GULFPORT, Miss. – Three first-inning runs proved costly for the Wildcats Wednesday afternoon, as No. 1 seed Prairie A&M (Western Division) upended No. 2 seed Bethune-Cookman (Eastern Division) in a winner's bracket contest at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball Tournament at the Gulfport Sportsplex.
 
Prairie View A&M (27-18) scored early with a two-out triple from first baseman Rayna Lewis, scoring Mia Nunez for the 1-0 advantage. A costly fielding error on a fly ball to center from Aerin Tally allowed Lewis and Jaylyn Davis to score for the 3-0 Panthers lead.
 
In the top of the third, Bethune-Cookman (18-30) got a run back when a Joslynn Davis single, followed by an error charged to the Panthers infield, pushed across Hayley Parks to cut into the lead 3-1.
 
However, the Panthers would score another three runs in the bottom of the inning to stretch the lead out to 6-1.
 
A bunt single from Talley plated Biviana Figueroa for the 4-1 score. A bases-loaded single to left from centerfielder Audrey Garcia drove in another two.
 
Cailin Massey picked up the win in the circle for Prairie View A&M, bumping her record for the year to 10-5, as she tossed the complete game with one unearned run allowed on five hits scattered, a walk and two strikeouts. The loss went to Halyne Gonzalez of Bethune-Cookman, dropping her record to 15-14 for the year as she went just 2.2 innings, giving up six runs (four earned), four hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
 
Victoria Guzman worked the final 3.1 innings for the Wildcats in the pitcher's circle, allowing just three hits, one walk and striking out one batter.
 
Garcia went 3-for-3 for the Panthers at the plate with a pair of RBIs.
 
BCU was led by Davis with a 2-for-3 performance, followed by hits from Samantha Kelley, Ciera Clark and pinch hitter Maria Galvan.
 
Bethune-Cookman plays Texas Southern in an elimination game Thursday, May 11, at 9 a.m. CT.
 
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