ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – We had the Ryan Jackson Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament walk-off moment Thursday.

The two-time MEAC Player Of The Year's seventh-inning deep drive to the left field fence scored Cheyenne Smith and gave Bethune-Cookman a 3-2 victory over Savannah State at Ormond Beach Sports Complex. 

The Wildcats (29-24) will face – who else? -- arch-rival Florida A&M Friday at noon for a berth in the finals. If they lose, they'll return at 5 p.m. to play either Hampton or North Carolina Central for the other berth in Saturday's final, needing two games to win.
Jackson's moment came with a little bit of redemption, some help from the Wildcats' small ball and base speed, another strong pitching effort and a second day of solid defense, especially in the outfield … except for one bobble.

Savannah State (14-22) tied the game with runs in the sixth and the seventh, the second when Jackson's feet got tangled after running down a fly ball in the gap. The moment gave Shelby Eccles a chance to score from second for the tying run.
It set the stage for heroics by the Wildcats, at the perfect spot in the batting order.
Smith led off with a walk, and then beat the throw to second on Mariah Davis' bunt single. After Jacki Smith's perfectly-placed bunt advanced both runners, Jackson smacked the inside pitch to left, where it bounced off the outfielder's glove and then off the fence. Score it however you want – it won the game as Cheyenne Smith touched home with no opposition.

Jackson also had a fifth-inning double to the right field fence that put her at second and Davis, but the Wildcats couldn't capitalize, keeping the score at 2-0 and within striking distance for the Tigers.

Getting help from the bottom of the line-up, Bethune-Cookman scored two unanswered runs in the second to take the lead. Brianna Sanders scored on Cheyenne Smith's single and Kayla Traylor plated when Davis' shot up the middle ricocheted off a Savannah defender into left field.

Destiny Enriquez (8-7) picked up the win in relief, giving up one hit and striking out two. Alexis Bermudez scattered five hits, walked two and struck out two before exiting in the sixth.

The Wildcat outfield has registered 11 putouts in two games, and the defense has committed just two errors, both early in Wednesday's win over Coppin State.

Davis had two hits for the Wildcats, who now have won five straight.