SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team scored two runs in the first inning, but Swarthmore College knocked in eight unanswered runs to beat the Fords 8-2 and even the season series between the rivals after Friday afternoon's Centennial Conference game.
Haverford (8-9, 1-1 CC) wasted no time heating up the bats on a cloudy and damp day. Nick Miranda opened the game up with a single and advanced to third after two errors by Swarthmore (12-6, 1-1) pitcher Henry Cappel (2-0). William Bannard walked to put runners on the corners, and two batters later, Nick Ott singled down the right field line to easily score Miranda. Bannard advanced to third but was thrown out at home plate when Ott stole second. Ott later scored on an error by Swarthmore's right fielder Oscar Leong to give the visitors early momentum and a 2-0 lead.
The Garnet responded in the bottom of the third by plating their first two runs of the game. Swarthmore recorded a walk, two singles, and a double in the inning off of Fords' starting pitcher Kyle Waney (1-1) and knotted the game at 2-2 a third of the way into the contest.
In the top of the fourth Haverford had a golden opportunity to retake the lead. The Fords had the bases loaded with one out, but superb infield play by Swarthmore shutdown the scoring chance and kept the conference meeting locked at two runs each.
Waney did not allow a runner on base in the fourth and fifth innings, but the sixth inning proved to be a different story. Swarthmore finally figured out the senior right-hander and touched Waney for four hits and four runs to pull away, 6-2 with only three more batting chances for Haverford.
The Fords were unable to score any more runs and the Garnet added two more in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Miranda had an excellent day from the plate, going 3-for-4 with a run. Ott went 2-for-4 with his bat, had an RBI, and six put-outs in the field. Waney finished with a line of 5.1 innings, seven hits, four strikeouts, and three walks.
If the baseball team had won, it would have clinched the Hood Trophy for Haverford. The Fords need only one win from any of their spring sports teams over rival Swarthmore to claim the coveted trophy for. Haverford currently leads 9-2 in the standings.
Haverford returns to Kannerstein Field this weekend for a pair of doubleheaders. On Saturday, the Fords will challenge Dickinson College and on Sunday they will host No. 16 Johns Hopkins University. Both doubleheaders begin at 12:30 p.m.