DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A mammoth home run and some clutch pitching highlighted a series-opening win over Maine, Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark



 The Wildcats (5-8, 0-0 SWAC) opened the scoring in the second as a two-out walk by Jorge Rodriguez turned into an RBI off the bat of Jason Hodges, who made it 1-0 on an RBI single. The Wildcats threatened further damage, but a groundout stranded runners on second and third.

Maine (8-5, 0-0 AE) immediately responded, loading the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. The Black Bears brought only one run in on a fielder's choice.

Bethune-Cookman pushed two more runs across in the bottom of the third as Jorge Gonzalez singled to drive in Sergio Rivera. B-CU loaded the bases with a walk before Rodriguez's sacrifice fly made it 3-1, scoring Garrett Chun.

The Wildcats again could not work a clean inning in the fourth, as Maine loaded the bases with two outs. an RBI single made it 3-2, but a groundout ended the threat

Maine went on to tie things up in the top of the fifth on a fielding error that made it 3-3. Maine loaded the bases once again, but back-to-back strikeouts in relief by Patrick Groark kept the score there.

The Wildcats finally saw life again at the plate in the fifth, as Manny Souffrain crushed a homer over the batter's eye in the 400-plus foot center field of Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The long ball plated a pair of runs at B-CU took the 5-3 lead.

The Black Bears answered with a homer of their own in the sixth that made it a 5-5 game, but a double steal saw Jason Hodges steal home after some solid baserunning by Jayme Villafane to pull B-CU in front once again at 6-5. 

Maine put runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth, but a swinging strikeout on a high fastball from Pablo Torres erased all hopes as B-CU finished off the 6-5 win. 

Tanner Boccabello made the start. He went 4.1 innings, allowing three runs - two earned - on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Groark took home the win, working 2.2 innings with two earned runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.

Dylan Vega worked an inning of scoreless relief, striking out one.

Torres earned his second save of the season after allowing a hit and striking out one in an inning of work. 

• Jose Gonzalez has reached base safely in eleven straight games.
• B-CU stranded 10 baserunners, Maine stranded 11. 
• Manny Souffrain's homer was the first of the season for the lefty, and the fifth of the year for B-CU. It was the fifth homer of his career. 

The Wildcats will go for the series win Saturday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Jackie Robinson Ballpark. 


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