Bethune-Cookman Splits Games at FAU Tournament
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman split its games Saturday at the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament, downing Dartmouth 2-1 before dropping 9-0 decision to the host Owls.
The Wildcats (5-27) conclude their tournament stay against Elon Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
B-CU 2, DARTMOUTH 1
Samantha Gale threw a complete game five-hitter as the Wildcats made their two first-inning runs stand.
Calesha Shelley scored on a single by Aurelia Gamch, who would then score on Simone Ceasar’s single up the middle to give B-CU a 2-0 lead.
Gale walked one and struck out two as she improved to 3-6 on the season. This was the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Dartmouth (6-4) won two games at the Hatter Classic last month.
FAU 9, B-CU 0.
The host Owls (21-18) posted their fourth shutout of the tournament and second over the Wildcats in as many days.
Shelley, Gamch and Kelsey Rodney registered B-CU’s three hits.
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com
SOFTBALL SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST MORGAN STATE
BALTIMORE –Hampton swept its conference-opening doubleheader at Morgan State on Saturday, defeating the Lady Bears 11-0 in five innings in the first game and 13-2 in the second game at Lois T. Murray Field.
The Lady Pirates (15-18, 2-0 MEAC) have won four straight games.
Hampton struck early in the first game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning after an RBI groundout from senior Shine Huwe, before the Lady Pirates broke the game open in the top of the second inning with seven runs.
The offensive outburst started when junior Margaret Wilkins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring sophomore Kerissa Burruel. Freshman Diamond Ponds then singled home a run to give the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead.
Freshman Taylor McCoy singled in two more runs, before Huwe brought in two more runs with a triple. Freshman Bobbi Langlois added another RBI single in the second to give the Lady Pirates an 8-0 lead.
Huwe and Burruel each had RBI singles in the fourth inning, before senior Nina Ferguson brought in the last run of the game with an RBI groundout to put Hampton up 11-0.
Taylor went 3-for-3 at the plate in the first game with two RBIs, while Huwe drove in a team-high four runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Burruel was also 2-for-3, while Ponds went 2-for-4 as Hampton belted 14 hits.
Sophomore Jailynn Jackson got her 11th win of the season, striking out five batters in five innings of work. She only gave up two hits and one walk.
Hampton also scored in the first inning of the second game, when Huwe reached on a fielding error and Ponds crossed the plate to put the Lady Pirates up 1-0. Five runs followed in the second inning, thanks to RBI singles from seniors Adrianna Scott and Carla Trimble.
McCoy then singled home two runs in the second inning, before Huwe brought her home with an RBI double to give Hampton a 6-0 lead.
After Scott singled in a run in the top of the sixth inning to put Hampton up 7-0, Morgan State scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut that lead to 7-2. But the Lady Pirates put up six runs in the top of the seventh to put away the game.
Langlois got the scoring started in the seventh with an RBI double to left-center field, before Ferguson singled in another run. Ponds then singled home a pair of runs, before scoring herself on a wild pitch to give the Lady Pirates a 12-2 lead.
McCoy doubled to left-center field to bring in the final run.
Ponds, Huwe, Ferguson, and Scott each had three hits in the second game, while McCoy drove in a team-high three runs. Ponds, Huwe, and Scott each drove in two runs.
Langlois picked up her second win on the mound, striking out three in six innings of work.
For the complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com or www.morganstatebears.com
Ward Powers NSU to Sweep of Coppin State
NORFOLK, Va. – Sophomore Haley Ward hit a combined 7-for-8 and drove in seven runs to lead the Norfolk State softball team to a pair of victories over Coppin State, 10-2, 15-3, Saturday afternoon in the conference opener for both teams.
NSU had 31 hits over the two games, including 11 extra-base hits, and along with Ward, both junior Morgan Boyd and freshman Heather Dunning had five hits apiece. It was Ward, though, who really carried the Spartans. She hit 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI in Game 1 and 4-for-4 with two runs and three RBI in the second game at the Coppin State Softball Complex.
The victories improved NSU’s record to 9-15 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC. Coppin State fell to 5-14, 0-2.
The Spartan pitching staff, on the other hand, also played well. Junior Jamie Schulle (6-8) allowed five hits and two unearned runs in the first game, which lasted just five innings because of the eight-run rule. Sophomore Liz Riley (3-6) gave up three runs, two earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings in Game 2.
NSU got going in the very first inning to start the day. Sophomore Alina Moriarty doubled to drive in Boyd, who had reached base to start the game on a bunt single. Sophomore Robyn Mitchell singled in Moriarty, and then in the second inning, Ward doubled home Boyd and senior Gipsy Ramirez singled in another run.
After Coppin State made it 4-2 in favor of the Spartans with another run in the third, NSU added two more in the fourth. Ward followed singles by Dunning and Boyd with another one-bagger, and junior Melina Valles hit an RBI groundout for a 6-2 lead.
The Spartans added four more in the fifth, all with two outs, to win by the eight-run rule. Ward doubled home a pair of runs, and Moriarty followed with a triple to bring home Ward. Ramirez hit a double to right-center to complete the scoring.
Boyd went 3-for-4 with three runs, while Moriarty (2-for-3, two runs, two RBI) and Ramirez (2-for-2, two RBI) also made contributions at the top of the lineup.
Boyd was one of six players to have at least two hits in the second game, finishing 2-for-5 with three runs. NSU got the scoring going with two outs in the second.
Ward scored freshman Whitney Williams with a single up the middle, and then two runs scored on an error on Coppin State left fielder Victoria Lopez. Later, with runners in scoring position, Mitchell doubled home a pair for a 5-0 lead. Junior Kathy Cortez followed with an RBI single before the Eagles finally got out of the inning.
The Spartans added four more in the third for a 10-0 advantage. Boyd knocked in Dunning with a single to left field, and after Ward singled, Moriarty lofted a sacrifice fly to bring home Boyd. Ramirez doubled home Ward, and one out later Cortez singled into left to allow Ramirez to cross the plate.
After Coppin State added three runs in the next two innings to keep the game going, NSU finally put things to rest with five more runs in the sixth. Mitchell doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Williams doubled for the first run of the inning, and Dunning hit an RBI infield single in the next at bat.
Another run scored on a bad throw when Dunning stole second base, and two batters later Ward doubled home the last two runs of the day to finish her strong showing against the Eagles.
Cortez and Dunning each had three hits in the second game, and both Cortez and Mitchell (2-for-3, two runs) each drove in a pair of runs as well. Williams also had two hits for the Spartans.
Boyd finished the day 5-for-9 with six runs scored, while Dunning hit 5-for-7 with four runs.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.coppinstatesports.com