First Game Goes to Bethune-Cookman, 4-2

Thursday, March 25

Daytona Beach, Fla.

6:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

5-7

Bethune-Cookman

14-10

Dartmouth

Bethune-Cookman

3/25/2010 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Bethune-Cookman scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie, then held off Dartmouth on Thursday evening at Jackie Robinson Park to defeat the Big Green, 4-2. The Wildcats (14-10) got solo homers from Emmanuel Castro and Matt Wright to help them win for the 10th time in their last 11 games. Sophomore Jake Carlson rapped out four of the 10 Dartmouth (5-7) hits, while junior Jeff Onstott extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a pair of knocks.

Sophomore Kyle Hendricks went the distance for the Big Green, allowing the four runs — two earned — in eight innings on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven. He threw just 97 pitches in his first complete game of the season.

After Dartmouth had tied the game in the top of the seventh, Bethune-Cookman got things started in its half when Castro led off with a single. One out later, Jairo Acevedo beat out a little nubber in front of the plate. But when Hendricks' throw to first was wild, Castro was able to come all the way around and score while Acevedo scampered to third. Brandon Turner then laid down a squeeze bunt for an insurance run.

The Big Green threatened to score in both the eighth and ninth innings against closer Juan Perez. In the eighth, the first two hitters reached base on an error and a walk, but Perez then struck out the side to quell the possible rally. In the ninth, Dartmouth once again had its first two hitters reach base as pinch hitter Sam Bean walked and Carlson singled him to second. After a pop to third, a Perez wild pitch put the tying runs into scoring position. Perez was up to the task again, however, getting swinging strikes for the last two outs to earn his fourth save.

Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, freshman Ennis Coble tied the game against Wildcat starter Ali Simpson with the third of three consecutive singles, scoring sophomore David Turnbull. Dartmouth had a chance to take the lead, but a snap throw to third from catcher Peter O'Brien caught Carlson straying too far off for the second out. Reliever Chris Anselmo (2-0) got the final out to earn the victory despite facing just one hitter.

Castro's homer in the second was his sixth of the season and the first run of the game, which the Big Green matched on a Carlson single and a Coble RBI double. Wright smacked his fifth homer of the year in the bottom of the third for the 2-1 Bethune-Cookman lead that stood until the seventh.

Simpson surrendered two runs on nine hits and a pair of walks over 6.1 innings while whiffing six. Perez struck out five of the eight batters he faced in his two-inning save, walking two and allowing one hit.

The three-game series between Dartmouth and Bethune-Cookman continues tomorrow evening at 6 p.m.