FORT MYERS, Fla. – A 5-2 win in Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader earned Haverford College's baseball team a split with Wisconsin Lutheran College after the Warriors took the opener from the Fords by a 15-5 count in non-conference action at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
Haverford's record sits at 2-2 after Monday's split while Wis. Lutheran is 1-1 on the season after their first games of the spring.
Zach Taylor (1-0) started on the mound in the nightcap for the Fords and earned the win after five innings of work during which he allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five. The first of WLC's runs off Taylor was unearned.
George Hatamiya came in from his spot in right field to relieve Taylor at the start of the sixth and held the Warriors scoreless over the final two innings. Hatamiya surrendered only a single and a walk while fanning one in earning the save.
Haverford opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Tentilucci's double brought home Jared Deveau for the first run and Tentilucci came in from second to score on Nick Miranda's single up the middle.
Lutheran chipped away at the lead with an unearned run in the top of the third then knotted things at 2-2 with a run in the top of the fourth.
The tie didn't last long as the Fords went to work right away in the bottom half of the frame. Hatamiya singled, Sam Kane followed with a single and Tentilucci was hit by a pitch to load the bases without an out.
Miranda's sacrifice fly brought in Hatamiya, and Kane came in for the second run of the inning when William Bannard reached safely on an error by the shortstop. Ben Verducci rapped a single to left to send Tentilucci home for the third and final run of the inning.
Taylor and then Hatamiya defended the lead over Lutheran's final three at-bats to bring home the victory.
Game 1 saw the Warriors break out on top early with two runs in the bottom of the first off Haverford starter Michael de Armas. The Fords halved the deficit with a run in the top of the second but WLC pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the bottom of the second to build upon its lead.
The Fords drew within two, 4-2, in the top of the third when Miranda scored on an RBI-ground out from Bannard but Lutheran answered with three in the bottom half if the inning to grow its advantage to 7-2.
Miranda, Bannard and Justin Coulter scored in the top of the sixth to eat into the Warriors' lead but Lutheran pounded out eight runs in the bottom of the frame to put the game out of reach.
de Armas (1-0) took the loss for Haverford, lasting two innings and surrendering seven runs on eight hits and a pair of walks while striking out one.
Marley Randazzo was 2-for-3 in the loss and his RBI-single in the second pushed Deveau across the plate for the Fords' opening run of the game.
On the day, Verducci, a freshman second baseman, was 4-for-7 with an RBI to lead the Fords at the plate.
Haverford's schedule at the Cusic Classic continues Tuesday with a single game at 1 p.m. against Salem State.