ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A pair of home runs helped the Hampton University softball team advance again at the MEAC Tournament on Friday afternoon at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex, thanks to a 7-4 win over Savannah State.
The Lady Pirates (22-25) have won three straight after Thursday’s loss to Bethune-Cookman.
With the win, Hampton advances in the consolation bracket, taking on Bethune-Cookman again at 6 p.m.
Savannah State, the top seed in the MEAC Southern Division, scored first – taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after an RBI single from Amanda Hallman.
But the Lady Pirates answered in the bottom of the second, as Jada Fields hit her second home run of the day – and sixth of the season – and two-run shot that brought in Allyson Babinsack and gave the Lady Pirates a 2-1 lead.
An error in the top of the third allowed Savannah State to tie the game at 2-2, but the Lady Pirates responded in the bottom of the frame with four runs, starting with a solo home run from Margaret Wilkins to lead off the frame and put Hampton up 3-2.
It was Wilkins’ second homer of the season.
Fields brought in another run with an RBI single later in the inning, before Jessica Reiman later singled with the bases loaded to bring in two runs and giving the Lady Pirates a 6-2 lead.
Hampton added a run in the fourth, going up 7-2 when Wilkins scored on a passed ball.
Hallman hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, cutting Hampton’s lead to 7-4, but Babinsack retired four of the last six batters to clinch the win.
Wilkins, Fields, McCoy, and Reiman each had two hits, with Fields driving in three runs.
Babinsack struck out seven in picking up her 15th win of the season.