LEESBURG, Fla. - For the third time this season, the Hood College softball team won in extra innings, defeating Augsburg 1-0 in nine innings in the second game of day two of the Blazers' spring break trip to Florida. Hood fell 11-1 to Springfield in five innings in the first game.
Inside the Circle
- Rebecca Gottleib continued her strong start to the season with her fifth-straight complete game and first career shutout against the Auggies. The first-year student allowed just four hits over nine innings and did not walk a batter. Gottleib struck out five.
- The Blazers were undone by errors in the first game that extended several innings. Ang Casey allowed eight runs in three innings, only two of which were earned. Jordan Long allowed three runs, one earned, in her inning of relief.
At the Plate
- Jocelyn Pfleiger had two hits against Springfield and finished the afternoon 3-for-7 with two doubles and a stolen base.
- Colleen Blasko had the walk-off hit against Augsburg and walked in the game.
Springfield 11, Hood 1 (5 innings)
- Hood loaded the bases with one out in the first. Kiersten Tomshack led off the game with a walk, Pfleiger doubled and Gottleib walked. Emily Gell worked out of the jam for Springfield. After Sammy McIntosh lined out to second, Rachel Benden grounded out to end the inning.
- A two-out error in the bottom of the first opened the door for the Pride to take a 5-0 lead. Mackenzie Doyle led off the inning with a single and scored on a double by Sam Witmer. Witmer scored on the error for the second run before RBI singles by Kayla Stvan and Ava Fernandez knocked in three more.
- Another two-out error by the Blazers in the second inning resulted in three more runs for the Pride, extending the lead to 8-0.
- Hood got on the board in the third when Pfleiger doubled again, stole third and scored on a passed ball to make it 8-1.
- Springfield added three more during a two-error fourth for Hood. Fernandez had the big hit of the inning with an RBI double.
For the Pride
- Fernandez went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.
- Witmer and Stvan each had two hits, while Witmer, Sara Mulligan and Dana Serricchi all scored two runs.
- Gell allowed one unearned run in three innings. Ashley Pugliese added two innings of hitless relief.
Hood 1, Augsburg 0 (9 innings)
- Gottleib continued her string of strong performances with perhaps her best yet but was nearly matched by the Auggies' Olivia O'Connor.
- Neither team scored until Blasko's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. Alyssa Walters was placed on second to begin the inning via the international tiebreaker and moved up to third on a flyout to right by Mallorie Hetzel before Blasko drove her in.
- Augsburg advanced runners to third in the eighth and again in the ninth without scoring. In the top of the eighth, Sammie Balint pinch ran and was bunted to third. Balint tried to score on a ground ball to Tomshack at second, but the Blazers threw her out at home. Gottlieib struck out the next batter to end the inning.
- Sabriya Passmore was placed at second to begin the ninth and moved to third on a Katie Manecke single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Gottleib sent the next three hitters down, in order, via a pop out, a strike out and a line drive to second.
- Prior to extra innings, Gottlieb retired 18 of 20 hitters after allowing two runners in the first via a hit and an error.
- Blasko's walk-off single was her second time on base after walking earlier in the contest. She was one of seven Hood players with one hit.
For the Auggies
- Manecke had three of Augsburg's four hits in the game.
- O'Connor was the hard luck losing pitcher. She allowed no earned runs over 8.1. innings, striking out three and walking one.
Notes
- Despite being located 1,000 miles apart, it was the second meeting between the two teams. The two teams met on a spring break trip to Arizona in 2018, which Hood also won via a walk-off single. Katelyn Long knocked in Kristen Scott for a 3-2 win in the bottom of the seventh.
- The Blazers moved to 3-5 this season, with all three wins coming in games that went nine innings.
- Springfield improved to 3-0 and Augsburg dropped to 3-6.
Up Next
Hood takes on Utica and Rhodes on Tuesday, Mar. 15 in Clermont, Florida. The Blazers' game with Utica begins at 10 a.m., with the Rhodes game starting at approximately 12:15.
