May 8, 2009

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Call Softball Contact Michael Stambaugh for more details - 386.481.2278

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Coming into Friday's semifinal game with Florida A&M, the B-CU Wildcats expected a tough game from the conference's top-rated team. The Lady Rattlers came out and slowly built a lead, but a rally in one inning game B-CU the momentum to take the lead and hold off FAMU for the upset and a trip to B-CU's first Championship Final since the 2005 season.

Florida A&M came out looking strong, as the conference's undefeated, top-rated team, and scoring one run in each of the first two innings while holding the Wildcats scoreless. However, the game turned completely in the third inning as B-CU got on the board offensively and took command of the game. The Wildcats first score came as B-CU took advantage of a fielding error to advance Ashley Taylor across Home Plate. Soon thereafter, the Wildcats seized on another FAMU error, with Allison Garcia across the plate, finishing up the inning with B-CU taking a 3-2 lead.

For the remaining innings, the game stayed tight and turned into a defensive battle, with many runners left on base and several plays fielded. The Wildcats held the Lady Rattlers in check for three more innings, while B-CU added to their lead in the top of the fifth, with Garcia taking Home on a Liz Parrish infield out (which was later called back on an illegal pitch), to give B-CU a 4-2 lead. FAMU started to climb back into the game in the final innings, getting several runners on base and scoring again in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, after holding B-CU, the Lady Rattlers had a runner in scoring position as Sabrina Ferguson made the play on the final out of the game and sealed the B-CU victory, 4-3.

Leading B-CU in hitting was Ashley Taylor, who hit 1.000 in three at-bats, and collecting one run. Allison Garcia collected two hits and got two runs, while Sabrina Ferguson had one hit and one RBI. Garcia pitched today's tournament semifinal, collecting five strikeouts and two Earned Runs.

The Wildcats return to action on Saturday afternoon, as they head to the MEAC Softball Championships Final for the first time since 2005. The game is at 1:00 pm at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex and the opponent is not yet determined.