SALISBURY, Md.--The sixth-seeded Hood College softball team (8-28) lost to the top-seeded and nationally-ranked Salisbury University Sea Gulls (32-5) by a count of 12-0 in five innings Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the Capital Athletic Conference tournament.

The Blazers will travel to Stevenson, Md., Thursday to face the fifth-seeded Stevenson Mustangs at 4 p.m. in an elimination game.

Salisbury, ranked No. 18 in NCAA Division III, limited the Blazer bats to just three singles, two by Emalie Stroup and one by Kelly Gafner. Hood was unable to get a runner past second base as the Sea Gull pitching tandem of Erika Brittingham and Kathryn Larson combined on the shutout and struck out nine Blazer hitters on the day.

SU scored one in the first, four in the second, five in the third and two in the fourth on 11 base hits, including four for extra bases. Michelle Gravdahl went 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBI.

The Blazers and Mustangs will meet for the third time this season; Hood will look to reverse its fortune against Stevenson, which posted a pair of shutouts over the Blazers on April 6 at Stevenson. The Mustangs dropped a 2-1 decision to second-seeded Mary Washington in their first-round playoff game.