FREDERICK, Md. - A grand slam by Josh Gall (Odenton, Md. / Arundel) fueled a 10-run fifth inning as the Hood College baseball team picked up an 18-3 victory over visiting Penn St.-Altoona.

Cam Esposito (Columbia, N.J. / North Warren Regional) went 4-for-6 with two doubles, three runs batted in and three runs scored. Drake Friend (Gladwyne, Pa. / Harriton) was 1-for-1, but walked twice and scored all three times he was on base. Chris Shriver (Frederick, Md. / Gov. Thomas Johnson) went 2-for-4 and doubled. Riley Fitzgerald (Eden, Vt. / Lamoille Union) and Nick Meyer (Knowlton, N.J. / North Warren Regional) had doubles in their only their only at bats. 

Ryan Atkinson (Hamburg, Pa. / Hamburg) started and picked up the win. He allowed two earned runs in five innings, striking out three, and pitching around nine hits and a walk. Jackson Slotterback (Arnold, Md. / St. Mary's) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Blake Krisan (Mount Dora, Fla. / Mount Dora Bible) tossed a perfect ninth. 

The score was tied at 3-3 entering the bottom of the fifth when the Blazers broke the game open. Friend drew a one-out walk and, after Esposito reached on an infield single, an error loaded the bases. Warrenfeltz walked with the bases loaded to drive in the go-ahead run. Gall followed and hit the first grand slam in school history over the fence in right field for an 8-3 lead. 

After a pitching change, Dylan Johnson (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) walked and Shriver had an infield single. Another walk, this one to Wayne Baldwin (Mount Airy, Md. / Chapelgate Christian Academy), loaded the bases again. A two-run single by Friend extended the lead to 10-3. Esposito followed and his double down the right field line was misplayed. The miscue allowed the speedy outfielder to come all the way around to score for a 13-3 edge. 

RBI doubles by Shriver in the sixth and Fitzgerald in the seventh made it 15-3. In the eighth, Mike Amatucci led off with an infield single and moved to third on Meyer's double. Paul Quattrone (Laurel, Md. / Reservoir) and Jack Williams (Elkton, Md. / Tome School) had RBI ground outs and Esposito drove in the final run of the game with a double to right center field. 

Hood scored its first three runs in the third inning. An error on a bunt single by Esposito allowed two runs to score and a safety squeeze by Nathan Kessler (Gaithersburg, Md. / Quince Orchard) drove in another run. 

The Blazers drew seven bases on balls n the game and did not strike out. 

Jim Shomberg had a solid performance in the losing effort. He went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. Sawyer Duffy and Austin Anderson had two hits apiece. 

Dylan Bates took the loss. 

Hood hosts Lebanon Valley on Senior Day on Friday, Apr. 25 at 3:30 p.m.