MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After collecting a series sweep of Alabama A&M at Sunnyland Park last weekend, Bethune-Cookman Softball hits the road this weekend traveling to Alabama State for another key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Eastern Division series. The series begins with a Friday doubleheader, followed by a single game Saturday afternoon.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 19
3 p.m. – at Alabama State | Watch | Live Stats
5:30 p.m. – at Alabama State | Watch | Live Stats
 
Saturday, April 20
2 p.m. – at Alabama State | Watch | Live Stats
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Softball this season by following the Wildcats social media platforms. You can follow @BCUSoftball on Instagram and @BCUSoftball on Twitter.
 
STATS & NOTES
▪ Bethune-Cookman comes into the weekend third in the SWAC East, sitting 1.5 games behind Jackson State in second.
▪ Jessica Alaan was named this week's SWAC Hitter of the Week, batting .700 with seven hits and six RBIs against Alabama A&M last weekend. She added three (3) doubles while scoring six runs as well.
▪ On the season, Alaan is second on the Cats squad with a .330 batting average and leads the team with 38 hits.
▪ Thais Uyema leads the Maroon and Gold in batting with a .333 average, as the Lima, Peru, native has legged out 32 hits and scored 18 runs on the campaign.
▪ The Wildcats are still the only team in the SWAC yet to hit a home run on the season.
▪ Joslynn Davis leads the defensive efforts of the Wildcats with a .986 fielding average from her centerfield position on the field.
▪ Ajah Mallory tied a season-long 3.2 innings in the circle last weekend against Alabama A&M. She has appeared in three games and amassed two strikeouts.
▪ Halyne Gonzalez earned two wins last weekend, upping her record to 9-12 for the season with a 3.53 ERA as well.
▪ Briana Velazquez has knocked in a team second-most tying 16 RBIs on the season, adding eight doubles and scoring 21 runs.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH WATTEN
"It's another tough weekend series, and away from home. Alabama State looked good last weekend against Mississippi Valley State, and they played FAMU tough a week before that. This is a big weekend for seeding, and we have to lock in right from the start."
 
"I thought we responded well last weekend to some adversity, especially having dropped the FAMU series in extra innings, and then some late setbacks at Jackson State. I thought we came out aggressive last weekend, and we have to do the same this weekend against a good pitching staff for the Hornets."
 
"Whenever you play against Alabama State, you need everyone to play their position. That means we have to field well; we have to pitch well; and we certainly have to try and hit well. But everyone has to play their position until the final out. This isn't a team you can think you've beaten until the absolute final out is recorded. They have the ability to beat you with good defense, always strong pitching, and hitting that explodes for runs in a heartbeat."
 
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE (21-25, 11-7 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Todd Bradley (5th season)
2024 Batting Average: .287; Runs Per Game: 5.0; Hits Per Game: 7.3; Slugging Percentage: .379
2024 ERA: 5.27; K/BB Ratio: 1.6; Opp. Batting Avg: .298
 
BCU VS. ALABAMA STATE SERIES
▪ Dating back to 1998, Bethune-Cookman owns a 14-6 record over Alabama State in the series between the two sides.
▪ Bethune-Cookman took the series two out of three earlier this year in Daytona Beach, as the Cats won the opener (10-2) and then took the first game of a doubleheader the following day (7-1).
▪ Since joining the SWAC, Bethune-Cookman has won eight out of the 12 meetings against the Hornets.
▪ Both Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman have represented the SWAC as Eastern Division champions over the last two seasons. BCU was crowned in 2022, while ASU won last season's regular season division title.
▪ The largest margin of victory in the series was a 20-1 decision in favor of the Wildcats back on Feb. 18, 2006 in Daytona Beach. That same day as part of a doubleheader, BCU won the opening contest, 13-1.
 
ALABAMA STATE NOTES & STATS
▪ Alabama State arrives to the weekend series against Bethune-Cookman sitting fourth in the SWAC East standings, and just 1.5 games back of the Cats in third.
▪ The Hornets swept a three-game series last weekend with Mississippi Valley State.
▪ Kendall Smiley leads the Hornets with a .414 batting average, adding a team-high 58 hits, five doubles, five triples and 20 RBIs.
▪ Alana Scott has two home runs on the campaign, adding a team-most 29 RBIs.
▪ The Hornets have stolen 106 bases, as compared to opponents swiping just 86 against them.
▪ The pitching staff is showcased by Ana Richiez with a 6-2 record in 26 appearances, adding a 4.00 ERA to go along with 25 strikeouts.
▪ Also pitching well for Alabama State is Charity Bibbs with a team-leading 75 strikeouts and a 5.07 ERA and a 9-12 overall record.
▪ Defensively, Kindall DeRamus owns a .983 fielding average, while teammate Leah Richardson is perfect with 168 putouts and an assist in 169 total plays.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST ALABAMA STATE
Leah Richardson's first home run of the season broke open a deadlock in the top of the seventh inning, as Alabama State took the second game of a doubleheader from Bethune-Cookman 6-4 at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
With the game tied at 4-all after the fourth inning, it went to the seventh with the heart of the Alabama State lineup coming to bat.
 
Leah Richardson, the Hornets first baseman, knocked out her first home run of the year in leadoff fashion, putting ASU up 5-4. A single from ASU's Gardner and back-to-back wild pitches from Halyne Gonzalez moved Gardner to third, setting up Charity Bibbs to manage a fielder's choice that allowed the Hornets second baseman Gardner to score and make it 6-4. ASU made it 2-0 in the top of the second inning courtesy two errors in the frame by the Wildcats. After third baseman Brooke Ramsey singled to start the inning, Gardner reached on a fielder's choice, and later scored alongside Ramsey off an error charged to the BCU infield.
 
Bethune-Cookman quickly tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning. Kallie Earlington doubled to left and later scored from a single to right. Joyce Bloome's bunt single plated Briana Velazquez to make it 2-all. BCU took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third as a Brooklyn Scott triple to the wall in right field drove across Joslynn Davis who began the BCU at-bat with a single. The lead was 4-2 courtesy Earlington's sacrifice fly to left which allowed the speedy Bloome to score from third.
 
Alabama State answered in kind with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. A Kindal DeRamus single up the middle at the top of the order scored Kendall Smiley, after the Hornets right fielder tripled in her at-bat a play earlier. And later it was a Scott double down the line in right to drive in DeRamus and knot things at 4-4.
 
The win was picked up by relief pitcher Charity Bibbs (6-8) as she worked five innings, allowing just one run on six hits and a strikeout. Ana Richiez failed to factor into the decision in the start, as she tossed two frames, giving up three runs on six hits. Halyne Gonzalez (5-9) took the loss for Bethune-Cookman, as she worked six innings, being touched for five runs (three earned) on nine hits and striking out eight batters. Alyssa Lopez closed the game in the circle for the Wildcats, pitching an inning and allowing one run on one hit.
 
ASU used Gardner's 3-for-4 afternoon at the dish with two runs scored to lead the offensive attack. BCU was guided by a 2-for-3 day by Velazquez with a run scored, as well as a 2-for-4 effort turned in by Davis as she also added a run of her own.
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman travels to UCF on Wednesday, April 24, as the Cats continue a game from last month that was rained out, and then face the Knights for a second game immediately afterwards.
 
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