CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Jessica Alaan and Essence Gibbs each recorded multi-hit games Thursday afternoon, as Bethune-Cookman Softball began the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams Complex located just outside Palm Springs, California. BCU dropped the opener to BYU by an 18-5 count, before falling 7-3 in the night-cap to Oregon State.
 
BYU 18, B-CU 5
Violet Zavodnik tallied her first career grand slam and finished with five RBIs on Thursday afternoon in leading BYU to an 18-5 win over Bethune-Cookman in softball action played at Yankee Stadium Field inside Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California. The game was the second of the day for the Cats as part of the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-9) produced four of its five runs in the home-half of the fourth inning.
 
Jessica Alaan doubled to left for her second hit of the afternoon, before eventually working a double-steal alongside teammate Brooklyn Scott two plays later, as the Pomona, California freshman swiped home and gave the Wildcats their first run of the day. Scott would score off the end of an error charged to the BYU infield in Briana Velazquez's at-bat, followed by a two-run triple from Kendall Macauley – her first of the season, as the transfer from North Carolina A&T lined one off the wall in center field to plate Velazquez and Angelina Badalament, respectfully.
 
The Cats added another run in the bottom of the fifth off the strength of pinch hitter and Vallejo, California product Kylee Sandino's first career double to left-center, bringing around Joslynn Davis and Scott on the play.
 
BYU (9-2) used big innings in each of the second and fourth innings to get away from B-CU. The Cougars scored six in the second, with Violet Zavodnik's grand slam being the big blow of the frame. The Cougars added nine runs in the fourth inning with pinch hitter Lyndsey Madrigal's three-run scoring double highlighting the BYU at-bat.
 
BYU was led offensively by Zavodnik's three-hit day, followed by Jaelynn Lambert, Taryn Lennon and Ailana Agbayani each adding two hits apiece. B-CU used the bat of Alaan with a 2-for-3 performance at the dish, as she added a run in the process. Macauley led the Cats with two RBIs.
 
The win was taken by BYU starter Gianna Mares (2-1) as she worked two frames, allowing one hit and picking up two strikeouts as she was most effective in her time on the bump. The Cougars led 7-0 when she exited the game.
 
Meanwhile, the loss was gathered by B-CU freshman starting pitcher Alyssa Brady, as the Virginia native saw time in her first action of the year as a starter in the circle for the Maroon and Gold. Brady finished with five innings worked, allowing 13 runs (11 earned) on 16 hits, three strikeouts and five walks.
 
Oregon State 7, B-CU 3
Bethune-Cookman junior outfielder Essence Gibbs tallied three hits Thursday afternoon as the Wildcats dropped a 7-3 contest to Oregon State at the Yankee Stadium Field inside Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California. The game was the second of the day for the Cats as part of the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
 
Oregon State (6-6) broke open a scoreless game with a five-run third inning in what is now the second meeting between the Wildcats and Beavers this season.
 
Beavers shortstop Savanah Whatley drew a leadoff walk and Eliana Gottlieb followed at the top of the order with a double to left field. Lici Campbell drove in Gottlieb with an RBI single to left-center field. Madison Simon singled to put runners on the corners and Tiara Westbrook hit a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Jade Soto.
 
Mady Clark's single to left allowed Simon to cross, while Grace Messmer doubled to straightaway center field to plate Clark. Kiki Escobar tacked on another run with an RBI single up the middle that drove in Messmer, respectfully.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-10) scored its first run in the bottom of the third when Briana Velazquez led off with a double. Essence Gibbs would later deliver an RBI single that pushed in Velazquez.
 
With B-CU starting pitcher Halyne Gonzalez setting down 10 consecutive batters into the sixth, the Beavers' Doerr posted her first home run of the season with a two-out shot to left, pushing the OSU lead out to 6-1.
 
Bethune-Cookman rallied again with two outs in the home-half of the inning
 
Gibbs and Brooklyn Scott hit back-to-back singles, setting the stage for catcher Thais Uyema to plate both runners with her two-run single up the middle to cut the deficit at 6-3.
 
In the seventh, a Simon sacrifice fly to the wall in left was caught by the Wildcats' Scott, but deep enough for Gottlieb to advance, adding the insurance run for the Beavers and producing the final 7-3 score.
 
Gottlieb went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and a stolen base to lead the Beavers offensively. Messmer added a 2-for-3 performance with a run and an RBI of her own.
 
B-CU was led at the dish by Gibbs' as the Cerritos, California native was 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Velazquez – hailing from San Pedro, California – went 2-for-3 at the dish with a run as well.
 
The win went to OSU's Sarah Haendiges in a complete-game effort, as she picked up her second win of the year against the Maroon and Gold. She allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits, five strikeouts and one walk.
 
The loss went to Norwalk, California's Halyne Gonzalez of B-CU as she dropped to 1-6 for the season in pitching the complete game, being touched for seven runs on nine hits, one walk and recording six strikeouts on the day.
 
The Cats return for day two action of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Friday when B-CU faces San Diego State at 6 p.m. ET.
 
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