HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College softball team extended its winning streak to eight games with a sweep of a non-conference doubleheader against visiting Penn State-Berks on Saturday afternoon at Class of '95 Field. The Fords edged the Nittany Lions 3-2 in Game 1 and then capped the twinbill with a 5-1 victory.
The score of Game 2 was tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth before sophomore Kristin Tatum (pictured) put Haverford (11-1) ahead with a two-run shot over the right-field fence. Tatum's blast, the eighth of her career, moved her into a tie for third place in the program's record books for career home runs.
The Fords added two more runs in the inning to extend their lead to 5-1 before Emily Winesett (4-0) struck out three in the top of seventh to close out the contest.
Seniors Elizabeth Newman (4-for-4) and Jen DiCandilo (3-for-3) combined to go 7-for-7 in the game. Junior Jill Schnall accounted for Haverford's first run with the sixth home run of her career in the third inning.
Starting pitcher Claire Fitzgerald struck out eight and allowed just one hit in five innings of work before giving way to Winesett.
In the first game of the day, Penn State-Berks (6-4) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead but the Fords' bats heated up in the fourth inning. Junior Stephanie Wolfson began the rally with a leadoff double to right center and Kendall Chambers drove Wolfson home with her first collegiate home run to tie the contest.
Schnall extended the inning with a two-out double to center and Newman took advantage of the RBI opportunity as she delivered a single to center that plated Schnall for the eventual game-winning run.
Chambers (2-1) struck out six in five innings of work to register the win in the circle for Haverford. Senior Brittany Stevenson earned her second save of the season by striking out two and allowing Penn State-Berks, a 2013 NCAA tournament participant, just one hit over the final two frames.
Newman and Wolfson each finished with two hits in the opener as the Fords tallied eight hits overall.
The day's sweep pushed Haverford to its best start ever as the Fords established a new program mark for fewest games to reach double figures in wins.
Haverford returns to action on Tuesday as it opens its Centennial Conference slate against visiting Washington College in a rematch of last season's conference championship tilt. The doubleheader against the Shorewomen begins at 3 p.m.