Kriston Gowan homered in Sunday's loss to Hampton.
Game 3: Hampton 7, Morgan State 9
BALTIMORE, Md. (April 11, 2010)-If the Morgan State softball team never played another game this season on the Coppin State campus, they probably wouldn't mind at all. For the last two weekends the Lady Bears have played at Coppin State and the results haven't been positive, as they have dropped all six contests.
On Sunday afternoon the visiting Hampton Lady Pirates completed a three-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) sweep over Morgan State with a 9-7 victory at the Coppin State Softball Complex, thus spoiling the Lady Bears' home opener, which was moved to the Coppin State campus because Lois T. Murray Field is unplayable. With the loss Morgan State has now dropped its last 18 games.
In the six games played at the Coppin State Softball Complex, the Lady Bears have been outscored 70-21, including last weekend's three-game series loss to host Coppin State to open up the 2010 MEAC slate.
However, unlike the previous five outings, today's contest was much better, as Morgan State continued to battle, but in the end the Lady Bears were unable to pull out the win. For one, the Lady Bears, who have been struggling to hit the ball this season – hit the ball – finishing with seven runs on 11 hits and three errors, while Hampton scored nine runs on 10 hits and also committed three errors.
The Lady Pirates (18-24, 6-0 MEAC) began the game scoring four runs in the opening inning, capped off by a two-run single by Travonn Bryd.
Morgan State (4-20, 0-6 MEAC) got a run back in the second inning when Lydia Rodriguez got the Lady Bears started with a lead off triple. Jeretta Simpkins then reached first on a fielder's choice to short, which scored Rodriguez. The Lady Bears then got back on the board in the third inning with a solo homerun by Kriston Gowan over the left field fence to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
Hampton responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to increase its lead to 6-2. Rebecca Magett was hit by a pitch to start the inning, before Morgan pitcher Porsche Boddicker retired the next two batters. But Sharde' Estep homered to center field to drive in two runs.
However, instead of packing it in, Morgan State regrouped and responded with three runs in the bottom portion of the inning on what was a series of odd sequences to get within a run at 6-5.
Simpkins started the inning by reaching on a throwing error and Asia Mason followed by striking out, but safely reached first, while Simpkins advanced to third on the play. Shortly after Hampton made a change at catcher, the Lady Bears wasted no time testing the Lady Pirates, as a double steal resulted in Mason taking second and Simpkins scoring the first run of the inning. Devina Brown tripled to score Mason and while rounding third, Brown got caught in a run-down of three throws between Hampton's third baseman and catcher. The final throw from the catcher sailed into left field allowing Brown to score and close out Morgan's scoring for the inning in what was a series of odd sequences in the bottom of the fourth.
The Lady Pirates added a run in the fifth on Brook Boykin's RBI ground out and then added two more in the sixth on Bryd's two-run triple to left center, giving Hampton a 9-5 advantage.
Morgan State countered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI from Jaclyn Hall and an RBI triple by Gowan to make it a 9-7 game, but would get no closer.
Byrd went 3-for-4 and had a game-high four RBI and a run scored to lead Hampton, while Estep finished with two hits on four at bats, three runs scored and three RBI to lead the Lady Pirates to victory.
Gowan and Brown both went 3-for-4 to lead Morgan State. Gowan finished with two RBI and a run scored, while Brown scored twice and had an RBI.
Hampton's Sydni Benton (3-8) earned the win, pitching four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, two walks and a strikeout. Jeffries recorded the save for the Lady Pirates, her first of the season.
Boddicker was charged with the loss for Morgan State. Boddicker went the distance, surrendering nine runs on 10 hits, four walks and struck out two batters.
The Lady Bears will be off until next Saturday, April 17, when they travel to Princess Anne, Md. to take on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in a MEAC doubleheader at noon. The third game of the series will take place on Sunday at noon.
