FREDERICK, Md. – After an unfortunate 11-4 loss to start the day, the Hood College softball team responded in a big way, showing discipline at the plate to slowly walk its way to an 11-3 win over York College (Pa.) in game two.
At the Plate
Sam Larkin (Pasadena, Md/Chesapeake High School) ended the afternoon batting a near-perfect 5-6, drawing two walks and collecting five RBIs.
Rory Achey (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) finished the day 3-5 with three walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored, hitting a double in the first game.
Despite only one official at-bat,
Taylor Lowe (Laurel, Del./Delmarva Christian) went 1-1 in game two, walking three times to lead the team and smacking a double in the first inning.
In the Circle
Lowe took the game one loss, allowing seven hits in 4.1 IP before being replaced by
Sara Munson (Inwood, W.Va./Musselman), who struck out two batters and allowed no earned runs in 2.2 IP.
Sydney Weaver (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) got the game two win for her second straight, whiffing four batters, including two in the fifth inning, while allowing just three runs on three hits.
York 11, Hood 4
After a scoreless first inning, the Spartans got to Lowe early in the second, loading the bases with just one out. Although Lowe was able to strike out the next batter, York put together a rally and score three times before the Blazers could get the third out.
Hood was able to get one back to make it 3-1 after some clean small ball in the bottom of the second, but a five-run third inning from the Spartans threatened to put the game out of reach.
Not to go down too easily, Hood battled back in the bottom of the fourth, pushing three runs across and threatening more with runners on the corners with two outs, but the next batter just got under a pitch and flew out to right field to end the threat.
Unfortunately for the Blazers, that would be the last runs they would score in the game, with York adding three more runs between the fifth and sixth innings before both teams were held scoreless in the seventh to hand Hood an 11-4 loss.
Hood 11, York 3 (5 inn.)
Game two was virtually a flipped version of the previous one, as after Weaver went through the first three Spartans in order, Hood looked to strike first with runners in scoring position, but with two outs.
What followed next though was one of the biggest oddities the Hood College softball field has ever seen, as the next seven batters for the Blazers all walked, ultimately scoring five runs without having to swing the bat. A 2-RBI single from Larkin broke up the walk streak, and after
Lizzie McConnell (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) drove in what would end up being the final run of the inning, Hood found itself leading by a 9-0 margin after one inning.
Wanting to try to mount a comeback of its own, York was able to get two runs across in the top of the second, but another 2-RBI single from Larkin pushed the Blazers back ahead by nine runs 11-2.
The Spartans managed to get a run in the top of the third inning to make it an 11-3 game as they tried to avoid invoking the eight-run mercy rule after the fifth inning, but Weaver locked things down from that point on, striking out two batters in the fifth, including the final out of the game, to secure the win for Hood and a split on the day.
For the Opponent
Danella Silagy went 4-5 with a walk on the day, driving in four runs in game one.
Gretchen Barstad stole four bases in the first game of the day.
Notes
The 13 walks the Blazers drew in the second game is tied for second-most in a game in program history.
Hood moves to 10-19-1 (3-7), while York drops to 16-7 (5-5).
Up Next
The Blazers hit the road for a non-conference doubleheader against Wilson College Sunday, April 12 at 2 and 4 p.m.
