DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Laura Watten registered her 500th win as head coach of Bethune-Cookman Softball on Friday afternoon as the Wildcats defeated Alabama State 10-2 in the opening game of a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series at Sunnyland Park.
 
In a battle of the last two SWAC Eastern Division champions, Bethune-Cookman (6-18, 4-0 SWAC) quickly ran out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings.
 
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the home-half of the first after leadoff batter Essence Gibbs began the game reaching safely on an infield error by Alabama State. The BCU right fielder advanced a base on a passed ball, followed two plays later by a sacrifice fly from Joyce Bloome to plate Gibbs and put the Cats ahead 1-0.
 
BCU added three runs in the bottom of the second.
 
Thais Uyema singled and later scored on back-to-back wild pitches from ASU starter Charity Bibbs to make it 2-0 for the Maroon and Gold. First baseman Angelina Badalament singled in her first trip to the plate, followed by a bunt single from Joslynn Davis. After Gibbs drew a walk back at the top of the order, it set the stage for Bloome to punch an RBI single to third base, scoring Badalament and Gibbs.
 
Alabama State (11-15, 1-3 SWAC) halved the deficit at 4-2 in the top of the third inning.
 
Consecutive singles from Jaeda Gardner and Lauryn Maher put two on right at the start, while JaNiyah Boykin drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Gardner, the Hornets second baseman, would come in to score on a wild pitch from Halyne Gonzalez, and it would be centerfielder Kindal DeRamus knocking in Maher with a ground out to Jessica Alaan at second.
 
The Cats scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase the lead, 6-2.
 
Alaan scored Gibbs with a RBI single to left, while teammate Brooklyn Scott plated Alaan in the next at-bat.
 
The run-rule would be put into effect in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Hornets' Ana Richiez relieved Bibbs in the pitcher's circle but was immediately met by a single to center from BCU third baseman Kallie Earlington. Briana Velazquez singled on a bunt, and Badalament followed with a run-scoring double to the wall in left center, allowing pinch runner Shanai Owens to score from second. From there, the lead swelled to 8-2 on pinch hitter Aysiah Gonzalez's sac fly to right that pushed in Velazquez from third.
 
A Gibbs knock back up the middle scored Badalament. And pinch hitter Kendall Macauley's single down the line off the glove of ASU third baseman Elizabeth Williams scored Gibbs for the 10-2 winning run.
 
The victory was collected by Halyne Gonzalez as the reigning SWAC Co-Pitcher of the Week upped her record to 5-8 for the year. She worked the complete six frames, surrendering two runs on five hits with two walks and fanning six batters. The loss went to ASU starter Bibbs, dropping her record to 5-8 for the campaign, as she tossed five frames, being tagged for six runs (five earned) on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
 
The ASU offense was led by Gardner with a 2-for-2 performance and a run scored.
 
BCU recorded 10 hits as a team, with Badalament leading the charge in a 2-for-3 effort at the dish, scoring a pair of runs and driving in one. Gibbs scored three runs with a 1-for-2 effort and an RBI. And Alaan added two RBIs with a 1-for-2 showing as well.
 
The two teams meet to close out the series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m.
 
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