SAVANNAH, Ga. – After starting the series a day early, Bethune-Cookman softball dropped a pair of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games to Savannah State (8-5, 11-6), breaking the leagues tie for first in the southern division, Friday, April 24 in Savannah, Georgia.
Game One
Trailing game one, 7-0 heading into the top of the sixth innings, with two outs, Geena Capitini sent a ball to the center field fence for a stand-up double. Wanda Darby followed with a single to left field as Capitini legged out the hit to third base, allowing Darby to move to second.
Calesha Shelley added to the two-out rally with a single to second base, scoring her teammates and advancing to second on the throw. A Mariah Davis single to left field, kept the momentum alive, scoring Shelley, followed by a Sophia Ortega single up the middle before the inning ended with three runs on five hits.
Savannah State added a solo run in the bottom of the inning, leading B-CU 8-3 after six complete.
Melissa Berouty led off the seventh for the 'Cats with a double to center field as Shamaria Engram reached first safely after an error from the SSU short stop. With runners on second and third, a Bryanna Campos sacrifice fly to center field scored Berouty before Darby's single to right field scored Engram during the Wildcat's final efforts, falling 8-5.
Sophomore Sabrina Anguiano (12-22, 8-2) collected the B-CU loss spending 4.0 innings in the circle. She allowed 12 hits, seven runs (six earned), and walked two batters while striking out two.
Darby led the 'Cats at the plate finishing 3-for-4 during game one. Shelley, Davis, Berouty and Capitini all finished with multiple hit games adding to the Wildcats 13 total hits.
Game Two
Shelley led off game two in typical Calesha fashion, with a bunt for a single back to the pitcher. After advancing to third on two wild pitches from SSU's Amanda Hallman, Davis walked as Shelley was caught stealing at the plate.
Ortega also walked, before the duo scored on a passed ball, giving B-CU the early 2-0 lead.
Following a scoreless second inning, the 'Cats added a run to their lead when a Shelley single and stolen base landed her on third following a Davis sac bunt.
During Berouty's at bat, a throwing error from SSU's second baseman allowed Shelley to score, pushing the B-CU lead to 3-0.
The Tigers answered in the bottom of the third adding two runs on four hits, cutting the Wildcat lead to one.
A two-run homer in the top of the fourth from Campos put the 'Cats back on top by three with the 5-2 lead.
B-CU held on to the lead in the bottom of the fourth, before giving up two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
A deadly sixth inning for the 'Cats saw seven runs cross the plate for the Tigers on four hits as SSU pulled ahead 11-6 heading into the final inning.
A solo run from B-CU in the top of the seventh was not enough to overcome the SSU late rally, as the Wildcats fell 11-6.
Angiuano (12-23) picked up the B-CU loss throwing 5.1 innings for the Wildcats. She allowed ten Tiger hits, nine runs (seven earned), walked six batters and struck out five.
Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State wrap-up the three-game series Saturday, April 10 a.m., two hours earlier than originally scheduled, due to the inclement weather thereat in the Savannah
