CLEARWATER, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman shortstop Jacki Smith tallied a team-high five hits on Friday, but it was not enough as the Wildcats fell in two tightly contested ballgames against Incarnate Word (4-0) and Middle Tennessee (6-2) at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex. The games were the first of four to be played on the weekend for the Wildcats as part of the Under Armour Showcase hosted by USF.
 
INCARNATE WORD 4, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 0
Bethune-Cookman left the bases loaded in back-to-back innings Friday afternoon as the Wildcats dropped a 4-0 decision to Incarnate Word at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, Florida. The game was the first of two played on the day for BCU as part of the Under Armour Showcase hosted by USF.
 
Incarnate Word (1-10) gathered a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning to break the early deadlock.
 
Sam Wendel doubled to left field to score a pair in the form of Jaylin Olivarez and Hope Sobolewski, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
 
Bethune-Cookman (4-12) would leave the bases jammed in the top of the third inning after back-to-back singles from Quianah Mitchell and Cheyenne Smith were followed by a walk drawn from Brianna Paysinger. However, Incarnate Word pitcher Brett Coleman worked out of the bases loaded, one-out jam with a fielder's choice and a fly out to retire the side with the next two batters.
 
The Cardinals added a run in the home-half of the frame, using Sobolewski's two-out solo home run to left to make it 3-0 in favor of Incarnate Word.
 
The Maroon and Gold would load the bases again on the Cardinals' Coleman in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Designated player Yvonne Siordia and first baseman Brianna Sanders collected consecutive singles to begin the frame, while Mitchell was hit by a pitch to load the bags with two away. A groundout from Cheyenne Smith would end the threat as her dribbler went back to Coleman in the circle for the flip over to Sobolewski at first in order to retire the side.
 
Incarnate Word would take advantage of 10 total batters left on base by the Wildcats in the game, adding an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The win went to Coleman (1-4) as she went the distance in the circle for the Cardinals, working all seven scoreless innings, scattering nine hits, two walks and picking up six strikeouts. The loss went to Alexis Bermudez (1-8) who worked four innings for BCU, allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits, a walk and registering a game-high matching six strikeouts.
 
The BCU bats were charged by junior shortstop Jacki Smith, who went 3-for-4, followed by Sanders who finished the game a perfect 2-for-2 at the dish.
 
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 6, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 2 (10 inn.)
Middle Tennessee scored five runs in the top of the 10th inning Friday afternoon en route to a 6-2 victory over Bethune-Cookman at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex in Clearwater, Florida. The game was the second of two played on the day for BCU as part of the Under Armour Showcase hosted by USF.
 
Middle Tennessee (8-9) used a single from Kirstyn Cuccia in seven spot to score substitute designated player Cameran McKenry from third, following the sacrifice bunt from Deja Portillo to move the runner into scoring position. That allowed the Blue Raiders a 2-1 lead at that point with one out.
 
After Hailey Bosley walked, BCU Hall of Fame Head Coach Laura Watten went to Destiny Enriquez out of the bullpen for the Maroon and Gold.
 
Right fielder Keely McGee would immediately single to load the bases, while Summer Burgess drew an RBI bases-loaded walk in the top of the order to advance the MTSU lead, 3-1. The Blue Raiders added three runs two plays later when Joselynn De La Cruz double to the wall in right center to clear the bases and give her team a 6-1 advantage.
 
Bethune-Cookman (4-13) tried to get back into the game in the bottom of the 10th, as Kaiya Epps-Lee scored on a wild pitch from Corrina Dodd, producing the 6-2 final score.
 
Middle Tennessee opened the game's scoring in the top of the eighth with the international rule applying to non-conference games, using the runner being placed on second base for the go-ahead score just two plays into the inning. With Savannah Freeman stealing third to begin the frame, McGee drove a deep fly to left in order to record the sacrifice and bring in Burgess for the 1-0 lead in favor of the Blue Raiders.
 
BCU would answer in the bottom of the inning when shortstop Jacki Smith recorded a double to left in order to plate Briana Zavala representing the runner placed on second to begin the Wildcats at-bat.
 
Bethune-Cookman would hold MTSU scoreless in the top of the ninth, giving the Maroon and Gold a chance at a walk-off victory. However, back-to-back pop-ups on bunt attempts eventually led to Epps-Lee's fly out to deep right that kept the Cats scoreless as well.
 
Dodd (4-2) went the distance for the Blue Raiders in the pitcher's circle, as she allowed two unearned runs on five hits scattered, three walks and fanning three batters. In reverse, it was Bermudez accepting the loss to fall to just 1-9 on the campaign, as the California right-hander threw a career-long 9.1 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits, two walks and picking up six strikeouts.
 
BCU was paced at the plate by Jacki Smith with a 2-for-4 showing, adding a RBI as well. Cheyenne Smith, Brianna Sanders and substitute left fielder Carrington Robinson also collected hits for the Wildcats.
 
Bethune-Cookman continues play at the Under Armour Showcase tomorrow when the Wildcats face off against Pennsylvania (12:30 p.m.), followed by a contest with Binghamton (3 p.m.).
 
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