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Bethune-Cookman baseball beats No. 20 Florida for another ranked win
TL;DR
Bethune-Cookman baseball defeated No. 20 Florida 13-7, marking their second ranked win over an SEC team in a week. The Wildcats previously beat No. 24 LSU 10-7, showcasing a strong performance with a seven-run seventh inning.
Bethune-Cookman baseball beat a ranked SEC team. If that headline feels familiar, thatâs also because it happened last week.
The Wildcats took down No. 20 Florida 13-7 in Gainesville on April 14 to pick up their second ranked win over an SEC team in seven days. Bethune-Cookman defeated defending national champion and then-No. 24 LSU 10-7 on April 7.
The last and only instance the Wildcats beat the Gators was a 6-2 win on June 4, 2017, which was their last ranked win prior to last weekâs LSU game.
B-CU was able to earn its second-ever triumph against the Gators, who are fourth in the NCAAâs RPI, with a seven-run seventh inning that broke a 5-5 tie. The two major scoring plays were an Andrey Martinez double and a Jorge Rodriguez single that each plated two runs.
Darryl Lee and Michael Rodriguez singled to pick up two additional RBIs, and Erick Almonte reached base on a throwing error that allowed Maikol Lucena, who walked at the beginning of the inning, to score.
Kyle Jones hit a sacrifice fly and Brendan Lawson doubled to drive two Gator runs to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Bethune-Cookmanâs lead proved to be insurmountable.
Lee put a stamp on the Wildcatsâ victory with a solo shot to right field in the top of the ninth inning, and Justin Morales shut the door in the bottom of the ninth.
Martinez and Lee were Bethune-Cookmanâs primary catalysts in its consecutive win over a ranked SEC power. Both players finished 3 for 6 from the plate with a dinger to combine for seven RBIs â four from Martinez and three from Lee.
However, all nine players in the Wildcatsâ batting order finished with at least one hit, and Jose Fernandez added a third homer to Bethune-Cookmanâs night in the fourth inning.
The win further legitimizes the Wildcatsâ record of 26-11, which now includes four wins over top-100 teams in the RPI â Florida, LSU and a pair against South Florida. Theyâll have an opportunity to add to that with a home series against Alabama A&M from April 17-19.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bethune-Cookman upsets No. 20 Florida baseball on the road
Q&A
How did Bethune-Cookman baseball perform against ranked teams recently?
Bethune-Cookman baseball has recently defeated two ranked SEC teams, beating No. 24 LSU 10-7 and No. 20 Florida 13-7 within a week.
What was the score of the last game between Bethune-Cookman and Florida before this win?
The last game between Bethune-Cookman and Florida before this win was on June 4, 2017, where Bethune-Cookman won 6-2.
What key plays contributed to Bethune-Cookman's victory over Florida?
Key plays in the victory included a double by Andrey Martinez and a single by Jorge Rodriguez, each contributing two runs during a seven-run seventh inning.
