TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Halyne Gonzalez was strong in the pitcher's circle for Bethune-Cookman on Saturday afternoon, but the offense was stymied in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Softball doubleheader setback away to Florida A&M at Veronica Wiggins Field in Tallahassee, Florida. The Wildcats fell 5-1 in the series opener, and then dropped the nightcap, 1-0.
 

GAME ONE: FAMU 5, B-CU 1
Florida A&M capitalized on a four-run fifth inning to secure a 5-1 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the first game of a SWAC doubleheader at the top of the league standings Saturday afternoon at Veronica Wiggins Field in Tallahassee, Florida.
 
Florida A&M (19-17, 15-4 SWAC) struck early when Ciara Maple drew a first inning walk and promptly scored on Kiauna Watson's triple down the left field line, giving the Rattlers the 1-0 lead early-on.
 
The 1-0 lead would hold until the decisive fifth inning.
 
The homestanding Rattlers broke the game open in the home-half of the fifth inning.
 
Watson's two-out double to left field was followed by a Jamison Townsend single through the left side. An error charged to the Wildcats infield allowed the FAMU second baseman to score, and Brianna Duggins capitalized with her RBI single to right center, bringing home Townsend for the 3-0 Rattlers lead.
 
The Rattlers loaded the bases with walks to Samantha Smith and Aniya Canty – the latter forcing in Brown to make it 4-0. Keeleigh Spooner then drew another bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 5-0 before Bethune-Cookman could escape the inning with reliever Halyne Gonzalez entering the game to close the frame out for starting pitcher Alyssa Lopez.
 
Bethune-Cookman (19-24, 12-6 SWAC) finally broke through on FAMU pitcher Zoryana Hughes in the sixth when Emma Bradley-Tse scored on Briana Velazquez's double to right field, cutting the deficit to 5-1. But Hughes shut down any hopes of a comeback, retiring the side in the seventh to secure the complete-game victory.
 
Hughes (9-6) scattered six hits over seven innings, allowing just one earned run while walking three and striking out one. On the other side, Lopez (9-5) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs (one earned) on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Gonzalez provided solid relief, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings despite issuing three walks.
 
Watson led FAMU's offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI, and a run scored. Duggins added an RBI single while Canty and Spooner each drove in runs with bases-loaded walks.
 
For the Wildcats, Velazquez went 1-for-2 with a double and the team's lone RBI, while Joslynn Davis and Joyce Bloome each collected hits and drew walks. The Wildcats stranded six runners throughout.
 
GAME TWO: FAMU 1, B-CU 0
Florida A&M's Amari Brown outdueled Bethune-Cookman's Halyne Gonzalez in a true pitcher's duel on Saturday afternoon, as the Rattlers claimed a 1-0 victory to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Wildcats in a SWAC doubleheader at Veronica Wiggins Field in Tallahassee, Florida.
 
The game's lone run came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Florida A&M (20-17, 16-4 SWAC) right fielder Jamison Townsend drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on Brown's sacrifice bunt – as the pitcher also serves in the batting order for the Rattlers, and scored on a strikeout-wild pitch sequence as Brianna Duggins struck out but reached first safely with the ball escaping from B-CU catcher Thais Uyema.
 
That put the Rattlers up 1-0 heading into the topo of the fifth frame.
 
Bethune-Cookman (19-25, 12-7 SWAC) had multiple scoring opportunities throughout the game, including the Wildcats' best chance in the fourth inning when they loaded the bases with one out. First baseman Kendall Macauley singled and senior shortstop Briana Velazquez followed with another single before second baseman Jessica Alaan drew a walk. However, FAMU's Brown induced a groundout from the circle by B-CU designated player freshman Molly Blackwood to escape the inning unscathed.
 
The Maroon and Gold threatened again in the fifth, loading the bases with one out off the end of singles from Joyce Bloome and Shania Owens, respectively, and a walk to centerfielder Joslynn Davis. However, it would be Brown inducing a fielder's choice from Emma Bradley-Tse that resulted in Bloome being thrown out at home, before getting Macauley to fly out to centerfield and end retire the side, once again.
 
Bethune-Cookman outhit FAMU 4-2, with four different players recording hits, respectfully. For FAMU, Brown's double was the only extra-base hit of the contest.
 
The Wildcats had one final opportunity in the seventh inning when Davis reached third base on a throwing error with two outs, but Brown got Bradley-Tse to ground out to Braxtyn Battle at short in order to secure the shutout victory.
 
In a game dominated by stellar pitching, Brown (7-5) went the distance for the Rattlers, scattering four hits over seven innings while walking three and striking out three. She worked out of several jams to earn the complete-game shutout.
 
Gonzalez (9-16), a senior right-hander from Norwalk, California, was equally as impressive for the visiting Wildcats, surrendering just two hits and one run over six innings in the circle, while walking four and striking out six.
 
The two sides conclude the series on Sunday at noon back at Veronica Wiggins Field.
 


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