JACKSON, Miss. - The top three in the Wildcat order combined for eight runs scored, seven hits, and eight runs batted in as the Wildcats topped Jackson State, 15-7, to take the weekend series, Sunday afternoon at Braddy Field.
Bethune-Cookman (12-12, 5-1 SWAC) picked up where it left off a night before with a leadoff solo shot from Daryll Lee to open the first inning of play.
Andrey Martinez came around to score with two outs in the innings on a
Jorge Rodriguez RBI single as the Cats took the early 2-0 lead.
After a 1-2-3 first for B-CU starter
Edwin Sanchez, the Cats made it a 6-0 game, scoring on a wild pitch, Lee RBI double, and
Jesus Vanegas two-run homer.
Jackson State (14-9, 2-4 SWAC) bats woke up in the bottom of the second, using four walks and a pair of singles to plate four runs and chase Sanchez in favor of the B-CU bullpen. A Wildcat balk and another RBI single knotted the score at six through just two innings of play.
After a quiet third, the B-CU bats got back to work in the fourth as
Sergio Rivera walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a balk. Another wild pitch put the Cats back on top, 7-6, while a Vanegas single and JSU error allowed another to score.
Martinez scored Vanegas from second with an RBI double before another homer, this time from
Jorge Rodriguez, made it 11 runs for B-CU.
The Cats added their 12th of the game in the sixth as
Reinaldo Plascencia tripled down the line in right, scoring
Irvin Escobar to make it 12-6.
The B-CU bullpen held strong, limiting JSU to only three hits from the second inning until the bottom of the seventh, when a Tigers' solo shot made it a 12-7 game.
B-CU capped off the win in the ninth with another Martinez RBI, this time on a lineout that scored Rivera, and a
Jorge Gonzalez Febo RBI single to left to make the lead 15-7.
Despite three walks in the bottom of the ninth, the B-CU pen did not allow a run as they stranded the bases loaded for the 15-7 win.
Edwin Sanchez made the start, working just 1.2 innings in which he allowed six earned runs on two hits with five walks and two strikeouts.
Yoansell Diaz earned his first win of the year with 3.1 innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts.
Sebastian Garrido,
Robert Lastra, Julian Carrasquillia,
Carlos Jazmin, and
Jean Carlos Zambrano combined for four innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts to only five hits.
- Darryl Lee, Jesus Vanegas, and Andrey Martinez combined to go 7-13 at the plate from the top three spots in the lineup with eight runs scored, eight RBI, two doubles, two homers, and three walks.
- Jorge Rodriguez also contributed three RBI.
- 15 hits in a game is just one shy of B-CU's season high, set against Alcorn State last weekend.
- Darryl Lee and Andrey Martinez now each have five multi-RBI games on the season to lead all Wildcats.
Next up for B-CU they will host the Panthers of FIU on Tuesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
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--#HailWildcats--
