FREDERICK, Md.-- The Hood College softball team (18-13, 6-5 Commonwealth) split a twinbill with conference foe Lycoming College (11-15, 2-10 Commonwealth) Sunday afternoon. The Blazers fell 5-4 in 8 innings in the first matchup, however they came back strong with a 5-3 victory in the nightcap. 

Junior Kali Ball had a very good first game with two hits and three RBI, including a game tying home run in the bottom of the 7th to send the game into extra innings. Ball's heroics came after Lycoming had taken the lead in the top of the 6th with a two run home run by Amy Cline that gave the Warriors a 4-3 advantage. 

The game went into extra's and the Warriors capitalized off a throwing error by Hood that saw them advance runners into scoring position. Kristi Weaver then hit a single up the middle to give Lycoming a 5-4 lead. The Blazers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 8th to fall 5-4 in Game 1. 

Freshman pitcher Keerstie Robinson took the loss and gave up 15 hits, however she only gave up two earned runs in 8.0 innings of work. Robinson also had a strikeout and walked three Warrior batters. Her counterpart Holly Lansberry picked up the win and struck out six Blazer batters in the process, while also pitching all 8.0 innings. 

Freshman Ashley Fourcade had an RBI double in the third inning and junior Amy Hagerdon contributed two hits in the losing cause.

The second game was a different story as Hood was able to gain an early lead and would not relinquish. Junior pitcher Jennifer Rutherford pitched a gem and allowed just three runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of work. Lycoming scored two runs in the top of the 7th to make the game interesting, however Rutherford composed herself and got the last batter to ground out to pick up the win, thus bringing her record to 7-4 this season.

Hood got some offense started in the bottom of the third with a triple to right field by Casey Dunn and a sacrifice fly by Hagerdon to bring her home. Sophomore Jackie Yurchak also had a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to bring Hood's lead to 2-0. The Blazers then erupted for three runs in the sixth to basically put the game out of reach. Fourcade got the inning started with a single, while Alexa Sivic then walked to give Hood some base runners. Yurchak then hit a double to score Fourcade and Katie Jenkins then singled up the middle scoring both Yurchak and pinch runner Jackie Wenzel. Jenkins finished the game with two RBI, while Yurchak matched her with two RBI of her own as the duo helped lead Hood to a 5-3 victory. 

The Blazers will return to action this Wednesday when they take on the first placed Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen in a Commonwealth conference tilt. The doulbe-header is set to begin at 3 p.m.