DOVER, Del. – The Hampton University softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Delaware State at the Hornets' Nest, falling 6-4 in the first game before dropping the second game 7-2.
The Lady Pirates are now 12-21 overall and 4-4 in MEAC play on the season.
The Hornets jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning of the first game, before the Lady Pirates pushed across their first run in the top of the third. Freshman
Sarah Kollas led off the inning with a walk, before scoring on a single from junior
Danielle Budden, and an error, to cut the lead to 2-1.
Two more runs in the top of the sixth gave the Lady Pirates a 3-2 lead, starting with a leadoff home run from Budden that tied the game at 2-2. It was Budden's first home run of the season.
Senior
Taylor McCoy, who had singled, came home on a bases-loaded walk to junior
Kayla DeSchepper to give Hampton a 3-2 lead.
An RBI single from McCoy in the seventh gave the Lady Pirates a 4-2 lead.
But the Hornets answered in the bottom of the seventh, pushing across four runs to take the win in the series opener. A three-run home run from Sandy Hawthorne proved to the game's deciding blow.
Budden and McCoy each had two hits and an RBI to lead the Lady Pirates offensively.
Delaware State scored twice in the bottom of the first inning of the second game to take a 2-0 lead, before DeSchepper answered in the top of the second, hitting her first home run of the season – a solo shot to right field that cut the lead to 2-1.
Hampton tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth; DeSchepper led off the inning by reaching on an error. She later advanced to third before scoring when senior
Diamond Ponds reached on a fielder's choice.
But the Hornets pushed across three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead, before two more runs scored in the fifth to put Delaware State up 7-2.
Ponds had two hits for the Lady Pirates in the second game.
The series will wrap up on Monday at 12 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.