CLERMONT, Fla. - The Hood College softball team won its first three games on its spring break trip to Florida.

The Blazers won their opener over Marywood 9-1. After a comeback win over Rutgers-Newark, 9-7, Hood won a rematch with Marywood 6-2. 

Kristy Erfurdt and Beth Laque had record days in the first win over Marywood. Erfurdt tied the school record for hits in a game with four and came up one RBI short of the school record, driving in six. Laque threw a complete game and matched the school record with 12 strikeouts.

The long ball figured prominently in the other two wins, as well. Kayli Paugh had a grand slam in the rematch with the Pacers. Erfurdt, Roo Saglimbeni and Kristen Scott all went deep in the come-from-behind win over the Scarlet Raiders.  

HOOD 9, MARYWOOD 1

While Erfurdt powered the offense, Laque tossed a three-hitter, allowing just one run and three walks. 

Paugh gave Hood the lead in the first with a RBI single that brought home Erfurdt. Erfurdt stretched the lead to 3-0 with a two-run single that scored Maddy Collins and Shelby Alcorn. In the fourth, Erfurdt hit a three-run home run to make it 6-0. 

With the Blazers ahead 7-1 in the seventh, RBI singles by Erfurdt and Jess Sedgwick capped the scoring.

HOOD 9, RUTGERS-NEWARK 7

Erfurdt, Saglimbeni and Scott all homered as Hood College erased a five-run deficit to defeat Rutgers-Newark 9-7.

Erfurdt and Saglimbeni were two of five players with multi-hit games, joining Sedgwick, Sophia Leaman and Katelyn Long. 

Trailing 5-0 in the fourth, Erfurdt and Saglimbeni both homered as part of a four-run inning that pulled Hood within one. 

Rutgers-Newark stretched the lead back to two, but Hood tied it with a solo shot by Scott in the fifth and a RBI single by Long in the sixth. The Scarlet Knights reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, but a RBI double by Paugh brought home the tying and winning run in the seventh. Paugh scored an insurance run on an infield single by Leaman later in the inning. 

Al Herschmann picked up the win with four innings of relief.

HOOD 6, MARYWOOD 2

The Pacers scored in the top of the first, but a grand slam by Paugh fueled a five-run bottom half of the inning for Hood. 

A sacrifice fly by Erfurdt in the third made it 6-1. 

Leaman pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and two walks. She struck out five. 

Up Next

The Blazers are off on March 15 before taking on Bethany (W.Va.) and Fredonia on March 16.