LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Hampton University softball team’s road finale was a hard-fought affair on Tuesday, as Liberty took both games of a doubleheader on ESPN3 – taking the first game 5-4 in nine innings before winning the second game 5-2.

The Lady Pirates are now 15-22 on the season.

Hampton took control of the first game in the top of the fourth inning, pushing across three runs. Freshman Jada Fields got the scoring started with a single to left field that brought home freshman Allyson Babinsack.

Sophomore Taylor Clark followed with a two-run double to give the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead.

Another run came in the top of the fifth; after junior Taylor McCoy reached on a fielder’s choice, Babinsack reached on a single. McCoy then scored from second base on a single from senior Kerissa Burruel to give Hampton a 4-0 lead.

Madison Kotchey got Liberty (26-24) on the board with a solo home run in the seventh inning, cutting the lead to 4-1 and starting the Flames’ comeback. The Flames scored three more runs to tie the game at 4-4 and force extra innings.

Hampton loaded the bases in the eighth inning, but was unable to push across a run, and the Lady Pirates had a runner on base in the ninth.

But a single from Megan Robinson in the bottom of the ninth scored Jessica Cicerchia and gave Liberty the 5-4 win.

Babinsack went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Margaret Wilkins had a hit to extend her hitting streak to 15 games.

Senior Jailynn Jackson had seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched, while Babinsack struck out three in two innings of work.

Liberty scored a run in the first inning to open the second game, before the Lady Pirates tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third after Burruel reached on a fielder’s choice and McCoy scored on a bad throw.

Liberty took a 2-1 lead on an Alexia Taylor RBI single in the fourth, before Babinsack answered with an RBI single of her own in the fifth, tying the game at 2-2 by driving in sophomore Danielle Budden.

But the Flames scored in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-2 lead, before Liberty scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, taking a 5-2 lead on a two-run single from Katie Han.

McCoy went 3-for-4 at the plate in the second game, while Budden went 2-for-4.

Babinsack struck out three in six innings.

The Lady Pirates return home on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game set against Coppin State.