ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Hampton University softball team opened the 2012 MEAC Championships on Thursday morning with a 5-4 win over Savannah State, the Southern Division's top seed, in eight innings and the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

The Lady Pirates (24-31), the Northern Division's No. 4 seed, will take on either North No. 2 seed Coppin State or South No. 3 seed Florida A&M on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

This marks Hampton's first win in the MEAC Championships since 2009, when the Lady Pirates won three of their five games. The Lady Pirates are now 5-0 all-time against Savannah State.

After senior Rebecca Magett (Grand Rapids, Mich.) led off the top of the eighth inning by reaching on an error, she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Brooke Boykin (Riverside, Calif.). Magett then scored the winning run on a single up the middle from junior Carla Trimble (Riverside, Calif.).

Freshman Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to give the Lady Pirates the win.

The Lady Pirates first scored in the top of the second on an RBI single from Boykin, before going up 2-0 in the third inning after sophomore Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) singled to left field to bring home junior Shine Huwe (Green Bay, Wisc.).

Wilkins gave Hampton a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth, singling home senior Sharde' Estep (Aquasco, Md.).

Savannah State (24-23) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to close the gap to 3-2, before Huwe responded in the top of the seventh with her eighth home run of the season, a solo shot to left-center field, to put Hampton up 4-2.

The Lady Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a pair of runs on a fielding error and a wild pitch.

Senior Travonna Byrd (Newport News, Va.) went six innings for the Lady Pirates, giving up just four hits and one earned run. She struck out two, while Jackson fanned five in her two innings of work.

Wilkins went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring once. Trimble went 2-for-4 at the plate.

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.