Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
Hampton, Va. – Jada Jeffries was a combined 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and eight RBIs against Delaware State to help the Lady Pirates clinch the MEAC regular season title with a two-game sweep of the visiting Hornets. With a 10-6 victory in game one and an 8-0 victory in game two the Lady Pirates (34-10, 14-0 MEAC) secured the No. 1 seed in next week’s conference tournament as they try to capture their first championship since 1996.
Jeffries opened things up in the bottom of the first with a three-run double to left-center off of Delaware State starter Megan Lambertz.
However, with the Lady Pirates in front 3-1 after two innings, Delaware State (20-27, 10-4 MEAC) used a four-run inning of its own to take command of the game. Following singles by Candice Shockley and Samantha Snow, Nicole Demers tripled to right field scoring two runs and knotting the game at 3-3. Demers crossed home plate on a single by Ashley Fisher and the Hornets added their final run of the inning on an RBI single by Lambertz.
Each team added a run in its next at bat, Hampton’s coming on a fourth inning solo home run by Ashley Weissenbach, and heading into the fifth the Hornets were clinging to a 6-5 lead.
Delaware State went scoreless in the top half of the frame, setting the stage for the Lady Pirates to seize control. Back-to-back walks to Jeffries and Angela Balser knocked Lambertz from the game and she was replaced by Brittney Ruark. Amanda Black greeted Ruark with an RBI single to left and the Lady Pirates added another run on an error by Hornet first baseman Jessica Chrabaszcz. Tesara Liggins followed with a sacrifice fly to center scoring Black who had advance to third on the error, giving Hampton a 7-6 lead after five.
A sixth inning homer by Maggie Wolfe and another RBI single from Jeffries secured the win for the Lady Pirates. In addition to driving in five runs, Jeffries also came in and pitched three shutout innings to record the victory for Hampton.
Game two was all Hampton as the Lady Pirates again put up three runs in their first plate appearance and again they all came courtesy of Jeffries who blasted a three-run shot well over the left-center field fence off of Ruark.
Jennifer Gonzales got into the action in the third with her 10th home run of the year and the Lady Pirates capped things off in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI triple by Wolfe, a run scoring single from Gonzales and an error by Hornet shortstop Courtney Taylor. Amanda Black surrendered just four hits through five innings to earn the win and improve to 21-4 on the year, making her the obvious choice for MEAC Pitcher of the Year.
The Lady Pirates close out the regular season this Sunday, May 6 at home when they’ll host Norfolk State. It’ll be Senior Day at Lady Pirates with Wolfe and Gonzales playing in their final home game. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
