By Charles Baynum
The Hood College softball team experienced a blend of challenges and highlights during their spring break trip to Florida, where they competed at the Spring Games in Winter Haven and Bartow. Despite some tough losses, the Blazers showed resilience, particularly in their offensive play, which carried over to a strong performance once they returned home.
The Blazers started their Florida trip with two intense matchups in Winter Haven, falling 8-5 to Westminster College (Pa.) and 17-9 to Marywood University.
Rebecca Gottleib led the offense with getting on base 6 of 8 times across both games, including two doubles. Kara Heidlauf added two RBIs against Westminster, while Sam Larkin, Hanna Janke, and Bailey Pysher had solid performances against Marywood, with Pysher driving in three runs.
Against Westminster, Hood jumped out to a 5-1 lead thanks to strong hitting and a double from Gottleib. However, Westminster battled back, tying the game in the sixth and ultimately winning with a three-run homer in the seventh. Hood struggled to respond in the final inning.
In the Marywood game, Hood led 9-4 after four innings, but defensive lapses allowed Marywood to explode for eight runs in the fourth, shifting the momentum. The Pacers kept adding runs, sealing the win with the mercy rule.
The Blazers wrapped up their Florida trip with two more losses in Bartow, falling 10-1 to Curry College and 9-0 to the University of Northwestern (MN). Hood’s offense was limited, with Gottleib earning the team’s only hit against Curry, driving in their only run. She also struck out three batters in the Northwestern loss, but the team couldn’t slow down their opponents’ offense.
Curry started strong, scoring four runs in the first inning, and despite a late run in the third, Hood couldn’t recover as Curry ended the game early. Against Northwestern, Hood struggled again, allowing four runs in the first inning, and the Eagles held their lead through to the final inning.
Returning home, the Blazers bounced back with a solid doubleheader sweep of Penn State Mont Alto, winning 6-0 and 9-2.
Lizzie McConnell was a standout, going 6-for-7, scoring three times, while Sydney Weaver launched a home run and drove in three in game two. Rebecca Gottleib contributed four hits and played a key role in both games. In the circle, Gottleib threw a complete-game shutout in game one with eight strikeouts, and Weaver allowed just two runs in game two.
The Blazers’ offense was on point in both games, using smart base running and key hits to seal the wins. A diving catch by Hanna Janke in game two highlighted their solid defense.
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