ANNVILLE, Pa. - The Stevenson softball team lost to Hood 5-1 in the first round of the Commonwealth Conference tournament before defeating Messiah 2-1 in nine innings in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals of the double elimination tournament Friday at Lebanon Valley.

This is the fourth nine-inning game this season for the Mustangs (20-20) who have gone 3-1 in those games. They are now 7-3 in extra-inning games in two seasons under head coach Joey Lye.

Stevenson got an early lead agaisnt Hood, on a two-out RBI single by sophomore Abbey DeFeo (Columbia, Md./River Hill) in the second inning to score junior Lindsay Kuczak (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), unearned.

However, a five-run fourth inning for the Blazers (23-16) was the difference as the Mustangs managed just one hit over the final three innings. After an RBI single by Casey Dunn to tie the game at 1-1, Amy Hagerdon hit a grand slam to push the lead to 5-1.

Kuczak went 3-for-3 with one run while freshman Molly Hoyt (Parisppany, N.J./Parisppany Hills) suffered her first loss in her last five appearances in the circle.

In the second round game against Messiah, freshman Jessica Morelli (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Central) hit the game winning RBI on a double down the left field line to score DeFeo.

Hoyt went 2-for-4 while freshman Kaitlyn Seger (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) went 1-for-3 with one RBI.

Sophomore Briana Pichalski (Port Reading, N.J./Woodbridge) earned the victory holding the Falcons (25-15) to only four hits while striking out three.

Stevenson will face Hood Saturday in the Commonwealth Conference Quarterfinals. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.