BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bethune-Cookman entered the SWAC Baseball Tournament as the league’s top seed and regular-season champion. Arkansas-Pine Bluff made sure the Wildcats left Rickwood Field empty-handed.
The Golden Lions erased a five-run deficit Friday morning with a furious late rally, scoring seven runs in the eighth inning to defeat Bethune-Cookman 13-8 and eliminate the Wildcats from the SWAC Baseball Tournament.
The loss ended a season that saw Bethune-Cookman win 38 games and capture the SWAC regular-season crown. Instead of a championship run, the Wildcats were bounced from the tournament by an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team they lost to twice in Birmingham.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff flips the game late
Bethune-Cookman appeared to seize control with a massive six-run sixth inning.
Trailing 3-2 entering the frame, the Wildcats exploded offensively behind Jeter Polledo, Christopher Watson and Andrey Martinez. Polledo tied the game with an RBI double before Watson delivered a two-run single up the middle to give Bethune-Cookman a 5-3 lead.
Martinez followed with a two-run single through the left side, and Michael Rodriguez capped the inning with an RBI single to push the advantage to 8-3.
But Arkansas-Pine Bluff never folded.
The Golden Lions chipped away in the seventh inning with RBI doubles from Aaron Grant and Lazaro Alvarado to cut the deficit to 8-6 entering the eighth.
Then came the decisive inning.
Jose Vasquez tied the game with a two-run double down the left-field line before Weston Gingerich delivered the go-ahead RBI single. Zyon Hamilton later added a two-run single, and Vinny Saumell followed with another two-run hit as UAPB stunned the Wildcats with seven runs in the frame.
Bethune-Cookman could not answer over the final two innings.
Wildcats unable to close it out
The collapse was especially surprising considering how dominant Bethune-Cookman had been when protecting late leads all season.
The Wildcats entered Friday with a 34-2 record when leading after seven innings. Arkansas-Pine Bluff changed that in dramatic fashion.
UAPB finished with 17 hits, while every starter in the Golden Lions lineup recorded at least one RBI. Grant went 3-for-6, Saumell finished with three hits and two RBI, and Hamilton added three RBI in the comeback victory.
Brendan Hamlin earned the win in relief after tossing 3.2 innings for Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Pablo Torres was charged with the loss for Bethune-Cookman after surrendering five runs during the eighth-inning rally.
Bethune-Cookman falls short of postseason expectations
Bethune-Cookman’s season ends at 38-20 after the Wildcats won just one game in the SWAC Tournament.
The Wildcats were two victories shy of becoming the program’s first 40-win team since joining the conference. Instead, the season ended with consecutive losses to Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Rickwood Field.
Martinez finished his final collegiate game with two hits and two RBI, while Polledo went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Rodriguez and Jose Fernandez also collected two hits apiece for Bethune-Cookman.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff improved to 25-33 and advanced deeper into the loser’s bracket with the upset victory.