FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College's
Jocelyn Pfleiger and
Rachel Benden hit back-to-back, two-out home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Blazers' picked up up a 9-8 walk-off win in the opener. The softball team completed the sweep of Alvernia with a 12-4 win in five innings in game two.
At the Plate
- Pfleiger homered in the sixth and seventh innings for her first career two-homer game. The first-year student had a monster afternoon, going 5-for-8 with two homers, a double and five runs batted in.
- Benden, who hit the walk-off homer in game one, ended the day 2-for-6 with a homer, three RBIs and three walks.
- Alyssa Walters finished 3-for-6 with a double and two walks.
Inside the Circle
- Gottleib pitched a complete game for the win in game one. She allowed four earned runs and struck out seven. Gottleib was charged with 11 hits and a walk. At the plate, she went 3-for-6, scored three runs and drove in three.
- After her heroics as a hitter in the opener, Benden picked up the win with a complete game in the nightcap. She struck out four in five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks.
Hood 9, Alvernia 8
- Pfleiger hit a two-run home run to left field in the sixth to pull the Blazers within 8-6. After Gottleib pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, Hood answered in the bottom of the inning. Sammy McIntosh walked with one out and was still on first after Cailyn Barthlow flew out to center for out number two. Pfleiger stepped in and went deep for the second straight inning, tying the game at 8-8. Benden stepped in next and hit an almost identical shot over the fence in left for the walk-off victory.
- In the first inning, Alvernia jumped in front on a two-run homer by Tara Tumasz.
- The Blazers got a run back in the second inning. Barthlow walked, Pfleiger was hit by a pitch and Benden reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Gottleib followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Barthlow to make it 2-1.
- Three straight singles by Alvernia's Kerstin Koenig, Hope Robinson and Sarah Reinert knocked in two more runs in the second and Robinson later scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1.
- Hood answered again with a single run to keep within striking distance in the bottom of the inning. Walters led off with a double and was sacrificed to third by Colleen Blasko. After Brandi Davidson walked, Walters scampered home on a single by McIntosh.
- The Blazers cut the deficit to 5-4 in the fourth. Davidson started the inning with a double to left and scored on an RBI single by Barthlow. Barthlow was driven in later in the inning on another run-scoring hit by Gottleib.
- The Golden Wolves quickly added to the lead in the top of the fifth. Robinson extended the lead to two runs with a sacrifice fly and Reinert hit a two-run single for an 8-4 lead.
- Pfleiger's two two-run homers gave her four RBIs in the contest.
- Barthlow had two hits.
- Reinert had three hits and drove in four for Alvernia.
Hood 12, Alvernia 4 (5 innings)
- The Blazers scored 11 runs in the fourth and fifth innings to eliminate an early deficit and pick up the sweep.
- Hood trailed 4-1 entering the bottom of the fourth before erupting for six runs. Walters led off with a walk and Jordan Long reached on an error. Davidson hit a ground ball on the infield but throw to third to get Walters was dropped to load the bases. McIntosh hit into another fielder's choice, but the Alvernia catcher missed home and everyone was safe to cut the lead to two. Barthlow hit a fly ball to right and the catcher was called for obstruction on the throw home to pull within 4-3. Pfleiger tied the game with an RBI single that drove in Davidson. McIntosh scored on another fielder's choice for the lead, followed by a Gottleib single that put runners on first and second. Hetzel and Walters both hit RBI singles that gave Hood a 7-4 advantage.
- The game ended after the Blazers scored five more in the fifth. The first seven hitters of the inning all reached via a single or a walk. McIntosh singled, Barthlow walked and Pfleiger singled to load the bases. Benden drove in a run with a base hit to right field before a Gottleib walk brought in another run to make the score 9-4 and force a pitching change. Hetzel greeted the reliever with a single to center that scored Pfleiger. Walters drew a bases loaded walk to extend the lead to 11-4. Long ended the game with the first out of the inning, a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Gottleib.
- Pfleiger had a three-hit game, while Gottleib added two hits and a walk. Gottleib scored three times.
For the Golden Wolves
- Over the course of the two games, Reinert went 5-for-8 for Alvernia, driving in six runs.
- Koenig had two hits in each game.
- Emma Kropkowski pitched a complete game loss in the opener. She allowed nine runs in 6.2 innings on nine hits and eight walks.
- Emily Sano took the loss in game two. She pitched four innings and was charged with all 12 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits and six walks. Kropkowski finished the game in relief, pitching another third of an inning, allowing three inherited runners to score.
Notes
- Hood improved to 9-8-1 on the year and opened Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth action 2-0.
- The victories snapped a nine-game losing streak for Hood against Alvernia, dating back to 2018.
- The Golden Wolves fell to 4-8 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Up Next
Hood hosts Marymount (Va.) on Wednesday, Mar. 30 for a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m.
