ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Hampton University softball team kept its hopes of repeating as conference champions alive Friday morning with an 8-0 win over Norfolk State in six innings at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
The Lady Pirates (29-19) will face Delaware State today at 3 p.m.
Hampton got on the board in the top of the second inning, when freshman Heather Baccus, who led off the inning with a single to left field, scored on a throwing error after sophomore McKalee Rouse reached on a fielder’s choice.
Another run came across in the third inning, after junior Margaret Wilkins singled and freshman Danielle Budden doubled to give the Lady Pirates runners on second and third. Sophomore Taylor McCoy brought in Wilkins with a groundout to put Hampton up 2-0.
Redshirt-sophomore Ranelle Taylor gave the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, singling to right field to bring in junior Kerissa Burruel.
But Hampton really broke the game open in the top of the sixth inning, pushing across five runs. Rouse led the inning off with a single, before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and a single from sophomore Diamond Ponds.
Rouse then scored on a fielding error that allowed Wilkins to reach base, and Ponds later scored on a sac fly from McCoy to put Hampton up 5-0.
Baccus followed later in the inning with a two-run single to left field, before she later scored on an error.
Hampton took an 8-0 lead, thanks in large part to three Norfolk State errors in the sixth inning.
Wilkins, Baccus, and Rouse each had two hits for the Lady Pirates, with McCoy and Baccus each driving in a pair of runs. Wilkins and Baccus each scored twice.
Junior Jailynn Jackson, the two-time reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Year, picked up her 19th win of the season, going six innings in the circle, scattering five hits and recording five strikeouts in recording her sixth shutout of the season.