Softball Sweeps Immaculata, 3-1 and 4-1

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Immaculata (18-18)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	11	0
Swarthmore (16-18)	2	0	0	0	0	2	X	4	10	0
@ Swarthmore, Pa. | Clothier Field

Immaculata Batting
2B: Schell, H; Himmons, M; Strickland; Curcione, N
3B: none
HR: none

Swarthmore Batting
2B: Kate Smayda; Nicole Aaron
3B: none
HR: none

full stats

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Immaculata (18-17)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0
Swarthmore (15-18)	0	2	0	0	1	0	X	3	5	1
@ Swarthmore, Pa. | Clothier Field

Immaculata Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: Lamplugh, J

Swarthmore Batting
2B: Jesslyn Lammerts; Dani Seltzer
3B: none
HR: Elizabeth Cushing

full stats

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Solid pitching performances from sophomores Melissa O'Connor and Sarina Lowe and timely hitting from the Garnet bats carried the Swarthmore College softball team (16-18) to a pair of victories over visiting Immaculata on Thursday afternoon from Clothier Field. The Garnet took the first game by a score of 3-1 and held on to win the second game 4-1.

O'Connor and Lowe were both dealing from the mound, allowing just two combined runs over 14 innings. O'Connor won the first game, pitching seven strong innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four. Lowe - who relieved Game 2 starter Chelsea Matzko in the first game - threw 6.2 innings, allowing 11 hits but continually working her way out of jams to carry Swat to victory.

At the plate, senior Elizabeth Cushing led the way once again, blasting a two-run home run in the first game as part of a three-hit day. Sophomore Jesslyn Lammerts (pictured) finished with three hits for the afternoon, including a game-sealing RBI double in the sixth inning of the first game.

In the first game, the solid pitching of O'Connor and power of Cushing were all the Garnet needed. Immacualta got its only run of the game in the top of second inning on a solo home run from Jen Lamplugh, but Swat had the immediate answer in the bottom half of the inning, with Cushing's two-run homer putting the Garnet on top 2-1.

The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning. Swarthmore padded the lead with two outs when Lammerts doubled down the left line, bringing home junior Kate Smayda to make it a 3-1 game.

That was more than enough for O'Connor, who retired the Mighty Macs in order in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the win.

The story of the second game was Lowe's ability to pitch her away out of trouble. The sophomore was able to get out of one-out, bases-loaded jams in the first, third and sixth innings. She also got plenty of help from her defense, as junior rightfielder Samantha Bennett, second baseman Laurie Sellars  and junior third baseman Rose Pitkin all made tremendous defense plays to end innings.

The Garnet jumped on the Mighty Macs early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Sophomore Nicole Aaron blasted a double to gap, while junior Danielle Seltzer and Pitkin each added RBI singles.

Swat added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Singles from Cushing, Pitkin and Bennett loaded bases for freshman Sellars, who knocked in a run on an RBI infield single, while an Immaculata error brought home another Garnet run.

Swarthmore returns to Centennial play on Saturday when it travels to rival Haverford. Play is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.