DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Freshman pitcher Mariah Estrada went seven innings in the circle during the opening game of a doubleheader against visiting North Florida on Wednesday afternoon, helping Bethune-Cookman split a non-conference softball doubleheader against the Ospreys at Sunnyland Park. BCU took the opener, 2-1, before the Ospreys collected the nightcap, 8-0.
 
GAME ONE: BCU 2, UNF 1
Mariah Estrada, a freshman right-handed pitcher from Palm Desert, California, went the distance for the Wildcats in collecting her fifth win of the year, as BCU withstood a late surge to defeat North Florida, 2-1 at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (17-26) scored a pair of runs in the second inning, using three UNF errors to plate the go-ahead and winning scores, respectively.
 
After Ryan Jackson – this week's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week, drew a walk, Kailey Richard advanced Jacki Smith (pinch running at first for Jackson), with a sacrifice bunt. Following Brianna Sanders reaching on an error charged to UNF starting pitcher Logan Green, runners were at the corners with one out for the Wildcats.
 
The second fielding error of the inning occurred off the bat of freshman catcher Taylor Sherritt, as the roller down the first base line was booted by Ospreys first baseman Ashley Niesman. That allowed Smith and Sanders to score on the play, giving BCU the 2-0 lead.
 
North Florida (23-18) finally got to the rookie Estrada in the top of the seventh when the Ospreys loaded up the bases with no outs. In fact, senior reliever Bailey Conner entered the game to face shortstop Kayla McGory, but a wild pitch and a walk saw the right-hander quickly relieved by head coach Laura Watten, going back to Estrada to finish the contest.
 
A sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of Macayla Kelley plated third baseman Navia Penrod, cutting the score at 2-1 in favor of the Wildcats.
 
But Estrada would strike out Niesman looking to end the game and preserve her own win.
 
In the victory, Estrada evened her record at 5-5 for the season. She allowed just the one run in scattering two hits, walking one and striking out three – two of those strikeouts coming in the final inning.
 
The loss went to Green, dropping her to 10-12 for the year. She allowed just two runs (one earned) on three hits, a walk and a strikeout recorded, as she went the distance in the circle for the Ospreys.
 
Leading BCU at the plate was Richard with a hit in one official at-bat, while Kaitlin Alamprese and Jackson secured the other two hits, respectfully.
 
GAME TWO: UNF 8, BCU 0
Designated player Jenna Brownell powered out her first home run of the year on Wednesday afternoon, as North Florida earned a doubleheader split with Bethune-Cookman, taking the nightcap by a score of 8-0 at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
UNF (24-18) raced out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
 
The Ospreys began a two-out rally with a Casey Estes two-run scoring double up the middle, followed by a RBI single past BCU first baseman Iesha Waters courtesy Taylor Aguayo to bring around Ashia Kerr. The final run scored when third baseman Navia Penrod placed a RBI bunt single on the squeeze to cross Estes.
 
In the third, UNF advanced the score at 6-0 when Jenna Brownell registered a two-run homer clear the fence in left field.
 
The final two runs for the Ospreys scored in the top of the sixth, highlighted by pinch hitter Dominica Cocuzza's run-scoring single to short. That put the run-rule into effect as BCU (17-27) was unable to drive anyone in during the home-half of the sixth.
 
Ospreys' starter Amanda Blanchard picked up the win, upping her record to 5-3 on the year. She worked all six innings, allowing just four hits and picking up four strikeouts in the complete-game shutout.
 
Bethune-Cookman freshman pitcher Destiny Enriquez accepted the loss to drop her record at 1-13 for the year. In just two innings, she was tagged for six runs on seven hits, a walk and one strikeout.
 
The BCU offense was paced by Kailey Richard with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate. Brianna Sanders and Mariah Davis each tallied the other two hits, respectfully.
 
Bethune-Cookman continues its nine-game homestand with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) series against South Carolina State, beginning with a doubleheader at Sunnyland Park on Friday, April 14, at 1 p.m.
 
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