LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Hampton University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader against Liberty on Thursday at the LU Softball Stadium, winning the first game 7-5 before falling 13-1 in five innings in the second game.
The Lady Pirates are now 12-17 on the season.
Liberty jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning of the first game, the big blow a two-run home run from Deidra See. But the Lady Pirates answered with a big blast of their own in the top of the fourth, tying the game on a three-run homer down the left field line from sophomore
Jada Fields.
Fields' second home run of the season brought home freshman
Hope Sobelewski and senior
Taylor McCoy – both of whom had singled to lead off the inning.
Mickey Loveridge gave Liberty a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, but Hampton put up another three-spot in the top of the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. After senior
Diamond Ponds and junior
Danielle Budden each singled, Sobelewski got the scoring started with a single that brought home Ponds.
McCoy then doubled to right center, bringing home Budden and Sobelewski.
A pair of walks and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for the Lady Pirates in the top of the sixth, who then took a 7-4 lead after Sobelewski drew a walk that scored sophomore
Lorena Alvarez.
Liberty (18-16) answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but got no closer than 7-5.
McCoy went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs in the first game, while Sobelewski went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. Fields drove in three runs.
Freshman
Allie Hotetz struck out three in picking up her fifth win of the season.
Kassidy McCoy's two-run double helped Liberty jump out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning of the second game, and the Flames added onto that lead with six runs in the bottom of the second. Sarah Robertson drove in two runs with a double, before scoring on Alexia Taylor's double.
The Flames led 9-0 after two innings.
Hampton got on the board in the top of the third, when
Kial Watts scored on a double from Budden to cut the lead to 9-1.
But Liberty answered with three runs in the bottom of the third and another run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 13-1 lead. Dee hit a three-run home run in the third inning, her second shot of the afternoon.
Budden had two of Hampton's four hits in the second game.
The Lady Pirates will be in Blacksburg, Va. on Sunday for a doubleheader against Virginia Tech at 1 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.
