DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman came up on the short end of a pair of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contests on Saturday at Sunnyland Park, as the Wildcats fell in both games of a doubleheader to North Carolina A&T, 4-3 (8 innings) and 6-4.
 
GAME ONE: N.C. A&T 4, BCU 3 (8 inn.)
Talisha Jenkins' RBI single scored Zadia Davis in the top of the eighth inning on Saturday to allow visiting North Carolina A&T a 4-3 victory over Bethune-Cookman in MEAC softball action at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
In the top of the eighth, North Carolina A&T (9-20-1, 2-2 MEAC) advanced a pair of runners into scoring position on a single by Nathaly Pacheco and a costly error charged to BCU second baseman Bryanna Campos, allowing the Aggies the chance to use Jenkins' RBI single with two outs to secure the win in the opening game of the doubleheader.
 
After the Aggies opened the game's scoring with a run in the top of the fifth, Bethune-Cookman (12-25, 3-1 MEAC) answered with three runs in the home-half of the frame.
 
Kailey Richard started the rally with a double, followed immediately by a single up the middle from designated player Bailey Conner, moving Richard to third. Kaiya Epps-Lee pinch ran for Conner at first, only to steal second on the next pitch. That set the stage for Campos to plate Richard with a RBI single to shallow centerfield, knotting the game at 1-all.
 
BCU stepped in front two plays later when centerfielder Mariah Davis reached on a throwing error charged to the Aggies' Jillian Nobles at third base, allowing both Campos and Annie Bakenhus to score on the play, putting BCU in front, 3-1.
 
North Carolina A&T responded with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Designated player Alexandria Simmons singled to score pinch runner Alyssa Green, and teammate Pacheco drew a bases loaded walk from Wildcats starting pitcher Sabrina Anguiano to tie it up at 4-4. In fact, the Aggies had the bases loaded with just one out until Conner entered the circle to get the final two batters and keep the game tied after six complete innings.
 
The win went to N.C. A&T's Mohagony Headen out of the bullpen, increasing her record to 3-10 on the year. She worked three scoreless innings, allowing just one run, walking one and fanning three. Meanwhile, the loss went to Conner, dropping her to 2-1 for the season as she pitched three innings, allowing just an unearned run on three hits and three strikeouts.
 
The offense for the Wildcats was paced by Richard with two hits, while teammates Campos, Conner and Davis each tallied a hit apiece.
 
GAME TWO: N.C. A&T 6, BCU 4
Bethune-Cookman allowed four runs in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday afternoon as visiting North Carolina A&T collected a 6-4 decision over the Wildcats, and sweeping both games of an MEAC doubleheader in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Bethune-Cookman (12-26, 3-2 MEAC) cut into the score at 2-1, using an Annie Bakenhus single to shortstop that crossed teammate Kaitlin Alamprese from third. Alamprese led off the at-bat with a single, and then advancing on an error charged to Aggies left fielder Talisha Jenkins.
 
The Wildcats tied the game at 2-all just moments later when Mariah Davis stroked a RBI single to left center, driving across Bakenhus for the score.
 
In the top of the seventh, BCU relief pitcher Mariah Estrada found herself in some trouble when she allowed the first two batters to reach safely via a walk and a hit by pitch. That spawned BCU head coach Laura Watten to bring Sabrina Anguiano from the bullpen. Two fielding errors and a single later, and BCU looked up at the wrong end of a 4-3 deficit. North Carolina A&T (10-20-1, 3-2 MEAC) would score another two runs in the frame to take a 6-2 lead into the bottom-half.
 
BCU tried to rally in the home-half of the seventh when Brianna Sanders singled and Kailey Richard walked to begin the at-bat. Sanders would eventually cut the deficit at 6-3 when she scored on the end of an Alamprese RBI groundout to first. Then it was Richard scoring for the final 6-4 score line as she crossed courtesy a Taylor Sherritt single back up the middle.
 
The win went to the Aggies Mohagony Headen in a starting role, as she moved to 4-10 on the year. She worked six innings in the game, allowing two runs on nine hits and two walks overall.
 
The loss went to freshman Estrada, dropping her to 3-5 for the season. She went 4.1 innings in a relief effort, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits, a walk and two strikeouts.
 
The Cats were led at the plate by three players with two hits each, including Davis, Sherritt and Bakenhus.
 
The Wildcats will try and avoid the series sweep tomorrow when the teams meet back at Sunnyland Park for a single game beginning at noon.
 
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