READING, Pa. – The Hood College softball team wrapped up its season on quite the high note, sweeping Albright College with a 6-3 win in game one before coming back for an 11-9 nine-inning marathon win in game two.
At the Plate
Taylor Lowe (Laurel, Del./Delmarva Christian) finished the day batting 4-9 with four RBIs, hitting two home runs and a double.
Anna Sommerkamp (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon) finished both games 5-9 at the plate, with three hits in game one.
Sam Larkin (Pasadena, Md/Chesapeake High School) was 6-9 with three RBIs and three runs with a pair of doubles on the afternoon.
Lizzie McConnell (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) hit 3-5 in the nightcap, driving in two runs and scoring twice.
Kara Heidlauf (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal High School) was 2-5 with a double and a home run in game two, finishing with two RBIs and two runs.
In the Circle
Not only did Lowe strike out six batters and allow just three runs in the first game, but she came in at the end of game two to get her first career save.
Sara Munson (Inwood, W.Va./Musselman) picked up her first win of the season in the second game, allowing just three earned runs in six innings.
Hood 6, Albright 3
The first game started fairly quietly, with neither team able to get too much going offensively as the pitchers battled it out. That all changed in the top of the third though, as after
Rory Achey (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) got things going with a leadoff single, Lowe immediately cashed her in with a moonshot to dead center that gave the Blazers a 2-0 lead.
Hood continued its steady offensive play, adding on a pair of runs in the fourth with a Larkin double, then another pair in the top of the fifth on a fielder's choice for an out and an Achey single.
After being kept quiet most of the game, the Lions started to wake up in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases on a bunt with just one out. Although Madison Lasko made contact in the next at-bat, the ball went right to Larkin who was able to get the force out at home and keep Albright off the board. Now with two outs, Lowe got the next batter to pop out to Sommerkamp at second to escape the jam and keep the home team scoreless.
As the Blazers maintained their 6-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh, the Lions started to get hot once again and managed to load the bases with nobody out relatively quickly. Albright finally got on the board thanks to a sacrifice fly and proceeded to score the remaining two runners with a deep single up the middle to make it a 6-3 affair. Fortunately, Hood's defense shut things down from that point to hang on and secure the win.
Hood 11, Albright 9 (9 inn.)
There would be no waiting around to score in this one, with the Blazers starting a two-out rally via a Larkin base hit and a Heidlauf double that put two runners in scoring position. McConnell would drive home the former from third with a single before again putting two in scoring position after stealing second. Things went from bad to worse quickly for the Lions, as a passed ball allowed Hedilauf to score and McConnell to get to third, but after the pitcher missed the toss from the catcher, McConnell realized
the ball was rolling around in the infield near nobody and managed to get to home plate fast enough to make it 3-0 Hood.
Not to be outdone, Albright responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first and took the lead for the first time that day in the second after pushing two runners across.
Although Heidlauf's second home run of the week was only a two-run shot to tie things up, the Blazers kept at it, but despite getting two runners on afterwards, could not retake the lead. The Lions took advantage of the runners left on base in the bottom of the inning by sending another two runners around the diamond to retake the lead 7-5.
After an uncharacteristically quiet fourth and fifth innings for both teams, Hood got one back in the sixth after doubles from
Hanna Janke (Calgary, Alberta, Can./Bishop Carroll) and Lowe to make it a one-run game.
Down to their last three outs, the Blazers started things off right with a leadoff single from McConnell followed by her second stolen base of the day to get the tying run in scoring position early. Although the next batter fouled out down the third base line, every defender on the left field side ran to make a play on the ball and left third base open, allowing McConnell to make it to third with just one out.
In what would be her final game of her collegiate career,
Gabby Carton (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) then walked up to the plate to pinch-hit, and after taking strike one on the outside edge of the plate, sent a pitch right back where it came from for an RBI single to tie the game and keep Hood alive.
After Munson and the Blazers defense got the next three Albright batters down in order, Lowe delivered another momentum shifter with a leadoff home run in the top of the eighth, and it looked like Hood would be able to complete the comeback after
Larkin was brought around to score after a double from her. However, the Lions would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth to force a ninth inning.
There was no quit in the Blazers though, and another two runs from them in the top of the tenth would prove to be the dagger, as Lowe came in for the bottom of the ninth and allowed just one baserunner before striking out the last batter on three straight to close the 2026 season with a sweep.
Notes
Hood finishes the season 16-23-1 (5-9), while Albright ends their year 14-26 (4-10).
Up Next
The Blazers will return for the 2027 season.
