JACKSON, Miss. – For the first time in 2023, Bethune-Cookman dropped a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball series on Monday afternoon, as the Wildcats fell in both games of a doubleheader affair at Jackson State. BCU dropped the opener 9-8, before turning around and losing the nightcap 9-1 in a run-ruled five-inning contest.
 
GAME ONE: Jackson State 9, Bethune-Cookman 8
Jackson State scored six runs in the second inning on Monday afternoon en route to a 9-8 SWAC victory over Bethune-Cookman at JSU Softball Field in Jackson, Mississippi. The win evened the series – which was halted for two days due to field conditions stemming from inclement weather in the Central Mississippi area, as BCU took the opener on Friday evening.
 
Bethune-Cookman (13-26, 11-6 SWAC) scored the first two runs of the game in the top-half of the first inning.
 
The first four batters reached safely for Jackson State in the bottom of the second inning, allowing Jace Jackson to collect a bases-loaded RBI walk to score catcher Isabel Gusman to score the first run of the game for the Tigers as they trailed 3-1. Later in the inning, Gusman drove in a pair off a single to right, pushing across Brooklyn Morris and Mari Stephens to give JSU a 6-3 lead.
 
Trailing 7-5 in the top of the fifth, BCU received an RBI single from Ciera Clark that plated Kayla Traylor to cut into the Wildcats deficit, 7-6.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Cats tied things up at 7-all when Haley Parks stole home. Two plays later, the Wildcats took an 8-7 lead as Joslynn Davis stole home on a double-steal with Traylor (taking second base).
 
However, in the bottom of the sixth, Stephens registered a two-run homer to left field that gave the Tigers the 9-8 win.
 
The win went to JSU's Takiya Hill, while the loss went to BCU reliever Victoria Guzman, dropping her record for the season at 2-11. Halyne Gonzalez was tagged for six runs on one hit and six walks in just 1.2 innings of work in one of her shortest starts of the campaign.
 
Parks finished the game with three hits for the Maroon and Gold, while Desirae Martinez and Clark each tallied two hits apiece.
 
GAME TWO: Jackson State 9, Bethune-Cookman 1
Jackson State scored eight runs across the first two innings Monday afternoon, as the Tigers completed a doubleheader sweep of Bethune-Cookman courtesy a 9-1 run-rule five-inning contest in the second leg of the SWAC Softball doubleheader at JSU Softball Field in Jackson, Mississippi.
 
With JSU leading 2-0 after one inning, the homestanding Tigers tallied two (2) three-run home runs in the home-half of the second inning to rush out to an early 8-0 lead.
 
Bethune-Cookman (13-27, 11-7 SWAC) clawed a run back in the top of the fourth as Samantha Kelley delivered her first home run of the season with a solo shot to right field, cutting into the deficit, 8-1.
 
The run rule was put into effect in the home-half of the fourth courtesy a run-scoring triple off the end of a Marissa Medina triple to right that scored Alexis Arredondo for the final 9-1 decision.
 
The win was collected by JSU pitcher Macie Kuppenbender, while the loss went to BCU starter Halyne Gonzalez (11-11. Gonzalez went just 1.1 innings – after throwing just 1.2 innings in the opening game of the day, as she was tagged for six runs on five hits and a walk. In all, Gonzalez allowed 12 runs across the two games on Monday.
 
BCU was led offensively by Kallie Earlington with a 2-for-2 effort at the dish.
 
The Cats return to action Friday, April 21, when the Maroon and Gold host Florida A&M to Sunnyland Park for a three-game series.
 
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