Bethune-Cookman falls to Florida A&M in SWAC Championship game

Chris Vinel, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read
1
Bethune Cookman's Jeremy Garcia trots down to first base during a game with Stetson at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
Bethune Cookman's Jeremy Garcia trots down to first base during a game with Stetson at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Despite a 4-2 loss to Southern in their opening game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats advanced all the way to the league title game Sunday.

They won four in a row between Thursday and Saturday, beating Jackson State, Southern and Grambling State twice to set up a showdown with Florida A&M. They fell to the Rattlers 9-6 at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta to close their season.

Bethune-Cookman’s final record: 33-27.

KEN WILLIS: Josef Newgarden wins a wild Indianapolis 500

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: Meet the 2022-23 Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns All-Area Boys Volleyball Team

Florida A&M baseball outfielder Ty Jackson hoists the SWAC Championship trophy after defeating Bethune-Cookman at Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Florida A&M baseball outfielder Ty Jackson hoists the SWAC Championship trophy after defeating Bethune-Cookman at Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Florida A&M hung three runs on the Wildcats in the first inning Sunday and led the entire contest in front of a crowd of 1,270 spectators.

Sophomore first baseman Manny Souffrain homered for Bethune-Cookman’s first run in the second. After the Rattlers’ Jared Weber responded with a solo shot of his own in the top of the third, the Wildcats put up two in the bottom of the inning with RBI singles by junior center fielder Garrett Chun and junior designated hitter Robert Moya to make it 4-3.

That was the closest they got.

Florida A&M tacked on three unanswered runs — an RBI groundout in the fourth and dingers in the seventh and eighth — before a two-run blast by Moya cut Bethune-Cookman’s deficit to 8-5.

He finished with a team-high three RBIs. Chun and senior left fielder Boris Peña paced the Wildcats with three hits apiece.

Bethune Cookman's Robert Moya connects for a single during a game with Stetson at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
Bethune Cookman's Robert Moya connects for a single during a game with Stetson at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Each squad added a run in the ninth, pushing the score to 9-6.

Hunter Viets went 7⅔ innings for the Rattlers and earned the win. He gave up five runs and struck out five on 127 pitches.

Junior Nolan Santos started for the Wildcats. He completed six innings and surrendered five runs (four earned) with seven strikeouts.

Bethune-Cookman’s Peña, senior Colton Olasin, junior Hylan Hall, who knocked in a run Sunday, and sophomore Irvin Escobar were named to the SWAC All-Tournament Team.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bethune-Cookman falls to Florida A&M in SWAC Championship

Recommended Stories