ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Calesha Shelley scored three runs, and Kaitlin Alamprese and Sophia Ortega each drove in two runs as Bethune-Cookman downed Hampton 9-1 to advance in the winner’s bracket of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament Thursday.
With the run-rule victory of the defending champion Pirates, the Wildcats (24-29) will face the Delaware State – Florida A&M winner Friday at 1 p.m. at Ormond Beach Sports Complex. A victory there advances the Wildcats to a berth in Saturday’s championship game.
The Wildcats used aggressive base running to capitalize on four Hampton (28-19) errors to pull away with a three-run fourth and a four-run sixth.
Shelley had two walks and two hits in addition to a stolen base. Her infield single in the sixth scored Ortega, who had a two-run double earlier in the inning, to end the game.
Alamprese, who went 2-3, got her RBIs in the first with a two-out single and a third-inning fielder’s choice that scored Kelsey Rodney.
Freshman Bailey Conner picked up the victory, scattering six hits before losing her shutout bid in the sixth. She struck out two.
