Softball Splits Twin Bill with Haverford on Senior Day, 5-2 and 4-7
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Junior Elizabeth Cushing's two-RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning propelled the Swarthmore softball team (7-23, 3-13 CC) past the rival Haverford Fords (8-22,4-10 CC) 5-2 in game one of the doubleheader but the Fords went on to win game two 7-4 to split the series on Wednesday evening on Clothier Field.
Freshman Melissa O'Connor picked up her fifth win of the season the mound, going seven innings without allowing an earned run while fanning four Haverford batters.
GAME ONE
The Garnet looked for an early lead in game one and senior Kira Kern provided it for them in the first inning with a lead-off walk. Sophomore Erin Curtis moved her up to second with a sacrifice bunt and Kern made her way home two batters later on a pass ball to put Swat up 1-0.
Haverford made its push in the fourth inning after a Swarthmore error and passed ball allowed the Fords to score two runs and claim its only lead of the game.
Swarthmore responded quickly in the bottom of the fourth inning, knocking in three runs to retake the lead thanks to Cushing's two-run double.
With two runners on base and two outs in the inning, Cushing stepped up to the plate and blasted a base-clearing double over the leftfielder's head to give Swat a 4-2 lead.
Kern put the nail in the coffin in the fifth inning, leading off the inning with a double to deep centerfield and quickly made her way around the base after Curtis moved her up again and would score on a Haverford wild pitch.
O'Connor and the Swat defense held the Fords in the sixth and seventh innings en route to its 5-2 game one win.
GAME TWO
The Garnet pitchers struggled in game two and the Fords took advantage, taking control of the game early with a 6-0 lead through the first four innings thanks to five hits and a handful of walked batters.
Swarthmore tried to get something started in the bottom of the fifth inning when freshman Jesslyn Lammerts found herself on second after a Haverford error and perfect sacrifice by junior Marley Spector.
Kern followed with single to right centerfield, moving Lammerts to third to set up sophomore Kate Smayda who then singled through the right side of the infield to score Lammerts and put Swat on the board.
Swarthmore held the Fords scoreless in the sixth and allowed a run in the seventh before coming out in the bottom of the seventh for its last at-bat.
The Garnet didn't plan on going down quietly and made a run at yet another comeback in the seventh inning.
Lammerts led off, reaching first on an error once again followed by a single by Spector and another Haverford error to load the bases quickly with no outs.
Freshman Katie Teleky drove in Lammerts, grounding out to third for Swat's first run of the inning.
Smayda followed with a ground-out to shortstop for the second out of the inning but senior Krista Scheirer wouldn't finish her senior career as the final out of the game. Scheirer drove a ball deep over the leftfielder's head and off the fence, driving in both Kern and Spector to bring the Garnet within three runs, 7-4.
Another Haverford error and walk loaded the bases again for Swarthmore for junior Elizabeth Cushing. Cushing lined a shot down the third base line but the Ford's third basemen jumped and stole it out of the air for the final out of the game.
