Hampton sweeps three-game set at Norfolk State
NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University softball team swept all three games against rival Norfolk State on Saturday and Sunday at the NSU Softball Field, continuing the team’s hot streak in the latter part of the regular season.
The Lady Pirates won by scores of 6-0 and 10-6 on Saturday, before winning 7-6 on Sunday.
Hampton (26-18, 14-3 MEAC) has won 11 straight games and 13 of its last 15 games.
The Lady Pirates got on the board in the top of the third inning in Saturday’s first game, after a single to right field from junior Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) brought in sophomore Diamond Ponds on an error to put Hampton up 1-0.
A sac fly from freshman Danielle Budden and a RBI double from sophomore Taylor McCoy that brought in Wilkins gave the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
Wilkins brought in another run in the top of the sixth with an infield single, before freshman Heather Baccus scored on an error to put Hampton up 5-0. McCoy followed in the seventh with her third home run of the season, a solo shot to center field to put Hampton up 6-0.
Wilkins went 3-for-4 at the plate in Saturday’s first game, while McCoy drove in a team-high two runs.
Junior Jailynn Jackson picked up her 16th win of the season in Saturday’s first game, striking out three and scattering five hits over seven innings.
The Lady Pirates jumped out immediately in Saturday’s second game, pushing across seven runs in the game’s opening frame. The scoring started with an RBI single from Budden, before McCoy hit her fourth home run of the season later in the inning.
Junior Kerissa Burruel then singled home a run of her own, before Ponds singled home a pair of runs to put Hampton up 5-0. Ponds and sophomore McKalee Rouse then scored on a double from Wilkins to give the Lady Pirates a 7-0 lead.
After Norfolk State scored twice in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 7-2, Baccus answered in the top of the third with her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field to put Hampton up 9-2.
Then, after a double from Ponds, Wilkins tripled down the right field line to score Ponds and give the Lady Pirates a 10-2 lead.
The Spartans scored twice in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 10-4, before pushing across two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut Hampton’s lead to 10-6. But Norfolk State stranded two runs in the sixth, before stranding a runner in the seventh.
Ponds went 3-for-3 in Saturday’s second game, while Wilkins, Burruel, and freshman Taylor Clark each had two hits. Wilkins drove in a team-high three runs, and Baccus and Ponds each drove in two.
Sophomore Jecholia Pratt went five innings in picking up her ninth win of the season.
Hampton scored three times in the opening frame on Sunday, starting with an RBI double from McCoy to score Wilkins. Budden then scored when Clark reached on a fielder’s choice, before Burruel reached on an error to score McCoy and give the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead.
The Spartans scored twice in the bottom of the first to cut Hampton’s lead to 3-2.
The Lady Pirates had the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, before McCoy doubled down the left field line, and all three runners scored – thanks in part to a throwing error – to give the Lady Pirates a 6-2 lead.
Norfolk State scored twice in the bottom of the frame, cutting the lead to 6-4.
An RBI single from McCoy in the top of the sixth scored Wilkins and gave the Lady Pirates a 7-4 lead. Though the Spartans scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, rallying with two outs and cutting Hampton’s lead to 7-6.
But a base running mistake cost Norfolk State and gave Hampton the sweep.
McCoy went 3-for-4 on Sunday, driving in four runs.
Pratt went all seven innings to pick up her 10th win of the season.
For complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com or www.nsuspartans.com
Hornets Outlast UMES in Extra Innings to Secure MEAC North Title
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Despite playing in its first extra inning contest of the season, the Delaware State softball team (32-15, 15-3 MEAC) not only secured the series sweep on the road over the UMES Hawks (7-40, 4-12 MEAC) with a tough 8-4 win, but it captured the 2014 MEAC Northern Division crown to garner the number one seed in this week’s conference tournament in Ormond Beach, Fla.
With this victory, the Hornets finished the regular season as winners of seven straight, while their 15 conference wins are the most since 2006.
After DSU’s Danielle Velez extended her squad’s lead to three with a single to bring in Jordan Stamps during the sixth, the Hawks answered later in the frame to score three runs on five hits, headlined by a two-run Trenece Nash RBI-single up the middle to tie the game.
As a result, starter Tara Tursellino (13-5) was replaced by reliever Vanessa Ciocatto (10-5) as she finished the afternoon allowing seven hits, three earned runs, a walk and fanning four UMES batters.
In the seventh, the Hornets were unable to recapture the lead, whereas the Hawks had a golden opportunity to end the game with runners in scoring position and only one out. Nevertheless, the Hornets answered the bell as Ciocatto struck out Charisma Spencer and forced UMES’s top hitter in Morgan King to ground out to Stamps at third.
Heading into extras, head coach Janice Savage’s message to her team was to be who they were the entire year.
Luckily for Delaware State, that is exactly what happened in the eighth, sparked by Stamps leading off the inning with her third hit of the day. Next up, infielder Rochelle Sablay (5) belted one deep to center field to put the Hornets back on top, 6-4.
DSU later tacked on two more runs by way of infielder Chloe Oro RBI-single and outfielder Jessica Madrid driving pinch runner Samantha Gross with a sac-fly.
To secure the win, the Hornets retired the Hawks in order, capped off by Ciara Schnyder flying out to Sablay in foul territory along the first base line
At game’s end, Delaware State tallied double digit hits for the third straight contest, led by outfielder Nicole Gazzola, Stamps and Velez all recording three each, while Stamps scored a game-high two runs. For the weekend, the Columbia Blue & Red batted .431 with 47 hits, 27 runs and 25 RBI.
For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.umeshawks.com