Bethune-Cookman Wins Fourth Straight With Victory Over UCFDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - It was another strong outing for Allison Garcia on the mound and a stronger than usual performance at the plate for Ashton Hinds, in a 5-0 win against UCF on Wednesday.
Crisp infield play along with a couple of shutout preserving instances lifted the Lady Wildcats (19-22) to their fourth straight victory and seventh in the last nine games.
Cesley Tafoya showed range at second, while Aurelia Gamch and Kelsey Rodney registered a combined seven assists in seven attempts for the B-CU infield.
Hinds, who had three catches in centerfield and was able to keep a UCF runner from going home with quick defense on a single, delivered the big hit of the day with a three-run homer in the second. It was just the second round-tripper of the season from the Wildcat leadoff hitter whose primary job is to get on base.
Backed by the defense, Garcia registered her second straight shutout and has given up just two runs in her last 22 innings of work. She walked one and struck out five.
Tafoya singling home Gamch in the first and Briana Leverett bringing home Michelle Banuelos-Smith in the sixth accounted for B-CU's other runs. Tafoya and Banuelos-Smith each had two hits.
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com
Jacksonville Dunks Lady Rattlers, 9-2
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 13) - Jacksonville used an eight-run first to propel themselves to a 9-2 win over the Florida A&M, Wednesday evening at the Lady Rattler Softball Complex.
JU (31-14) punched out a game high nine hits, while FAMU (19-20) garnered five.
Brielle Gordon led the Lady Rattlers in hits with two, while Meagan Baldwin finished with four hits to lead the Dolphins.
Sarah Sagest (16-5) picked up the win for JU as she gave up five hits, two earned runs and striking 12 in seven innings on the mound for the Dolphins.
Jennifer Lindsey (8-9) received the loss for the Lady Rattlers as she gave up three hits and four earned runs.
JU took advantage of three FAMU errors and eight hits to take an 8-0 lead over FAMU in the top of the first inning.
Tera Gainer would light up the scoreboard for the Lady Rattlers as she homered to left field, cutting the Dolphins lead to 8-1.
FAMU would pick another run in the bottom of the fourth as Brittany Doty singled to right center scoring Francesca Singletary, making the score 8-2 in favor of JU.
The Dolphins picked up their final run of the game in the top of the fifth for the 9-2 final as Morgan Kibler scored on a Melissa Morales single.
For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com
Longwood Pounds NSU in Mid-Week Twinbill
NORFOLK, Va. - Longwood tallied a combined 21 runs on 22 hits in defeating the Norfolk State softball team, 12-3, 9-0, Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at the NSU Softball Field.
The Lancers (25-8) scored six runs in the third inning and five runs in the fifth in Game 1 before junior Danielle Wright launched a three-run home run for NSU (8-20). Brianna Wells and Brooke Short combined to allow just two hits in Game 2 for the Longwood shutout.
Wells (22-8) picked up the win in both games, throwing three shutout innings in Game 1 while allowing just one hit. She allowed two hits in three innings in Game 2. Freshman Morgan Boyd extended her hitting streak to seven games and had two of the team's six hits on the day.
Junior Casey Pomeroy (4-6) suffered the loss in the first game, giving up seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in 2.1 innings. Junior Elizabeth Castaneda (1-3) gave up all nine runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings in the nightcap. Freshman Jamie Schulle pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com
Lady Hornets Split Doubleheader With Virginia
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -Delaware State was held to just one hit and lost, 2-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at Virginia Wednesday, but rebounded with a 5-3 victory in the nightcap at The Park.
Freshman Stephanie Martello broke up a perfect game by sophomore pitcher Melanie Mitchell in the top of the fourth inning to record the lone hit on the day for the Lady Hornets. Mitchell also tallied 10 strikeouts on the day en route to a game one win.
DSU bounced back immediately in game two as senior Andrea Waters reached base on a fielding error by third baseman Erica Cipolloni with one out in the first inning. Waters advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI single to right field from freshman Ashley Davis.
With things tied up at 1-1, the Lady Hornets took control of the game in the top of the fifth inning, scoring two runs on two hits. Junior Leslie Pleasanton led off the frame with a single to right field. Senior Allison Ruben came in as a pinch runner for Pleasanton and made her way around the bases on a groundout by junior Chelsea Stern, a sacrifice bunt from junior Jordan Reid and single to center field from Waters. Fellow junior Rachel Carroll also scored on Waters' single after reaching base after getting hit by a pitch.
The Cavaliers responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to make things 3-2 in favor of DSU.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, the Lady Hornets posted two more runs to take a 5-2 lead. Junior Casey Beighley got the hits started for DSU with a double to left field. Pleasanton came up next with an RBI single to left field and advanced to second on the throw.
Mitchell continued to walk the next three batters in junior Tawny Reeger, Skye Boris and Reid (hit by pitch). Reid's walk forced in a run in Pleasanton. The Lady Hornets left all three runners stranded as Waters ended the inning on a fly out.
The Cavaliers tallied one more run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn't enough as freshman Stephanie Sarris held them to just one hit in the bottom of the seventh and tallied her fourth save of the season.
For the complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com
Winston-Salem State Sweeps NCCU Softball On Wednesday
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - North Carolina Central fell to Winston-Salem State in a doubleheader contest on Wednesday, April 13 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Lady Rams defeated the Lady Eagles 4-0 in game one and 9-1 in game two.
Over the course of the two games, NCCU amassed seven hits, one run and one RBI.
Game one of the doubleheader went to seven innings. NCCU's Andrea Searls and Amanda Bullock managed the only two hits of the first contest.
Winston-Salem State's Bonika Terry and Nikki Lynch led the offensive with one run and two hits apiece. Tanya Pettus and Hope Billings supplied two additional runs to the total four. The Lady Rams collected eight runs and four RBIs.
Kayla McPeek pitched 6.0 innings for the mighty maroon. Against 28 batters, McPeek allowed eight hits and four runs.
Brittany Lane of Winston-Salem State pitched a complete game against NCCU. Lane threw 16 strikeouts against 24 batters and only allowed two runs.
In game two of the night, Searls attained a run for NCCU in the first inning. Searls went 1-for-1 on three times at bat. Bullock slugged two hits, while Nadia Jefferies and Mae'Risha Watts connected on one hit apiece. Bullock seized her fifth RBI with Searls run.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com