DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman used more late-inning heroics to defeat the North Carolina A&T softball team 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Sunnyland Park.

The win gives the Wildcats the No. 1 seed coming out of the MEAC's Southern Division. The Aggies will go into this week's MEAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed coming out of the south. The Aggies will open the tournament against Coppin State in Ormond Beach, Fla., on Thursday, May 13.

The Aggies took a first-inning lead thanks to senior Yahamma White. White led the game off with a single to right center field. White stole second. An error by Bethune-Cookman allowed White to score for a 1-0 Aggies lead.

Junior pitcher Jennifer Luper commanded the game from there. Luper did not allow a Wildcat hit until the fifth inning. She let her defense do most of the work. For the first time this season, she did not record a strike out during an appearance. But trouble did come in the sixth inning for Luper and the Aggies.

Ashton Hinds hit a one-out single up the middle. An infield hit by Aurelia Gamch put runners on first and second. Casley Tafoya got the Wildcats on the board with a double that scored Hinds. Luper would get Allison Garcia to groundout to put two outs on the board.

But Sabrina Ferguson would take Luper's 2-2 pitch into right field for a single, giving the Wildcats a one-run lead. Garcia, who was also brilliant on the mound on Sunday, put down the Aggies in order to end the game. Garcia went seven innings, did not give up an earned run and struck out four to improve to 20-14.

The Aggies end their regular-season at 25-25 overall and 8-4 in the MEAC. The Aggies head into the tournament with seven seniors looking to return to the championship game for the first time since they were freshmen. Only this time, they want to win it.

It will not be easy. All four of the northern schools headed to the tournament have at least nine wins with Howard leading the way with a 14-1 record.