CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Bethune-Cookman took to the field for the opening day of the 19th Annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday, with the Wildcats falling in a pair of games against No. 8 Washington and UC Riverside, respectfully, at Big League Dreams Field Complex in Cathedral City, California.
 
Game One: No. 8 Washington 16, Bethune-Cookman 0
No. 8 Washington compiled 13 hits en route to a 16-0 defeat of Bethune-Cookman on Thursday morning in what was the opening game of the 19th Annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California.
 
Washington (10-2) wasted little time getting on the board, as the eighth-ranked Huskies tacked on six runs in the home-half of the first inning. Kelley Lynch's two-run double kicked off the scoring, while Rylee Holtorf doubled to left to plate Lynch and Kinsey Fiedler, respectively.
 
The Huskies added five runs in the bottom of the second, including an RBI triple from Holtorf.
 
Washington would add five runs in the fourth to put the run-rule into effect. The big blow of the inning came courtesy Madison Huskey, who delivered a towering three-run homer to produce the final 16-0 score line.
 
Lynch picked up the win in the circle for the Huskies, evening her record for the season at 1-1. She worked all five innings, allowing no hits and striking out 13-of-16 batters faced in the contest. The loss went to Bethune-Cookman's Victoria Guzman who fell to 0-5 on the campaign.
 
Game Two: UC Riverside 7, Bethune-Cookman 6
Six Wildcats registered hits while Halyne Gonzalez went the distance in the circle for Bethune-Cookman on Thursday afternoon, with the Wildcats falling to UC Riverside by a score of 7-6 in what was the second game of two played on the day by the Maroon and Gold in the 19th Annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California.
 
After UC Riverside (5-7) jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first inning, the Wildcats immediately responded in the home-half of the frame.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-10) used a Kayla Traylor single up the middle from the leadoff spot to set the tone right away. With the bases loaded and one out, third baseman Kallie Earlington drew a walk to score the first run of the Mary Nutter Classic for the Cats. After catcher Jordyn Villanueva scored on a Highlanders error a play later, it would be first baseman Victoria Guzman plating the go-ahead run courtesy a single back up the middle to cross Desirae Martinez.
 
The Wildcats extended the lead at 4-2 when fifth-year Carrington Robinson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, crossing Earlington on the play. Senior Samantha Kelley would score the fifth run of the inning for the Maroon and Gold on the back of a Haley Parks RBI single past the glove of Highlanders relief pitcher Brooke Perez.
 
UCR starting pitcher Grace Pieson worked just a third of an inning before being hooked, as she allowed all five BCU runs on two hits and a walk.
 
The Highlanders would tie the game with a trio of runs in the top of the third inning.
 
Second baseman Lauryn Garewal kicked off the at-bat with a leadoff triple, later coming in to score off the end of a Haylee Kela sacrifice fly. Left fielder Nadia Witt would even the game at 5-all with a two-run single up the middle.
 
UCR stepped in front in the top of the fourth, plating two runs on the heels of a Marissa Burk run-scoring double, as well as a solo home run from designated player Jackie Alday – her first homer of the season.
 
With BCU trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the Wildcats had a chance to send the game into extra innings right at the death.
 
After Essence Gibbs pinch hit for Villanueva, and then worked herself aboard with a base on balls, Kelley eventually switched places with Gibbs at second base when she lined a double to the wall in left, allowing Gibbs to bring BCU to within 7-6. However, UCR's Perez would settle and get the final out to preserver the Highlanders victory.
 
Perez earned the win in the circle, keeping her record clean at 2-0 on the campaign, as she worked 6.2 innings, allowing just the one run on five hits scattered and collecting three strikeouts. Wildcats sophomore and Norwalk, California native Halyne Gonzalez accepted the loss, as she fell to 1-5 for the season. Gonzalez worked all seven innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits, three walks and producing six strikeouts.
 
UCR was led at the plate by three players with two hits apiece, including Witt with her 2-for-4 effort and three RBIs.
 
The Wildcats used a 2-for-3 effort with the bat from right fielder Parks, as she drove in one run.
 
The Cats return to Day Two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Friday, facing off against Iowa at 12:30 PT. The two teams already met in what was the season-opener for BCU at the Paradise Classic on February 10, in Boca Raton, Florida, with the Hawkeyes earning an 8-0 victory.
 
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