B-CU ATHLETICS
(Source: Daytona Times)
Andrey Martinez’s two-out, three-run home run to straightaway centerfield gave Bethune-Cookman a walk-off come-from-behind 11-9 win over Florida A&M in the championship game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
The dramatic walk-off blast capped a wild finish to a game that saw multiple lead changes and clutch hitting from both teams.
Martinez’s 20th home run of the season – tying him for the single-season school record with Ryan Durrence (2010), came with two outs and turned what appeared to be a certain Rattlers victory into celebration for the Wildcats, who claimed their first SWAC Tournament title, and their first soon-to-be NCAA Regional appearance since 2017.
“What a finish to an incredible baseball game,” said Bethune-Cookman Head Coach Jonathan Hernandez. “Our guys never gave up, and Andrey [Martinez] came through in the biggest moment of the year.”
Florida A&M (33-25) appeared to be in control after building a 9-6 lead midway through the eighth inning, but the Wildcats scored five runs in the final two frames to steal the championship.
Bethune-Cookman (37-21) jumped out to an early lead in the second inning when redshirt freshman All-SWAC shortstop Jeter Polledo doubled to left-center and eventually scored on Daniel Figueroa’s sacrifice fly.
The Wildcats added two more runs in the frame when Sergio Rivera stole home as part of a double-steal, and Martinez drove in Darryl Lee with an RBI single to put the Maroon and Gold up, 3-0.
The three-run outburst came against Florida A&M starter Trevor Hanselman, who was lifted after just 1.1 innings. Carson Kelly came on in relief and settled things down for the Rattlers.
FAMU began its comeback in the sixth inning, breaking through against B-CU starter Edwin Sanchez for three runs.
William Brown started the rally with a single, and the Rattlers loaded the bases before Justen Crews delivered an RBI single. Colton Ryals drove in the second run with a bases-loaded walk, and Matthew Perez added a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.
The seventh inning belonged entirely to the Rattlers, who exploded for four runs to take their first lead of the afternoon.
Justin Lopez, playing at shortstop for the injured Jalen Niles, started the frame with a walk, and Brown followed with a towering home run to left field for his 12th of the season. After Jay Campbell reached on an error, Crews launched his seventh home run of the year, a two-run shot that swelled the Rattlers lead, at 7-3.
The Cats responded in the bottom-half of the seventh to trim the deficit with three runs of their own.
Designated hitter Armani Newton singled and eventually scored along with Jesus Vanegas on Polledo’s two-RBI single. Rivera then drove in Polledo with an RBI double to bring his side to within 7-6.
The Rattlers would tack on a pair of runs in the eighth inning on Campbell’s RBI double, stretching their lead to 9-6 and seemingly putting the game away.
However, the bottom-half of the frame saw more clutch hitting from the Wildcats as Martinez singled and Jorge Rodriguez followed with a two-run homer, his 14th of the season, to pull within 9-8 heading to the ninth.
“Jorge’s home run really gave us belief that we could complete the comeback,” Hernandez added. “That was a huge swing in the momentum for the entire team and dugout.”
The ninth inning provided a fitting conclusion to the championship game at Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in America and site of numerous historic baseball moments.
Joel Core worked a clean top-half of the ninth to keep the Cats within striking distance heading to the bottom of the frame.
In the home-half of the ninth, it was Polledo kicking things off with a single before he was replaced by pinch runner Jayme Villafane. Rivera’s sacrifice bunt attempt was unsuccessful in trying to advance Villafane, allowing Figueroa to reach safely on an error charged to the FAMU infield.
The Wildcats had runners on first and second with one out. Lee followed with a fly out that appeared to signal the end of Bethune-Cookman’s hopes, but Martinez stepped to the plate with two outs and delivered the biggest hit of his collegiate career.
“I was just trying to make contact and drive in a run,” Martinez said. “When I saw it clear the fence, I couldn’t believe it. What an incredible feeling.”
The three-run blast sent the Wildcats pouring out of their dugout in celebration and gave them their first-ever baseball SWAC title, and the first conference title in the sport overall since 2017.
For Florida A&M, Brown and Crews each homered and combined for five RBIs. Campbell contributed two hits and two RBIs, while Lopez scored twice despite going hitless.
Martinez led Bethune-Cookman’s offensive attack, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs and the game-winning home run. Rodriguez contributed a home run and two RBIs, while Polledo was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Rivera added two hits and an RBI while stealing a base.
On the mound, Core (6-1) earned the victory for B-CU with the right-hander working 1.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. Kelly (6-2) took the loss for Florida A&M after allowing eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 7.1 innings.
The victory gives Bethune-Cookman the SWAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. B-CU will play in the NCAA Tallahassee Regionals at Florida State on May 30 at 3 p.m.
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