Box Score NORFOLK, Va.- Bethune-Cookman broke open a close game with nine runs in the fourth inning as the Wildcats defeated Savannah State 16-6 at Marty Miller Field during the MEAC baseball tournament.
 
Savannah State (22-30) led 3-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Bryant Munoz scored off a sacrifice fly in the first inning for B-CU but the Tigers answered with three runs off four hits in the top of the second. SSU loaded the bases with  Mendez Elder, Aaron Hoffer and Parker Nix all hitting singles. Zachary Brigham hit a two-run double that scored Elder and Hoffer and Lee Moore hit a sacrifice fly that scored Nix.
 
Bethune-Cookman roughed up SSU starter Austin Denney and reliever Ethan Glass for nine runs off 10 hits in the fourth. Eros Modena and Austin Garcia both had two-run singles for the Wildcats in the fourth.
 
SSU closed their deficit to 10-6 in the top of the fifth with three runs as Todd Hagen had a RBI single and scored on a home run by Charles Sikes.
 
Cookman scored two runs in the bottom of the inning and added four more in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
 
Savannah State, who defeated B-CU in the 2013 MEAC championship game, had 10 hits.
 
Hagen, Brigham and Nix all had two hits for the Tigers while Brigham drove in two runs. Denney was tagged with the loss. Denney pitched 3.1 innings and surrendered seven hits and six runs.
 
Cookman (25-31) had 18 hits and was led by Zach Olszewski who went 4-for-4 and scored three times and drove in two runs. Montana Durapau was the winner, pitching five innings and giving up nine hits and six runs while striking out three.
 
The loss drops Savannah State into the losers bracket where they will play Norfolk State today (5/18/14) at 5pm.