BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Hampton University softball team picked up its first win of the 2017 season this past weekend at the Runnin' Bulldog Tournament, thanks to a 3-2 win over Holy Cross on Saturday.
 
The Lady Pirates are now 1-7 on the season.
 
In Saturday's first game, Hampton jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings; after Lorena Alvarez and Cassidy Blackwell reached on a single and double, respectively, to put runners on second and third, they both scored on a Brianna Anderson single.
 
Blackwell then doubled home a run in the fifth, giving the Lady Pirates a 3-0 lead.
 
A pair of RBI singles in the top of the sixth inning helped Holy Cross cut the lead to 3-2, but the Lady Pirates held on for the win.
 
Allyson Babinsack struck out six in picking up her first win of the season, scattering six hits in seven innings.
 
Blackwell led the way offensively with two hits and a walk.
 
Friday saw the Lady Pirates lose their first two games of the tournament, falling to Bucknell 5-0 before losing 7-4 to Holy Cross.
 
The Lady Pirates only had two hits against Bucknell to open their portion of the tournament schedule.
 
Warrick tied the Holy Cross game on Friday at 1-1 with a sac fly in the top of the second, before Holy Cross responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
 
But the Lady Pirates answered in the top of the third with three runs, thanks to RBI singles from Kial Watts and Ashley Grassini, as well as a throwing error that pushed Blackwell across, to take a 4-2 lead.
 
But Holy Cross scored three times in the bottom of the third, going up 5-4, before scoring two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to push the game to its final margin.
 
Blackwell, Watts and Alvarez each had two hits in that game.
 
Saturday's second game saw Hampton fall 11-1 to Seton Hall.
 
An RBI double from Morgan Crawford in the bottom of the second produced the Lady Pirates' only run of the game, scoring Danielle Budden, who had led off the inning with a double of her own.
 
Budden and Crawford each had two hits to lead Hampton in that game.
 
Hampton lost to Bucknell again on Sunday, falling 5-4.
 
The Lady Pirates scored twice in the top of the first, thanks to a two-run single from Fields, before Bucknell answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 2-1. In the top of the second, Taylor Warrick scored on a passed ball to give Hampton a 3-1 lead, before Crawford scored later in the inning on a throwing error.
 
Bucknell added another run in the third, cutting the lead to 4-2, before scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-4 lead.
 
Fields had two hits.
 
The Lady Pirates will compete in the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. this coming Friday through Sunday. For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5757, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.