GAINESVILLE, Fla. - With both teams facing elimination from the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Bethune-Cookman softball and Florida International locked into a true defensive struggle, which extended far beyond the normal game allotment. The Wildcats found themselves in scoring opportunities multiple times, but the Golden Panthers shut them down each time, forcing the game into an extra inning. That extra soon became a full ten-inning game, and FIU claimed the win, dropping in two late runs in the top of the tenth.

"I thought offensively, we came out a little bit better than we had the first time, I was happy to see that," said Head Coach Chris Cochran. "It's not too often that you are able to keep yourself in a game for 10 innings when you make four errors. We did make good plays when they put runners into scoring position. Allie [Garcia] had a couple of key strikeouts there to end innings everyone kept working, I was proud of that and our effort."

The Wildcats played stiff defense all day against the Golden Panthers, with pitcher Allie Garcia holding off seven batters before any got on base, and facing twelve batters before allowing a hit. The Wildcats had five innings in which they downed each of the three batters faced.

Bethune-Cookman found them in a position to make a strike on the scoreboard several times during the game, but were shut down by the FIU defense each time. The Wildcats ended the inning in strikeouts in their first hitting inning, leaving two runners on base.

Find the complete story at BCUAthletics.com.