FREDERICK, Md. - The Hood College softball team's bats came alive in a 9-1 first game Middle Atlantic Commonwealth Conference win before falling 12-2 to the Falcons in game two.
Inside the Box Score
- Rachel Benden (Gaithersburg, Md./Damascus) led the Blazers at the plate going 4-for-6 with two doubles, four RBIs and scoring twice.
- Alyssa Walters (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) hit a three-run homer in game one and Jocelyn Pfleiger (Quakertown, Pa./Dock Mennonite Academy) hit a solo home run in game two.
- Chloe Saunders (Middletown, Md./Middletown), Rebecca Gottleib (Linthicum, Md./North County) and Lillian Larsen (Arbutus, Md./Western Tech) all doubled.
Inside the Circle
- Gottleib threw all five innings in game one, only allowing two hits and a run with three strikeouts to get the win. The sophomore struggled in game two, throwing three innings letting in six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts to receive the loss.
- Lindsay Wilson (Pasadena, Md./Annapolis Area Christian School) and Jordan Long (Middletown, Md./Middletown) combined to throw the final two innings, surrendering six runs on four hits.
Hood 9, Messiah 1 (5 innings)
- Hood jumped in front early as Benden led off the second inning with a double and scored on a Larsen double into the right field gap to give Hood a 1-0 lead.
- Allie Book reached first on a Gottleib error to start the top of the third inning. Hannah Dyer knocked in Book with a single through the left side to tie the game at 1-1.
- The Blazers' offense exploded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring eight runs on five hits. Pfleiger singled and Benden doubled to start the inning and both scored as Gottleib doubled into the right field gap. Kaelyn Blocher (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for Walters who belted a three-run home run. Hood was not done scoring as Izzy Tanacea (Charlton, Mass./Bay Path RVT), Colleen Blasko (Bowie, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) and Saunders all walked to load the bases. Pfleiger singled to right center field to knock in Tanacea, Blasko scored as Gottleib reached by an error by Dyer at shortstop and Benden scored Saunders with a groundout to second base. This huge inning gave the Blazers a 9-1 lead.
- Gottleib retired the Falcons in order four out of the five innings keep Messiah off the scoreboard throughout the game.
Messiah 12, Hood 2 (5 innings)
- Messiah jumped in front in the first inning when Kyley Mallage stole home as the Falcons executed a double steal.
- The Blazers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, when Saunders led off with a double down the left field line and scored on a Benden single up the middle.
- Maggie Chinnadurai singled and Ellie Litwin doubled with two outs in the second inning. Both were knocked in on a Mellage triple into the left field gap to give Messiah the lead back at 3-1.
- The Falcons added to their lead in the third inning. Jaden Keister hit a single to start the inning. Brielle Rosario singled up the middle to score Keister, Book that reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning scored on a Chinnadurai single up the middle. Messiah scored its third run of the inning as Litwin singled to third base to let Rosario cross home to extend the lead to 6-1.
- Pfleiger led off the bottom of the third with a home run for the Blazers' second run of the game.
- Messiah added three runs in the fourth inning as McKenzie Shannon scored on an Eakes single through the left side. Dyer crossed home on a Keister sacrifice fly to center and Eakes capped off the inning, scoring on a Rosario hit to second base.
- The Falcons Eakes homered in the fifth inning that was responsible for two of the three runs scored in the inning, as Messiah took game two 12-2.
For the Opponent
- Eakes had three hits in the second game with a home run and three RBIs.
- Mallage recorded a triple and two RBIs in game two.
- Litwin doubled in game two with an RBI.
- Lydia Collison started game one and took the loss. She lasted on 2.1 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits.
- Kelli Durbin threw 1.2 innings in relief and let in three runs on one hit and walked three.
- Chinnadurai threw a complete game in the second game, giving up only two runs on seven hits and five total strikeouts.
Up Next
Hood heads to Alvernia University for a conference doubleheader on Apr. 22. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
