DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kallie Earlington was 3-for-3 at the plate Sunday afternoon in helping lead Bethune-Cookman to a 6-4 series-clinching victory over Jackson State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball contest at Sunnyland Park.
 
Bethune-Cookman (8-23, 6-3 SWAC) scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning, as the Wildcats got to Jackson State starter Victoria Salazar early-on.
 
Desirae Martinez kicked things off with a single, followed by a single from Samantha Kelley. Martinez would score the game's opening run on a throwing error charged to the Jackson State infield. A Kallie Earlington single one play later scored Kelley for the 2-0 BCU advantage.
 
Left fielder Carrington Robinson placed a sacrifice bunt down successfully to plate Essence Gibbs. Haley Parks then followed abruptly with an RBI single that crossed Earlington for the fourth run of the frame for the Cats.
 
Jackson State (15-17, 4-5 SWAC) scored one in the top of the third off the end of a Brooklyn Morris single to short that was enough to cross Samiyyah Huckabee to cut the score to 4-1.
 
The Wildcats answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
JSU would commit three errors in the frame, including a throwing error charged to the Tigers infield allowing Kelley to score and increase the BCU lead at 5-1. Robinson picked up an RBI single to first in order to bring around Earlington for the 6-1 BCU lead.
 
The Tigers got a lift in the top of the fifth when catcher Isabel Gusman delivered a three-run scoring home run to straightaway center field – her third homer of the season, to chip into the BCU lead at 6-4.
 
The Maroon and Gold threatened again in the home-half of the sixth when loading the bases but were unable to bring anyone in for insurance runs.
 
Reliever Victoria Guzman was able to close the game and collect her first save of the season.
 
Halyne Gonzalez (7-10) earned the win for the Cats, working 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Guzman pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing just one walk and striking out four.
 
The loss went to JSU starter Victoria Salazar (4-6) as she went four innings in the circle for the Tigers, allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits. Takiya Hill finished the game for the Tigers in pitching two innings and allowing five hits.
 
JSU was led at the dish by Morris with a 2-for-4 effort and an RBI, followed by Gusman with her three-run homer.
 
Bethune-Cookman was paced offensively by Earlington's perfect 3-for-3 day with an RBI and two runs scored. Desirae Martinez was 2-for-3 with a run, while Kelley was 2-for-3 with two runs. Of her own.
 
BCU welcomes Alabama State to Sunnyland Park for a three-game league series next weekend, beginning with the opener on Friday, March 31, at 3 p.m.
 
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