DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bryanna Campos and Ryan Jackson each tallied home runs on Tuesday afternoon, helping spark Bethune-Cookman Softball to a doubleheader sweep from Western Carolina at Sunnyland Park. BCU took the opening game, 7-5, and collected the second game with a 6-5 decision in eight innings.
 
BCU 7, Western Carolina 5
Freshman Ryan Jackson powered out her team-leading fourth home run of the season, helping Bethune-Cookman collect the first game of a doubleheader against visiting Western Carolina, 7-5 at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (3-18) scored two runs in the opening inning, taking a lead the Wildcats would never relinquish in the 2017 home opener for the Maroon and Gold.
 
Brianna Sanders drove in the game's opening score with a double to left field, allowing Ryan Jackson to score from second on the play. That was followed two batters later with Yvonne Siordia's RBI single to left, plating Kaitlin Alamprese for the 2-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats would extend the lead in the third inning with a trio of runs.
 
Jackson, a native of Chino Hills, California, registered her fourth home run of the year in leadoff fashion, putting the Wildcats up, 3-0. Bryanna Campos drove in the next two scores with a double to the left centerfield wall, allowing Siordia and Sanders to score, appropriately.
 
After Western Carolina (5-6) scored a run in the top-half of the fourth, BCU answered in the home-half of the frame when Alamprese collected a RBI groundout that drove across Mariah Davis, extending the Wildcats lead at 6-1.
 
The Catamounts would score three unanswered across the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, bringing the visitors to within a 6-4 margin.
 
However, BCU would get the advantage back to two runs in the bottom of the sixth, using a bases loaded walk drawn by Sanders, as Davis would score for the second time in the game to put BCU up, 7-5.
 
The Catamounts produced a run in the top of the seventh with second baseman Erica Hayes RBI single to center field to score Madison Armstrong. However, senior pitcher Sabrina Anguiano would enter with two outs to close the game and collect her first save of the year.
 
Freshman pitcher Mariah Estrada collected the win, improving her to 2-3 for the year. The rookie worked three innings in the circle during the start, allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. Before being relieved by Anguiano, freshman Destiny Enriquez worked 1.1 innings in the circle out of the bullpen, allowing a run on three hits.
 
The Wildcats were led at the plate by Jackson with a perfect 3-for-3 outing, driving in a run via the solo homer, and scoring twice altogether. Davis added a 2-for-3 effort from the leadoff spot, scoring two runs in the process. And it was designated player Siordia finishing 2-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored.
 
BCU 6, Western Carolina 5 (8 inn.)
Iesha Waters singled to right field to score Annie Bakenhus from third base, giving Bethune-Cookman a 6-5 win in eight innings on Tuesday evening, defeating visiting Western Carolina at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida. The game gave BCU the doubleheader sweep of the Catamounts in non-conference action.
 
Bethune-Cookman (4-18) led 5-4 heading into the top of the seventh inning.
 
After singles from Kassandra Flores and Emily Weatherman – followed by a walk to Courtney Price, it would be Flores scoring from third on a Bailey Conner wild pitch past the glove of BCU catcher Taylor Sherritt. That would knot the game at 5-all.
 
After Western Carolina (5-7) had the runner placed on second base to begin the eighth inning, freshman pitcher Mariah Estrada would induce two fly outs and a pop-up to allow BCU the chance for the win in the home-half of the inning.
 
The Wildcats raced out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in each of the first two innings.
 
Junior centerfielder Mariah Davis scored the game's opening run courtesy a dropped fly from WCU right fielder Abigail Daniels. Iesha Waters would score one play later on a failed pickoff attempt to third off the throw from Catamounts catcher Madison Armstrong – as the throw sailed wide of third baseman Kara Salvo.
 
It would be Brianna Sanders driving across Waters and Davis in the second inning, upping the BCU lead at 4-0, as the Wildcats shortstop delivered a single to deep centerfield.
 
The Catamounts would tie the game in the top of the third inning with four runs in the frame.
 
The inning was highlighted by Courtney Price's three-run homer to left that knotted the game at 4-all.
 
BCU took the lead once again in the fifth inning with a Campos solo home run – her first of the season.
 
Estrada would earn her second win of the day for the Wildcats in the pitcher's circle, working 1.2 innings in a relief effort, allowing no runs and no hits. In the win, she evened her record at 3-3 on the campaign. Sabrina Anguiano started the game for the Wildcats, going four innings, giving up four runs on five hits, a walk and three strikeouts.
 
Waters led BCU offensively with a 3-for-4 outing, adding a RBI and two runs scored. Additionally, Jackson produced a pair of hits in three trips.
 
Bethune-Cookman is back in action Thursday, March 9, when the Wildcats host Mount St. Mary's in a doubleheader at Sunnyland Park. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Softball on Twitter (@BCUSoftball) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).