BOX SCORE

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Joumesia Stoudemire's fifth-inning RBI coupled with Kenya Pereira's three-hit shutout was all Florida A&M needed as they remained alive in the championship round of the MEAC Softball Championship.

B-CU threatened in the first on a leadoff single by Mariah Davis followed by a sac bunt but Pereira regrouped quickly to end the threat with a strikeout and an inning-ending groundout. In the fourth, the Lady Rattlers came within an earshot of scoring with a runner on third but came up short as the inning ended on a lineout to right.

In the fifth, Miesha McBride drew a one-out walk and was relieved on the bases by pinch runner Trinity Alexander. A sac bunt moved Alexander over to second and she crossed home plate one batter later as Stoudemire's RBI single up the middle scored the game's lone run.

Outside of a single by B-CU in the sixth, Pereira was at the top of her game as she retired the final five batters in order.

Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M will play a winner-take-all contest at 1:30 p.m. with the MEAC's NCAA Softball Championship bid on the line.