Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) defending softball champions Bethune-Cookman University swept the Savannah State softball squad in a doubleheader Saturday at Lady Tiger Field in Savannah. 
 
The Lady Wildcats hit a staggering 16 hits in the opening game en route to a 15-10 win over SSU. In game two, SSU rallied in the middle innings, but Cookman sealed up a mercy-rule victory with a big fifth inning, winning 13-3. 
 
The Lady Tigers fall to 21-21 overall and 5-6 in the conference, while Bethune-Cookman improves to 15-31 and 9-1 in the MEAC. 
 
With only a handful of games left in the regular season, Cookman leads the MEAC Southern Division, while SSU is currently in third place behind Florida A&M. 
 
Hit Parade
 
The Lady Wildcats opened the high-scoring game with two runs on three hits in the top of the first for a 2-0 advantage.  In the bottom of the second, SSU responded. Senior Madison Hedderly singled to lead-off for the Lady Tigers. 
 
India Morgan followed Hedderly with a bunt single. Antonette Smith platted Hedderly on a single to left field. Freshman Michaela Patton scored Morgan and Smith with a single to left-center. Later, Megan Uhrman platted Patton with a single, lifting SSU to a 4-2 lead. 
 
The Lady Tigers' lead was short lived, as Bethune-Cookman platted five runs on five hits and one SSU error in the top of the third for a 7-4 advantage. 
 
After a scoreless fourth inning, sophomore Amber Hallman was hit with a pitch to reach. Freshman Torrian Wright blasted her 13th home run of the season, platting Hallman and cutting into Bethune-Cookman's lead. After five complete, the Lady Wildcats led SSU 7-6. 
 
Wright leads the MEAC in home runs this season, and has set a single-season, Division I school record for home runs.
 
The rally from SSU was again short lived, as Bethune-Cookman absconded in the top of the sixth, with a six run, five hit inning that lifted the Lady Wildcats to a 13-6 lead. 
 
SSU failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth, while Bethune-Cookman tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh for a 15-6 lead. 
 
Looking to rally back from the nine-point deficient, Savannah State took advantage of two walks on the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh. Hedderly doubled to right field, scoring Hallman. Later, Destiny Webster, pinch running for Hedderly, scored on a ground-out from Morgan. 
 
SSU's Tamara Jones, running for Wright who walked, scored on a fielding error, to cut Bethune-Cookman's lead to five runs. A ground-out from Uhrman ended the Lady Tigers rally with two runners on and sealed up the Lady Wildcats eighth conference win. 
 
The Lady Wildcats racked up 16 hits with 11 RBI. They were led by Kelsey Rodney, who was 3-for-4 with four RBI. SSU was led at the plate by Wright, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. The Lady Tigers had eight hits in the contest. 
 
Shanel Tolbert garnered her 10th pitching win after 7.0 innings of work. She allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits with five walks and three strikeouts. 
 
SSU senior Cassie Standard was tagged with her third pitching loss after 3.0 innings in the circle. Standard allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with two walks. 
 
Early Rout
In game two, SSU was looking to make the comeback win in the first inning. Freshman Amanda McDowell notched two strikeouts and forced a ground-out to open the game. In the bottom of the first Wright singled up the middle to score Patton who reached on a bunt single; lifting SSU to a 1-0 lead.  

Bethune-Cookman quickly knocked the wind out of the Lady Tigers momentum in the top of the second. Melissa Berouty homered to left field, platting Michele Banuelos-Smith who singled.

Later in the same inning, Cookman platted two more runs on a costly SSU error to take a 4-1 lead. SSU went down 1-2-3 in the second, while the Lady Wildcats tacked on three more runs on four hits in the top of the third for a 7-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the frame, SSU looked to rally. Hallman reached on a single. Wright platted Hallman with her 14^th home run of the season to cut the Lady Wildcats lead to 7-3.

A scoreless fourth inning kept the Lady Tigers rally hopes alive into the fifth. But, Bethune-Cookman would quell those hopes in the top of the fifth, platting six runs on five hits and two SSU errors.

Trailing 13-3 into the bottom of the fifth, SSU was unable to avoid the mercy-rule ending as Tolbert forced out the first three batters for her 11^th pitching victory.

Bethune-Cookman was led at the plate by Berouty, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, including her first home run of the season.

Wright led SSU, going 2-for-2 with three RBI. Wright leads the team in several batting categories; including batting average (.405), RBI (46), hits (47), runs (34), and home runs (14).

Tolbert pitched a full 5.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts.

McDowell was tagged with her 10^th loss of the season after 4.1 innings of work. She allowed 12 runs (seven earned) on nine hits with five walks and two strikeouts.

The Lady Tigers conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 12 p.m. on the new Lady Tiger Field in Savannah.