ORMOND BEACH, Fla., — Bethune-Cookman won the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) softball championship at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex on Saturday after defeating rival Florida A&M 11-5 in the second game of the championship round.
The Lady Rattlers had forced the if-necessary game with a 1-0 win in the first contest.
B-CU (26-29) wins its second consecutive title and ninth overall. Laura Watten was named the tournament’s Outstanding Coach, and Sasha Killings earned Outstanding Performer honors.
The first game saw Florida A&M’s Kyaira Brown throw a complete-game shutout, coming within one out of throwing a no-hitter. The Lady Rattlers only had three hits in their own right.
FAMU got off to a quick start in the second game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning after an RBI single from Taylor Rosier. Rosier added an RBI double in the top of the third to put FAMU up 2-0 before Bethune-Cookman responded with a six-spot in the bottom of the frame.
Two of those runs came on throwing errors, and the Lady Wildcats saw RBI singles from Brianna Paysinger, Kaiya Epps-Lee and Kaira Cabato.
B-CU led 6-2 after three innings.
FAMU got another run in the top of the fourth, cutting the lead to 6-3 before Cheyenne Smith got that run back for B-CU with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. The Lady Rattlers scored a run each in the third through sixth innings, but Bethune-Cookman’s third and fifth innings were the difference.
In fact, the Lady Wildcats scored four times in the fifth.
Epps-Lee and Paysinger each had RBI singles again, and B-CU also scored on a double steal and another throwing error.
Epps-Lee and Paysinger were both 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.
Alexis Bermudez, the MEAC Pitcher of the Year, threw five innings of relief in the second game, striking out three.
Outstanding Performer: Sasha Killings, Bethune-Cookman
Outstanding Coach: Laura Watten, Bethune-Cookman
All-Tournament Team
Alexis Bermudez, Bethune-Cookman
Sasha Killings, Bethune-Cookman
Cheyenne Smith, Bethune-Cookman
Brianna Baker, Delaware State
Kyara Brown, Florida A&M
Tyra Bowers, Florida A&M
?Kimiya Watkins, Florida A&M
Kalita Dennis, Howard
Jackie Jones, Howard
Kaylee Lopez, Norfolk State
Kiara Hurley, North Carolina Central
Courtesy: MEAC
