DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Softball dropped both legs of its home opening doubleheader against North Florida on Wednesday evening at Sunnyland Park. The Cats fell in the opener 5-2, before suffering a 6-0 setback in the nightcap.
 

GAME ONE: UNF 5, B-CU 2
Despite a late rally in the sixth inning, Bethune-Cookman fell to visiting North Florida 5-2 in the first game of Wednesday's nonconference softball doubleheader at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida. For B-CU, it was the first time since 2007 the Cats have played a night game at home – and the earliest since 2007 B-CU has played a game at home during this stage of the season.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-5) was held scoreless through five innings before mounting a comeback attempt in the sixth.
 
Senior centerfielder Joslynn Davis ignited the rally with a single up the middle, followed by Emma Bradley-Tse's bunt single. Davis would come around to score on a North Florida throwing error, and Bradley-Tse later crossed the plate on Briana Velazquez's RBI single to left field, cutting the deficit to three runs (5-2).
 
North Florida (5-2) built its lead gradually throughout the early innings, starting with Mackenzie Woods' solo home run to left field in the top of the second frame. The Ospreys added another run in the third when Kelsey Vogel doubled and later scored on Kirsten Caravaca's infield single, allowing the Ospreys a 2-0 advantage.
 
The visitors broke the game open in the fourth inning, plating three runs highlighted by Vogel's two-run double that chased Bethune-Cookman starter Halyne Gonzalez.
 
Sofia Vallejos-Coleman, a sophomore pitcher for the Maroon and Gold, provided solid relief for the Wildcats, limiting the Ospreys to one run over the final 3.2 innings. However, the Cats' offense couldn't complete the comeback against North Florida's pitching duo of Allison Benning and Kylah Berry.
 
Benning (2-1) earned the win, holding Bethune-Cookman to three hits over a quality start through 5.1 innings, while Berry recorded her first save of the season with 1.2 hitless innings of relief.
 
Gonzalez (1-4) took the loss for Bethune-Cookman, allowing four runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work.
 
Bradley-Tse recorded her second stolen base of the year while going 1-for-3 at the plate. Velazquez provided the team's lone RBI, while Davis scored and collected one of the Wildcats' three hits on the afternoon.
 
Vogel finished with two hits and two RBIs for the Ospreys, as well as Caravaca carrying a 2-for-4 day at the dish with two RBIs of her own.
 
GAME TWO: UNF 6, B-CU 0
North Florida's Allison Benning powered out two home runs Wednesday evening, driving in five runs total, as the visiting Ospreys shut out Bethune-Cookman 6-0 in the second game of a doubleheader at Sunnyland Park in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
North Florida (6-2) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with Benning registering a three-run homer to straightaway center field in the opening half-inning following singles by Lauren Brock and Kelsey Vogel, respectively.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-6) struggled to find answers against UNF starting pitcher Macie Hunolt and the Ospreys bullpen, managing just one hit – that being a fifth-inning single from freshman Molly Blackwood – against the combined efforts of three UNF hurlers. Hunolt (2-0) earned the win with four hitless innings, striking out four while walking two. Ashley Connor and Cameron Ponich completed the one-hitter with three shutout innings of relief.
 
Benning struck again in the fifth inning, following Brock's stolen base of third with her second home run of the game and fourth of the season, pushing the lead to 5-0. The Ospreys added their final run in the sixth when pinch hitter Grace Shaw-Rockey singled, followed by a single off the bat of Kennedy McQuillan's, later allowing Shaw-Rockey to come around on Amanda Aardema's pinch-hit single to left field.
 
The Wildcats' best scoring opportunity came in the first inning when Joslynn Davis walked and Briana Velazquez also drew a free pass, but second baseman Jessica Alaan grounded out to second base to end the threat. B-CU would manage just two baserunners for the remainder of the game.
 
Halyne Gonzalez (1-5) took the loss for the Wildcats, allowing six runs on 12 hits in 5.2 innings of action in the circle. Alyssa Lopez finished the game with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief out of the bullpen in her second outing of the campaign.
 
The Ospreys' 13-hit attack was led by Benning's two homers and five RBIs, while Brock added two hits and scored twice. Lauren Bevis also contributed two hits for UNF.
 

Bethune-Cookman travels to the western half of Volusia County this weekend to compete in the Hatter Classic hosted by Stetson in DeLand, Florida. The Cats open against Wofford on Friday, Feb. 14, at 9:30 a.m.
 
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