Feb. 29, 2012

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - There's an old adage about RBIs - you need base runners to get `em. It's how Bethune-Cookman kept things close with Loyola Maramount in Wednesday's home opener at Sunnyland Park before LMU went on to a 3-2,11-2 sweep.

Shanel Tolbert scattered five hits and kept the Lions (12-6) from a big inning as the Wildcats (3-12) closed to 3-1 on Amari Foster's solo homer in the fifth and Michele Baneulos-Smith's sacrifice bunt to score Kelsey Rodney in the sixth.

"We knew LMU had players who were going to get their hits," said B-CU coach Chris Cochran. "Shanel threw well in the first game and we were able to keep it close."

The Lions got the big innings in the nightcap - a bases-loaded double and a three-run homer helped the visitors pull away. Banuleos-Smith had both B-CU RBIs in the second game on a solo homer in the second and a double that scored Rodney in the third.

"We had a lot of positives today," Cochran said. "The bunting was good, Karina Romero made good plays at first and Aurelia Gamch at shortstop."

B-CU travels to Clearwater for the Under Armor tournament hosted by USF beginning Friday.

-Dan Ryan