HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team finished second in the annual Lady Pirates Classic on Sunday, after falling 5-4 in eight innings to Brown at Lady Pirates Field.

Sophomore Kelsei Saunders (Suffolk, Va.), who hit five home runs over the course of the tournament, was named Tournament MVP. Travonna Byrd (Newport News, Va.) and Sydni Benton (Chicago, Ill.) were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Tied with Brown 1-1 after six innings, the Lady Pirates (7-16) broke things open in the top of the seventh inning as the rain began falling. Byrd drove home a pair of runs with a single to left field, before Brooke Boykin added an RBI single of her own to put Hampton up 4-1.

Brown tied the game again in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to a three-run home run to left field by Sandra Mastrangelo.

Due to the rainy weather – and the impending darkness – umpires decided to utilize international extra-inning rules, which placed the last batter out the previous inning on second base to begin the extra frame. After the Lady Pirates were held scoreless in the top half of the eighth inning, Brown scored the winning run in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch.

Hampton advanced to the championship game with a pair of 11-2 five-inning wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on Sunday. The Lady Pirates beat Pace 11-2 in the quarterfinals at Captains Field on the campus of Christopher Newport University, before upending Central Connecticut State 11-2 in the semifinals.

Jada Jeffries (Lithonia, Ga.) pitched both games, going the distance each time to pick up the wins.

After pounding out another home run in the quarterfinal against Pace, Saunders added two more home runs – including a monster bomb down the left field line – against Central Connecticut. Sharde' Estep (Aquasco, Md.) also had her first home run of the season in the semifinal game, cranking a bomb to right-center as part of the Lady Pirates' six-run fourth inning.

Prior to Sunday's bracket play, the Lady Pirates went 1-3 over the course of Friday and Saturday.

The Lady Pirates opened the tournament on Friday morning with an 8-6 win over Coppin State, despite a pair of home runs from Paige Arnold. She also struck out 10 in seven innings of work. Adrianna Scott (Laurel, Md.) and Byrd each went 3-for-4 at the plate for Hampton, while Byrd and Jeffries each drove in two runs.

Central Connecticut State beat Hampton 11-2 on Friday afternoon, while Pace beat the Lady Pirates 9-6 on Saturday morning at Captains Field and Brown beat Hampton 12-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Saunders had a home run in each of Saturday's games.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Tuesday, when they head to Buies Creek, N.C. to take on Campbell at 4 p.m. For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com. 


2010 Lady Pirates Classic All-Tournament Team
Elizabeth Montemurro, Central Connecticut State
Paige Arnold, Coppin State
Kelsei Saunders, Hampton (Tournament MVP)
Larrissa Porcelli, Pace
Liz DiMascio, Brown
Travonna Byrd, Hampton
Katie Rothamel, Brown
Sandra Mastrangelo, Brown
Sydni Benton, Hampton