LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Softball dropped a pair of classic contests on Friday evening, falling to LIU Brooklyn and Kennesaw State, respectfully, as part of the Disney Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Invite at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Wildcats fell to LIU Brooklyn, 6-5 in eight innings, while falling to Kennesaw State, 9-7 in the nightcap.
 
LIU BROOKLYN 6, BCU 5 (8 innings)
Bethune-Cookman sophomore Ryan Jackson was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, but it was LIU Brooklyn taking the contest, 6-5 in an eight-inning thriller against the Wildcats as part of the Disney Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Invite at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Friday afternoon in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
 
Trailing 4-0 after two and a half innings, Bethune-Cookman (2-4) began a two-out scoring rally with senior center fielder Mariah Davis drawing a base on balls and swiping second. That allowed sophomore Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Jackson to record her fourth home run of the year with a deep shot to left field to bring the Cats to within 4-2.
 
The Wildcats struck for another run in the bottom of the sixth, beginning with senior first baseman Iesha Waters' two-out single to shortstop. The Riverside, California native eventually worked her way into scoring position at third courtesy a passed ball from LIU Brooklyn catcher Victoria Zamora, and a wild pitcher from reliever Haley Irvis. That set the stage for second baseman Alexis Bermudez to bring Waters in on a single to shallow center field.
 
Bethune-Cookman would tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh on a Ryan Jackson RBI double to the wall in left center, pushing across Davis for the tying score.
 
LIU Brooklyn (1-5) would score a pair in the top of the eighth.
 
The international rule was used with time being a concern for the ensuing game, allowing the Black Birds second baseman Evie Claussell to be placed on second base to kick off the frame. She would eventually steal third on a 2-1 count, only to make her way home a pitch later when Emily Collins homered to left in order to lift LIU Brooklyn to a 6-4 advantage.
 
The Wildcats rallied for a run in the home-half of the inning when Bermudez's single to center drove in Waters from third, bringing the Maroon and Gold to within 6-5 with one out. Kaiya Epps-Lee, serving as a pinch hitter for Jacki Smith, stepped to the plate and delivered a single down the left field line – advancing to second on the throw, and moving Bermudez to third. After Davis was intentionally walked to load the bases, Cheyenne Smith hit into a double play that saw a close play at the plate with Bermudez called out on the tag from the left field throw.
 
The win went to LIU Brooklyn reliever Irvis, evening her record for the year at 1-1, while the loss went to Guzman, dropping her to 1-2 for the season.
 
The BCU offense was paced by Jackson's three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs. Teammate Bermudez was also 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs driven in. Waters collected two hits in four at-bats and scored twice.
 
KENNESAW STATE 9, BCU 7
Senior Kailey Richard tallied a pair of hits while Iesha Waters drove in a pair of runs, but it was Bethune-Cookman coming up just short in a 9-7 setback against Kennesaw State in the second of two games played on the day for the Wildcats as part of the Disney Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Invite at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Friday evening in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (2-5) jumped on top in the first inning, using a Ryan Jackson double to right center to bring in leadoff hitter Mariah Davis – after the Madera, California native got on safely with an error charged to Kennesaw State third baseman Andrea Summey.
 
KSU (1-1) would answer with two runs in the home-half of the second inning off Bethune-Cookman starting pitcher Mariah Estrada, giving the Owls a 2-1 lead.
 
Second baseman Meredith Milam doubled to left in order to bring in leadoff hitter Raleigh Williams who singled to the pitcher to begin the at-bat. That was followed two plays later by a Jessie Mullen RBI double to center field.
 
After the Owls scored two additional runs in the bottom of the third, Bethune-Cookman answered with a season inning-high six runs in the top of the fourth.
 
BCU scored all six runs with two outs, kicked off by a solo homer from designated player Brianna Sanders to pull the Maroon and Gold to within 4-2.
 
After a pair of walks drawn from Alexis Bermudez and Cheyenne Smith, Bermudez would later score on an error charged to the Owls infield. Shortstop Jacki Smith would bring the game to within 4-3 when she plated Cheyenne Smith off the end of a single past the glove of Owls third baseman Summey.
 
A double steal performed by Jacki Smith and Davis to knot the game at 4-4, before first baseman Iesha Waters drove in the go-ahead run for the Wildcats with a two-run scoring single down the right field line, crossing teammates Jackson and Jacki Smith for the 6-4 BCU lead.
 
The Owls would answer with three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by first baseman Patricia Awald's two-run scoring single to straightaway center field, allowing Hannah Thomason and Olivia Tamewitz to score on the play. That put the Owls back in front at 7-6.
 
KSU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth with another Awald two-run scoring single to center.
 
BCU would make things interesting in the top of the seventh, seeing the tying run at second base in the form of pinch runner Kayla Traylor, while Jackson stood at third. But it would be KSU relief pitcher Abby Deane getting a strikeout to end the contest and preserve the win.
 
Deane would collect the win out of the bullpen with three innings worked in the circle, allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out two. She would improve her record 1-0 on the year. Meanwhile, it was Wildcats freshman Victoria Guzman accepting the loss to fall to 1-3 for the year. Guzman worked three complete innings in relief action, allowing two runs on three hits, two strikeouts and two walks.
 
Bethune-Cookman is back in action tomorrow when taking on Stetson and Quinnipiac back at the Wide World of Sports Complex. The first game against the Hatters of Stetson is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
 
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