DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Tanner Boccabello spun nine elite innings, shutting out defending SWAC Champions, Florida A&M, Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The Wildcats (11-9, 3-0 SWAC) collected the first hit of the ballgame in the second, but nothing came of it as both teams combined to strand two runners combined through the first four innings of play.
FAMU (8-14, 3-1 SWAC) put a runner in scoring position on its first hit of the game in the fifth, but Boccabello forced back-to-back swinging strikeouts to escape the inning unscathed.
Bethune-Cookman plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth, led off by a
Manny Souffrain double off the wall in center field. He came around to score on a fielder's choice to open the scoring.
The Wildcats loaded the bases with two out on a
Sergio Rivera single.
Garrett Chun made it 3-0 on a single to right, advancing to second on an error.
Rivera crossed the plate, making it 4-0, on a
Jose Gonzalez RBI single.
The Wildcats added another in the seventh after three Rattler pitching changes resulting in a
Jose Gonzalez RBI bases-loaded walk.
As Boccabello continued to cruise, the Wildcats scored one more in the eighth on a Vazquez single, scoring Souffrain after his leadoff triple.
FAMU threatened one final time in the ninth with back-to-back two-out singles. Nothing came of it as Boccabello forced a groundout to shut the door at 6-0.
Boccabello's masterful outing, the first complete game of the season for B-CU, inlcuded only four hits, no walks, and six strikeouts.
The Wildcats will look for the series win in game two, set for a 6 p.m. start Saturday.
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--#HailWildcats--
