Signature Wins: A young Haverford squad, with just one senior on the roster, gave Haverford fans a peek at the potential for a memorable season when the Fords took down 16th-ranked Rowan University, a perennial NCAA tournament participant, in the opening game of a non-conference doubleheader on March 5. The spring break trip to Florida brought two more impressive wins over 2012 NCAA tournament participants Denison University and The College of New Jersey and Haverford kept the momentum going with a 5-3 start in Centennial Conference play. Needing a win on the final day of the regular season to clinch a playoff berth the Fords blasted three home runs on their way to beating Gettysburg College, 6-1, before completing the sweep with a 10-2 five-inning victory.
Entering the Centennial tournament as the No. 3 seed, Haverford rallied to edge defending champion McDaniel College, 3-2, in extra innings in its playoff opener. The Fords were far from finished making their presence known, however, as the squad eliminated top seed Muhlenberg College with a 7-1 victory on the final day of tournament action to advance to the championship game. Haverford opened the championship series with a 3-1 win over Washington to force a final winner-take-all contest but the Shorewomen prevailed.
Season Notes: The Fords advanced to the Centennial Conference championship game while tying the program record for wins in a season (26) … The team earned a spot in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 Ranking in mid-March … The young lineup established team single-season records for batting average (.314), slugging percentage (.449), hits (349), runs scored (240), runs batted in (194), doubles (64), home runs (23) and total bases (500) and scored a program-record 22 runs in one contest … Elizabeth Newman '14 set single-season program records in batting average (.439), on base percentage (.516), runs scored (45) and hits (58). Newman also ranked second in the conference in batting average and was a threat to score anytime she reached base as she paced the Centennial in runs scored … Jen DiCandilo '14 established single-season program marks for doubles (15) and total bases (80) and finished in a tie for second in the Centennial in RBIs with 34. DiCandilo also ranked among the conference leaders in doubles (second), slugging percentage (fourth), and runs (seventh). … Kristin Tatum '16 set a single-season program record for home runs in a season (seven) and a single-game mark for RBIs with eight … Sara Tauriello '16 tied the single-season record for batters struck out in a season (95) and set a game record for strikeouts (15) on March 10 against Brandeis. Tauriello ranked among the conference leaders in several categories--wins (fourth), ERA (second), and strikeouts (sixth) … Emily Winesett '16 matched Tauriello's game strikeout record two days later against Hood … Head coach Jen Ward was voted conference coach of the year by her peers.
Postseason Awards:
- Philadelphia Inquirer 2013 Academic All-Area Softball Team: Jen DiCandilo
- All-Centennial Conference: DiCandilo (first team), Elizabeth Newman (first team), Sara Tauriello (second team)
- Centennial coach of the year: Jen Ward
- Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll: Sarah Brody, Dayle Comerford, DiCandilo, Newman
- Jewish Sports Review 2013 College Softball All-America Team: DiCandilo, Newman
Looking Ahead: The Fords lost Gabrielle Sapienza to graduation but the rest of the lineup, including six players who hit over .300 (Newman (.439), DiCandilo (.392), Lauren Touey (.339), Stephanie Woflson (.314), Kristin Tatum (.311) and Comerford (.309)), returns intact. The seasoned group, boasting a deep pitching staff, will look towards a return visit to the Centennial playoffs with an eye on the conference title.