FORT MYERS, Fla. – A season-opening win streak stretched to nine Friday afternoon as Haverford College's baseball team swept Edgewood (Wis.) College on William Bannard's walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth in the Fords' 5-4 non-conference victory over the Eagles. Haverford rode the arm of Tommy Bergjans and the top of its batting order in the day's opener, downing Edgewood by a score of 9-3.
Haverford (9-0) rallied from a fourth-inning, 3-1 deficit to the Eagles (2-10) in Game 2 by scoring three times in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Edgewood scratched for a tying run in the top of the six, setting up Bannard's extra-inning heroics.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Luke Frankiw walked then stole second with Bannard at the plate following the second out of the inning. Bannard's single through the left side allowed Frankiw, running on contact with two outs, to easily race home for the game-ending run.
Frankiw also figured into the Fords' earlier rally. Casey Fox singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and raced to third drawing the throw on Alex Hudak's single that followed, allowing Hudak to coast into second with no outs. Fox and Hudak scored on Sam Kane's double down the left field line which tied things at 3-3, then Kane, after a wild pitch from Edgewood starting pitcher Andrew Swanson, was able to beat the throw to home plate on Frankiw's sacrifice fly to right field for Haverford's first lead of the game.
Patrick Falkoff came on in relief of Haverford starter Max Gerard at the beginning of the fifth inning, and Falkoff (1-0) earned the win after allowing one run on one hit, no walks and two strikeouts over the final four innings.
Edgewood's Brad Clark (0-2) suffered the loss after relieving Swanson to start the eighth. Clark picked up two outs but his walk of Frankiw and lone hit surrendered to Bannard proved costly.
The day's opener had far less drama than the nightcap as the Fords never trailed, scoring twice in the top of the first and twice more in the second during the 9-3 victory (box score).
The top of the order did the damage for Haverford in Game 1 as Bannard, Nick Miranda, Matt Liscovitz and Fox combined to score eight runs on seven hits, collected seven RBIs and stole six bases.
The offensive outburst wasn't needed, though, as Bergjans upped his record to 3-0 with a seven-inning, complete-game victory. He allowed six hits and three runs without walking a batter while fanning 10 Eagles. Bergjans set down the side in order four times and registered at least two strikeouts in an inning four times.
The Fords square off against Rockford (Ill.) College on Saturday morning to cap off their spring break trip. A win against Rockford would equal the 10-0 start that the Haverford squad from 2011 put together in opening its season.