Feb. 12, 2012
Box Score
By Dean Watson
B-CUAhletics.com
CLERMONT, Fla. -- Bethune-Cookman jumped out to an early 3-1 lead but could not hold out down the stretch and fell 7-4 the University of North Florida Sunday on the final day of the Dot Richardson National Collegiate Softball Invitational.
The loss dropped B-CU to 1-4 on the season.
Wildcat starter Shanel Tolbert looked strong shutting out the Ospreys (4-1)through four innings. The UNF bats, however, came alive and put up two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth to pull away for the win.
Tolbert threw a complete game allowing seven runs on nine hits. She struck out two batters while walking three.
"I didn't think that she [Tolbert] pitched a bad game at all. I thought she pitched decently," said B-CU head coach Chris Cochran. "They are a team that can score runs. I thought that we didn't do a good job of keeping pressure on their second pitcher after they made a change."
Bethune-Cookman's offense was led by freshman Calesha Shelley, who came up with a pair of RBI singles and finished 3-for-4 at the plate. Junior Simone Caesar and freshman Karina Romero each were 2-for-4 with a triple. Romero added a pair of RBI.
The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning after a pair of triples by Ceasar and Romero, plus an RBI single by Shelley.
Tolbert followed with a four-pitch bottom of the inning and B-CU looked to be cruising along.
UNF scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth to get to within one, yet B-CU responded with a run in the top of the sixth. Junior Lara Reese slid around a tag at the plate on an RBI single by Shelley to extend the lead to 4-2.
"I think we have been getting progressively better as the tournament went on. It is the first tournament of the season so we do not expect perfection but we do expect to get better," said Cochran. "We gave ourselves an opportunity here today but we have to learn to keep the pressure on and shut the door."
Next up for B-CU is a trio of games in DeLand against Stetson. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday, February 18 beginning at 1:00 p.m. and then a single game Sunday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m.
