DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After prevailing 8-2 in Saturday's halted game to start Sunday's action, host Bethune-Cookman University made a late rally to squeak out a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division series win over the North Carolina Central University softball team with a narrow 4-3 triumph in eight innings in the rubber game at Sunnyland Park.
 
The Lady Eagles won the series opener, 6-4, on Saturday before the Wildcats rallied to win the final two completed games on Sunday. Bethune-Cookman improved to 21-23 overall and 6-3 in the MEAC while NCCU left the Sunshine State at 9-20 and 2-7.
 
NCCU will host Appalachian State University in its Senior Day on Wednesday. The non-conference twin bill at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, North Carolina, will begin at 1 p.m. with Senior Day presentation occurring about 15 minutes before first pitch. The last home games will also serve as Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day and that presentation will happen between games.
 
GAME TWO: Bethune-Cookman 8, N.C. Central 2
 
The Wildcats jumped out to a 7-1 lead after two innings and then waited overnight to complete win by the same six-run margin after the contest was halted in the sixth inning due to rain and lightning late Saturday. Senior third baseman Kailey Richard drove in three runs to lead the victors.
 
The first four Wildcat batters all reached and scored in the bottom of the first and BCU never relinquished the lead. The top three hitters in the lineup all scored twice.
 
NCCU got its first run in the second as junior Aleyah Evans drew a leadoff walk and scored on a single by classmate Miriam Duen. Another walk led to the Lady Eagles' second run in the fifth. Freshman Kaitlyn Macon drew the two-out base on balls, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a hot-shot single off the third baseman by sophomore Ava Dolan.
 
Senior Lauren Sitterson tossed five innings of quality relief for the maroon and gray, only allowing one earned run in her first pitching appearance since Feb. 18 due to injury.
 
GAME THREE: Bethune-Cookman 4, N.C. Central 3 (8 innings)
 
The Lady Eagles soared out to a 3-1 lead and looked to have won the game as Evans launched a perfect throw home for a play at the plate with two-outs in the bottom of the seventh. Macon applied the tag and held onto the ball by the dish to complete the play that seemed to have ended the game. However, she was called for interference and the runner was awarded home for the run. Bethune-Cookman took the momentum of the call and was eventually able to prevail in the first extra-inning.
 
Junior Cheyenne Smith followed the disputed interference call with an ensuing double that scored the tying run and forced extra innings. Richard then won the game on her Senior Day with a walk-off double in the left-center gap.
 
The Wildcats took an early 1-nil advantage on an RBI-double by senior Iesha Waters in the first, but NCCU answered with the next three runs.
 
Dolan started both scoring rallies for the Lady Eagles. She singled in the fourth and pinch runner Zakiya Smith scored on a double steal attempt later in the frame that leveled the score at 1-all. Dolan drew a one-out walk in the fifth and later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. A successful double steal by Evans and sophomore Dalika Wallace resulted in the visitors last run.
 
Dolan was 2-for-2 with two walks. The Las Vegas, Nevada, product finished the series going 6-for-9 with two home runs, four RBI, four runs, three walks and one stolen base. Dolan posted a .667 batting average, 1.333 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage for the three-game set.
 
Sophomore Jacki Smith had two of BCU's eight hits and she scored twice.
 
Senior Courtney Mirabella (8-12) was tagged with the loss, despite nearly securing the win and fanning eight Wildcats.