FREDERICK, Md.--The Hood College softball team (5-5, 3-1 CAC)
swept a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader from the visiting
Gallaudet University Bison (4-5-1, 0-2 CAC) Friday afternoon at the
Hood College softball field.
Hood used the longball to earn a 6-1 victory in the opener and
rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to record a 6-5
walk-off triumph in the nightcap.
In the opener, Jamie Gardner jacked her second homerun of the
season, a two-run shot in the bottom of the second, to put the
Blazers up 2-0. Hood then rallied for four runs in the bottom of
the third, highlighted by a three-run opposite field dinger by Jen
Willison to make it 5-0. Hood tacked on another run when Erica
Hamor reached on a fielder's choice to the left side which plated
Jamie Gardner.
Gallaudet's only run of the ballgame came via a Blazer throwing
error in the top of the sixth inning.
For the second straight game, all nine Blazer hitters collected
at least one basehit. Willison was 3-for-4 with two runs scored
while Jamie Gardner and Jen Lacy tallied a pair of hits.
Gardner earned the victory allowing one unearned run on four
hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
In the nightcap, the Bison jumped on top early on an RBI-single
by Amanda Smith in the top of the second. But the
Blazers rallied for four runs, all with two outs, in the
bottom of the third. Willison singled in Ashley Lenhart and
eventually came around to score on a passed ball while Lacy
also lined a two-run single to centerfield.
After a scoreless fourth, the Bison cut the deficit to 4-3 in
the top of the fifth on a bases-loaded groundout by Keri Schmidt
and an RBI-single by Kallie Williams.
Gallaudet had the top of the order coming up in the top of the
seventh but the first two batters were quickly retired by Gardner
on a pop-out and a line-out. But Williams drew a two-out walk
and came around to score on a double to left center by Caitlin
Mosholder. On the play, Mosholder scooted to third on a Blazer
throwing error. The next batter was Casey McCullough who reached on
an infield single. Then Colleen Caverly made solid contact on a
line drive into rightfield to plate Mosholder and put the Bison up
5-4. The Blazers escaped further damage as Gardner got Smith to fly
out to Lenhart in center to retire the side.
After Wastler skied one to center for the first out of Hood's
half of the seventh, Willison drilled a hard shot to the right side
which skidded through the legs of second baseman Schmidt and into
the gap in rightcenter field. Willison turned on the jets and raced
all the way around to third. As Steph Gardner stepped up to the
plate, the home plate umpire called a balk on Gallaudet hurler
Colleen Tighe which allowed Willison to score the tying run. After
Steph Gardner flied out to right for the second out of the inning,
Jamie Gardner doubled to the gap in left center, scampering in to
second base and representing the winning run. Lacy then blooped one
to the left side of the infield which glanced off the glove of
Mosholder at short and trickled past the third base bag, allowing
Gardner to come around to score the winning run.
Lacy went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Lenhart, Krista Zerby,
Willison and Jamie Gardner all had multi-hit games.
Three of Hood's five victories this season have come via rallies
in the bottom of the seventh. The Blazers also recorded their first
ever CAC sweep in program history.
The Blazers hit the road for the first time this season Sunday
traveling to Villa Julie College for a CAC doubleheader at 1 p.m.
in Stevenson, Md.
