Bethune-Cookman outlasted No. 24 LSU 10-7 on Tuesday night at Alex Box Stadium, marking the Wildcats’ first win over a ranked opponent since 2017.
The victory also represents Bethune-Cookman’s first regular-season win over a ranked team since 2014, when it defeated Miami 7-3. The Wildcats improved in the all-time series, which LSU still leads 3-1, with the Tigers having outscored Bethune-Cookman 29-10 entering the matchup.
LSU opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning, but Bethune-Cookman responded with three runs in the second to take an early lead. The teams traded momentum throughout the game, with the score tied three times before the Wildcats created separation late.
Bethune-Cookman broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring five runs on just two hits to build a four-run advantage. Darryl Lee sparked the rally with a triple and later scored on a single by Andrey Martinez. LSU contributed to the inning with two hit batters, two bases-loaded walks and an error at second base that allowed additional runs to score.
The Wildcats finished with 10 runs on 12 hits in the road win.
Jean Carlos Zambrano earned his first victory of the season, pitching the final three innings. He allowed one hit and no earned runs while striking out three.
Jorge Rodriguez hit his first home run of the season, while Lee went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and RBI. Erick Almonte and Christopher Watson each drove in two runs.
LSU used nine pitchers in the loss.
With the win, Bethune-Cookman improved to 23-10 and extended its winning streak to three games. The Wildcats will look to carry that momentum into a matchup against Mississippi Valley State on Friday at 7 p.m.
