CLERMONT, Fl. - The Hood College softball team picked up its first win of the season in exhilarating fashion, coming back to defeat Juniata College 6-5, but falling to Lasell University 5-1 in their third day at THE Spring Games.
At the Plate
Taylor Lowe (Laurel, Del./Delmarva Christian) went 3-6 with a walk across both games, driving in two runs against Juniata.
Kara Heidlauf (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal High School) hit a three-run home run in the second game of the day, her first of the year.
Lizzie McConnell (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) batted 2-4 in game two, coming around to score once.
Rory Achey (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) finished the second game 2-3 with two runs.
In the Circle
Sydney Weaver (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) gave up three earned runs to take the game one loss.
Lowe struck out 11 batters and threw 147 pitches to pick up her first collegiate win.
Lasell 5, Hood 1
After sitting the first three batters down in order, the Blazers got their offense going quickly, with a double from Lowe putting two runners in scoring position with just one out. A
Bailey Pysher (Pottstown, Pa/Pottsgrove) single got Hood on the board first, but the next two batters fouled out to end the Blazers' threat prematurely with just a 1-0 lead.
Neither team was able to get anyone around the diamond in the second inning, but the Lasers' bats got hot after, scoring three runs in the third and two in the fourth to suddenly put Hood behind 5-1.
Although both teams would get a runner on here and there, no one was able to push any more runs across, and although the Blazers got their leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the seventh, a double play and grounder to the shortstop ended the game and saddled Hood with the loss.
Hood 6, Juniata 5
Both pitchers came to play to start the game off, each only allowing two baserunners through three innings. The Eagles threatened hard with a pair of walks and a single to get the bases loaded with two outs, but Lowe blew three pitches by the next batter to end the inning unscathed.
Unfortunately for Hood, Juniata would not waste its second chance with the bases loaded, as the Eagles managed to send four runners across and jump out to a sizable lead late in the game. Fortunately, Lowe froze the next batter with strike three to keep two runners on base and slow down their momentum.
It looked like the Blazers would only be able to get one batter on base once again, but after a Pysher base hit up the middle, Heidlauf stepped up and hit a rocket to center field that cleared the fence and got them within one at 4-3.
Lowe was able to retire three of the next four Juniata batters, and with three outs left,
Sam Larkin (Pasadena, Md/Chesapeake High School) came in to pinch hit and smoked a ball that just hit out of the left fielder's glove and allowed her to get to second. After
Anna Sommerkamp (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon) came in to pinch run, a bunt from
Hanna Janke (Calgary, Alberta, Can./Bishop Carroll) ended up being perfectly placed, putting runners on the corners with no outs. A hard-hit ball from Weaver forced the shortstop to throw to first instead of preventing Sommerkamp from tying the game, and once Achey placed another perfect bunt to get two runners on with two outs, Lowe came in and drove a ball all the way to the center field wall to score both runners and give Hood its first lead of the game.
Already at more than 120 pitches, Lowe came out once more to try and finish things herself, and after giving up a leadoff single, struck out the next two batters to get Juniata down to its final out. Unfortunately, the next batter for the Eagles doubled to make it a one-run game, but Lowe had just enough left in the tank to get three more strikes and secure the Blazers' first win of the season.
Up Next
Hood finishes its spring break trip at Legends Park against North Park University and Pitt-Greensburg Thursday, March 12 at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
