SANFORD, Fla. - The Wildcats move into sole possession of first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with an 8-3 series-opening win over Florida A&M, Thursday Night at Sanford Memorial Stadium. 



Florida A&M (19-16, 13-3 SWAC), doing without the services of injured Friday starter Caleb Granger, turned to freshman Garrett Workman on the mound Thursday. Despite a two-out hit batter, the Rattlers could not score in the first.

The Wildcats (22-16, 14-2 SWAC) jumped on Workman quickly in the second as Darryl Lee took B-CU's first pitch of the game out to right for a double. He was quickly chased in by Andrey Martinez who launched his SWAC-leading 14th homer out to left to put the Cats up 2-0.

The game moved swiftly through the second as the two teams combined to throw only 13 pitches in a scoreless frame. FAMU showed more of the same in the third with only 14 Tanner Boccabello pitches needed to dispatch the Rattlers quietly again.

The Wildcats added another run in the third as Andrey Martinez walked, advaced to second on a Jorge Gonzalez Febo single and to third on a bases-loaded walk, and scored on a Jesus Vanegas sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

The Rattlers collected a two-out single in the fourth, and a two-out walk in the fifth, but nothing came of itheir opportunities. 

Darryl Lee once again got B-CU started in the fifth as he walked, scole second, and scored as the FAMU defense was credited with a one-out error. 

B-CU made it 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth as Darryl Lee switched spots with Irvin Esobar with an RBI double to make it 4-0. B-CU added another in the sixth thanks to the duo, who again traded places with a Lee RBI double to make it 5-0. 

FAMU scratched two across in the seventh, all with two outs as two singles, a hit batter, and a walk scored two off the bat of Brady Poppell to make it 5-2.

B-CU broke things open in the bottom half of the inning as Jesus Vanegas soubled and Armani Newton was intentionally walked. The two runners crossed teh plate to make it 8-2 off a Jeter Polledo homer. 

The Rattlers made one more half-ditch attempt to score in the top of the eighth, but a one-out baserunner did not come backt o hurt B-CU as they held on for the 8-3 win. 

Tanner Boccabello allowed only two earned runs on three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Jean Carlos Zambrano finished things out out of the pen with 2.1 innings of one-run ball on fourt hits with four strikeouts. 

• Jeter Polledo finished with three RBI with a run scored and a hit.
• Darryl Lee went 3-4 with two runs, an RBI, and a walk. 

B-CU and FAMU are back in action on Friday, April 19 at 6 p.m. EST


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