Box Scores: George Mason | Mount St. Mary's

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Hampton University softball team split two games on Tuesday in the first day of the 2010 Spring MidWeek Invitational, hosted by George Mason University at George Mason Field. The Lady Pirates beat the host Patriots 5-2 before falling 9-8 to Mount St. Mary's.

Hampton struck first in the second inning of the contest against George Mason, when Sharde' Estep (Aquasco, Md.) scored on an error, before the Patriots answered in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double down the left field line from Rachael Davies.

The Lady Pirates (4-10) scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning, starting with a two-run single from Jada Jeffries (Lithonia, Ga.). Travonna Byrd (Newport News, Va.) scored the third run of the inning on a ground ball, and Tamara Vickers (Lawndale, Calif.) smacked a triple to right-center field.

Katie Rynex singled home a run for the Patriots (1-5) in the fifth inning, but it wasn't enough.

Estep led the Lady Pirates, going 2-for-3 at the plate, scoring twice as Jeffries drove in a team-high two runs. Sydni Benton (Chicago, Ill.) picked up her first win of the season on the mound, going all seven innings, giving up six hits and striking out four.

Hampton opened the contest against Mount St. Mary's with a three-run first inning, on a three-run home run from Kelsei Saunders (Suffolk, Va.), but Mount St. Mary's responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning, tallying five hits and taking advantage of three errors.

The Lady Pirates took a 7-6 lead in the top of the second inning, thanks to four runs. Even with only one hit, Hampton took advantage of three errors and a pair of bases-loaded walks. Saunders and Jeffries each drove in runs via the free pass.

Byrd drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

With two runs in the third inning, Mount St. Mary's took an 8-7 lead, but the Lady Pirates tied the game in the fifth after Adrianna Scott (Laurel, Md.) tripled and scored on a throwing error. Mount St. Mary's took the win in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single from Courtney Zingle.

Erin Leddy led Mount St. Mary's (9-5) with three hits in three at-bats, while Amanda Hanson picked up her second win of the season with seven innings of work, giving up eight runs on 10 hits and striking out five.

Vickers went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Saunders went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Jeffries struck out three in 6 2/3 innings' worth of work on the mound.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Wednesday, when they face George Mason again at 10:30 a.m., before facing off against Mount St. Mary's at 2:30 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.