DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Andrey Martinez capped off a thriller with a walk-off RBI single as the Wildcats escaped the series opener with Southern with a 12-11 win, Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Southern (9-14, 2-5 SWAC) quickly jumped on B-CU in the first two innings, using four B-CU errors and five hits to put a quick five runs on the board.
Bethune-Cookman (13-13, 6-1 SWAC) got on the board in the bottom of the second, as
Jesus Vanegas led the inning off with a single, coming around to score on an
Irvin Escobar triple to the gap in right center. Escobar scored himself shortly thereafter on a Jaguars wild pitch to cut into the Southern lead at 5-2.
After holding Southern scoreless for the first time in the game, the Cats crept to within one run in the third, again after a leadoff single. This time, it was Vanegas whose RBI double plated two to make it a 5-4 game.
In the top of the fourth, Southern hit back with three straight singles to make it 6-4 before scoring another on a double play ball.
The Wildcats took one back in the next half inning on a
Sergio Rivera leadoff double, steal of third, and
Darryl Lee RBI groundout that made it a 7-5 game.
Another scoreless Southern frame set the Cats up to take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Vanegas made it 7-6 with another RBI double, with
Jeter Polledo tying things at 7-7 on an RBI triple.
Sergio Rivera put the Wildcats in front, scoring Polledo on an RBI double to left. After a Southern pitching change, pinch hitter
Armani Newton added one more with a single to center to make it 9-7.
The Jaguars crept to within 9-8 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, proceeding to load the bases with no one out before settling for only the sacrifice as the Cats turned to
Jean Carlos Zambrano out of the bullpen.
Jorge Rodriguez took the run right back in the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot - his fourth of the year - to make it 10-8.
The Cats made a bit more cushion in the seventh as Newton tripled - the third of the night for B-CU - and scored on a wild pitch to give the Cats room to breath up 11-8.
One run in the eighth and two in the ninth tied things at 11-11 as the Jaguars refused to go away. Southern loaded the bases again with two away, but a fly out prevented the Jaguars from taking the lead.
As the Jaguars turned to the pen again, Polledo led off the bottom of the ninth by reaching first on a Southern error. After a strikeout,
Michael Rodriguez singled through the right side of the infield to move the B-CU pinch runner to third. After Southern intentionally walked
Darryl Lee to load the bases with one out,
Andrey Martinez ended the night with an RBI single to left to win via walkoff, 12-11.
Tanner Boccabello made the start, working five innings in which he allowed eight runs - only three earned - on 10 hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Jean Carlos Zambrano and
Yoansell Diaz combined to finish things out out of the pen.
- At least one run crossed the plate in every single inning. Only five half-innings did not have a run scored.
- Jorge Gonzalez Febo finished the day 4-5 with two runs scored.
- Jesus Vanegaas finished 3-4 with two runs scored, three RBI, and a walk.
- Newton, Rivera, and Martinez also enjoyed multi-hit nights.
- B-CU stranded 14 Jaguars on the base paths
The Wildcats wrap up the Southern series with a doubleheader Saturday. Game one of two is set to begin at 3 p.m. EST.
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--#HailWildcats--
