LEESBURG, Fla. - Hood College's
Mallorie Hetzel tied the school record with four hits against The College of Wooster, but the Blazers' seventh-inning comeback fell just short in an 11-10 loss. Earlier on Mar. 18, Hood fell 3-0 to Macalester.
At the Plate
- Hetzel went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in against Wooster. She became the first Blazer to record four hits in a contest since teammate Cailyn Barthlow on Apr. 28 of last season.
- Rachel Benden finished 5-for-8 at the plate over the two games, including a three-hit effort against Wooster.
- Jocelyn Pfleiger doubled against Wooster during a three-hit outing and ended the afternoon 4-for-7 with two RBIs.
Inside the Circle
- Benden pitched a complete game against Macalester but took the loss. The junior allowed three runs on six hits and struck out four. She did not walk a batter.
- Rebecca Gottleib started and took the loss in the day's second game. She gave up seven runs on 12 hits over six innings, adding seven strike outs and three walks to her line.
Macalester 3, Hood 0
- Macalester scored all three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Renee Nicholson led off the frame with a bunt single and advanced to second on a base hit by Mackenzie Clark. The duo executed a double steal but a throwing error by Kaelyn Blocher enabled both runners to score for a 2-0 lead. A two-out double by Mandy Morrical drove in Sophie Futchko to make it 3-0.
- Two more Hood errors in the second put a runner on third with no one out. Nicholson hit a grounder to third, however, and the Blazers were able to catch Emily Bergin off third to erase the runner. From that point on, Benden retired 12 of the final 13 batters she faced.
- The Blazers had chances in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but stranded multiple runners in all three innings. In the fourth, Pfleiger was hit by a pitch before Benden and Gottleib singled to load the bases with one out. Angela Acampora flew into a 7-2 double play to end the inning with Anna Leidner throwing out pinch runner Sarah McCue at home.
- Hood did not score in the fifth despite a Jordan Long single and Colleen Blasko reaching via a hit by a pitch.
- In the sixth, Benden, Gottleib and Acampora all singled to load the bases with one out, but Hetzel hit into a 6-3 double play to end the threat.
For Macalester
- Clarke had three of Macalester's six hits and Morrical doubled.
- Elsa Church pitched five shutout innings of relief for the victory. She scattered six hits and walk and struck out one. Kaitlyn Pistorius allowed one hit over the first two innings.
Wooster 11, Hood 10
- Trailing 11-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Hood scored six runs with two outs and brought the potential winning run to the plate.
- Benden led off the seventh with a base hit to left but was erased when Long hit into a fielder's choice. After the second out, Hetzel picked up her fourth hit of the day and Sammy McIntosh notched a pinch-hit single to load the bases. Hood's first run of the inning came on a bases-loaded walk to Brandi Davidson. McCue pinch hit and made it 11-6 with a base hit to right. Lindsay Wilson and Pfleiger followed with back-to-back, two-run doubles, pulling the Blazers within 11-10.
- Rachel Dudziak avoided surrendering the lead, inducing Benden into a grounder to short to end the game.
- Hood's comeback bid came on the heels of a four-run top of the seventh by Wooster against Long, who was pitching in relief. Wooster had two on when a two-out error allowed both runners to score to make it 9-4. Katie Agatucci extended the lead to 11-4 with a two-run single one batter later.
- Wooster scored three in the second and two in the third to take the early lead.
- Six straight hitters singled or walked in the top of the second as Wooster went up 3-0. Hood already had a runner thrown out at home before a throwing error by Kaydee Clark brought home Alyssa Walters to make it 3-1.
- Clark redeemed herself with a two-run single in the top of the third to make it 5-1 before the Blazers answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Pfleiger singled to lead off the third and was pinch run for by Lillian Larsen. Benden tried to stretch a single into a double but was thrown out at second, allowing Larsen to advance to third. Kiersten Tomshack knocked in Larsen with an RBI single to shortstop to cut the deficit to 5-2.
- Stephanie Griffin-Sanchez and Molly Likins both doubled in the fourth to make it 6-2 before Hood scored twice in the bottom of the fifth. The Blazers loaded the bases with no outs via a Pfleiger walk and singles from Benden and Gottleib. Hetzel drove in Pfleiger and Benden with a two-run base hit to left to pull Hood within 6-4.
- Griffin-Sanchez doubled and scored on an Agatucci single in the sixth to set the stage for the action-packed seventh inning.
For Wooster
- Likins and Agatucci had three apiece for Wooster. Agatucci and Clark drove in three runs each.
- Dudziak pitched a complete game for the win despite allowing 10 runs on 17 hits over seven innings.
Notes
- The two losses dropped Hood to 7-7 on the year, snapping a five-game win streak.
- Macalester and Wooster improved to 5-10 and 5-3, respectively.
Up Next
The Blazers travel to Eastern Mennonite on Thursday, Mar. 24 for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
