Hampton completes three-game sweep of UMES
HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team beat Maryland Eastern Shore 9-7 at a soggy Lady Pirates Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon to complete the sweep of the three-game conference series.
The Lady Pirates (19-18, 9-3 MEAC) have won four straight games and six of their last eight.
UMES jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning, taking advantage of sloppy field conditions – scoring all three runs on plays that were something other than hits (a wild pitch, an RBI groundout, and a sacrifice fly).
Hampton answered in the bottom of the frame, when freshman Kayla DeSchepper singled home freshman Danielle Budden to cut the lead to 3-1.
Freshman Heather Baccus tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the second inning, cranking her first home run of the season over the left field fence. The homer brought home Budden, who led off the inning with a single.
UMES (7-33, 4-7 MEAC) scored three times in the top of the fourth, taking a 6-3 lead, before the Lady Pirates responded with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Baccus got the scoring started with a double to left field that brought in sophomore McKalee Rouse and junior Kerissa Burruel.
Sophomore Diamond Ponds followed with a single that brought Baccus home and tied the game at 6-6.
Later, with the bases loaded, DeSchepper walked to bring in another run, before freshman Taylor Clark reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Ponds and gave the Lady Pirates an 8-6 lead.
Clark later scored in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch, putting Hampton up 9-6.
UMES rallied in the top of the seventh inning, picking up a run on an RBI double from Emily Diseroad with nobody out to cut the lead to 9-7, but Diseroad was left stranded at third base as junior Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched her way out of trouble.
Baccus, Ponds, Burruel, and DeSchepper each had two hits for the Lady Pirates, while Burruel and Baccus each scored twice. Baccus drove in a team-high four runs.
Jackson struck out two in seven innings of work, picking up her 13th win of the season.
The Lady Pirates will take on North Carolina A&T on Tuesday at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com or www.umeshawks.com
Delaware State Shuts Out NSU, 3-0
DOVER, Del. – Delaware State won the rubber match of the series and moved into first place in the MEAC Northern Division with a 3-0 shutout of the Norfolk State softball team on Saturday afternoon at DSU’s Hornets Nest field.
DSU scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth for the only scoring of the day, moving the Hornets into first place in the division at 9-2 while improving to 24-14 overall. NSU fell into second at 12-3 in the MEAC and 18-18 overall.
Back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth got DSU on the board against Spartan starter Jamie Schulle, and an RBI single by Sandy Hawthorne made it 3-0.
The Spartans left a pair of runners on in the second, and then had two on with two outs in the seventh before reliever Tara Tursellino got the final out of the game.
Schulle (13-9) suffered the loss after allowing five hits and three earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.
Junior Alina Moriarty had two of NSU’s five hits on the day.
Rachel Meagley (6-5) got the win for DSU, giving up four hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of work.
NSU will head to Longwood for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and then return home to host North Carolina Central for a non-conference twinbill next Saturday at 1 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Coppin State splits twinbill with Bucknell
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Coppin State softball team concluded its season-high 10-game road trip by splitting a doubleheader against Bucknell University at Becker Field Saturday afternoon. The Eagles rallied to win 3-2 in extra innings and fell 6-1 in the second game.
Standing at 5 feet, 2 inches, Heather Josker may one of the shortest players on the Eagle roster, but she delivered a big clutch hit in the top of the seventh inning of the first game to help CSU turn the game around. With two outs and the bases loaded, Josker smacked a double that scored two runs and gave Coppin State a 2-1 lead.
Coppin State (10-21 overall) had laser-like focus along with a very patient approach – especially with two outs -- in the top of the seventh inning. Lauren Rogers started the rally with a one-out single. Candice Van Horn and Alanna Williams set the stage for Josker by working a pair of two out walks.
The Eagles weren’t through delivering major damage. After Bucknell tied the game in its half of the seventh inning, Gabrielle Ziller opened the eighth with a double and scored the decisive run on Samantha Denlinger’s RBI single.
It’s fitting that Denlinger and Josker combined to earn the win and save, respectively. Josker gave new meaning to the term save as she was in the middle of all of the fun to help the Eagles earn a much-needed victory on their tour of foreign fields over the last two weeks.
Williams was a pest throughout the first game as she was on base three times in the No. 2 hole. In addition to singling, she walked twice. Josker and Williams also had hits in the second game as well. Josker scored Coppin State’s only run of the contest in the seventh inning on Kim Brown’s RBI single.
Coppin State enjoys a much needed week off before returning to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play to host Hampton next Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com
Lady Wildcats close out series with sweep of Lady Aggies
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sabrina Anguiano scored both runs and picked up the win in relief as Bethune-Cookman closed a sweep of North Carolina A&T with a 2-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division victory Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats (18-25 overall, 8-1) posted their second sweep of a conference series this season and now have a three-game lead over Savannah State in the division. The Aggies slipped to 14-22 and 6-6.
Anguiano, a freshman, lead off the second with a walk and the fourth with a triple, scoring the first run on Wanda Darby’s single bunt in the second and on an error in the fourth.
Pitching-wise, she threw four and one-third innings of one-hit ball with five strikeouts for her second win of the series. For the weekend, she hit .444 (4-9) and had a 1.85 ERA in the circle.
Kelsey Rodney had two hits, including her 15th double of the season for the Wildcats, who won their fourth one-run game during conference play.
Bethune-Cookman travels to Jacksonville for a Wednesday doubleheader.
For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.ncataggies.com