WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Hampton University softball team won four of the eight games in which it played this past week in the Rebel Games at the DiamondPlex.
 
Game 1: Saint Joseph's 12, Hampton 2
Through three and a half innings, Saint Joseph's led 6-0, before Hampton (5-13) struck in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from junior Jessica Reiman (Massillon, Ohio) that scored freshman Jada Fields (Woodland Park, N.J.).
 
Saint Joseph's added three runs in the top of the fifth, before junior Diamond Ponds (Riverside, Calif.) scored on an RBI groundout from freshman Allyson Babinsack (Hampton, Va.) in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 9-2.
 
Saint Joe's added three runs in the seventh.
 
Ponds led Hampton with two hits, while senior Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) struck out four in seven innings of work.
 
Game 2: Hampton 15, Niagara 3 (five innings)
An RBI groundout from Babinsack in the first inning got the scoring started, before the Lady Pirates pushed across four runs in the top of the second. Senior Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) and junior Taylor McCoy (Riverview, Fla.) each had RBI singles, before Babinsack had a two-run double to give Hampton a 5-0 lead.
 
Sophomore Taylor Clark (Queen Creek, Ariz.) and Ponds each had an RBI single in the top of the third, followed by an RBI fielder's choice from McCoy that scored freshman Lorena Alvarez (Saddle Brook, N.J.) and put the Lady Pirates up 8-0.
 
Hampton broke the game open even more in the top of the fourth inning, plating seven runs. Alvarez started the scoring with an RBI single, before Wilkins walked with the bases loaded to bring in Reiman. Ponds and McCoy each followed with RBI singles.
 
Babinsack then reached on a fielder's choice, bringing in Wilkins, before sophomore Danielle Budden (Jackson, N.J.) singled home Ponds and Reiman reached on an error to bring in Babinsack.
 
The Lady Pirates led 15-0 after three and a half innings.
 
Niagara scored three times in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Wilkins and Ponds each had three hits for the Lady Pirates, driving in two runs apiece. McCoy drove in three runs on two hits, and Babinsack led the team with four RBIs.
 
Babinsack struck out five in picking up her second career win.
 
Game 3: Fairfield 6, Hampton 0
Fairfield held Hampton to four hits on the afternoon, while plating three runs in the second and a run each in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
 
Babinsack struck out four in six innings.
 
Game 4: Hampton 6, Niagara 3
McCoy got things started in the top of the first with a two-run double that brought in Ponds and Wilkins, before a sacrifice fly from Babinsack scored McCoy and gave the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead.
 
After Niagara cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second, Hampton responded in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double from Wilkins that brought in Alvarez. After two innings, the Lady Pirates held a 4-1 lead.
 
Ponds added an RBI single in the fourth, and Budden an RBI single in the fifth, to give Hampton a 6-1 lead. But Niagara threatened, scoring twice in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 6-3 before Hampton ended the rally.
 
Wilkins had three hits, while Ponds and McCoy each had two. McCoy also drove in two runs.
 
Jackson struck out four in seven innings.
 
Game 5: Creighton 8, Hampton 2
Creighton led 4-0 after two and a half innings, before Hampton got on the board in the bottom of the third, cutting the lead to 4-1 on an RBI single from Babinsack that scored Ponds. That score held until the sixth, when Creighton pushed across four runs and took an 8-1 lead.
 
Babinsack reached on an error in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Ponds.
 
Ponds and Babinsack each had two hits to lead the Lady Pirates, while junior Jecoliah Pratt (Orlando, Fla.) had five strikeouts in seven innings of work.
 
Game 6: Hampton 7, Bucknell 4
An RBI double from Babinsack in the top of the first kicked off a three-run first inning – a frame in which Reiman also drove in a pair of runs with a double to put Hampton up 3-0. Babinsack singled home another run in the second to give the Lady Pirates a 4-0 lead.
 
Wilkins doubled home a run in the third, before later scoring on a passed ball, which gave Hampton a 6-0 lead before Bucknell answered in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs to cut the lead to 6-2.
 
Bucknell scored again in the fifth, cutting the lead to 6-3, before Hampton answered in the top of the seventh with an RBI single from Wilkins – scoring Budden – that gave the Lady Pirates a 7-4 lead.
 
Bucknell scored in the bottom of the frame, cutting the lead to 7-4.
 
Wilkins and Babinsack each had three hits, while Wilkins, Babinsack, and Reiman each drove in a team-high two runs. Babinsack picked up her third career win after striking out six and scattering five hits over seven innings.
 
Game 7: Hampton 6, Saint Peter's 1
Hampton pushed across three runs in the bottom of the third inning, starting with a sacrifice fly from Wilkins that brought home Clark. Babinsack then reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Alvarez, before Reiman added an RBI single to give Hampton a 3-0 lead.
 
Wilkins drove in another run in the fourth with an RBI single, before Ponds reached on an error to score Alvarez and Babinsack brought home Wilkins with a sacrifice fly. After four, Hampton lead 6-0.
 
Saint Peter's scored its run in the top of the fifth.
 
Wilkins went 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in two runs. Babinsack also had two RBIs.
 
Game 8: Saint Peter's 3, Hampton 1
A home run in the first inning gave Saint Peter's a 1-0 lead, before the Lady Pirates tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth after an RBI single from Ponds that scored Clark.
 
Saint Peter's scored twice in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead.
 
Babinsack went 2-for-3 at the plate, while also striking out four in six innings.
 
The Lady Pirates will have their home opener on Wednesday, a doubleheader against Marist, at 2 p.m. at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium. 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.