Fueled by strong pitching and timely hitting, Bethune Cookman university picked up a 7-1 win over Stonehill College in the season opener at the historic Jackie Robinson baseball field in Daytona Beach, Florida on Friday afternoon.
Bethune Cookman scored seven runs on seven hits and committed an error, while Stonehill scored one run on eight hits.
Sergio Rivera led the Wildcats at the plate, going 2-for-3, Jorge Febo Gonzales was 1-for-5 with a home run. Garrett Chun went 1-for-1 with five at bats collecting a two-run scoring single and walked with bases loaded twice for four runs batted in, while Jose Gonzales added a run batted in.
Tanner Boccabello earned the decision in a 7.0-inning effort while making his first career start with the Cats. The Tampa, Florida, native allowed no run on seven hits and struck out seven. Patrick Groark, in 2.0 innings of relief, allowed one hit and one run while striking out three for the save in his Wildcat 2024 season debut.
Bethune-Cookman scored the game’s first run in the second inning on Jorge Febo Gonzales’ home run to left field for a 1-0 lead. The Cats had chances to add runs in the inning. Ramses Cordova was hit by a pitch, Peter Vazquez reached on a fielder’s choice, but Sergio Rivera fouled out to first base preventing Bethune from adding to the score board.
Bethune added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rivera singled past Stonehill’s third baseman. Colton Olasin (1-for-2) singled to shortstop sending Rivera to second. A sacrifice bunt by Daniel Figueroa advanced runners to second and third with one out. Then, Garrett Chun hit a two run single through the left side scoring both Rivera and Olasin to put B-CU up 3-0.
The Cats grabbed two more runs in the bottom of the six inning on a wild pitch and a Chun walk with the bases loaded to give Bethune-Cookman a 5-0 advantage.
Bethune tacked on a pair of insurance runs on four batters walked in the bottom of the eighth inning to stretch the lead to seven.
Stonehill’s lone run came in the top of the ninth inning on a bases loaded walk before Groark was able to get the game’s final strike out to record the 7-1 win.