HAVERFORD, Pa. - Tommy Bergjans pitched eight shutout innings and center fielder Nick Miranda knocked in a pair of runs as the Haverford College baseball team topped rival Swarthmore College, 3-1, in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams on Tuesday afternoon.
Tied 0-0 with the Garnet in the bottom of the seventh, the Haverford (8-7, 1-0 CC) bats broke the game open with a three-run frame. After a groundout by Nick Ott, designated hitter Justin Coulter blasted a homer to right field to break the scoreless tie. Casey Fox followed with a single and advanced to second on a stolen base, and then third on a wild pitch. Mike Tentilucci reached first on a bunt, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Thomas Vollaro. Miranda put the Fords up by three with his ensuing two-out, two-RBI single up the middle.
Bergjans (3-1), pitching with the lead for the first time all day, got three batters to ground out in the top of the eighth inning to end his day with a line of eight innings, three hits, nine strikeouts, and just one walk. The Fords' right-handed pitcher now has 28 strikeouts this year and lifted his average to seven strikeouts per start. Bergjans did not allow a baserunner until the third inning, and got eight of the first nine batters out that he faced.
Swarthmore (11-6, 0-1) did threaten in its top half of the ninth inning. Haverford closer Patrick Falkoff entered the game and got the first two Garnet batters out with ease. Scoop Ruxin stepped into the hitter's square and with two strikes, belted a long shot over the right field fence to decrease the Ford's lead to just two runs, 3-1. Falkoff regained composure and worked out of the inning, recording his fifth save this season.
The home-standing Fords would have broken the scoreless tie sooner had it not been for Swarthmore center fielder Ryan Burnett. The Garnet's leadoff hitter threw not one, but two Haverford players out at home plate in the bottom portion of the sixth.
With William Bannard on second, Ben Verducci singled to right center field. Burnett scooped up the ball and fired a laser to home plate to gun down Bannard. The very next batter, George Hatamiya, singled up the middle and Burnett replicated his previous throw to get Verducci out at home.
Fox, who recently won the Centennial pitcher of the week award, went 2-for-2 with a double and run. Bannard was seeing the ball well all game and went 3-for-4 from the dish and had two stolen bases. Haverford collected five stolen bases as a team throughout the game.
The victory gives the Fords another half-point in the race for the Hood Trophy -- the annual friendly competition between the two rivals.
The Fords travel to non-conference foe Moravian College tomorrow, weather permitting, for a 4 p.m. start with the Greyhounds.