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5/30/2009 - BASEBALL
Jacksonville Pushes Past Bethune-Cookman, 8-7
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Sophomore second baseman Chuck Opachich hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth while sophomore Chris Kaminski and junior Kyle Kriech teamed up to lead the JU baseball team to an 8-7 win over Bethune-Cookman, Saturday afternoon in the second day of the NCAA Gainesville Regional at McKethan Stadium.
JU (37-21) tallied its first win in the postseason since a 4-3 victory over Sacred Heart on June 3, 2006.s
B-CU (32-28) lost its second consecutive game by a score of 8-7 in Gainesville and fell to 0-4 against the Dolphins this season.
After the Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to even up the game, 7-7, Opachich hit a solo shot in the top of the eighth to put JU up for good.
"Mervyl Melendez needs a lot of credit for what he has done at Bethune-Cookman and I mean that from the heart," said JU head coach Terry Alexander. "We missed a lot of opportunities early to blow the game open and Bethune battled back to tie things up. Fortunately for us, Chuck came up with a big hit and our bullpen was able to close things out."
Kaminski (5-1) got the win after hurling 2.1 innings of scoreless relief in which he struck out five batters. Kriech entered the game with runners on first and second with two outs and struck out pinch-hitter Peter O'Brien looking to notch his first career save. Sophomore Matt Loosen got the no-decision after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits with a walk and nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Edgar Serra (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing a run on two hits with a walk and a strike out in 0.2 innings of relief. Ali Simpson also got the no-decision after allowing five runs on five hits with four walks in two innings of work.
Along with Opachich, senior left fielder Kyle Fleming went 3-for-4 while catcher Jeremy Gillan went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Junior first baseman Alex Martinez finished 2-for-3 with a home run and senior right fielder Thomas Myers added a two-run homer.
Alejandro Jimenez led the Wildcats by finishing a game-high 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and a home run. C.J. Lauriello went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI.
The Dolphins took a 1-0 lead in the first when Gillan hit an RBI double. With one out, sophomore shortstop Jamaal Hawkins hit a single to right center and then came home on a deep drive to left center by Gillan.
