BOCA RATON, Fla. – Less than 12 hours after a thrilling nine-inning game against Florida Atlantic, Bethune-Cookman Softball was back in action on the second day of the FAU "First Pitch" Classic at FAU Stadium. BCU took its opening game of the day on the strength of a 6-1 win against Boston University, but fell to Michigan State by an 8-0 decision in the second of back-to-back contests for the Wildcats.
 
GAME ONE: BCU 6, Boston University 1
Freshman pitcher Victoria Guzman tossed four shutout innings, while sophomore right fielder Ryan Jackson powered out her third home run of the weekend to help lead Bethune-Cookman to a 6-1 win over Boston University on Saturday morning in the Florida Atlantic University "First Pitch" Classic at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-1) trailed 1-0 in the top of the third inning before the Wildcats scored six unanswered runs en route to the first victory of the 2018 season.
 
Senior first baseman Iesha Waters (Riverside, Calif.) scored on a double steal orchestrated by the Wildcats as Mariah Davis (Madera, Calif.) swiped second on the play.
 
That allowed BCU to knot the game at 1-1.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, BCU stepped out in front at 2-1 when second baseman Kailey Richard (Highland, Calif.) crossed home plate off the end of a Bryanna Campos (Pico Rivera, Calif.) sacrifice bunt, allowing the senior to scurry in from third. Richard reached safely earlier in the inning from the leadoff spot on an error by Boston University (2-1) shortstop Brittany Younan.
 
In the fifth inning, it was 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Jackson (Chino Hills, Calif.) driving out her third home run in two games to increase the BCU lead, 3-1.
 
The Maroon and Gold would strike for three insurance runs in the home-half of the sixth inning.
 
Campos reached on a Terriers error to start the at-bat, followed by a sacrifice bunt from catcher Taylor Sherritt (Ridgecrest, Calif.) to move the St. Paul High School alum up to second. After pinch hitter Yvonne Siordia (Murrieta, Calif.) singled to right and put runners on the corners for the Wildcats, it was centerfielder Davis driving in Campos for the inning's first run and the 4-1 BCU advantage on a single shot back up the middle. Freshman Kayla Traylor (Riverside, Calif.), pinch running for Siordia, scored on the next play when she used a wild pitch from Boston reliever Cali Dolfi. Jackson's RBI ground out allowed Davis to score for the game's 6-1 final score.
 
The win was credited to Victoria Guzman (San Jose, Calif.), evening her record for the year at 1-1. The freshman left-hander worked four complete innings in the circle, allowing just a single hit, walking one and fanning a pair in collecting her first collegiate win. The loss was tagged to Boston starter Lizzie Annerino (0-1) after she gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks.
 
The BCU offense was paced by Davis with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate, adding two runs and a RBI. Jackson finished 1-for-4 with the home run. And it was junior Cheyenne Smith (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) drawing three walks, while Brianna Sanders (San Marcos, Calif.) and Waters tallied a hit apiece.
 
GAME TWO: Michigan State 8, BCU 0 (5 innings)
First baseman Kelcey Carrasco finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish with three RBIs, while Jordan Watson went the distance in the pitcher's circle to help Michigan State to an 8-0 decision over Bethune-Cookman in a run-rule, five-inning contest at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.
 
Michigan State (1-2) was able to get to Bethune-Cookman starting pitcher Destiny Enriquez (Norwalk, Calif.) early-on as the Spartans struck for three runs in the top-half of the opening frame.
 
Kelcey Carrasco's RBI double scored McKenzie Long for the game's opening score, followed moments later by shortstop Laney Joyner's two-run scoring groundout to centerfield that saw Mariah Davis throwing hard from centerfield to shortstop. That play scored pinch runners Summer Callahan and Kelly Zackrison, respectively.
 
The Spartans added a pair of runs in the third inning to secure a 5-0 advantage.
 
Carrasco picked up her second hit in as many trips to the plate, driving across Long with a single through the left side. That was followed by an Ebonee Echols single to short that crossed Carrasco for the 5-0 MSU lead.
 
The Spartans would close out the scoring and put the run-rule into effect with a trio of runs in the fourth inning.
 
At the top of the lineup, centerfielder Lea Foerster plated a pair with a single up the middle. And it was Carrasco's double to right that allowed Foerster to score for the 8-0 final score.
 
Michigan State's Jordan Watson picked up her first win of the year as she worked all five innings on the rubber, scattering five hits and walking one with a pair of strikeouts. Meanwhile, the loss went to BCU's Enriquez, dropping her record to 0-1 on the campaign after she went just three innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits, a walk and a strikeout.
 
Campos led the BCU attack at the plate with two hits, while teammates Cheyenne Smith, Ryan Jackson and Davis all secured a hit as well.
 
Bethune-Cookman will take part in a weekend ending pair of games on Sunday against Northern Illinois and the host FAU Owls, respectfully. The first game against Northern Illinois is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., while the final game against the Owls is scheduled for a 3:45 p.m. first pitch.
 
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