Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls

JCSU Softball Opens 2017 With 11-9 Win at Benedict

2/4/2017 9:05:00 PM

JCSU Sports Information

Box Score JCSU Softball Opens 2017 With an 11-9 Win at Benedict, Game Two Postponed

Columbia, S.C. (Feb. 4, 2017) – The Johnson C. Smith University softball team opened the 2017 season with an 11-9 road win at Benedict on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.

After falling down to Benedict 2-0, the Golden Bulls erupted for five runs in the third inning. Freshman Alexis D'Louhy (Winnabow, N.C.) started things off with a double down the left field line, followed by a one-out single by senior Jocelyn Hernandez (Bloomington, Ca.), scoring D'Louhy. Hernandez would score after Tia Mahoney (Hartwell, Ga.) singled to shortstop and would later steal second. JCSU would then load the bases after Morgan Hasty (Salem, Ind.) was walked, the next batter reached on a hit-by-pitch, followed by a Kaitlyn Santos (Honolulu, Hi.) walk, that would make it 3-2.

Pitcher Victoria Lopez (San Diego, Ca.) would walk, driving in a run giving JCSU the 4-2 lead. Miranda Ricafrente (Jacksonville, Fla. ) was then hit by a pitch, forcing in a run, making it 5-2.

Benedict would strike for two runs in the bottom of the third, closing the JCSU lead to 5-4 and would tie the game in the fifth at 5-5.

JCSU would then have another big inning in the sixth, scoring six runs to go ahead 11-5. In the frame, JCSU would get four hits, including doubles from Hernandez and  D'Louhy. Randaisa Daniels (Shallotte, N.C.) would also knock in two runs with a single to the left center gap to complete the JCSU scoring.

Benedict was not finished, as they battled back to score four runs in the home half of the sixth inning, but Lopez forced a fly out to end the inning with JCSU holding the 11-9 advantage.

JCSU would go in order in the seventh and after surrendering a lead-off walk, erased the Benedict threat with a double play and would then force a groundout to end the game.

The Golden Bulls were led by a trio of players with two RBI each. Junior Tia Mahoney finished 2-of-5 with two RBI while Santos also drove in two and scored one, going 1-for-3 on the afternoon. D'Louhy finished the game going 3-for-4 from the play with two doubles and two RBI on the day.

Pitcher Victoria Lopez went the distance for the Golden Bulls, earning her first win of the season striking out 10 Tiger batters.

Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was stopped due to darkness in the third inning with Benedict leading 4-1. That game will be completed on March 7 prior to the scheduled doubleheader between the two teams at Biddleville Park.