GAINESVILLE, Florida. -- Bethune-Cookman made history Sunday with a 6-4 victory over South Florida in the NCAA Gainesville [Fla.] Regional at McKethan Stadium.
Nate Sterijevski, Austin Garcia and Demetrius Sims each had two hits, while Alex Herrera, Ivan Countinho and Joseph Calamita combined to throw six consecutive shutout innings to help the Wildcats (35-24) pull away from a 3-3 tie and advance to a regional final for the first time in program history.
Bethune-Cookman will face host Florida at 7 p.m.
South Florida (42-19) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Kevin Merrell's solo homer, but the Wildcats answered by scoring three runs without hitting the ball out of the infield.
Sims scored on Danny Rodriguez's infield single, Adonis Lao when Garcia drew a bases-loaded walk, and Jameel Edney plated on a double play to make it a 3-1 game.
After the Bulls tied the game with two in the second, Sterijevski smacked a two-run homer to left in the third to help the Wildcats regain a two-run lead. Lao singled home Josten Heron in the fourth.
Herrera (4-1) buckled down after giving up six hits in the first two innings, giving up just two hits over the next four innings before yielding to Countinho, who worked two-innings of one hit relief.
Calamita entered in the eighth and squashed a Bulls rally with just five pitches. He gave up a harmless home run to Tyler Dietrich in the ninth en route to his third save of the season.
Donte Lindsay will start for the Wildcats tonight.
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