HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –
Edwin Sanchez delivered a dominant complete-game performance on the pitcher's mound helping visiting Bethune-Cookman cruise to an 11-1 victory over Alabama A&M on Sunday afternoon, completing a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball series sweep of the Bulldogs at Bulldog Field in Huntsville, Alabama.
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For the Wildcats, the series sweep was their second consecutive, in addition to being their fifth league series win of the campaign.
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With the game scoreless after three innings in the books, Bethune-Cookman (20-16, 13-2 SWAC) broke through with four runs in the top-half of the fourth frame.
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The Wildcats capitalized on an error by Alabama A&M first baseman Charles Morris and a wild pitch from relief pitcher Raymond Clark to score their first two runs. B-CU third baseman
Jorge Gonzalez Febo promptly delivered a two-run single to left field, pushing the lead to 4-0 as he plated
Andrey Martinez and
Sergio Rivera on the play, respectively.
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The Maroon and Gold continued its offensive surge with four extra runs in the fifth inning.
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Centerfielder Rivera provided the big blow with a bases-clearing double down the left field line – his fifth double of the season, which scored
Armani Newton,
Reinaldo Plascencia and
Jeter Polledo. Rivera later scored on a passed ball getting beyond the reach of Alabama A&M (9-26, 2-13 SWAC) catcher Kenny Glover to extend the lead, 8-0.
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B-CU would go on to tack on three more runs in the sixth inning, with shortstop Polledo driving in Plascencia with a shallow single to right-center. Two more runs scored on Alabama A&M errors, respectfully. In all, the host Bulldogs were charged with four errors on the day.
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The Bulldogs avoided the shutout with a run off B-CU starter
Edwin Sanchez in the bottom of the seventh inning, as first baseman Charles Morris singled through the right side, scoring Dre Amaral and cutting into the deficit, 11-1. However, Sanchez would get a strikeout and groundout to force the run-rule decision.
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AAMU starting pitcher Jordan Nolley pitched three scoreless innings, but issued three walks and hit two batters. The Bulldogs' bullpen struggled afterward, as Clark, Bryce Dolce and Killian McLaughlin combined to allow 11 runs (five earned) over the final four innings of play.
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B-CU's Sanchez (5-1) was masterful on the mound, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out eight batters over seven innings. The loss went to Clark for the Bulldogs, dropping his record at 1-5 on the year.
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Despite collecting just seven hits in the contest, the Cats took advantage of 10 walks, five hit batters, and the aforementioned four AAMU errors. B-CU also registered nine stolen bases, including three by Rivera and two each by
Darryl Lee and Gonzalez Febo.
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Kyle Duncan was the lone bright spot for the Bulldogs' offense, collecting two of the team's four hits.
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Plascencia led the Wildcats at the dish, going 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored and a walk. Polledo added a 2-for-3 performance with a double, an RBI and three runs scored, while Rivera contributed a double and four RBIs of his own.
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Bethune-Cookman will stay on the road to face North Florida on Tuesday, April 15, at 4 p.m., in Jacksonville, Florida.
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