The Friday afternoon celebrations began even before University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff pinch runner Jason Moss crossed home plate to finish one of UAPB’s biggest wins this season.
The UAPB baseball team beat Bethune-Cookman 6-5 in the first game of a three-game series at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.
UAPB (12-28, 10-6 SWAC) led 5-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth before the Wildcats tallied three straight hits against relief pitcher Nate Monceaux to tie the game.
Cole Kenyon (2-2) took over and struck out the next hitter to keep it tied entering the bottom of the ninth.
UAPB Coach Logan Stout said the Golden Lions could have folded after losing the lead.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“That team on the other side is a phenomenal baseball team,” Stout said. “They’re the No. 1 team in the SWAC coming into this weekend for a reason. Just proud of our guys. They could have easily gotten down in the ninth. We were one pitch away, one strike away from winning by two runs in regulation. Credit to the other team. They hit some good pitches and executed. Proud of Cole Kenyon coming in, getting that last out so we can come in and end the game.”
UAPB third baseman Trinidad De La Garza hit a one-out single in the ninth before Moss, a freshman, replaced him as a pinch runner.
Second baseman Collin McLemore followed with a single, and left fielder Gavin Terry walked to load the bases.
After centerfielder Eli Gries-Smith took a pitch for a ball, Bethune-Cookman (25-18, 16-3) catcher Irvin Escobar threw toward third base, attempting to pick off Moss.
The infielders were standing at the edge of the infield grass so they could try to throw out a runner going home, so the pass sailed over substitute third baseman Peter Vazquez’s head into shallow left field.
The errant throw allowed Moss to easily sprint home, and his teammates mobbed him with a water-cooler bath in front of the UAPB dugout.
Stout said a freshman coming off the bench in the ninth to score the winning run was symbolic of this UAPB team.
“A complete team effort when you look at how many injuries we’ve had, still have, illnesses, whatever,” Stout said.
“It’s just next man up, and I think that was a great illustration of what this season has been all about.”
The ninth inning was the third time in the game UAPB had to respond to Bethune.
The Wildcats scored first when second baseman Jesus Vanegas hit a solo home run over the batter’s eye in the second inning.
UAPB answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
The Wildcats later took a 3-2 lead on a two-RBI double by pinch hitter Jose Fernandez in the sixth. Terry tied the game with an RBI single in the seventh before Gries-Smith hit a go-ahead 2-RBI double.
The late game heroics overshadowed solid outings from both starting pitchers, neither of which issued a walk.
UAPB starter Kenney Fabian struck out nine hitters in six innings, a new season best for any UAPB pitcher.
Eight of his strikeouts came in the first three innings, and he struck out every hitter he saw in the first and third frames.
Fabian allowed three runs on six hits. Monceaux and Kenyon added a strikeout each, giving UAPB a season-high 11 strikeouts as a team.
Fabian has allowed a combined 4 runs in his past 3 starts after allowing at least 3 in each of his first 7.
He said working with the rest of the pitching staff has led to the improvement of the past three weeks.
“I’ve been feeling good,” Fabian said.
“These boys have been helping me every day. We’ve been working and working and working, and just working on spots. That translated to today and these last three weeks. These boys are helping me a lot.”
B-CU starter Tanner Boccabello allowed 2 unearned runs in 6 innings on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts. He committed a throwing error in the second inning which allowed UAPB catcher Brant Voth to score as Small reached third.
Shortstop Jesus Riera followed with a single to score Small and give UAPB a 2-1 lead at the time.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Small hit a line drive at Boccabello.
He hunched over in pain before picking up the ball and throwing to first to retire Small and end the inning, and he was still in obvious pain afterward. He did not return.
Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.