Box Scores: UMES 1 | CCSU 1 | UMES 2 | CCSU 2

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University softball team won three of its four games in the annual Lady Pirates Classic, which was held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Lady Pirates Softball Complex.

The Lady Pirates beat Maryland Eastern Shore 9-1 in six innings on Friday, before falling 3-2 to Central Connecticut State. On Sunday, Hampton defeated UMES 9-0 in five innings before beating CCSU 3-1.

Hampton (11-15) has won seven of its last 10 games.

The Lady Pirates struck first in Friday's first game in the bottom of the third inning, taking a 1-0 lead over UMES after senior Travonna Byrd (Newport News, Va.) brought home freshman Bianca Vallejo (Chandler, Ariz.) with a sacrifice fly.

Hampton then scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-0 lead, thanks largely to a two-run double from sophomore Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.).

After the Lady Hawks scored a run in the sixth inning, the Lady Pirates scored four times in the bottom of the frame. Byrd drove in a pair of runs with a double to center field, before junior Nina Ferguson (Plymouth, Minn.) drove in another run with a sac fly and an RBI single later in the inning ended the contest.

Byrd went six innings, striking out six and giving up just one hit in picking up her fifth win of the season.

In Friday's second game, Central Connecticut scored once in the third inning, before adding another run in the fifth to take a 2-0 lead. The Blue Devils then scored in the top of the seventh to go up 3-0, before the Lady Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the inning.

Hampton opened Sunday with two runs in the top of the first inning against UMES, when junior Shine Huwe (Green Bay, Wisc.) bombed a two-run home run to left field, before junior Adrianna Scott (Laurel, Md.) scored in the third inning on a groundout to put Hampton up 3-0.

The Lady Pirates added three runs in the fourth inning on an RBI single from freshman Kerissa Burruel (Phoenix, Ariz.) and a pair of runs from a fielding error. Burruel added an RBI single in the fifth inning, before senior Brooke Boykin (Riverside, Calif.) tripled home two more runs to invoke the mercy rule and give Hampton a 9-0 win.

Byrd and freshman Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) combined on a two-hitter, with each pitcher striking out three hitters.

Boykin went 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in a pair of runs.

In Sunday's second game, Central Connecticut took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, before the Lady Pirates tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning on an EBI double from senior Bre'Anna Brown (Los Angeles, Calif.).

The ensuing pitchers' duel lasted until the top of the seventh inning, when Ferguson hit a fly ball to center field with two runners on base. The center fielder dropped the ball, allowing Byrd and Scott to score.

Central Connecticut put the first two hitters on base in the bottom of the inning, but Byrd pitched out of the jam and clinched the win.

Byrd gave up just three hits in seven innings of work in picking up her sixth win of the season. She struck out six and walked just one.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to Washington, D.C. for a doubleheader against George Washington starting at 2 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.