ORLANDO – Bethune-Cookman Softball dropped a pair of midweek nonconference games Wednesday afternoon, as the Wildcats fell away to UCF on scores of 9-1 and 8-0 at UCF Softball Complex. The first game was a continuation of a game postponed due to rain back on March 3, as part of the Knights Classic.
 
GAME ONE: UCF 9, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 1
Kendall Macauley returned from injury to the Bethune-Cookman lineup recording a 2-for-2 afternoon at the plate with Bethune-Cookman falling to UCF 9-1 at UCF Softball Complex in a game continued from a rain delay 52 days ago during the Knights Classic in Orlando, Florida. The game continued in the bottom of the second with UCF already on top, 4-0.
 
Back on March 3, UCF (27-18) scored three runs in the home-half of the first with a three-run home run to deep left center field from Ashleigh Griffin after an Aubrey Evans single and a Sierra Humphreys walk. The lead would swell to 5-0 in favor of the homestandings Knights in the next inning courtesy an RBI single from Sarah Willis, and later an RBI double from Evans.
 
The Knights padded the lead with a pair of runs in the third inning as Shannon Doherty powered out a two-run home run to straightaway center field, also scoring Johneisha Rowe who doubled at the leadoff spot to begin the at-bat.
 
Bethune-Cookman (15-27) pulled back a run in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Macauley, a junior from Fayetteville, North Carolina, registered her first home run as a Wildcat with a leadoff homer to left field, bringing the BCU deficit to 9-1.
 
The run-rule would come into effect in the fifth with a Sarah Willis walk and a Samantha Rey single setting up Humphreys for a two-run scoring double off the wall in center field, producing the final 9-1 score line.
 
The win went to Grace Jewell in the circle for the Knights, running her record to 4-2 on the year. She threw five innings, allowing one run on four hits and three strikeouts. The loss went to BCU starter Halyne Gonzalez, as she dropped her record to 10-14 for the season. She finished with two innings in the circle, accounting for seven runs on nine hits, one walk and a strikeout. Ajah Mallary tossed the final 2.1 innings for the Maroon and Gold, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and a strikeout.
 
UCF was led at the plate by Evans with a 2-for-4 performance, as well as Griffin with a hit and three RBIs.
 
BCU got offensive production from Macauley who finished 2-for-2 with her solo homer.
 
GAME TWO: UCF 8, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 0
Left-hander Ava Justman pitched a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at UCF Softball Complex helping UCF Softball to an 8-0 decision over visiting Bethune-Cookman in a nonconference matchup in Orlando, Florida.
 
UCF (28-18) kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with left fielder Kennedy Searcy's run-scoring double to left to bring around pinch runner Jasmine Williams, after Stormy Kotzelnic walked a play earlier.
 
The Knights put a crooked number on the board in the bottom of the second with four runs.
 
Chloe Evans began the scoring with her double down the line in right to cross first baseman Shannon Doherty and make it 2-0 in favor of the hosts. Searcy followed two batters later with her second hit of the game on a two-run single to right. And it was Jada Cody's double to left center in bringing around Searcy.
 
Bethune-Cookman (15-28) fell behind further in the home-half of the third as Doherty walked and Samantha Rey singled back to the pitcher's circle. That allowed Evans to deliver a two-out, two-run scoring double to right and score both base runners to up the UCF advantage, 7-0.
 
In the sixth, the run-rule came into effect as a Searcy double to deep left plated Williams for the 8-0 final score.
 
Ava Justman (1-1) collected the win in the circle for the Knights with a no-hitter, as she allowed just one baserunner courtesy an error, striking out two in six innings of action. Meanwhile, the loss went to BCU starter Alyssa Brady (0-2), with the freshman from Bristow, Virginia, tossing 1.2 innings, giving up five runs on six hits and a walk. It would be classmate Sofia Vallejos-Coleman finishing up in the circle in relief efforts for the Wildcats, working four innings with three runs allowed on three hits and three walks.
 
UCF was led offensively by Searcy's 3-for-3 outing with two runs and an RBI. Evans added a 2-for-3 outing with three RBIs as well.
 
Bethune-Cookman centerfielder Joslynn Davis reached safely on a Knights error in the top of the first for the Maroon and Gold.
 
The Wildcats return home April 26, for a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series versus Mississippi Valley State at Sunnyland Park. The series begins with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. It will also serve as Senior Appreciation weekend for the Maroon and Gold.
 
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