HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Bethune-Cookman Softball visits Alabama A&M this weekend for the final regular season Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series of the 2023 campaign, as the Wildcats take on the Bulldogs for a three-game set at Bulldog Field.
 
The series begins Friday, April 28, at 1 p.m. CT.
 
The series is big for both teams as a spot in the upcoming SWAC Softball Championships is on the line for five of the six teams in the Eastern Division of the SWAC heading into the final weekend of games.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 27
1 p.m. – at Alabama A&M | Live Stats
 
Saturday, April 28
12 p.m. – at Alabama A&M | Live Stats
 
Sunday, April 29
11 a.m. – at Alabama A&M | Live Stats
 
BETHUNE-COOKMAN STATS & NOTES

• Bethune-Cookman arrives in Huntsville, Alabama having won two of the last three games against Florida A&M in order to collect the series win last weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida.
• The Wildcats took the previous series this season against Alabama A&M in Daytona Beach courtesy wins in the opening and closing games of the series, respectfully.
• Last season, the Cats claimed a series sweep of the Bulldogs in Huntsville.
• Desirae Martinez leads the Maroon and Gold in batting average with a .293 mark, while using a .336 on-base percentage.
• Martinez also leads the Wildcats with a .422 slugging percentage.
• Haley Parks is batting .291 on the year – second on the team in that department, adding a team-high matching 16 stolen bases.
• Ciera Clark has burst onto the scene for the Cats in the last month, registering a .302 batting average with 16 hits, two doubles and two home runs.
• Essence Gibbs is tied for the team lead with 16 stolen bases.
• Victoria Guzman pitched 10 shutout innings against FAMU last weekend, allowing just four hits, while registering five strikeouts in the process. She helped lower her ERA to 4.59 on the campaign as well.

 
LAST TIME OUT FOR BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Bethune-Cookman scored three runs in the home-half of the sixth inning to claim a 3-0 win from Florida A&M on Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats collected a series win in the rubber game of a three-game SWAC set at Sunnyland Park. It took until the sixth inning for Bethune-Cookman to finally get to Florida A&M starting pitcher Lauryn Peppers, with catcher Jordyn Villanueva collecting a single to right as the first baserunner of the afternoon for the Wildcats. On the ensuing play, pinch runner Shania Owens stole second, but a collision at the bag with FAMU second baseman Kiauna Watson saw the Rattlers infielder leave the game with a back injury. The substitution saw Nadia Zenteno enter the circle for the Rattlers, moving Peppers to second as a defensive replacement for Watson. BCU immediately went to work on Zenteno, as Haley Parks lined a run-scoring single to center field that plated Owens for the game's opening score. Centerfielder Joslynn Davis reached safely in the next at-bat on a fielding error charged to the Florida A&M, allowing Parks to score from second and give the Cats a 2-0 advantage. The lead jumped to 3-0 in favor of the hosts when sixth-year Kayla Traylor knocked a run-scoring single to center field in order to push across Davis. In a relief role, Halyne Gonzalez worked the final four innings for the Wildcats and grabbed the win to bump her record to 12-13 for the campaign. She scattered five hits and struck out one batter. Victoria Guzman, one of five BCU Wildcats celebrating "Senior Appreciation Day" on Sunday, began the game with three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, one walk and collecting one strikeout. FAMU's Peppers was credited with the loss despite allowing just one baserunner in 5.1 innings of work, hit for one run and collecting a pair of strikeouts. She dropped her record to 6-8 for the season. Zenteno allowed two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning of relief action. FAMU was led at the plate by designated player Neriah Lee with a 2-for-3 afternoon. BCU was paced by Parks with a hit and an RBI. Traylor had a hit and an RBI as well.
                                                                                                                                   
QUOTES FROM COACH WATTEN
"Between Alabama A&M and Alabama State, those are two red-hot teams right now in the league. It's going to take a collective effort from every single area of the team to try and slow down Alabama A&M this weekend. They are really playing great softball when it matters – right now."
 
"I think we finally have some things figured out at this point in the season, but still always looking to get better – if that makes sense. We can always be better. But we are clicking in key areas, and we have some players stepping up when we really need them to. It's really a good time."
 
"The SWAC is just so difficult. Every single weekend, there's no let-up, so to speak. It only gets tougher and tougher. If you let your foot off the gas for even a second, someone is shooting past you. Then, you're trying to figure out just how exactly you can get caught up."
 
"Alabama A&M is well-coached, and they have players that can hurt you throughout the lineup, as well as pitching. And like I said, they're starting to click, and playing some great softball right now."
 
SCOUTING ALABAMA A&M (21-16, 12-8 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Cassandra Brown
2023 Batting Average: .291; Runs Per Game: 6.2; Hits Per Game: 7.8; Slugging Percentage: .466
2023 ERA: 4.92; K/BB Ratio: 1.44; Opp. Batting Avg: .292
 
LAST TIME AGAINST ALABAMA A&M
Halyne Gonzalez registered her second shutout of the weekend on Sunday afternoon, as Bethune-Cookman picked up a 9-0 series-clinching win from Alabama A&M in the rubber game of a SWAC series at Sunnyland Park. Alabama A&M threatened right from start as the visiting Bulldogs loaded the bases on Bethune-Cookman starting pitcher Halyne Gonzalez with no outs in the opening half-inning. The Wildcats committed two errors in the frame to aid in loading the bases. But it would be Halyne Gonzalez, the reigning SWAC Pitcher of the Week, working out of the jam with a pair of pop ups and a strikeout to keep the runs column empty. Bethune-Cookman countered with a run in the bottom of the frame. With two runners in scoring position, catcher Kallie Earlington collected a sacrifice fly to deep right that allowed Kayla Traylor to score from third, putting the Cats up 1-0. The Maroon and Gold widened the lead in the bottom of the second with five runs to give the Wildcats a 6-0. BCU loaded the bases with nobody out, setting the stage for Essence Gibbs to deliver a two-run single past the glove of AAMU first baseman Venice Sanders to bring around Katelynn Perez and Carrington Robinson for the first two runs of the frame. Second baseman Desirae Martinez followed with an RBI ground out to second, scoring Haley Parks for the 4-0 score. Two batters later, Samantha Kelley plated two runs with a double to the wall in center field. For the Wildcats, the run-rule came into play during the bottom of the sixth with a Shania Owens two-run double back up the middle to bring in Earlington and pinch runner Joslynn Davis for the 8-0 final score. The win was taken by Gonzalez as she ran her record to 3-9 overall and a 2-0 mark in the SWAC. She worked all six innings in the circle for the Maroon and Gold, picking up her second shutout of the weekend on two hits scattered, one walk and striking out seven batters. The loss went to AAMU starter Sydney Hall, dropping her record to 2-4 for the season, in pitching 5.1 innings, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits, seven walks and one strikeout. Krista Sikes closed the game in the circle for the Bulldogs. Robinson was 2-for-3 at the dish for the Cats, while Essence Gibbs and Owens each tallied two RBIs a piece with equal 1-for-3 appearances at the plate.
 
UP NEXT
The Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament takes place May 9-13, in Gulfport, Mississippi. Bethune-Cookman needs wins this weekend against Alabama A&M in order to assure a place in the upcoming tournament.
 
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