SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 18 Salisbury University softball team opened up Capital Athletic Conference play with a sweep of Hood College on Sunday afternoon. The Sea Gulls went straight to work in the first game of the doubleheader, scoring nine runs in five innings while the second game saw a 3-0 victory.

Senior Erika Brittingham (10-3) played a vital role for the Gulls, both in the circle and at the plate, going 3-for-5 on the day while hitting a two-run home run in game one to put SU on the board, 2-0. The Georgetown, Del., native ended the day offensively with two runs and four RBIs while retiring nine Blazers in four innings of pitching in game one.

Two more runs were pushed across the plate in the bottom of the first as junior Lindsay Brown hit a double down the left field line scoring senior Casey Zaino and sophomore Harley Hill.

The second inning saw four additional runs added to the scoreboard. Junior Carly Read started things off for the Gulls with a double to center field followed by Michelle Gravdahl's double through the right side, scoring Read. Brittingham then collected her third RBI of the day with a single down the left field line. With one out and one runner on base, junior Hannah Mills sent her first homer of the contest out past left field to give Salisbury the 8-0 advantage.

The final run of the game was scored in the fourth inning off the bat of Mills, who hit a solo home run, her second of the contest and seventh of the season.

Sophomore Kathryn Larson came in to pitch the final inning of game one, retiring the side in order.

In game two, Salisbury (17-5, 2-0 CAC) jumped out to an early lead with a single run in the second inning and another in the third, 2-0.

Freshman pitcher Rachel Johnson kept the Blazers (5-12, 0-2 CAC) off the bases until the fifth inning when Jackie Yurchak hit a double, the only Hood hit of the game. The Preston, Md., native fired back pitching a perfect final two innings. Johnson surpassed her career-high in strikeouts by two with 13 while walking one.

Zaino singled to right field to bring the third and final run across the plate, scoring Mills.

Gravdahl concluded the day going 3-for-6, with one RBI and scoring twice while Zaino went 3-for-4 with one RBI. 

SU ends its 18-game homestand on Tuesday, March 27, against the Catholic University of America at the SU Softball Field. The doubleheader is slated for 2 p.m.