DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jessica Alaan and Joslynn Davis combined for nine hits across two games Friday afternoon in powering Bethune-Cookman Softball to a doubleheader sweep of Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponent Alabama A&M at Sunnyland Park. BCU won the opener 9-2, and returned for a 12-4 run-rule five-inning win in the nightcap.
 
BETHUNE-COOKMAN 9, ALABAMA A&M 2
Halyne Gonzalez went the distance in the pitcher's circle and Jessica Alaan went 3-for-4 at the plate as Bethune-Cookman opened a SWAC doubleheader with a 9-2 victory from visiting Alabama A&M at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (12-24, 10-6 SWAC) opened the scoring with a run in each of the second and third innings, respectively.
 
Right fielder Essence Gibbs pushed a bases-loaded single past the glove of Alabama A&M shortstop Catherine Hickey to move in Shanai Owens for the 1-0 BCU lead in the home-half of the second. Shortstop Briana Velazquez manufactured a run-scoring double to right field that crossed Jessica Alaan for the 2-0 Cats advantage in the third.
 
The Wildcats tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning.
 
Joslynn Davis's first single of the day was good enough to score Gibbs, followed two batters later with first baseman Ciera Clark plating a pair of runs with her two-run double to straightaway center field. Velazquez later converted a double steal with pinch runner Kendall Macauley, allowing the BCU shortstop to score from third and increase the BCU lead at 6-0.
 
Alabama A&M (7-20, 3-6 SWAC) grabbed two runs in the top of the fifth when Jones reached on a dropped fly ball by the Wildcats infield, allowing the Bulldogs' Katie Puckett and Allyson Riches to score on the Wildcats miscue.
 
BCU led 6-2 entering the bottom of the fifth.
 
That is where the Cats would add three insurance runs beginning with a Joyce Bloome RBI single to short that moved in Owens on the play. A Davis RBI single to third was enough for Bloome to trot home. And it was an Alaan double to left that scored Davis for the eventual 9-2 final score.
 
Halyne Gonzalez went the distance in the circle for the Maroon and Gold to up her record at 8-12 for the season, as the right-hander from Norwalk, California, tossed seven innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits scattered, two walks and fanning seven batters. The loss went to AAMU's Paige Scott (3-5) in six innings of action on the rubber for the Bulldogs, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 17 hits, one walk and one strikeout.
 
The Bulldogs bats were paced by Riches in a 1-for-2 showing and a run scored.
 
BCU used Alaan's three hits, two runs and an RBI, as well as a 2-for-3 showing from Davis with two RBIs and two runs scored of her own. Clark also recorded a multi-hit day alongside Gibbs and Velazquez, respectfully.
 
BETHUNE-COOKMAN 12, ALABAMA A&M 4
Freshman pitcher Sofia Vallejos-Coleman registered her first collegiate win in the circle Friday afternoon, as Bethune-Cookman completed a doubleheader sweep of visiting Alabama A&M 12-4 in the second game of the day in a SWAC contest at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Alabama A&M (7-21, 3-7 SWAC) jumped on the board first in the top of the first inning.
 
Shortstop Katie Puckett's double to right-center field scored leadoff batter Dakota Daniel for the game's opening run. Later in the inning, a Kaidence Swoopes double to the same spot plated two for the Bulldogs in the form of Imani Mathis and Faith Cross for the 3-0 AAMU advantage.
 
Bethune-Cookman (13-24, 11-6 SWAC) answered with two runs in the home-half of the frame.
 
After leadoff batter Essence Gibbs walked to kick off the BCU at-bat, the right fielder eventually came across to score via wild pitch from Bulldogs starter Cris'Deona Beasley. The Cats added an additional run when Briana Velazquez's sacrifice fly to shortstop was deep enough onto the grass to score Joslynn Davis and bring Bethune-Cookman within 3-2.
 
The Maroon and Gold went ahead with a trio of runs in the bottom of the second.
 
A two-out rally began when Joyce Bloome singled to center, as the designated player would score three plays later off the end of a Jessica Alaan bases-clearing double to the wall in center field, also scoring teammates Davis and Gibbs, respectfully.
 
BCU would lead 5-2 after two innings complete.
 
The Bulldogs pulled a run back in the top of the fourth.
 
With the bases loaded and two away, BCU Head Coach Laura Watten turned to the bullpen for freshman pitcher Sofia Vallejos-Coleman in relief of starter Ajah Mallory. Coleman's first pitch hit Alabama A&M third baseman Cross, bringing in Erica Ellis to cut the BCU lead at 5-4.
 
In the home-half of the inning, the Cats plated four runs of their own to increase the lead to 9-4.
 
Freshman left fielder Brooklyn Scott's double to left-center plated Alaan and Gibbs. And it would be pinch hitter Ciera Clark scoring Shanai Owens and Scott with a single to shallow left.
 
The run-rule would come into effect in the bottom of the fifth as BCU scored three more all-important runs.
 
A Gibbs leadoff triple set the stage for an Alaan RBI single, followed two batters later with a Scott sac fly to deep center, moving in Davis for the run. The final score came off a Kallie Earlington single to straightway center that scored Alaan for the run-rule.
 
In a relief effort, Coleman worked 1.1 innings to up her record at 1-2 for the year, striking out one batter across her time in the circle. Mallory went 3.2 innings for the Wildcats in the start, falling just short of factoring into the decision. The loss was credited to AAMU's Beasley (3-8) as she went 4.1 innings, being tagged for 12 runs on 11 hits, 10 walks and a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Bulldogs bats were led at the top by centerfielder Daniel in a 2-for-2 showing, adding a run as well.
 
For the Cats, it was a perfect 2-for-2 effort at the dish from Davis, adding three runs in the process. Gibbs was also a perfect 2-for-2 in her plate appearances, picking up four runs. Alaan ended her game 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs.
 
The two teams return to Sunnyland Park on Saturday at 10 a.m., concluding the series with a single game.
 
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