HAVERFORD, Pa. – In the home opener at Kannerstein Field, the Haverford College baseball team dropped a 6-2 decision to visiting Eastern in eight innings. Due to the contest originally being slated to be a home contest for the Eagles, Haverford batted first. Spencer Sohmer went 3-4 with an RBI while Sam Partee added an RBI double. Ethan Lee-Tyson tripled and scored both Haverford runs in the contest. Ryan Giovenco (0-1) made his first career start on the mound, twirling five innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out one. The Fords fall to 0-3 on the young season while Eastern improves to 4-2 on the year.
Haverford stuck for the first run of the game in the top of the third inning, breaking through against Eastern starter Tyler Bennett (1-0). Lee-Tyson tripled into the right-center field gap and Sohmer followed with a single for a 1-0 lead. Eastern answered in the bottom of the frame as Tyler Stanley reached on an error and stole second and third before Craig Stanley singled him home to tie the score. Timmy Gorton followed with a double to right center and Brad Clemens notched an RBI on a groundout as Eastern went ahead 3-1.
The Fords put runners in scoring position in every inning except for the fifth. Pat O'Shea came into the contest in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning and Clemens singled to right field with one out. Clemens stole second and third before Tommy Strazza delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles the 4-1 advantage.
Lee-Tyson coaxed a one-out walk in the top of the seventh and Sohmer followed with a single through the infield. Partee then roped a double into the right-center field gap, advancing Sohmer to third and scoring Lee-Tyson as Haverford pulled to within two at 4-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jordan Laboy walked to begin the inning and Haverford called for Brandon Jenkins out of the bullpen to spell O'Shea. Craig Stanley singled off Jenkins, but Laboy was thrown out by from Lee-Tyson trying to go first-to-third. The next batter, Gorton, launched a homer to right field, extending the Eastern lead to 6-2.
Haverford had a chance once again in the eighth inning as Will Karp led off the inning with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Grant Fisher got the final out of the shortened contest for the Eagles.
Gorton finished with a game-high three RBI for Eastern. The Fords stole eight bases on the afternoon, with Sohmer and Owen Plambeck each swiping a pair.
The matchup was the earliest home date for the Fords since the 2008 season when the Fords matched up with Arcadia on March 4 of that season. Haverford has traditionally opened the season on its Spring Break trip to Fort Myers, Fla.
Haverford will make the aformentioned trip to Fort Myers for the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic from March 11-17. Haverford will contest nine games in six days against Lakeland, Edgewood, Plattsburgh State, Amherst, Wisconsin Lutheran and No. 6 Wooster in the Sunshine State.