DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Softball will host "Senior Appreciation Day" this weekend as the Wildcats welcome Mississippi Valley State to Sunnyland Park for a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) series. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday, April 25, at 2 p.m., and concludes with a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 26
2 p.m. – Mississippi Valley State | Watch | Live Stats
4 p.m. – Mississippi Valley State | Watch | Live Stats
 
Saturday, April 27
1 p.m. – Mississippi Valley 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
▪ The Wildcats come into the weekend with a 13-8 SWAC record, and sitting third in the Eastern Division. Alabama State plays Jackson State, while the Cats host MVSU.
▪ Ciera Clark hit a home run last weekend, while teammate Briana Velazquez powered out her first home run of the year as well. Add a Kendall Macauley homer away to UCF in midweek, and BCU now owns three home runs in the last four games.
▪ Velazquez, seeing a majority of her playing time at shortstop, leads the Cats with a .327 batting average, while teammate and catcher Thais Uyema has a .321 average with 19 runs scored.
▪ Jessica Alaan leads the Maroon and Gold with 40 hits, also leading the team with 10 doubles and 22 RBIs.
▪ Three different players have amassed two (2) triples this season – Brooklyn Scott, Essence Gibbs and Kendall Macauley.
▪ Joyce Bloome tops the Cats with 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts, followed by Gibbs with 13-of-14.
▪ Halyne Gonzalez owns a 10-14 record for the Cats in the pitcher's circle, adding a 3.69 ERA across the campaign.
▪ Alyssa Brady started midweek at UCF, while Ajah Mallary and Sofia Vallejos-Coleman saw action out of the bullpen.
 
QUOTES FROM COACH WATTEN
"I always get a little sad this time of year because we say 'goodbye', if you will, to our seniors. They've been a part of this program for years, and it's always sad knowing they're playing their final home series at Sunnyland [Park]. But it's also a joy seeing them get celebrated by their teammates and staff and the athletic department for their accomplishments on and off the field for the program."
 
"I have seen some growth out of a number of players these last few weeks. The schedule has been tough, as it always is, especially on the road to teams like Jackson State and Alabama State. But I've seen certain players step up and embrace the challenge, and that has been refreshing to see."
 
"Mississippi Valley [State] is a team that has different elements. They have played teams close this season. Don't be fooled by their record – not in the slightest. They played well against FAMU last weekend, and they took one from Alabama A&M before that. This team has some players, and they play smart and see the ball well too."
 
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (3-30, 1-19 SWAC)
Rankings: USA Today/NFCA Coaches – NR | ESPN.com/USA Softball – NR
Head Coach: Jimmy Buckner (3rd season)
2024 Batting Average: .205; Runs Per Game: 2.5; Hits Per Game: 4.8; Slugging Percentage: .248
2024 ERA: 9.97; K/BB Ratio: 1.1; Opp. Batting Avg: .355
 
BCU VS. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE SERIES
▪ It has been a short series between the two sides, but Bethune-Cookman leads it, 9-3.
▪ Mississippi Valley State took the opening game 2-0 back in 2002, adding a win in the series finale in eight innings with a 1-0 decision.
▪ BCU has won eight of the last nine in the series, outscoring the Delta Devilettes, 35-8 in the series earlier this season in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
▪ In the series, nine of the 12 games played thus far have occurred in the state of Mississippi.
 
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE NOTES & STATS
▪ Mississippi Valley State arrives to Sunnyland Park with a record of 3-30 overall, and a mark of 1-19 in SWAC play on the campaign.
▪ The Delta Devilettes have one home run on the year, while allowing just eight on the year from the opposition.
▪ Jade Smith leads the Delta Devilettes at the top with a .272 batting average and 25 hits with 14 runs scored.
▪ Taniya Partee and Smith lead the team with nine stolen bases each, followed by India Ivy with six.
▪ Second on the team in hits is Aulora Edwards (18). And it's Hailey Akers topping the squad with eight RBIs.
▪ In the pitcher's circle, Morgan Gutierrez owns two wins, with teammate Maya Ramirez having collected the other win for the Delta Devilettes.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
Three different players had multi-hit performances as Bethune-Cookman completed a series sweep of Mississippi Valley State with an 8-5 decision in SWAC play at MVSU Softball Field.
 
Bethune-Cookman jumped up 1-0 in the top of the first inning.
 
With the bases loaded and one away, shortstop Briana Velazquez reached on a fielder's choice, bringing in Essence Gibbs from third for the game's opening run. The Wildcats extended their lead to 3-0 in the next frame. After centerfielder Joslynn Davis reached on an error – one of seven credited to the hosts, Joyce Bloome lined a single past the glove of Ashantia Stephens at third, putting runners on the corners for the Wildcats and two out. Bloome swiped second for her fourth stolen base of the year before both her and the BCU centerfielder Davis would come across to score on another Delta Devilettes error.
 
Three additional runs were put on the board by the Maroon and Gold in the top of the fourth as first baseman Kallie Earlington singled to lead off the frame, followed three batters later by a Gibbs sacrifice bunt to plate Earlington from third. Jessica Alaan's single to shallow left crossed Davis for the 5-0 BCU advantage. And the lead became 6-0 with Kendall Macauley's double off the wall in left, bringing in Alaan and giving the transfer from North Carolina A&T her fourth extra-base hit of the season.
 
The Wildcats would go on to plate two insurances runs in the top of the fifth to make it 8-0.
 
Mississippi Valley State trimmed the lead at 8-2 in the home-half of the fifth. An India Ivy triple to left scored teammate Allen for the first Delta Devilettes run of the game, while the MVSU designated player came in to score herself courtesy a BCU error. MVSU tacked on three runs in the sixth when catcher Kaitlyn Harper's single kicked off a two-out rally for the Delta Devilettes. Aulora Edwards followed with a run-scoring double down the line in left. And a wild pitch from Bethune-Cookman reliever Alyssa Lopez allowed Harper to score before a Wildcats error was the reason for Edwards coming across home plate herself.
 
The MVSU bats used a 2-for-3 day from Harper to lead the Delta Devilettes offensively. For BCU, the Wildcats were paced at the plate by three different players turning in two hits on the day with Alaan, Earlington and Macauley each posting a 2-for-4 contest. The win was collected by BCU starter Halyne Gonzalez (4-8) as she went 4.1 innings in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and five strikeouts. Lopez worked 1.2 innings out of the bullpen for the Cats as well. The loss went to MVSU starter Maya Rameriez (1-4), as she went the distance on the rubber for the Delta Devilettes, being tagged for eight runs (four earned) on nine hits and a strikeout.
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman hosts Jacksonville for a doubleheader at Sunnyland Park on Tuesday, April 30, at 2 p.m. The midweek nonconference affair serves as the final regular season games for the Maroon and Gold before departing to Gulfport, Mississippi, for the SWAC Championships taking place May 7-11.
 
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