ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - - Bethune-Cookman scored five runs in the first inning to take early control and down Delaware State 9-2 to advance to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference softball tournament championship Friday.

The Wildcats (25-30) will meet Florida A&M (23-27) at 1 p.m. at Ormond Beach Sports Complex. Bethune-Cookman, which lost to the Rattlers 5-1 earlier Friday, needs to beat FAMU twice to claim its fourth league title in five years.

Kelsey Rodney, Kaitlin Alamprese, Melissa Berouty and Sophia Ortega each had two hits in a balanced Wildcat attack that capitalized on five Hornet errors.

In the first, Shelley reached on error and scored on the first of Rodney’s two doubles. Then a three-run Hornet error scored Rodney, Bailey Conner and Alamprese to make it 4-0, and Ortega singled home Berouty to conclude the inning’s scoring.

B-CU extended its lead to 8-1 in the fourth on RBI singles from Conner and Alamprese and when Berouty reached on error to score Alamprese. The Wildcats added an insurance in the sixth when Berouty singled home Rodney.

Sabrina Anguiano picked up the win, scattering ten hits.

The Wildcats downed the Rattlers in the championship game for their last title in 2012.