DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman baseball finally found its first win of the 2025 season in a 4-1 series-opening win against UMass, Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
After
Tanner Boccabello worked around a two-out walk in the first, B-CU (1-4) capitalized on a pair of Minutemen errors that allowed
Michael Rodriguez to score from first on a steal that sent a throw out into center field. Rodriguez was able to cross home as the relay in from center field sailed over the head of the third baseman to make it 1-0, Wildcats.
UMass (0-1), playing in its first game of season, tied things up immediately on a one-out single and sacrifice fly in the top of the second.
A two-out
Darryl Lee double was for naught an inning later, while the Wildcats were able to work out of a no-out hit batter in the top of the third.
Despite leading off both the third and the fourth with baserunners via a hit-by-pitch, they were unable to advance anyone past second, as a strike-em-out throw-em-out double-play cut down a B-CU scoring chance in the bottom of the fourth.
The Wildcats saw another great scorign chance in the bottom of the fifth, as
Sergio Rivera sent a ball to the wall for a two-out triple, but B-CU could not bring him in.
UMass turned to the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, despite the UMass starter throwing just over 60 pitches in the contest. B-CU immediately capitalized on the change as
Irvin Escobar tripled to right, and
Sergio Rivera and
Jesus Vanegas walked to load the bases with one away.
B-CU finally took the lead on a wild pitch that brought Escobar in to score before
Michael Rodriguez broke things open with an RBI double that made it 4-1.
As the Wildcats turned to the bullpen themselves, UMass immediately threatened to return the favor, as two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases with one out.
Jean Carlos Zambrano got a strikeout and fielders' choice to sent the Minutemen away empty.
An inning later, he shut the door for his first save as a Wildcat.
Tanner Boccabello earned his first win of the year after seven strong innings in which he allowed only one earned run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Zambrano finished with a final line of two innings, one hit, and no runs with a walk and three strikeouts.
- Though his season-opening hit streak of four games comes to an end, Jesus Vanegas recorded a walk and a run scored.
- Michael Rodriguez finished 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored. He has four doubles in five games this season.
- Darryl Lee also enjoyed a two-hit night.
Game two of the three-game series is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Admission is free. Fans can watch live at YouTube.com/CateyeNetwork
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--#HailWildcats--
