CHESTER, Pa. – The Hood College softball team took a blow to its playoff hopes with a pair of losses to Widener University, falling 7-5 in game one and 4-1 in game two.
At the Plate
Bailey Pysher (Pottstown, Pa/Pottsgrove) went 2-2 with a walk in the second game.
Rory Achey (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) hit 2-4 in game two, smacking a double and stealing a base.
Kara Heidlauf (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal High School) was 2-4 with an RBI-double in the first game of the day.
In the Circle
Taylor Lowe (Laurel, Del./Delmarva Christian) struck out seven batters in the game one loss.
Sydney Weaver (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) whiffed five at the plate, allowing five runs in the second game.
Widener 7, Hood 5
The Blazers came out swinging to start the day, loading the bases with just one out. A
Riley Hertzog (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur) base hit was able to score both Achey and Heidlauf, but the next two batters went down in order to end Hood's threat.
After sitting the first three Pride batters down in order, the Blazers went back to work in the top of the second, putting runners on the corners with just one out. Hood then made a double steal work to perfection, getting both Achey in safely at second and
Anna Sommerkamp (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon) across home to make it a 3-0 advantage. A single from Heidlauf pushed Achey across to extend the lead even more, but despite loading the bases with two outs, Widener was able to get the next batter to ground out and end the inning.
Lowe was able to keep things safe for the start of the game, but after the Pride got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, a five-run bottom of the fifth suddenly put the Blazers behind 6-4.
Hood would make it a one-run game in the top of the sixth, but after Widener answered with a run of their own to regain their two-run lead at 7-5, the Blazers managed just one baserunner in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Widener 4, Hood 1
Game two started the opposite way of the first, with the Pride scoring three in the first inning after putting the first three Blazers down in order.
The top of the second went a little better for Hood, as a
Lizzie McConnell (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) leadoff single was capitalized on to cut the Pride's lead to 3-1, with Weaver keeping things close through the bottom of the inning.
Unfortunately, that would be all the Blazers would score, getting multiple runners in scoring position in several innings but leaving them stranded while Widener would add one more in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-1, which is what the score would read by the end of the game.
For the Opponent
Jocelin Mayorga went 2-4 with a home run in game one.
Hayden Sissons got the win in the nightcap with six strikeouts and one run.
Notes
Hood drops to 12-23-1 (3-9), and are mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Up Next
The Blazers celebrate their Senior Day with a doubleheader against Marymount University Tuesday, April 21 at 3 and 5 p.m.
