JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fresh off their dramatic comeback win Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats will look to keep the momentum going against North Florida at Harmon Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday night.  


Tuesday, March 10
Opponent: North Florida (8-9)
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Jacksonville, Fla. | Harmon Stadium
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FGCU jumped out early, scoring four runs in the first inning and four more in the second to take an 8-0 lead. Evan Dempsey highlighted the surge with two doubles and four RBIs, while Cole Lasher collected four hits.

Bethune-Cookman began chipping away in the third. Jose Fernandez delivered the biggest swing of the inning, blasting a grand slam to left field to cut the deficit to 8-4.

The Wildcats continued to close the gap as Darryl Lee homered in the fifth and Ruben Zuany added a solo shot in the sixth to make it 8-6.

Meanwhile, B-CU relievers Anthony Anselmo and Andris Borroso put together excellent outings out of the bullpen to give the Wildcats a chance to comeback. The pair threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts.

The Eagles had a chance to add insurance runs in the ninth inning, getting runners over to second and third with just one out. But Pablo Torres induced back-to-back popouts to eliminate the threat.

Bethune-Cookman finished off the comeback in the ninth. Erick Almonte opened the inning with a double and scored on Jeter Polledo's RBI single to pull within one. Following a walk to load the bases, Michael Rodriguez lined a two-run single to right field to bring home the tying and winning runs.

Pablo Torres (2-0) earned the win in relief after tossing a scoreless ninth, while Ashton Pocol (2-1) took the loss for FGCU.

The North Florida Ospreys of the ASUN conference are 8-9 on the year and are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak. They recently were swept in Tuscaloosa by No. 17 Alabama. The Ospreys have collected series victories over Presbyterian, Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart.

Offensively, UNF is batting .270 as a team is averaging 7.4 runs per game. Osprey hitters have combined to hit 17 home runs and slug .429. Junior Matthew Farner has led the charge this season, hitting .339 with six homers and 17 RBI.

North Florida's pitching staff has accumulated a 5.91 ERA and is allowing a .258 batting average. The Ospreys have started eight different pitchers this season, who have combined for a 6.12 ERA.

In the field, UNF has manged a .957 fielding percentage with 26 errors this season.


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• Bethune-Cookman allowed 32 runs to Florida Gulf Coast in a three-game series after allowing 59 runs in the previous 13 games.
• The Wildcats hit three home runs against the Eagles on Sunday after hitting just five in the first 13 games combined.
• Jeter Polledo hit three triples during the weekend, including two on Saturday to tie the B-CU record for triples in a single game.
• B-CU starters combined to pitch just 6.2 innings against FGCU.
• Reliever Anthony Anselmo has allowed just one earned run in 7.2 innings this season.

The Ospreys lead the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman 19-12, but the Wildcats have won three of the last four meetings, including a 14-3 blowout victory in Jacksonville last season.

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