DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman University held the North Carolina Central University softball team to just two runs in a 4-0 and 9-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) twin bill sweep on Saturday afternoon at Sunnyland Park.
The Wildcats, who are the preseason favorites to win the Southern Division in the MEAC, have won five straight league games to improve to 10-24 overall and 5-3 in the conference. The Lady Eagles stumble to 3-33 and 0-8.
The two teams will complete the three-game series with a single game on Sunday at Noon.
GAME ONE: Bethune-Cookman 4, N.C. Central 0 Reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Year junior Sabrina Anguiano tossed her first complete-game shutout of the season to lead the Wildcats to the 4-nil victory in the opener. Anguiano (4-11) limited NCCU to three singles while fanning five batters and she did not issue a walk over seven quality innings.
The contest started as a pitcher's duel with NCCU junior starter
Dominique Wilson matching Anguiano for the first five scoreless innings. Bethune-Cookman used some speed to score its first run in the sixth before tacking on three more runs, two of which were unearned, in the seventh.
Freshman leadoff hitter Annie Bakenhaus paced the Wildcats offense with two of the squads' hits, including the go-ahead RBI double in the fifth.
Wilson (0-7) had NCCU's first hit in the second inning. The Lady Eagles did not get another hit until the seventh when the visitors threatened with consecutive singles by senior
Markell Wylie and
Danyelle Noland to start the frame. However, Anguiano retired the next three batters to finish off the clean sheet.
GAME TWO: Bethune-Cookman 9, N.C. Central 2 Wilson gave NCCU a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the top of the first. However, the Lady Eagles were held scoreless for the final six innings and the Wildcats scored nine unanswered runs to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Wylie and Noland started the contest with back-to-back singles for the Maroon and Gray. After a fielder's choice and a walk drawn by senior
Casey Hargett loaded the bases, Wilson knocked in both NCCU runs with her single to the right field gap.
Senior
London Booker kept Bethune-Cookman off the scoreboard for the first three innings, before the Wildcats surged ahead with an eight-run rally in the fourth that included six hits, two hit-by-pitches, one walk and a sac fly.
A solo home run by sophomore Bryanna Campos capped the hosts scoring in the fifth. B-CU tallied a dozen hits in the nightcap, including three each off the bats of sophomore Mariah Davis and senior Melissa Berouty.
Freshman Deidra Genera was the victorious pitcher for the Wildcats, settling down after a tough first innings for the complete-game effort. Genera (5-8) tallied eight strikeouts and gave up eight hits.
Wylie and Hargett had half of NCCU's base knocks with both seniors posting a pair of singles.
