TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Esssence Gibbs provided Bethune-Cookman with two hits Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats fell to Florida A&M 9-1 at FAMU Stadium in the second game of a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series. The win evened the series between the two teams.
 
Florida A&M (10-11, 4-1 SWAC) scored three runs in the home-half of the first, beginning with a run-scoring double from Nyah Morgan that plated leadoff hitter Jania Davis who walked in her at-bat. Melkayla Irvis later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Jane'a Mobley to make it 2-0. And the lead went to 3-0 when Amaya Gainer reached on an error by the BCU infield, seeing Morgan score on the play.
 
Bethune-Cookman (5-20, 3-2 SWAC) scored the lone run of the game for the Wildcats in the top of the third off the end of a Kayla Traylor RBI fielder's choice that pushed across Katelynn Perez, after BCU designated player led off the inning reaching safely due to a FAMU error.
 
FAMU would later score two runs in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead at 5-1.
 
The Rattlers got a leadoff home run from Morgan to begin their at-bat in the fifth, before going on to score three more runs across the fifth and sixth innings combined.
 
Nadia Zenteno (4-3) earned the win in going six innings in the pitcher's circle for the Rattlers, allowing the one unearned run on seven hits scattered, one walk and four strikeouts. The loss went to Gonzalez (4-10) as she allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk in just 1.1 innings of work.
 
Victoria Guzman and Alyssa Lopez each saw relief action out of the bullpen for the Maroon and Gold.
 
Essence Gibbs was 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Cats at the plate.
 
The two teams meet back at FAMU Stadium for the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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