Ormond Beach, FL -- Bethune-Cookman College defeated Florida A&M University, 10-5, Sunday to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball title. By winning their third conference title in four years, the Wildcats earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, May 27-30, at an undetermined site.
BCC, 27-29, had to knock off intrastate rival FAMU twice in the tournament to claim the prize. The Wildcats outlasted the Rattlers, 19-8, in the semifinals, sending FAMU to the loser's bracket of the double elimination tournament. FAMU then defeated N.C. A&T, 16-9, to stay alive and advance to the championship game.
Riding the pitching of Elgin Graham of Pensacola, BCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third. They extended their lead to 8-0 after seven innings and never looked back. FAMU scored four runs in the eighth and another run in the ninth but BCC made the most of their 14 hits and three FAMU errors to take the championship.
BCC shortstop Joel Zaragoza hammered the only home run in the championship game. Zaragoza went two for four on the day with three RBI.
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