DELAND, Fla. – Colgate fell to Bethune-Cookman 8-0 in its final game of the Stetson Invitational on Sunday morning.
 
The Raiders close out the weekend tournament 4-1 to move to 10-5 overall, their best 15-game start since 2010. After getting a late start to Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader due to the previous game going to extra innings, Sunday morning's 10 a.m. first pitch was going to be a tall task.
 
Bethune-Cookman did not make things any easier with a four-run bottom of the first. Samantha Kelley opened the scoring with a single to left field to bring home Haley Parks, who reached on an infield single earlier in the inning. RBI doubles from Yvonne Siordia and Sasha Killings extended the lead to 4-0.
 
Colgate's best scoring chance came in the top of the fourth when Nicole Rounsavill led off the inning with a triple in the right-center gap. But Bethune-Cookman pitcher Victoria Guzman worked around it with a lineout, popout, and groundout stranding Rounsavill on third base.
 
Jess Hay came in relief in the first inning and set the Wildcats down in order in the second, third, and fourth innings to keep the Raiders within striking distance. Virginia Irby helped the cause from behind the dish, erasing two would-be base stealers to prevent any runner from reaching scoring position.
 
The Raiders could not crack Guzman, however, and Bethune-Cookman added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run double from Elise Gibbs sealing the five-inning affair.
 
BOTTOM LINE
Bethune-Cookman 8, Colgate 0
 
QUOTES
Colgate Head Coach Marissa Lamison-Myers
On a 4-1 weekend:
"We had a good weekend. I was really proud of how we fought on Friday and Saturday. We are eager to get back home and get back to work. Our focus right now is Jacksonville."
 
GAME NOTES
• Rounsavill and Jordan Miller recorded Colgate's two hits in the defeat.
• Colgate has winning records in each of its first three preseason weekends, going 3-2 in the Gardner-Webb and Madeira Beach tournaments before finishing 4-1 this weekend.
• The Raiders are off to their best 15-game start since the 2010 team opened 12-3.
• Morgan Farrah slashed .400 (6-for-15) this weekend with four homers, six RBIs, and five runs scored.
• Bailey Misken did not allow an earned run in 14 innings in the circle, striking out nine while allowing just seven hits in two complete game victories.
 
UP NEXT                                                                                                                    
Colgate (10-5) heads to Birmingham, Alabama, next weekend for five games in the UAB tournament. The Raiders open the trip with a twinbill against Jacksonville (10 a.m. CT) and the host Blazers (3 p.m. CT) on Friday.