March 9, 2008

Box Score

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Junior designated hitter Chris Brown connected on his second homerun of the year to lift Bethune-Cookman University over Illinois State, 7-6 on Sunday afternoon in extra innings at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla.

For the second time in as many days, it took 10 innings to decide a contest between the visiting Illinois State Redbirds and Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.

Illinois State (4-5) started off the day's scoring with two runs in the top-half of the first inning off B-CU starting pitcher Eric Thomas. Four of the first five batters reached safely for the Redbirds, including a run-scoring double from Gabe Demarco that brought in leadoff hitter Kevin Stalowy from third base. ISU added to their lead moments later with a run-scoring single from Kyle Cherney that plated Kevin Dubler to put the Redbirds up 2-0.

B-CU answered back emphatically in the third frame as they finally got to ISU starter Corey Maines who was making his first start of the year for the Redbirds after seeing time as a relief hurler.

With the bases loaded and one out, shortstop José Lozada connected on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Justin Hoyte. The Wildcats (7-4) added to their scoring with a two-run triple down the left field line from first baseman Osvaldo Torres to bring in José Ortiz and Mark Brooks. Torres was added to home plate with an RBI single from Chris Brown.

B-CU led 4-2 after three innings of play. The `Cats would add to the lead by one (5-2) in the fifth with a sacrifice fly from Torres to plate Ortiz.

ISU cut into the lead in the sixth with two runs of their own with a two-run scoring single from right fielder Kevin Konsler--seeing his first action of the weekend. The two teams would trade runs in the seventh to keep the Wildcats up 6-5 after seven innings in the books.

ISU tied the game at 6-6 in the eighth frame when Stalowy connected on a sacrifice fly to plate McNeely from third. B-CU's Concepcion Guzman was in relief action on the hill at the time.

The defense and pitching stood strong throughout the rest of regulation until the bottom-half of the 10th frame when leadoff hitter Brown took a 1-1 pitch from ISU hurler Eric Theisen over the left field wall for his second homerun of the year ... lifting the Wildcats to a 2-1 series victory.

The win went to Phil Enright out of the bullpen for the Wildcats to even his record at 1-1 on the campaign. The loss went to Theisen who fell to 1-2. Enright saw 2.2 innings out of the pen with three strikeouts and zero (0) hits allowed.

ISU was led offensively by Konsler with a 3-for-4 day at the dish and two RBI. B-CU was led by a trio of players that included Brooks (2-for-3), Torres (2-for-4) and Brown (2-for-4). Torres added a season-high four (4) RBI as well.

The Wildcats will tangle with intrastate opponent University of North Florida tomorrow night at 6 p.m. back at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. For ticket information, please call the B-CU Ticket Office at (386) 481-2292.