PITTSBURGH, Pa.--The Hood College softball team swept an Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference doubleheader from the Chatham College Cougars Friday.

The Blazers, who shutout the Cougars in the first game, 8-0, and routed Chatham in the nightcap, 19-3, improve to 9-11 overall and 5-1 in the AWCC.

Jamie Gardner tossed a four-hit shutout in the opener and struck out seven Cougar hitters over six innings.

The Blazers scored their first two runs of the ballgame in the top of the second on a pair of wild pitches by Chatham starter Christina Pettitano.

Then in the top of the third, Christine Harvey stroked a two-run double which scored Jamie Bussey and Tamara Maggard. Jen Guyer and Ashley Lenhart also drove in runs in the frame to give Hood a 6-0 lead after three innings.

After a scoreless fourth, the Blazers tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on another wild pitch by Pettitano and an RBI-single by Jen Willison.

In the nightcap, Hood scored early and often, knocking Pettitano around for 20 hits and plating 19 runs. Kara Robert went 3-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored, while Stephanie Gardner also collected three hits and drove in two runs. Alecia Weddle came off the bench to drive in three runs on a pair of basehits.

Jamie Gardner picked up the victory despite allowing three runs on six hits. Maggard and Robert each worked a scoreless inning of relief to secure the victory for Hood.

The Blazers, whose Sunday doubleheader with Mary Baldwin was postponed to due rain, return to action Tuesday hosting the University of Mary Washington at 3 p.m.