Feb. 28, 2010
Box Score
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DeLAND, Fla. - After getting rained out for Saturday's games, the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman softball returned to play, Sunday, at the Hatter Classic. B-CU won both games Friday to tie for a lead in the tournament. Sunday's games featured a rematch with Albany and a big matchup with Atlantic Coast Conference foe, Boston College. The Wildcats held strong in each game, but their opponents found offensive strength late in each game to take late-inning leads, with UA winning 6-1, and BC winning 6-2.
In the opening game with Albany, the Wildcats looked to sweep the Great Danes in tournament play. B-CU defeated UA Friday, 2-1. The Wildcats made the first strike in round two with the Great Danes, as Cesley Tafoya batted in Ashton Hinds from third on a sacrifice fly to center field, taking a 1-0 lead.
Solid defense followed for both teams, with both teams held without further score through the next three innings. Although the Great Danes were able to collect four hits in that span, the Wildcats shut them down each time, stranding four runners on base. However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, UA really got rolling, putting five runs on the board, set off by an errant try to pick of a base runner which put the leadoff batter in scoring position. The five hit, five run, and two error inning put a dent in the scoreboard, putting UA on top 5-1. The Great Danes would notch one more run in the bottom of the sixth, sending the score final after downing three straight Wildcats in the seventh to earn the 6-1 win.
"It was a winnable game," said Head Coach Chris Cochran of the game's outcome, "and you give credit to them because they came back and put some hits together when they needed to."
Allison Garcia (4-4) started and closed the game pitching for B-CU, collecting four strikeouts.
In the day's second game, the Wildcats played solid defense with the Eagles of Boston College, but found themselves in a jam late in the game, changing the face of this game. While the Eagles took an early 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the second inning, B-CU kept them in check through the next three innings with no hits allowed.
In the meantime, B-CU got on the board as well. In the bottom of the fourth, a long single by Allison Garcia up the middle to left field, sent Ashton Hinds home to knot up the score at 1-1.
In the top of the sixth, the Eagles loaded up the bases against pitching reliever, Garcia, getting well-placed infield hits to get on the base. The four hit, one error inning, put four more runs on the board for BC, giving them a significant lead, and only two chances for the Wildcats to match the output.
In the bottom half of the inning, Bethune-Cookman responded, adding one run to the total, but were unable to fully convert the opportunity, with two runners left on base. A great single by Garcia sent base runners through two bases, getting a extra on the throw, including Aurelia Gamch coming in from second base to make the score 5-2.
Boston College got one more on the board in the top of the seventh, off two hits, but B-CU stranded two eagles on base. In the bottom half, B-CU set up opportunities to add to the total, but fell short, collecting two hits, but earning no runs, closing the game with the Eagles winning 6-2.
"I was happy with how we put runners on base against a very good Boston College team," said Cochran. "Defensively, though, we've got some things that we need to work on. It's things that are correctable; we need just a little bit better composure sometimes in situations like that."
Allison Garcia led the Wildcats with two hits and two RBI against the Eagles, while Liz Parrish, each with four assists. On the mound, Chastity Sanders opened the game for B-CU, pitching four solid innings with one earned run and two strikeouts. She was relieved in the fifth by Garcia (4-5), who collected two strikeouts and only allowed one earned run.
The Wildcats (4-9) set their sights now on the 2010 home opening, heading to Sunnyland Park to face a familiar opponent. Boston College (5-2) heads to Daytona Beach, Tuesday, to face the Wildcats in a double header. Games begin at Sunnyland on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.
“We're excited because it's the first games at home this year," concluded Cochran. "This is a big week coming up because we have double headers at home on Tuesday and Wednesday, then we come back over to the Stetson tournament for five games on the weekend. We need to be rested and come out offensively, get good pitching, and go from there.”
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