FREDERICK, Md. - The Hood College baseball split a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth doubleheader with visiting Stevenson. The Blazers dropped a pitcher's duel, 2-1, in the opener before salvaging the split with a 5-3 victory in game two. 

Freshmen Nate Luscombe (Harleysville, Pa. / Souderton) and Wayne Baldwin (Mount Airy, Md. / Chapelgate Christian Academy) led Hood to victory in the nightcap. Luscombe struck out eight in six innings to pick up the win, while Baldwin was 3-for-3 with a home run.

Nat Puryear (Frederick, Md. / Tuscarora) walked twice in the first game and drove in two runs in game two.

GAME ONE: STEVENSON 2, HOOD 1

The two pitching staffs combined to allow just nine hits, but the Mustangs emerged with the 2-1 win. 

Travis Schweizer (Chesapeake, Va. / Grassfield) was the hard-luck loser, allowing just two runs, one earned in 5.2 innings. He struck out three, walked four and gave up five hits. Matthias Teufel (Vienna, Austria / Sacre Coeur) tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings.

Puryear walked twice and was the only Blazer to reach base more than once. 

Christopher Perez pitched a three-hitter and walked just two in a complete game win.

Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, Dylan Johnson (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) doubled in Quinn Fulton (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) to make it a one-run game with two outs. Perez regrouped and retired the next batter to end the game. 

Kevin Kopac was the only player on either team with two hits. 

GAME TWO: HOOD 5, STEVENSON 3

Hood's freshen led the way to victory.

Luscombe fanned a career-high eight batters; and scattered seven hits and two walks over six innings. 

At the plate, Baldwin continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-3 with his second home run of the week. 

Drake Friend (Gladwyne, Pa. / Harriton) went 2-for-3 with a stolen base. Puryear drove in two. 

Michael Hernandez (Lancaster, Pa. / Hempfield) picked up the save with a perfect seventh inning. 

Baldwin gave Hood the lead in the second inning with an RBI single. Friend, who singled and stole second, scored on the play. 

Single runs in the third and fourth gave the Mustangs a 2-1 lead, but the Blazers used a four-run fifth to put the game away. Baldwin led off the inning with a game-tying homer. Puryear added a two-run single in the inning to cap the rally for a 5-2 lead. 

Luscombe pitched into the seventh, but after the first two batters reached base, he gave way to Hernandez. 

The Blazers travel to McDaniel on Mar. 30.