MIAMI – During day two of the Felsberg Invitational, the Bethune-Cookman University softball team suffered a pair of losses falling to Ole Miss (5-1) and host Florida International (5-4) on Saturday, Feb. 28 in Miami.
Game One
During the opening game Saturday, Ole Miss jumped out on top 5-0 in the bottom of the third, after two B-CU errors turned into five Rebel runs on four hits.
The Wildcats looked to get something going offensively during the top of the fifth when Calesha Shelley opened the inning with a single to center field. Mariah Davis pushed Shelley into scoring position after a single to left field of her own before the two B-CU base runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball.
Junior Sophia Ortega's RBI ground-out to second base put the Wildcats on the board as Shelley crossed the plate, although Shamaria Engram's SAC attempts caught Davis in her tracks at the plate before the inning ended, B-CU trailing 5-1.
Shelley and Davis split the four Wildcat hits during the setback while Ortega collected the lone RBI.
Sophomore Bailey Conner (2-3) suffered the B-CU loss, throwing 2.1 innings while giving up four hits and four runs during her 12 batters faced.
Game Two
It was the Wildcats who struck first during game two when Shamaria Engram opened the bottom of the second with a solo homer.
With one out, sophomore Kaitlin Alamprese singled to left center, advancing to second after Bryanna Campos was hit by a pitch and Melissa Berouty loaded the bases with a walk.
Wanda Darby's walk went in the books as a RBI as Alamprese scored while Calesha Shelley's sacrifice fly to left field, pushed the B-CU lead to three.
FIU's slow comeback started in the top of the third as the Panthers scored their first run of the contest off of a Stephanie Texeira RBI double to left center.
The Panthers knotted the game at three during the top of the sixth, before B-CU regained its lead in the bottom half of the inning when Engram's single to center field scored Shelly making the score 4-3, Wildcats.
The seventh inning plague struck again for B-CU as FIU added two runs to the board in the top of the inning and the Wildcats were unable to answer in the bottom half of the frame, suffering the 5-4 defeat.
Engram and Alamprese each finished 2-for-4 from the plate for B-CU as Engram totaled a team-best two RBI's and one homer.
Sabrina Anguiano suffered the Wildcat loss throwing the complete seven innings. The sophomore allowed 11 hits, four earned runs, and three walks while fanning three.
B-CU returns to action, Sunday, March 1 as the Wildcats wrap-up action in Miami, taking on FIU at 3 p.m.
