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 Florida A&M  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.

“We weren't taking any time off,” said B-CU assistant head coach Sabrina Ferguson. “The key was to be aggressive and keep the pressure on. Calesha sparked us tonight.”

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.

“Bailey did a good job of keeping them [Hampton] off balance,” Ferguson said.