Feb. 10, 2012
Chattanooga Box Score/UNF Box Score
By Dan Ryan
B-CUAthletics.com
CLERMONT, Fla. – For now, the task at hand for Bethune-Cookman is to improve each game. The Wildcats did that on opening day despite dropping decisions of 12-1 to Chattanooga and 8-5 to North Florida Friday at the Dot Richardson National Collegiate Invitational.
After getting run-ruled by the five-time Southern Conference champions in the opener, B-CU turned a 7-0 UNF lead into a close contest with a five-run fifth inning.
“We had to get to better,” said B-CU coach Chris Cochran. “Obviously we didn't play as well in the first game. We'll be a better team as the season progresses, but to start this tournament, we're as good as we can be."
Michelle Banuelos-Smith later scored on illegal pitches as the Wildcats closed to two runs.
Romero and Reese, both newcomers, each had two hits for B-CU along with Gamch and Banuelos-Smith.
“That was impressive,” Cochran said of the freshmen.
Against Chattanooga, B-CU loaded the bases in the top half of the second inning when Banuelos-Smith walked, Simone singled and Sabrina Ferguson's bunt was mishandled.
Chattanooga's Michelle Fuzzard worked out of the no-out jam and then ripped a two-run double in the Moccasins' eight-run second. She added a two-run homer the next inning.
“We cut ourselves short by not having a timely hit in the first game,” Cochran said. “We have to get more aggressive when we're ahead in the court … we need to be aggressive as we can be to help ourselves."
Gamch scored on a Banuelos-Smith sacrifice fly in the fifth for B-CU's lone run. Tafoya went 2-3.
Pitching-wise, Shanel Tolbert started the opener and closed the second. Gamch saw her first action since fall practice in starting the second and freshman Paige Poissant worked 1 2/3 innings.
B-CU will face UCF at 3 p.m. and Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m. Saturday.
NOTE: B-CU was picked to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division in the preseason poll of coaches and sports information directors released Friday. Delaware State got the nod to win the Northern Division. Gamch was B-CU's lone selection on the preseason all-conference team.
