line in left from Hunter Tabb.
 
After BCU's Hall registered the first hit of the afternoon in the bottom of the fourth, Boris Peña was hit by a pitch to put two aboard with one out. That was followed by a Robert Moya RBI single up the middle past the diving glove of Justin Wiley at short to score Hall from second for the 1-0 Wildcats lead. Two batters later, Peña would cross to make it 2-0 in favor of the Maroon and Gold, using a single to shallow left from catcher Irvin Escobar.
 
The Wildcats amassed just five hits on the day, stranding four in the process.
 
Southern's Gustavo Nava Sanchez finished the afternoon 3-for-4 at the plate, while teammate Jaylen Armstrong amassed a 2-for-5 performance from the leadoff spot.
 
Bethune-Cookman was paced by four players with a hit apiece, including Moya's RBI single to finish 1-for-4 at the dish. Escobar, Peña and Hall all had hits each for the Cats as well.
 
The Wildcats drop into the elimination bracket to face the loser of Wednesday's final game between Grambling State (No. 1 – West) and Jackson State (No. 4 – East) on Thursday at Noon.
 
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