Box Score HAMPTON, Va. – Jailynn Jackson struck out 10 in a complete game effort to lead Hampton to a 4-1 victory over the Norfolk State softball team Saturday afternoon during a live ESPNU broadcast at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium.

Jackson gave up one earned run on five hits in all seven innings to break a tie between the two teams in the MEAC Northern Division. Hampton improved to 15-1 in the conference, while NSU fell to 14-2. The Spartans need to sweep Sunday's doubleheader to earn the top spot in the North heading into the conference tournament next week.

NSU fell to 25-19 overall, while Hampton improved to 29-22.

Spartan starter Jamie Schulle (15-11) struck out six and gave up four runs, two earned, on six hits in six innings of work.

The Spartans scored first, taking an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Sophomore Haley Ward and junior Melina Valles walked, and in between junior Kathy Cortez lined a single off the second baseman's glove to help load the bases. Freshman Heather Dunning then dropped a single over the pitching circle to score Ward.

Bobbi Langlois gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead with a line drive single into left center in the bottom of the third, plating a pair of runners. Schulle worked out of the jam by getting a strikeout and a lineout back to the circle. The Spartans had a chance to score in the fourth, but with the bases loaded Diamond Ponds threw Cortez out at home on a flyout to shallow center.

Hampton made it 3-1 in the bottom half of the fourth when Carla Trimble singled and eventually scored on a passed ball. The Pirates added an insurance run in the sixth when pinch runner Adriana Scott scored on a bad throw by the Spartans.

The two teams will finish out the series with a doubleheader Sunday at noon.