DAYTONA BEACH Fla.-  The undermanned Diamond Cats polished off a series sweep with a doubleheader sweep of Alabama State, Saturday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.



GAME ONE – B-CU 4, Alabama State 3 (10 Inn.)

Bethune-Cookman (29-19, 19-4) got some early help offensively after taking walk and hit-by-pitch in the first, but the Wildcats stranded the pair.

Alabama State (23-25, 15-8 SWAC) got on the board first thanks to a pair of B-CU errors throwing errors at the shortstop spot that allowed a run to cross.  

B-CU starter Edwin Sancez was forced to exit the game in the top of the third, giving way to Logan Wirt, who worked around two baserunners in the third to keep the Hornets quiet.

After just one hit through the first three innings, the B-CU offense rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Jorge Rodriguez and Jesus Vanegas singled, with Rodriguez coming around to score on a Jose Fernandez RBI double to tie things at one.

B-CU proceeded to load the bases with just one away before Jeter Polledo walked in a run to give B-CU a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats attempted to plate another with a sacrifice fly, but Jose Fernandez was caught attempting to score.

The Hornets threatened again in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, but Robert Lastra came in and forced a groundout to escape the jam.

After a quiet bottom five from the Cats, the Hornets re-took the lead in the sixth with a walk and a pair of two-out singles to make it 3-2, Bama State.

The Cats re-tied the game immediately as Armani Newton took the first pitch of the sixth deep to right to make it a 3-3 game. B-CU put runners on second and third with two away, but a flyout prevented the Wildcat from re-taking the lead.

The Wildcats turned to the pen again in the top of the eighth as Yoansell Diaz took the mound. A single and fielder's choice put runners on second and third before an intentional walk loaded things up for Alabama State and two outs, but the Cats worked around the threat with a flyout.

The Wildcats missed a walkoff homer by less than a foot to send the game to extra innings.

Andrey Martinez led off the tenth with a double to the wall in left. An intentional walk put two on for Irvin Escobar, who bunted the pair to second and third. The Hornets put another Wildcat on intentionally to load up the bases.

A popup pulled the Hornets to within an out of escaping the jam, but Jorge Gonzalez sent one up the middle to walk off Alabama State for the second straight day.

Diaz earned the win after a season-high three innings in which he kept the Hornets scoreless with just two hits with a walk and two strikeouts on 48 pitches.

GAME TWO– B-CU 8, Alabama State 5

It was the Hornets to again scored first in the second game of the doubleheader with a two-out solo shot to right center to go up, 1-0.

They added another solo shot in the second to double the lead at 2-0.

As they had all weekend, the Wildcats stormed back in the bottom of the second as Newton and Fernandez worked walks. Newton came around to score on a Polledo single, with Fernandez following behind on a Sergio Rivera single one batter later to tie it at 2-2.

For the second time on the day, Newton went yard – a solo shot in the bottom of the third – this time to opposite field to make it a 3-2 game.

The Cats added two more in the fifth as Andrey Martinez led off with a single and scored on a groundout to make it 4-2. Another long ball, this time by Jesus Vanegas, made it a 5-2 game.

The Hornets struck for two back in the top of the sixth with three straight hits as they pulled to within 5-4.

B-CU took control in the eighth with a Newton walk and Vanegas RBI double. 

Fernandez plated Vanegas with his first career homer - a deep shot to left center that made it an 8-4 game.

The Hornets struck one more time in the ninth with a one-out solo shot, adding another baserunner on a single, but that was all as the Cats held strong for the 8-5 win. 

Carlos Jazmin earned the win, working for the second straight night in relief. He worked 1.2 scoreelss innings allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.