ORMOND BEACH, Fla., May 14-Florida A&M  used two homeruns to propel them to a 4-1 win over Delaware State, Friday afternoon at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

FAMU (29-23) outhit DSU (28-20) 5-4.

The Lady Rattlers had four players to finish with one hit apiece, while the Lady Hornets was led by Breanne Parr as she went two-for-three from the plate scoring one run with one RBI.

FAMU got on the board early as Melissa Oliphant homered to left field giving the Lady Rattlers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The Lady Hornets tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning as Parr homered to left field.

A Joyce Harold two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning scoring Arianna Stewart gave the Lady Rattlers a 3-1 lead.

FAMU scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth as Tenisha Dixon scored on a DSU infielder's error.

The Lady Rattlers will now take on Howard,  in a 3 p.m. matchup at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

HURSTON LEADS HOWARD TO WIN OVER SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

Ormond Beach, Fla., May 14-Jessica Hurston came up big on the mound and at the plate to lead the Lady Bison to a 10-6 win over South Carolina State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Championship tournament at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

Howard (26-21) will take on Florida A&M at 3 p.m. in the double-elimination bracket.  With the loss, the Lady Bulldogs concluded their season with a 9-43 mark.

The Lady Bison, the Number 1 seed in the North Division, played the Lady Bulldogs for the second time in 24 hours after losing to them, 5-0 on Thursday in the opening round.  Howard got on the board first when starting pitcher Emily Johnson doubled to bring home shortstop Rebecca Kirshner for a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.

South Carolina State, the Number 4 seed in the South, responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead.  Johnson, who started for Howard, was forced to bow out with an ankle injury after just one inning and was relieved by Christina McCoy.  

Hurston (3-2) came in relief and quickly quieted the South Carolina State bats. Senior rightfielder Courtney Young, a First-Team All-MEAC selection delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth.

The Lady Bison continued their barrage in the top of the fifth with four runs.  A sacrifice fly by first baseman Cierra Gordon scored third baseman Nicole Saez.  Catcher Aisha Ledet then scored on a fielder's choice and Hurtson and second baseman Trina Kindred hit back-to-back doubles to close out the inning with a 7-3 lead.

Howard would go on to score three more runs in the next inning as Gordon, Hurston and rightfielder Christine Sborz all drove in runs.

The Lady Bulldogs would not go away as they scored three runs in the bottom of the six, two of them unearned, compliments of two errors and a passed ball.  But in the end, Hurston dismissed any thoughts of a comeback, retiring the sides in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Hurston pitched five innings, gave up two hits and allowed only one earned run.  Ledet and Young collected three hits, while Sborz, a second team all-conference selection, Hurston, Gordon and Young each drove in two runs for the Lady Bison, who pounded out 17 hits.

Sonya Giles drove in two runs for South Carolina State.

For more information on MEAC Softball, visit www.MEACsports.com.