DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman and George Mason split a non-conference softball doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Sunnyland Park. BCU took the opener, 11-3 in six innings, while George Mason took the nightcap, 4-1.
 
GAME ONE: BCU 11, GEORGE MASON 3
Ryan Jackson posted her Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leading 11th home run of the season Tuesday afternoon, helping Bethune-Cookman to an 11-3 defeat of George Mason in the first game of a softball doubleheader at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (14-15) opened the scoring in the home-half of the first inning, plating three runs for the early lead in which they would never relinquish.
 
With Iesha Waters and Mariah Davis on second and third with one out, second baseman Kailey Richard drove across both players courtesy a single back up the middle past a diving Madison Aker at shortstop. Richard would come around to score later in the BCU at-bat when senior third baseman Bryanna Campos recorded a RBI double to right center.
 
The Maroon and Gold added a pair of runs in the bottom of the second when sophomore right fielder Ryan Jackson drove out a 1-1 pitch clear the wall in left centerfield that also scored Jacki Smith on the play. For the Chino Hills, California native, the home run was her fourth home run in the last five games.
 
George Mason (8-9) countered to cut into the lead with two runs of the Patriots own in the top of the third frame, lowering the BCU lead at 5-2.
 
A Liz Seymour double to center scored Aker, followed by a Sydnee Wells run-scoring single to the same spot that brought in Seymour.
 
After the Patriots plated another run in the top of the fourth, BCU answered with an Iesha Waters RBI double to score Jackson, adding to the BCU lead, 6-3.
 
The lead swelled to 7-3 in the fifth when Bryanna Campos recorded her first home run of the season with a shot to left field.
 
BCU added four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to complete the run-rule, 11-3.
 
Cheyenne Smith and Jacki Smith reached safely on back-to-back bunt singles, followed by a Ryan Jackson RBI double to center to score Cheyenne Smith. Jacki Smith scored on the same play, using a fielding error charged to Patriots center fielder Seymour. Jackson scored a play later as Mariah Davis reached safely on a single. And the final run of the game was scored with a Waters' double to left that scored Davis.
 
Alexis Bermudez (5-5) picked up the win in the circle for the Maroon and Gold. The freshman went 3.2 innings in the circle, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Classmate Victoria Guzman earned her third save of the year in pitching the final 2.1 innings, allowing just two walks and striking out two.
 
BCU's offensive attack was charged by Jackson's perfect 3-for-3 effort at the plate, adding three RBIs and three runs. Mariah Davis was 3-for-4 with two runs and a run batted in.
 
GAME TWO: GEORGE MASON 4, BCU 1
Bekah Ansbro pitched all seven innings for the George Mason Patriots Tuesday afternoon as the visitors collected a 4-1 win over Bethune-Cookman to force a split of the day's doubleheader at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
In what appeared to be an early pitcher's duel, George Mason (9-9) opened the game's scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Liz Seymour kicked off the inning with a triple to the wall in center field, followed by a single from Sydnee Wells that plated the Patriots centerfielder. Wilson's single past the diving effort from Brianna Sanders at second later plated Wells for the 2-0 advantage.
 
Bethune-Cookman (14-16) brought back a run in the home-half of the inning, using Brianna Sanders' second home run of the year as she cleared the wall in left center.
 
A Hannah Rosenfeld leadoff home run to left center stretched the George Mason lead at 3-1 in the sixth. And it would be Rosenfeld supplying the batting effort once again in the seventh as she tallied a sacrifice fly to left that allowed designated player Brooke Sullivan to score on the play from third. Sullivan walked to lead off the inning, later advancing on a single and a fly out, respectfully.
 
The Patriots' Bekah Ansbro collected the win to move her record to 2-4 on the year, as she worked all seven innings, allowing a run on seven hits scattered and picking up three strikeouts. The loss went to sophomore Destiny Enriquez (2-6) as she pitched 4.2 innings in the circle, allowing a pair of runs on six hits, a walk and a strikeout.
 
The BCU bats were led by Jacki Smith with a 2-for-3 effort at the dish. Sanders had the home run for the team's only RBI.
 
Bethune-Cookman next plays against North Florida in a doubleheader Wednesday, March 21, in Jacksonville.
 
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