Howard Rallies To Get By Hampton
ORMOND BEACH, FLA. - Emily Johnson helped her own cause with a RBI single that gave her the team the lead for good as Howard University pulled away to an 8-4 win over Hampton University in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's softball tournament at the Ormond Beach Softball Complex.
The Lady Bison (25-21), the Number 1 seed in the North Division when Lorae Robinson reached base on a n error and scored on a double by Aisha Ledet. Ledet later scored on a Nicole Saez single up the middle.
The Lady Pirates (21-38), the Number 4 seed in the North Division, countered in the bottom of the second when Nina Ferguson singled, Tamara Vickers walked and Kelsei Saunders singled to score Ferguson. Saunders later scored on a Sharde Estep sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2.
The Lady Bison added a run in the top of the third when Young, who went three for four on the day, singled and later scored a Kirshner single.
But Hampton countered to tie the game again when a Saunders single scored Travonna Byrd.
The Lady Bison too the lead for good in the top of the sixth inning when Johnson helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored Kirshner, who also had a fine day at the plater, going three for four. Johnson went two for four and drove in three runs on the day.
On the mound, she improved to 7-3 by going 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits, allowing four runs and striking out eight batters.
Howard made sure that it would not be eliminated in the double-elimination tournament by scoring four insurance runs to advance to the next round where they will face South Carolina State game on Friday at 10 am. It will be a rematch of the opening round when the Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Bison, 5-0.
Hampton was led by Ferguson who was two for four on the day and Saunders, who was also two for four with two RBI.