JACKSON, Miss. – In the conclusion of a game that began 57 days ago, Jackson State held off Bethune-Cookman 4-2 at JSU Softball Field on Sunday afternoon to conclude the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) regular season for both teams. With the loss Bethune-Cookman takes the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Division heading into next week's SWAC Tournament in Gulfport, Mississippi.
 
The contest, which began as the second game of a doubleheader between the two sides on March 8, before being suspended due to inclement weather, resumed Sunday morning with Bethune-Cookman at bat in the top of the seventh inning with a runner on base and one out.
 
The long-awaited conclusion featured Bethune-Cookman (21-29, 14-10 SWAC) mounting a late rally, but ultimately falling short as Jackson State grabbed the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division for the SWAC Tournament. The game comes on the heels of B-CU taking the return series from the Tigers in Daytona Beach last weekend.
 
Jackson State (25-22, 15-9) used a decisive three-run second inning to seize control.
 
The frame began with designated player Beija Allen lacing a single to right field before advancing to second on one of three (3) B-CU errors in the contest. Following a perfectly executed bunt single by Kristina Carlson that loaded the bases, left fielder Gabrielle Willis delivered an RBI single to left field to open the scoring. After some defensive confusion allowed Carlson to score on a catcher's interference call, centerfielder Hermariya Stephens drove in the third run with a productive groundout to give the homestanding Tigers a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Wildcats broke through in the fourth inning when Jessica Alaan was hit by a pitch and subsequently scored on Kendall Macauley's sharp double to center field. B-CU threatened for more with the bases loaded, but JSU starting pitcher Brooklyn Morris induced a groundout from Aysiah Gonzalez to break the Cats scoring threat.
 
JSU immediately answered in the bottom of the frame when Willis singled and came around to score on Stephens' two-out RBI single, extending the lead to 4-1.
 
When play resumed Sunday morning – picking up at the exact moment the game was suspended on March – Bethune-Cookman made things interesting.
 
India Stokes, who had already singled when play resumed, advanced to third on Joyce Bloome's double down the left field line. Senior third baseman Shania Owens then drove in Stokes with a groundout to shortstop, cutting the deficit to 4-2 with the potential tying run at third base. However, junior left fielder Emma Bradley-Tse popped up on the infield to close the game and complete a game that began 57 days earlier.
 
Morris (10-8) went the distance for Jackson State, allowing just two runs on five hits over seven innings with two strikeouts to secure the complete game victory. B-CU sophomore Sofia Vallejos-Coleman (0-4) was saddled with the loss as she worked 3.1 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a strikeout. Halyne Gonzalez pitched effectively in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit.
 
Stephens led JSU offensively, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Willis contributed a 2-for-2 game with an RBI and two runs scored. Allen added a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
For Bethune-Cookman, Macauley and Bloome each recorded doubles, while Bradley-Tse, Briana Velazquez, and Stokes pounded out singles. For Macauley, she upped her current on-base streak to a career- and team-high 25 games, while Alaan made it 18 consecutive games reaching safely for the sophomore.
 
The Wildcats will now face Prairie View A&M, the No. 1 seed out of the Western Division, in B-CU's opening game of the SWAC Tournament on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. CT) taking place at Gulfport Sportsplex in Gulfport, Mississippi.
 
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