YORK, Pa.--The Hood College softball team (8-20, 4-6 CAC) fell to the York College (Pa.) Spartans (23-7, 9-1 CAC), 2-1 in eight innings and 9-1 in five innings Thursday in a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Centerfielder Caitlin Keppler knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a bunt single in the opener, and third baseman Kelly Smith went 2-for-4 with a homerun and four RBI in the nightcap.

In game one, York's Smith led off the bottom of the first with a double and came around to score on a single up the middle by shortstop Heather Bormann. Hood got even in the top of the fourth when Ashley Lenhart jacked her first homerun of the season over the left field fence.

Freshman starter Bridgette Ringley stranded four Spartan runners over the next three innings, including the potential game-winning run in the form of Karen Carr at second base in the bottom of the seventh. Ringley got Bormann to fly out to left fielder Jacquie LeMar to force extra innings.

The Blazers were unable to plate the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth following the international tie-breaker rule. But York's Sam Koehl sacrificed Bormann to third base which set up Keppler's heroics.

Ringley allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Lenhart collected two of Hood's four basehits while Krista Zerby and Katherine Law both singled in defeat.

In game two, Hood jumped on top first on a single up the middle by Jen Willison which scored Lenhart. But the Spartans countered in the bottom of the frame when Smith belted her second roundtripper of the season.

After a scoreless second inning, York tacked on two runs in the bottom of the third on a single by Kristen Gray and a Blazer throwing error. Then in the fourth, Bormann blasted a two-run homer to make it 5-1 York.

But the decisive inning proved to be the fifth when the Spartans plated four runs to secure the walk-off victory. Smith lined a bases-clearing triple to the gap in left center and came around to score the game-winning run on a Blazer throwing error.

Senior Jamie Gardner suffered the loss, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits with one strikeout and two walks. Freshman Devon Markowitz pitched 2.1 innings of relief, surrendering six runs on four hits with one strikeout and a pair of walks.

Steph Gardner, Willison, Zerby and Jen Lacy all singled for Hood.

The Blazers return to action Saturday at Wesley College for a CAC twinbill beginning at 1 p.m.