ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Four runs in the bottom of the first inning was good enough to see Bethune-Cookman race to a 7-3 decision over the Rattlers on Friday afternoon at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. In the process, BCU advances to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship for the fifth consecutive year, and will face off against FAMU for the fifth consecutive year in the title series.
 
Bethune-Cookman (30-24) wasted little time chasing Florida A&M starting pitcher Veronica Burse, as the top-seeded Wildcats landed four runs on the FAMU hurler in the opening frame.
 
Senior left fielder Mariah Davis walked and Jacki Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her over right from the start. A double steal from Davis and two-time MEAC Player of the Year Ryan Jackson was followed by a walk drawn by senior first baseman Iesha Waters to load the bases for the Maroon and Gold with just one out.
 
Brianna Sanders singled to left in order to plate Davis for the game's opening run.
 
That was followed on the ensuing play by Taylor Sherritt's three-run double to the wall in center field, putting the Wildcats on top, 4-0. That would eventually chase Burse from the pitcher's circle for regular Florida A&M starter, Kyaira Brown.
 
Florida A&M (22-28) got on the board in the top of the third with Jamesia Stoudemire registering a two-out solo home run to left center, bringing the four-time defending MEAC Champion Rattlers to within 4-1.
 
BCU would answer in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead at 5-1.
 
Ryan Jackson's single to short was just deep enough for second baseman Kayla Traylor to score from third, before the Rattlers turned two outs as Jacki Smith was out at second, followed by Davis thrown at third as she tried to get herself into scoring position on the play.
 
In the top of the sixth, FAMU took advantage of a dropped popup by Traylor in the infield to plate its second run of the contest.
 
Brown reached with two outs on the dropped popup, allowing Hera Varmah to come around from first on the play, allowing the Rattlers to within a 5-2 deficit.
 
However, the Wildcats answered in kind with a pair of runs in the home-half of the inning.
 
Traylor singled to left, and advanced to second on an error charged to FAMU left fielder Tyra Bowers, putting her into scoring position with one out. The ensuing at-bat saw BCU right fielder Cheyenne Smith lace a run-scoring triple down the line in right, scoring Traylor and putting the Maroon and Gold up, 6-2.
 
Jacki Smith would follow with a RBI single to left, scoring Cheyenne Smith and giving BCU the 7-2 advantage heading into the final inning.
 
Florida A&M's Alexis Day delivered a two-out single to shortstop that drove across Stoudemire and produced the 7-3 final decision, as MEAC Rookie of the Year Alexis Bermudez collected the final out in the pitcher's circle with a liner off the bat of Yuri Hampton back to the rubber.
 
The win went to Bermudez, who has all three BCU victories in this year's MEAC Tournament, improving her record at 12-9 on the campaign. She worked all seven inning in the circle, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits, two walks and picking up five strikeouts.
 
Meanwhile, the loss went to FAMU starter Burse (7-17) as she went just 0.1 inning in the circle, being tagged for four runs on a pair of hits and two walks in a short outing in the circle. In relief, it was Brown tossing 5.2 innings for the Rattlers, allowing three runs on six hits, a walk and collecting one strikeout.
 
The Bethune-Cookman bats were sparked by Traylor's perfect 2-for-2 showing at the plate, as she also scored twice. Sherritt would finish 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while teammates Jacki Smith, Cheyenne Smith, Jackson and Sanders each produced run-scoring hits of their own.
 
Bethune-Cookman will once again play Florida A&M in the MEAC Championship title series Saturday at noon back at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. FAMU has beaten BCU the previous four years in the title series, with the Rattlers winning two games last season to erase the defeat from the semifinals against the Wildcats.

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