DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Joel Core tossed the first no-hitter for Bethune-Cookman baseball since 2017 as the Wildcats split a doubleheader with Southern to take the weekend series, Saturday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The Wildcats won game one, 18-1, followed by a 14-4 loss in the second game of the day.

Core's no-no is the first for a B-CU arm since Tyler Norris tossed a nine-inning no-hitter sgainst Savannah State on April 8, 2017. 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bethune-Cookman Baseball (@bcudiamondcats)

GAME ONE - B-CU 18, Southern 1

After Core punched out a pair in the first, Bethune-Cookman (14-14, 7-2 SWAC) scored first as Jorge Gonzalez Febo doubled with two outs and came around to score on a dropped third strike wild pitch that made it 1-0. 

Southern (10-15, 3-6 SWAC) worked its first baserunner of the game with a walk in the second, but nothing came of it.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Wildcats posted their highest-scoring inning of the season with a nine-spot on six hits and a Southern error. Armani Netwon led off the inning with a solo shot before an Irvin Escobar double and three straight walks made it 3-0, B-CU.

The Jaguars turned to the bullpen, recording the first out of the inning on an Andrey Martinez RBI fielder's choice, but the rally did not stop there as Gonzalez Febo made it 5-0 with an infield single. A throwing error allowed the Cats to load up the bases again for Jesus Vanegas, whose RBI single scored two to make it 7-0.

Armani Newton recorded his second RBI of the inning in his second plate appearance of the frame with a single up the middle, followed by an Irvin Escobar sacrifice fly. 

Jeter Polledo capped off the rally with an RBI double to score newton and make it an even 10-0 lead for B-CU.

A B-CU fielding error put the leadoff man on for Southern, who stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. Another groundout brought the runner home to make it a 10-1 game. 

B-CU continued to pour it on in the third, with a single and two walks loading the bases with no outs. A Jorge Rodriguez bases loaded walk scored the first run of the inning before Vanegas scored two more with a two-RBI single. 

RBI doubles from Armani Newton and Irvin Escobar, followed by a Darryl Lee RBI single, made it a 17-1 game in just the third inning. 

B-CU began emptying the bench with defensive changes as Southern struggled through two more quiet innings at the plate. 

The Wildcats finished up their work on the offensive end in the bottom of the fifth as a Jamie Villafane leadoff double turned into B-CU's 18th run as a Michael Rodriguez double play ball brought the run home. 

Southern showed signs of life in the seventh with a leadoff hit-by-pitch and walk, but Core escaped with a fielder's choice and two groundouts to finish out the seven inning no-hitter. 

Core's final line was a scoreless seven innings of no-hit ball with two walks and six strikeouts. 

GAME TWO - SOUTHERN 14, B-CU 4

Southern showed no signs of frustration from game one as the Jaguars launched a two-run homer in the first, blanking the Wildcats in the bottom half of the frame. 

The Wildcats rebounded in the second as Jorge Rodriguez led off the inning with a solo shot - his fifth homer of the year to tie the team lead. 

A walk and an error tied things up at 2-2, with Darryl Lee giving B-CU the lead as Escobar came in to score. A double steal attempt went awry for Southern as the throw to second sailed into center field allowing Sergio River to swipe home to make it 4-2. 

The Jaguars took a run back in the third on a two-out RBI single.

Southern erupted in the fifth for nine runs, with all but one coming with two outs as the Wildcats bullpen cycling through four relief arms before finally escaping the mess now down, 12-4 after six Southern hits and six walks. 

The Jaguars added two more in the sixth with an RBI single and wild pitch. 

B-CU managed only four hits between the third and seventh as they went quietly in run-rule fashion, 14-4. 

Edwin Sanchez took his first loss of the season after 4.2 innings in which he allowed five runs - all earned - on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. 

• Joel Core is just four strikeouts away from 100 in his B-CU career. He has already matched last years strikeout total of 45 through 17 fewer innings pitched. 
• B-CU now has 28 homers on the season, doubling last year's regular-season total of 14. Jesus Vanegas, Armani Newton, and Jorge Rodriguez are tied for the team lead with five.
• Jesus Vanegas finished the day 306 with four RBI and a walk.
• Armani Newton went 5-7 on the day with three RBI, three runs scored, a homer, and a steal. 

The Wildcats will next head to Tampa to take on the Bulls of USF on Tuesday, April 1 at 6 p.m. 

Follow Bethune-Cookman Baseball on Twitter/X and Instagram (@BCUDiamondCats) and  for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics) and www.bcuathletics.com.
 
--#HailWildcats--