LANCASTER, Pa. - Elizabeth Newman's two-out single to left field drove in the winning run as the visiting Haverford College softball team rallied to top Franklin & Marshall College, 5-4, and split the Centennial Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Baker Campus Field. The Fords fell 3-1 in the opener of the twinbill.
Looking to break a 4-4 deadlock, Kristin Tatum led off the sixth inning with a single to right field. Inserted as a pinch runner, Miwa Wenzel reached second on a well-executed sacrifice by Julie Garlick. Jill Schnall's groundout advanced Wenzel to third and Newman stepped up with a chance to do some damage. Registering her first hit of the contest, Newman's clutch RBI-single provided the Fords (18-10, 5-5 CC) with a one-run lead.
Emily Winesett (7-6) recorded her fifth strikeout of the game to strand one Diplomats' runner in the bottom of the frame before Claire Fitzgerald took over in the circle in the seventh.
Fitzgerald sent the Dips down in order in the final inning to record her second save of the season.
Trailing 3-2 after four innings, Dayle Comerford made Newman's late-game heroics possible with a two-run blast to left field. Comerford's first round-tripper of the season provided Haverford with its initial lead of the day. The sophomore is now tied for fifth all-time in program history with six career home runs.
Tatum registered two of the Fords' seven hits in the game while Lauren Touey, Garlick, Schnall, Comerford and Newman accounted for the others.
Kaitlin Zampino and Sam DeNoville led the hosts in the contest with two hits apiece. Zampino's two-run home run in the second gave F&M the early 2-0 lead. Justine Lohrey (6-7) took the loss in the circle as she allowed one run on two hits in two-plus innings of work in relief of Zampino.
The opening game of the day (box score) saw Zampino (6-9) limit the Fords to just three hits over seven innings. Haverford had baserunners in almost every inning but could not get a run across until the seventh. Newman started things off with a lead-off single and then used some aggressive base running to reach third. Sarah Brody drove her home with a groundout to shortstop but the Fords would get no closer as Zampino got the next two outs to end the game.
Comerford and Schnall registered Haverford's other hits in the contest.
Sara Tauriello (7-2) suffered the loss as she gave up five hits and three runs in four-plus innings of work. Fitzgerald came on to get the final two outs in the fifth and then kept the Dips scoreless in the sixth to give her squad a chance to rally.
Facing back-to-back conference road contests, the Fords travel to Ursinus College on Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. The twinbill looms large as Haverford and the Bears are currently tied for fourth in the conference standings.