NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University softball team split a doubleheader with Norfolk State on Saturday at the NSU Softball Field, winning the first game 11-4 before falling 7-6 in the second game.
 
Before that loss, the Lady Pirates (19-25, 11-6 MEAC) picked up their seventh straight win.
 
The Lady Pirates opened the first game with three runs in the top of the first inning; after a walk, single, and error to open the inning, senior Taylor McCoy walked with the bases loaded to bring in senior Diamond Ponds and give Hampton a 1-0 lead.
 
Freshman Sarah Kollas then singled home two runs to put the Lady Pirates on top 3-0.
 
Norfolk State answered with a run on a Whitney Williams home run in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 3-1, but the Lady Pirates scored four more runs in the top of the second to break the game open. McCoy got the scoring start with a sacrifice fly that gave Hampton a 4-1 lead.
 
Sophomore Jada Fields followed with an RBI single, bringing in Ponds, before Kollas singled home Fields and junior Danielle Budden to give the Lady Pirates a 7-1 lead.
 
In the top of the third, freshman Daniella Milloy opened the frame with a walk and Budden reached on an error before freshman Hope Sobelewski, the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week, smacked a three-run home run to left center to put Hampton up 10-1.
 
It was Sobelewski's fifth home run of the season, and it extended her hitting streak to seven games.
 
The Spartans scored three times in the bottom of the fifth to cut the gap to 10-4, but Hampton responded in the top of the sixth on a solo homer from junior Kayla DeSchepper, her third of the season, to take an 11-4 lead.
 
Budden, Kollas, and DeSchepper each had two hits to lead the Lady Pirates at the plate, with Kollas driving in a game-high four runs.
 
Freshman Allie Hotetz struck out seven and scattered four hits to pick up her 11th win of the season.
 
The Spartans jumped out in the bottom of the first inning of the second game, pushing across four runs to take a 4-0 lead. A three-run homer from Kayla McNair was the big blast of the inning.
 
But the Lady Pirates responded in the top of the second by pushing three runs across; after McCoy and Fields reached with base hits to open the frame, Kollas reached on a fielder's choice in which Fields scored on a throwing error to cut the lead to 4-1.
 
Milloy followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2, before sophomore Lorena Alvarez brought home DeSchepper on a sac fly to cut the lead to 4-3.
 
Fields tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third with an RBI double to center.
 
A two-run blast from Megan Dunning in the bottom of the third gave the Spartans a 6-4 lead, but the Lady Pirates answered in the top of the fourth with two runs of their own. Milloy led off the inning with a single, later scoring on a single from Ponds before Budden brought home Ponds with a base hit to tie the game at 6-6.
 
An error in the bottom of the sixth allowed Norfolk State to score a run to go up 7-6.
 
The Lady Pirates had the tying run on third base in the top of the seventh, after Kollas led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the game.
 
Milloy went 3-for-4 at the plate in the second game; McCoy and Fields each had two hits.
 
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.