FREDERICK, Md. – The Hood College softball team kicked off its 2025 campaign against Catholic University, where a seventh-inning rally came up just short as the Blazers fell 2-1 and 10-1 in the first two games of the season.
At the Plate
Sam Larkin (Pasadena, Md/Chesapeake High School) finished the day 3-5 with a home run and two runs.
In the Circle
Rebecca Gottleib (Linthicum, Md./North County) struck out five batters in the game one loss.
Catholic 2, Hood 1
The Cardinals struck early, as two doubles in the second inning put the Blazers in a 1-0 deficit, but Gottleib struck out the next batter to end the threat of another run.
Catholic would strike again with a home run in the top of the fourth inning to double their lead, but otherwise hitting was at a premium for a majority of the game.
Hood had life in the bottom of the fifth when runners were able to get to second and third, and even though the next batter would strike out to end the inning, the sixth is where things started to look up, as Larkin smacked a double with two outs, and
Jocelyn Pfleiger (Quakertown, Pa./Dock Mennonite Academy) knocked a ball deep enough into the outfield to score Larkin and get Hood on the board before the inning ended.
Down to their last three outs, the Blazers managed to get two runners on after
Hanna Janke (Calgary, Alberta, Can./Bishop Carroll) drew a walk and
Hannah Nagy (Mercersberg, Pa./James Buchannon) reached first on a dropped third strike. It looked like
Lizzie McConnell (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) would reach on a short infield hit to give Gottleib a chance to walk it off for Hood, but the throw to first just beat McConnell by a half-step to end its comeback bid.
Catholic 10, Hood 1
It took even less time for the Cardinals to get on the board in game two, as Catholic's first two batters got on base and were eventually driven in by fielders' choice swings to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage in just the first inning.
The Blazers' deficit would expand to 5-0 in the second inning, and just when it looked like Hood had a spark as McConnell appeared to beat out a throw to first base for the team's first hit of the game, the first base umpire saw things differently and called her out to keep the home team hitless.
A two-run home run from Katie McHugh expanded the Cardinals' lead to 7-0 in the top of the fourth, but Larkin answered right back with a blast to center that almost hit the turf field to get the Blazers on the board and spoil the no-hitter.
No runs would score in the fifth inning, but a bases-clearing double in the top of the sixth made it 10-1 Catholic. Hood was not able to push any more runs across in the bottom of the inning, causing the eight-run mercy rule to end the game early and close out the first day of the regular season.
For the Opponent
Katie Scolese went 3-3 with two runs and an RBI in game one.
Aubrynn Arcement struck out five batters in the first game.
Up Next
The Blazers head to Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a doubleheader against Dickinson College Saturday, March 1 at 1 and 3 p.m.
