FREDERICK, Md.--The Hood College softball team (22-16, 10-8 Commonwealth) split a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader with the Stevenson University Mustangs (17-19, 8-10 Commonwealth) Saturday afternoon at the Hood Softball Field.

The Blazers came into the twinbill needing just one victory to clinch the program's first Commonwealth playoff appearance in Hood's inaugural season in the league. Stevenson nipped the Blazers 1-0 in the opener, but Hood rallied to plate single runs in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth innings while holding the Mustangs scoreless to earn the split with a 4-0 win. The victory was the first for Hood over Stevenson since the 2010-11 season. Last season, Hood dropped all three matchups with Stevenson by scores of 8-0 in six innings, 6-0 and then 9-1 in five innings in the 2012 Capital Athletic Conference tournament.

The Blazers, who were picked to finish last in the conference's preseason coaches' poll, earned the No. 4 seed in the double-elimination tournament and will have a rematch with the No. 5-seeded Mustangs Friday at Lebanon Valley College (Stevenson and Elizabethtown College finished with matching 8-10 records but Stevenson held the tiebreaker over the Blue Jays after sweeping them on March 23).

In the opener, the Mustangs scratched across the only run of the ballgame in the top of the fourth with two outs. The Mustangs registered three consecutive hits, the third coming off the bat of Abby DeFeo to centerfield. The ball was bobbled slightly by centerfielder Carly Farr, which allowed Lauren Welch to score from second.

Hood's best chance to score the tying run came in the bottom half of the fourth after Kali Ball doubled and Alexa Sivic singled to put runners on the corners with one out. But Mustang starter Molly Hoyt retired the next two Blazer hitters on a strike out and a ground out to end the threat.

Then in the fifth, Jackie Wenzel and Casey Dunn both singled to lead things off. Hoyt pitched out of the jam again by retiring Hood's 2-3-4 hitters in the lineup. Hoyt then set down Hood's next six hitters in order to preserve the narrow victory and force a must-win situation for the Blazers in game two.

Hood answered the call in a big way in game two and manufactured its four runs on three sacrifice flies by Ashley Fourcade and a Mustang passed ball.

After Stevenson was unable to get a ball out of the infield in the first, Dunn and Hagerdon singled and advanced to second and third in a wild pitch. Fourcade then lifted a fly ball to centerfield which was deep enough to plate Dunn from third for Hood's first run. Then in the fourth, Farr laced a double to right field and scampered to third on a passed ball. Fourcade stepped in and once again sent a fly ball to deep right which allowed Farr to tag up from third to make it 2-0 Hood.

Then in the fifth, Jackie Yurchak singled and advanced to second on an overthrow by third baseman Kristin Mueller on a bunt attempt by Jennifer Rutherford. Wenzel then bunted the ball to the third base side and Mueller once again was unable to hit her target at first, allowing the runners to move up to second and third. Then with Dunn at the plate and one out, Yurchak came into score Hood's third run on a passed ball by Courtney Cook.

Hood added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Farr led off the stanza with her first triple of the season on the first pitch she saw. Fourcade sent the 0-1 offering to right field for another sac fly, marking her team-high 34th RBI of the season.

Hood starter Keerstie Robinson, who had pitched brilliantly all day, kept the Mustangs at bay in the seventh. Pinch hitter Stephanie Shupe reached on a Blazer fielding error, but pinch runner Kristen Fassler became the first out of the inning when she left first base early. After a hit batsman, the next better Jessica Morelli popped up to Ball at short and Dunn squeezed a popup at second by Brianna Dieter for the final out to clinch the win. Robinson improved to 14-10 on the season and registered her fifth shutout of the spring.

Hood's head athletic trainer Akira Kondo rewarded the playoff-bound Blazers by allowing them to shave his head following the win (pictured above).

Hood will take on these same Mustangs in a rematch of today's action in Friday's opening game of the Commonwealth Tournament. Lebanon Valley will host the three-day event; the complete schedule follows below.

Friday, May 3 - Commonwealth Tournament (at LVC)
Game 1: #4 Seed vs. #5 Seed 10 a.m.
Game 2: #2 Seed vs. #3 Seed Noon
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. #1 Seed 2 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Gm 1 vs. Loser Gm 2 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 4 - Commonwealth Tournament (at LVC)
Game 5: Winner Gm 2 vs. Winner Gm 3 11 a.m.
Game 6: Winner Gm 4 vs. Loser Gm 3 1 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Gm 6 vs. Loser Gm 5 3 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 - Commonwealth Tournament (at LVC)
Game 8: Winner Gm 5 vs. Winner Gm 7 1 p.m.
Game 9 (if necessary): 3 p.m.