MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Athletic Hall of Fame member and Softball Head Coach Laura Watten secured her 800th career victory Friday afternoon as the Wildcats defeated Butler and UAlbany as part of the Make It Happen (MIH) Games at R.O.C. Park in Madeira Beach, Florida. The Cats beat Butler 2-0, before then topping UAlbany 2-1 in the nightcap.
 
B-CU 2, BUTLER 0
Jessica Allan was 3-for-3 with two RBIs Friday morning as Bethune-Cookman defeated Butler, 2-0 in the opening game of the Make It Happen (MIH) Games housed at R.O.C. Park in Madeira Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman (5-13) finally broke through against Butler starting pitcher Katie Petran in the top of the fifth.
 
Thais Uyema began the inning with a walk, followed two batters later with Joslynn Davis also picking up a base on balls at the top of the lineup. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a Petran wild pitch, setting up second baseman Jessica Alaan to deliver a two-out, two-run scoring single to right.
 
B-CU starting pitcher Halyne Gonzalez would retire nine of the next 12 batters to solidify the win.
 
Butler (9-2) was limited to just three hits in the game, while the Wildcats defense did not record a single error.
 
The Cats threatened to score in the top of the second inning when third baseman Shania Owens reached on an error before eventually worked her way to third. However, Petran would pick up back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
 
Gonzalez (4-9) went the distance in the circle for the win, recording the team's first shutout of the year with four strikeouts and four walks while scattering three hits. Petran (3-1) suffered her first loss of the campaign after throwing 4.2 innings and giving up two runs on three hits, four strikeouts and four walks. Rylyn Dyer finished off the game in the circle for the Bulldogs.
 
Butler was topped offensively by three different players with a hit – Leigh Vande Hei, Paige Dorsett and Alona Boydston.
 
The B-CU offense was paced by Alaan's 3-for-3 showing at the dish – added her two RBIs. Teammates Kendall Macauley and India Stokes each posted a hit for the Wildcats as well.
 
B-CU 2, UALBANY 1
Senior third baseman Shania Owens produced her first career collegiate home run Friday afternoon in propelling Bethune-Cookman to a 2-1 come-from-behind win over UAlbany in the Make It Happen (MIH) Games played at R.O.C. Park in Madeira Beach, Florida. Additionally, the win for the Wildcats was the 800th all-time as a collegiate head coach for B-CU's Laura Watten.
 
Alyssa Lopez, a senior from Fontana, California, earned the win for the Wildcats, throwing a complete game while scattering four hits and striking out a career-high eight UAlbany batters. The right-hander didn't allow an earned run despite issuing three walks, consistently working out of trouble throughout her 103-pitch performance.
 
UAlbany's Hailey Errichiello (0-3) was nearly as effective in the circle, surrendering just four hits and striking out four in six innings of work. Despite allowing two runs, neither was earned as the Great Danes (0-7) committed a crucial error in the deciding fourth inning.
 
Both teams remained scoreless through the first three frames as Lopez and Errichiello controlled the action.
 
The Great Danes threatened in the second inning when Deanna Grahek and Charlotte Lomb drew consecutive walks, but Lopez induced an infield fly from Vanessa Meyers before Sara Anderson flied out to left field to end the threat.
 
Albany finally broke through into the hits column in the top of the fourth.
 
Victoria Vilarchao singled past the glove of Briana Velazquez at shortstop and advanced to second on the play stemming from a Velazquez throwing error. After Kaitlyn Parisi entered as a pinch runner, Grahek singled to third, moving Parisi into scoring position at the corner. Meyers followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right field, scoring Parisi representing the game's opening run.
 
The Wildcats wasted no time responding in the home half of the inning.
 
Emma Bradley-Tse reached base on an error by UAlbany first baseman Mary Kate Murray. Jessica Alaan moved Bradley-Tse into scoring position with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. After Kendall Macauley flied out to left field, Owens delivered the decisive blow, launching her first home run of the season over the left field fence to give Bethune-Cookman a 2-1 lead.
 
Both pitchers settled back in over the final three innings. UAlbany's best chance to tie came in the fifth when Taylor Quinn singled with two outs, but Lopez struck out Murray to preserve the lead. The Wildcats' defense came up big in the seventh, as Lopez retired the side in order to secure the victory.
 
The defensive play of the game came in the sixth inning when UAlbany attempted a rally after Grahek drew her second walk. Wildcats catcher Thais Uyema, who was stellar behind the plate with seven putouts, caught Grahek attempting to steal second base to end the inning.
 
The win marked the second of the campaign for Lopez, who improved her record to 2-2. Her counterpart, Errichiello (0-3) took the loss as she went the distance in the circle, allowing two unearned runs on four hits, four strikeouts and just one walk.
 
Senior centerfielder Joslynn Davis and Owens each collected two hits for Bethune-Cookman, while Grahek reached base three times for UAlbany with a hit and two walks.
 
B-CU opens the second day of the MIH Games versus Binghamton on Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
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