April 12, 2008

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Winston-Salem, N.C. - Bethune-Cookman used timely pitching and correct hitting on Saturday to take both games of a non-conference doubleheader between Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foes at South Park Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. B-CU took the first game against Winston-Salem Statw 2-1 in eight innings, and followed it up with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.

The Lady Rams and Wildcats completed seven innings of play deadlocked at 1-1 as a pitcher's duel saw the two teams tally only one run each over the span of nearly two and a half hours of play as both WSSU's Amber Shore and B-CU freshman sensation and current MEAC Player of the Week Allison Garcia turned in magnificent performances from the pitching circle.

Bethune-Cookman struck first in the top half of the fourth inning as freshman third baseman Anush Mooradian's walk would come back to haunt the Lady Rams when Taryn Hernandez's two-out RBI single broke what was a scoreless tie.

WSSU wasted no time in answering B-CU's challenge as Whitney Hall scored from third base on an Ashley Boswell RBI sacrifice to tie the game at 1-1, a score that would remain unchanged until the eighth inning of play.

With the NCAA-mandated baserunner placed on second base for the extra frame the Lady Wildcats got just enough to earn the win in the eighth inning as B-CU's Sonya Urteaga drove home the winning run with an RBI single in the top half of the inning. Winston-Salem State was stymied by Garcia in the bottom half of the inning as B-CU improves to 14-30 overall with the victory.

The loss drops the Lady Rams to 15-16 on the season. Amber Shore pitched a complete game eight-hitter for the Lady Rams as recorded eight strike outs and allowed only one earned run. She drops to 8-9 on the season with the loss. B-CU's Allison Garcia moves to 13-15 on the season with the win as she recorded a complete game five hitter with nine strike outs.

B-CU started off the second game of the day's doubleheader with a leadoff homer from fershman centerfielder Ashton Hinds to right field for the Cerritos, Calif. native's first homerun of the year. That put the 'Cats (15-30) on top 1-0.

The Lady Rams got a great start to the game, answering a lead-off B-CU home run with four unanswered runs in the first two innings of play. WSSU junior outfielder Desiree Ramirez opened the WSSU scoring crossing the plate, following an RBI single by freshman catcher Kayla Woodbury. Woodbury would score a run of her own when fellow freshman Whitney Wright would hit her own RBI single. The Woodbury run would give the Lady Rams their first lead of the game, 2-1 heading into the second inning.

WSSU kept their scoring ways going in the second inning when a Hull triple, followed by a single by sophomore pitcher Ashley Boswell would push the WSSU lead to 3-1. The Lady Rams would strike again in the second inning when a Ramirez RBI groundout would drive in Boswell and put the Lady Rams ahead 4-1.

The Lady Rams would hold off the Wildcats until the fourth inning when a lead-off triple by senior shortstop Holly Bussey was followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Garcia to plate Bussey cut the WSSU lead down to two runs, 4-2. Back-to-back Bethune-Cookman RBI doubles from Garcia and Mooradian in the sixth inning would tie the game at 4-4. B-CU would finally take the lead on an RBI single later in the inning on a Garcia RBI to score Mooradian.

Bethune-Cookman would go on to score two more unanswered runs in the seventh inning with a Hinds RBI single shot back up the middle, followed later by a Garcia single to center field to plate Hinds to seal the 7-4 loss for the Lady Rams.

WSSU sophomore pitcher Ashley Boswell (6-3) took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing eight hits and six earned runs in the game. She added five strikeouts. Bethune-Cookman freshman Chastity Sanders (1-8) picked up the win, going all seven innings and allowing eight hits with three earned runs in the freshman's first win of the seaosn in the circle for the Maroon and Gold.

The two teams will complete the weekend series when they square off tomorrow in a noon single game at South Park Field. Admission to the game is free.