2014 MEAC Softball Championships bracket

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Hampton University softball team will open its title defense on Thursday afternoon, taking on Savannah State in the first round of the 2014 MEAC Championships at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
 
This will mark the third straight year these two teams meet in the MEAC Championships.
 
The Lady Pirates (27-18, 15-3 MEAC) enter the double-elimination tournament on a 12-game winning streak, and Hampton finished the regular season tied atop the MEAC Northern Division standings with Delaware State – though a tiebreaker left the Lady Pirates with the North's No. 2 seed.
 
Hampton closed the regular season on Monday with an 8-1 win at Coppin State.
 
Junior Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) is hitting a team-best .410 this season, and she second on the team in doubles (11), stolen bases (23), and RBIs (30). Wilkins also has a team-high five triples, which ranks her second in the MEAC.
 
Freshman Danielle Budden (Jackson, N.J.) has a team-high five home runs, and her .348 batting average in second on the team. Sophomore Taylor McCoy (Riverview, Fla.), who leads the team with 14 doubles, is hitting .344, has hit four home runs, and is on a six-game hitting streak.
 
Junior Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.), the reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Year, leads the MEAC with 17 wins this season, and she has a 2.51 ERA. Jackson has 127 strikeouts so far this season, and she has recorded at least five strikeouts in 12 appearances.
 
Savannah State (25-19, 9-6 MEAC) is the No. 3 seed out of the MEAC Southern Division, and the Lady Tigers come into the tournament on a four-game winning streak – including a three-game sweep of South Carolina State to wrap up the regular season.
 
Sophomore Torrian Wright leads Savannah State this season with a .343 batting average, a conference-best 13 home runs, and a MEAC-high 40 RBIs, while sophomore Amanda McDowell has won a team-high 14 games in the pitcher's circle.
 
McDowell also leads the MEAC with 166 strikeouts.
 
The Lady Pirates are 6-0 all-time against Savannah State, including a 3-1 win over the Lady Tigers in the semifinals of last year's MEAC Championships. The two teams also met in the first round in 2012, with Hampton earning a 5-4 win in extra innings.
 
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.