BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University softball team erupted for a combined 21 runs and 36 hits in Saturday's doubleheader against Coppin State at the CSU Softball Complex, winning the first game 11-7 before taking the second game 10-9 in nine innings.
 
The Lady Pirates (17-24, 9-5 MEAC) have won five straight games.
 
Freshman Hope Sobelewski got the scoring started in the first inning of the first game, driving in junior Danielle Budden with a double to right field that put the Lady Pirates up 1-0.
 
Senior Diamond Ponds led off the third inning with a bunt single before stealing second in front of a walk to Budden. Sobelewski then followed with a three-run home run to center field – her fourth of the season and third in her last five games – to put Hampton up 4-0.
 
Sobelewski has hit safely in five straight games.
 
Coppin State answered with a run in the bottom of the third, cutting the lead to 4-1, before the Lady Pirates answered in the top of the fourth with four more runs.
 
Freshman Sarah Kollas led off the inning with a base hit, advancing to third on a pair of groundouts before scoring on a single from Budden. Budden scored on a double from Sobelewski, who then scored on a single from senior Taylor McCoy to give the Lady Pirates a 7-1 lead.
 
Hampton then led 8-1 after sophomore Jada Fields singled home McCoy.
 
Three runs in the bottom of the fourth, and a run in the fifth, helped the Eagles cut Hampton's lead to 8-5, but the Lady Pirates responded in the top of the sixth by pushing across three more runs. After Fields singled, sophomore MacKenzie Wise hit her first home run of the season down the left field line to put Hampton up 10-5.
 
Junior Kayla DeSchepper followed with a solo shot down the right field line to put Hampton up 11-5.
 
DeSchepper has two homers this season; Wise had hit her first.
 
Coppin State scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead to 11-7, but got no closer.
 
Sobelewski and Fields each went 3-for-4 at the plate in the first game, with Sobelewski driving in a season-high five runs and scoring twice. Budden scored three times.
 
Freshman Allie Hotetz struck out two in picking up her eighth win of the season.
 
The first inning of the second game saw the Lady Pirates push across three runs – taking a 3-0 lead after an RBI double from Budden and a two-run single from Kollas.
 
A sac fly in the bottom of the frame helped the Eagles cut the lead to 3-1, before Coppin State scored twice more in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 3-3.
 
DeSchepper led off the top of the fourth with a double down the right field line before advancing to third on a groundout. She then scored on a sac fly from Ponds, giving the Lady Pirates a 4-3 lead. Budden then doubled, before scoring on a double from Sobelewski to put Hampton up 5-3.
 
The Eagles scored a run each in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 5-5 and force extras.
 
A single from Kollas got things starts for the Lady Pirates in the top of the ninth, before DeSchepper followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Sophomore Lorena Alvarez brought in Kollas with a sac fly, before DeSchepper scored on a single from Ponds to put Hampton up 7-5.
 
Ponds stole second before Budden walked, and they both scored on a triple to right field from Sobelewski, giving the Lady Pirates a 9-5 lead.
 
McCoy then singled home Sobelewski to five Hampton a 10-5 lead.
 
A wild pitch and an error allowed Coppin State to score four times in the bottom of the ninth, cutting the Lady Pirates' lead to 10-9, but Hotetz struck out the final batter of the game with the tying run on second base.
 
Ponds went 4-for-5 at the plate in the second game, while Budden, Sobelewski, Kollas, and DeSchepper each added three hits. Sobelewski drove in a team-high three runs.
 
Hotetz pitched the last three innings to pick up her ninth win of the season, striking out three.
 
The series will wrap up on Sunday 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.