If there was any question as to whom one of the hottest teams in college baseball is right now, then there was an answer Saturday afternoon at "The Jack" as the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman (27-22, 15-1 MEAC) swung the bat and pitched brilliantly for the doubleheader sweep of the second-ranked team in the conference.

DSU (21-22-2, 10-7 MEAC) found themselves in an early hole in the first inning of the first game as Hornets starting pitcher J.R. McAllister left a fastball hanging on a 3-0 count that B-CU designated hitter Angel Negron took to deep left center in order to bring around Neal Jones and Angel Mercado on the play. Those scores put the Wildcats up 3-0 after one inning of play.

The Hornets found momentum in the third inning as designated hitter Justin Boyer placed a homerun into the left field batting cage off B-CU starter Francisco Rodriguez to bring his team to within 3-1. That would be the only time Rodriguez would struggle on the day, however.

But as they have done during their current 12-game winning streak, the Wildcats answered right back in the bottom of the frame as Neal Jones scored on a single from Negron to advance B-CU’s lead at 4-1. Jones reached as the leadoff hitter with a double down the left field line.

Sophomore first baseman Alejandro Jimenez kept the good times rolling for B-CU in the fourth when he tattooed McAllister for just his second earned run of the day with a leadoff homerun to left center for a 5-1 Wildcats lead. For Jimenez, it was his third homer of the year.

After a dropped fly ball by the DSU outfield—one of two in the first game, B-CU scored another run as centerfielder José Ortiz-Rivera scored on a wild pitch from McAllister that closed the book on the right-handed ace for the Hornets. That brought in Mike Ingram on the hill, as he was immediately slapped with an RBI single down the left field line from third baseman Luis Gonzalez that plated Jones on the play.

Two batters later, Negron collected his fourth RBI on his third hit of the game with a shot back up the middle to score Gonzalez for the 8-1 Wildcats lead.

With DSU reliever Ryan Vandriessche taking over for Ingram in the home-half of the eighth inning, B-CU head coach Mervyl Melendez was looking to end the game right then and there.

As runners stood on first and second with two outs, Wildcats pinch hitter Chris Brown stepped to the plate and registered his third homerun of the season with a deep rocket to left field that earned his team the win with the 10-run rule in effect at 11-1.

The win went to Rodriguez who kept his record clean in MEAC play at 6-0, while also upping his record for the year at 8-3. He was touched for just the one run via the solo homer on seven hits. He struck-out a season second-best 10 batters with zero (0) walks allowed in 6.2 innings of work on the hill.

Phil Enright saw 1.1 innings of action in the game, coming in with runners in scoring position, to earn his second save of the year. Enright struck-out three with one walk and no hits surrendered.

The loss was tacked onto DSU’s J.R. McAllister who fell to just 7-3 on the year. He was roughed up by Hornet errors as he allowed just two earned runs [seven runs total] on six hits and three strikeouts. He also walked two batters.

DSU was led at the plate by shortstop Justin Bittner who finished 2-for-4, as well as right fielder Eric Allen going 2-for-3 at the plate. Let’s not forget the solo homerun for Boyer who went long for the fifth time this season.

Meanwhile, B-CU was escorted to victory by Angel Negron who was 3-for-4 with four RBI, as well as teammates Luis Gonzalez and Neal Jones who each went 2-for-4. Jones scored three runs while Gonzalez collected an RBI and a run scored.

Both Brown and Jimenez collected their third homeruns of the year for the ‘Cats.

In the second game, what seemed to be a pitcher’s duel was quickly wiped away in the second frame as B-CU exploded for seven runs to jump out to the early lead.

A full-count pitch from Dan Perkins was left outside as Jimenez collected his second homerun of the day as he blasted a solo shot to right field to put B-CU on top, 1-0.

The scoring did not end there, however, as the next eight (8) batters reached base safely for the ‘Cats … including seven hits in a row with three of them going for extra bases.

Senior second baseman Spencer Hill collected his first double of the year, while Ortiz-Rivera brought him and catcher Drew Clark home with a two-run scoring single … followed with a single from Gonzalez. All of that and more allowed B-CU to roll out to an insurmountable lead.

Another RBI single from Gonzalez in the third plated Hill for the 8-0 Wildcats advantage. Hill singled to first for his third hit of the afternoon and second run scored.

DSU got on the board to erase the shutout possibility in the fourth as Brandon Gravely doubled down the left field line to bring across Tom Shelley on the play for an unearned run to B-CU starter Dustin Blackwell. That cut the deficit for the Hornets at 8-1.

Staring at a 10-1 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, DSU reliever Ryan Vandriessche—seeing action in consecutive games with a shortened Hornets bullpen, placed a perfect pitch on the outside corner that Ortiz-Rivera chased to get and slapped to first base. The first baseman was unable to get a handle on it as Jimenez came streaking in for the 11-1 final score from third on the hit-and-run employed by Mervyl Melendez.

The win assured Bethune-Cookman of the top spot in the upcoming MEAC Tournament as they now hold a five-game lead over the second place competitors which is yet to be determined until the final games are played today.

Blackwell collected the win for the Wildcats to push his record for the year out to 7-4, while allowing just two hits and one run (unearned) in six innings on the hill. He fanned five batters and walked one on the day.

DSU’s Dan Perkins picked up the loss to drop to 2-4 on the year. He was tagged for eight runs (all earned) on 14 hits with three strikeouts.

Tom Shelley and Brandon Gravely collected the only hits of the game for the Hornets.

B-CU was led by a host of players, including Spencer Hill, Luis Gonzalez and José Ortiz-Rivera who all grabbed three hits. Gonzalez finished a perfect 3-for-3 to go 5-for-7 on the afternoon. Angel Mercado was 2-for-2, while Neal Jones was 2-for-3.

Ortiz-Rivera collected three RBI to lead the team, while Angel Negron and Gonzalez finished with two RBI each.

B-CU will try and tie the record for most wins in a single-season in MEAC regular season play tomorrow when they host Delaware State at 1 p.m. back at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The game will also serve as Senior Appreciation Day for the Wildcats who will say "good-bye" to nine special student-athletes playing their last collegiate game at home in Daytona Beach.

--BCU--