Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. — Hampton outfielder Ashley Weissenbach made a dramatic game-ending play in right field to help the Lady Pirates defeat Norfolk State 5-4 in game 1 and then went 4-for-5 at the plate in the second game, helping HU to a 10-7 win, and the doubleheader sweep, on Wednesday at the NSU Softball Field.
With two outs and two runners on base, Jeanette Sauceda (Ontario, Calif.) took Amanda Black's pitch out to right field, but was robbed of the hit and a chance to win the game by Weissenbach, who hustled in from right center to make the athletic catch. The out ended the game that was nationally televised on ESPNU, giving commentators Sam Gore and Cindy Bristow something interesting to talk about in their post-game show.
Hampton (28-15) jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the first inning and went up 4-1 on a two-run homerun to left center by Black in the top of the third. But NSU (16-31) answered in the bottom of the frame with three runs to tie the game, with RBI hits from Rebecca Barnes (Hampton, Va.), Jacklyn Peaton (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Sarah Wittwer (Grand Junction, Colo.).
Both defenses got hot over the next two innings, but the Lady Pirates prevailed in the top of the sixth when Jada Jeffries scored on a throwing error by Barnes.
The Spartans made a last-ditch effort in the bottom of the seventh, but all was lost on Weissenbach's catch. Black earned her 17th win of the season after pitching a seven-hit, four-run complete game and striking out seven. Ky Brown (Woodsfield, Ohio) fell to 5-7 on the year after allowing nine hits, five runs (three earned), walking two and striking out two in seven innings.
In game 2, Hampton got two runs in the first inning on a Brittany Davis' two-run shot to left center. NSU scored one in the second when Wittwer knocked in Peaton and took a brief 3-2 lead in the fourth on Meghan Ramsey's (Virginia Beach, Va.) RBI double to right field that scored Ashley Archer (Amelia, Va.) and Sauceda.
But the Lady Pirates opened it up in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits. They scored three more runs over the last two innings and held the Spartans to just four more for the game.
Jeffries improved to 6-4 with the win. She gave up 13 hits, seven earned runs, and struck out four in seven innings. Wittwer fell to 5-11 with the loss after allowing seven hits, eight runs (two earned), and walking three batters in three innings in relief.
Peaton, Ramsey, and Archer each went 3-for-4 in game two. Peaton scored twice and drove in two runs, Ramsey had three RBI, and Archer scored once.
The Spartans conclude their regular season this weekend when they host the Lady Rams of Winston-Salem State in a three-game series. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. and Sunday's single game is slated for noon.
The Spartans four seniors, Archer, Wittwer, Micki Rodriguez (Newport News, Va.) and Gladys Cabeza (Corning, N.Y.), will be recognized in the senior day activities on Sunday.
