Softball 5/9/2008 4:00:00 AM MEAC Media Relations

Bethune-Cookman Eliminates Florida A&M, 14-9

Florida A&M fell to Bethune-Cookman, 14-9 in an elimination game of the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, Friday morning at the Ormond Beach Softball Complex.

FAMU (16-40) punched out 13 hits with Melissa Oliphant leading the way with three hits, followed by Unika McIntosh, Joyce Harold and Alesha Wells with two hits each.

B-CU (21-35) finished with a game high 16 hits paced by Holley Bussey with three hits, followed by Ashton Hinds, Allison Garcia, Christina Trimble, Liz Parrish and Taryn Hernandez with two hits apiece.

Chasity Sanders (4-9) picked the wins for the Lady Wildcats, allowing five hits and striking out one in two innings of work, while Garcia (1) got the save for the B-CU, allowing eight hits, seven earned runs and striking three in five innings of relief.

Tiffany Chan (8-20) took the loss for the Lady Rattlers, allowing seven hits, six earned runs and striking one in four innings of work.

FAMU opened the scoring Friday on an Oliphant single to short, which scored Rhianna Green from third, giving the Lady Rattlers a 1-0 lead.

B-CU took the lead in the top of the third as Holley Bussey homered to right field, followed by a Anush Mooradian single to right field scoring Garcia. Then a Parrish two-run double scored both Mooradian and Trimble, giving the Lady Wildcats a 4-1 lead.

The Lady Wildcats added to their advantage in the top of the fourth as Ashton Hinds scored on a Bussey single, followed by a Trimble single up the middle scoring both Bussey and Brandi Holley. Then a Parrish double scored both Mooradian and Trimble, making the score 9-1.

B-CU picked another run in the top of the fifth as Hinds scored on the Holley sacrifice to centerfield, giving the Lady Wildcats a 10-1 lead.

An Oliphant double scoring both Green and Alesha Wells, cut B-CU’s lead to 10-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

The Lady Wildcats made the score 12-3 in the top of the sixth as Hinds doubled to left field scoring both Sonya Urteaga and Taryn Hernandez.

But in the bottom of the sixth inning, FAMU scored six runs to cut B-CU’s lead to 12-9 as Shayla Clark hit into a fielder choice scoring Brittany Newby, followed by a McIntosh single scoring Joyce Harold. Then Clark would score on an Oliphant single up the middle, followed an Ashley Jones three-run homer.

B-CU would score two more runs in the top of the seventh as Hernandez singled up the middle scoring both Trimble and Garcia for the 14-9 final.

MEAC TOURNAMENT UPDATE: Bethune-Cookman advances in the loser’s bracket to face Norfolk State at 3:30 p.m. Friday.... Howard and Delaware State were to meet in the winner’s bracket semifinal at 11:30, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s 1:00 p.m. title game... They will face the winner of Friday’s 5:30 p.m. game between the loser of the Howard-Del State game and the winner of the Norfolk-Bethune Cookman game in the finals of the loser’s bracket..... The tournament winner will advance to NCAA Regional play next weekend....