DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Essence Gibbs pounded out four hits and freshman pitcher Alyssa Brady picked up her first collegiate win Friday afternoon as Bethune-Cookman took both games of a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball doubleheader against Mississippi Valley State at Sunnyland Park. BCU took the opener, 5-2, and then returned for the 8-7 come-from-behind walk-off win in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE: BCU 5, MVSU 2
Essence Gibbs registered two hits and three RBIs as Halyne Gonzalez went the distance in the pitcher's circle to help Bethune-Cookman to a 5-2 win from visiting Mississippi Valley State in the first of two games Friday afternoon at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (16-28, 14-8 SWAC) scored four runs across the opening two frames.
 
After Brooklyn Scott doubled with two away in the home-half of the first, first baseman Ciera Clark laced an RBI single up the middle to score Scott and push BCU in front, 1-0.
 
With two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the second, right fielder Essence Gibbs delivered a two-run triple – the first of two triples on the day for the junior from Cerritos, California, scoring Thais Uyema and Shanai Owens on the play. Joslynn Davis reached on an error charged to the Mississippi Valley State (3-31, 1-20 SWAC), allowing Gibbs to score unearned and bump the Wildcats lead to 4-0.
 
In the top of the fourth, MVSU's Alexa Taylor legged out a bunt single, while left fielder Taniya Partee used heads up baserunning to come around from second for the score. Taylor, the MVSU right fielder, would score on a double steal attempt by the Delta Devilettes, cutting the deficit in half, 4-2.
 
The Cats extended the lead 5-2, with a run in the bottom of the frame when a Gibbs single to left was wide of Partee's glove for the Delta Devilettes, crossing designated player Joyce Bloome from second. Bloome singled in her at-bat and then advanced on a passed ball.
 
The win went to Halyne Gonzalez of BCU as she went the distance in the circle, upping her record to 11-14 for the season with two runs given up on six hits and a career-high 11 strikeouts. The loss was tagged to MVSU's Morgan Gutierrez, dropping her at 2-8 for the year. The Delta Devilettes pitcher went six innings in the circle, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a strikeout.
 
The MVSU offense was led by Partee's 2-for-3 day, also adding a run. BCU used a 2-for-3 game at the dish from Gibbs, as she also delivered three RBIs and a run scored. Scott finished 2-for-3 as well for the Wildcats, also scoring a run in the process.
 
GAME TWO: BCU 8, MVSU 7
Bethune-Cookman erased a four-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday afternoon as the Wildcats completed a doubleheader sweep of SWAC opponent Mississippi Valley State by a score of 8-7 in walk-off fashion at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Mississippi Valley State (3-32, 1-21 SWAC) led 5-3 entering the seventh inning.
 
The Delta Devilettes added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, with Jade Smith leading off the inning at the top of the order with a standup triple. The centerfielder scored a play later when designated player India Ivy recorded an RBI single through the right side to put the Delta Devilettes up, 6-3. A double down the right field line from Breeauna Troup would make it 7-3 for the visitors as Alexa Taylor scored with two outs.
 
Bethune-Cookman (17-28, 15-8 SWAC) began its at-bat in the bottom of the frame with an Aysiah Gonzalez pinch hit single to left center, followed by a single past the glove of Hillary Victor at shortstop from Joyce Bloome. That allowed right fielder Essence Gibbs to post a single to short, moving across Thais Uyema – after the catcher came back on at first to run for Gonzalez, cutting the BCU deficit, 7-4.
 
Joslynn Davis sent a double to the wall in left in order to plate Bloome and make it 7-5 in favor of the visitors from Itta Bena, Mississippi. But it was a sacrifice fly from freshman Jessica Alaan that was deep enough to score the speedy Gibbs from third, before Davis was able to make her way home on an errant throw by the MVSU outfield, knotting the game at 7-all. The winning run was in scoring position with Brooklyn Scott's double, setting the stage for third baseman Shanai Owens to punch an RBI single to center, moving in Scott for the walk-off score.
 
MVSU began the game with four runs in the top of the first, as the Delta Devilettes batters were able to get to freshman pitcher Sofia Vallejos-Coleman.
 
Jade Smith doubled to kick off the game, later scoring with a Haley Akers fly ball that was dropped by the Wildcats outfield, putting the visitors up, 1-0. A Victor bunt singled plated Akers. And first baseman Karis Robinson scored two with her single down the line in right to make it 4-0.
 
The Delta Devilettes scored another in the second as an Akers single through the left side drove across Smith to make it 5-0.
 
BCU got on the board in the bottom of the third using Alaan's single to shallow center to bring around Gibbs, after the senior right fielder walked in her appearance at the dish.
 
The Cats added two in the fifth with a Gibbs RBI triple that scored Bloome, as well as an Alaan sac fly that brought home Gibbs to make it 5-3 at that point.
 
The win was collected by BCU freshman Alyssa Brady, moving her to 1-2 on the year, as she went two-thirds of an inning in relief, allowing just one hit. Ajah Mallary worked a season-long 5.1 innings for the Cats in relief of starter Coleman, as the sophomore from Miami worked 5.1 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits scattered and a strikeout against one walk. The loss went to MVSU starter Maya Rameriez, dropping her to 1-8 for the season, as she went the distance for the Delta Devilettes, giving up eight runs (five earned) on nine hits, three walks and a strikeout.
 
The MVSU bats were paced by Smith's 3-for-4 outing, adding three runs from the top of the order. Catcher Taylor Fuller finished 2-for-3 as well.
 
BCU was guided offensively by Gibbs with a 2-for-2 showing at the dish, plating two runs and scoring three additional. Alaan finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
 
The two teams conclude the series Saturday at 1 p.m., back at Sunnyland Park. Prior to the game, Bethune-Cookman will honor seniors Ciera Clark and Essence Gibbs prior to the game for "Senior Appreciation Day." The festivities will begin around 12:30 p.m.
 
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