Freshman pitcher/shortstop Ashton Byrd recorded her first career homerun in a losing rally effect against Benedict College
Game One Box
Game Two Box
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's softball team suffered a pair of losses (20-11, 15-6) to Benedict College on Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader inside Biddleville Park. JCSU moves to 8-27 overall and remains 7-10 in the CIAA and 4-6 in the Northern Division. Johnson C. Smith will advance to the CIAA Championship Tournament after St. Augustine's lost out to Shaw in a doubleheader.
The Lady Golden Bulls matched offensive firepower with Benedict in game one. Both teams scored a run in every inning leading up the fifth. JCSU trailed 3-1 after the first, but responded with a five-run outburst in the bottom of the second. Freshman first baseman
Jasmine Jackson (Chester, SC) smacked a shot to the left field fence to score senior
Kawehi Chan (Honolulu, HI), junior
Elizabeth McElveen (Columbia, SC), and sophomore
Alexandra Buckley (Charlotte, NC). Despite the 3-RBI hit, Jackson was tagged out at third on the slide.
Johnson C. Smith held a 9-5 lead going into the fourth. The Lady Tigers made up some ground with a 2-RBI homerun from shortstop Cherae Rice. That was the only hit junior pitcher
Tenesha Simmons (Melbourne, FL) allowed in the inning, but Benedict produced three runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jackson crossed home plate off a RBI single up the middle from junior second baseman
ShaDella Reese (Atlanta, GA). Freshman center fielder
Britney Warren (Atlanta, GA) also took base with a single and was brought home by freshman
Ashton Byrd (Atlanta, GA). The Lady Golden Bulls only scored two runs, but tallied six hits and held an 11-8 lead.
Benedict took the lead and broke open the game in the fifth. After already having brought in three runs, LaKeeya Ramsey catapulted a 3-RBI homer to left center for a six-run inning. JCSU failed to score more runs, while the Lady Tigers ignited for another six runs in the seventh for a 20-11 victory.
Simmons moves to 3-10 on the mound this season with the loss. She walked 12, gave up 20 runs and 12 hits with four strikeouts.
Game two had a very bleak opening for Johnson C. Smith. Benedict jumped out to a 12-0 advantage going into the bottom of the third. McElveen generated some life into the Lady Golden Bulls with a RBI single to score Chan. Chan got on base with a triple to left and McElveen eventually stole home for another JCSU run.
Benedict only scored one run at the top of the fourth for a 13-2 lead. JCSU surged offensive at the bottom of the inning with five hits and four runs; including a solo homerun from Byrd. Despite the bright spots, the Lady Tigers scored two runs in the fifth and held JCSU scoreless to grasp to the 15-6 win. Benedict earns their 21st victory of the season in the fifth due to the NCAA eight-run rule.
Byrd is now 4-3 pitching this year after the loss.
Johnson C. Smith has the opportunity to immediately redeem themselves with they face Belmont Abbey College on Wednesday, April 13th. First pitch in this non-conference doubleheader is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside Biddleville Park. This is the last home doubleheader of the 2011 season and only night game of the year.
