CHESTER, Pa. - A late rally by the Haverford College softball team came up just short against host Widener University in Game 1 of a non-conference doubleheader with the host Pride on Thursday. Widener hung on for a 3-2 victory in the opener before edging the Fords, 1-0, in Game 2.
Trailing 3-0 entering the sixth inning of Game 1, Haverford (14-8) got on the board with a two-hit frame. Sophomore Kristin Tatum started things off with a leadoff walk and Sarah Brody moved her into scoring position with a double to left field.
Junior Stephanie Wolfson brought Tatum home with an RBI-groundout before Lauren Touey tallied her seventh RBI of the season with a single that scored Brody.
Touey's hit also chased Pride starter Alexis Schengrund (9-3) but reliever Devin Coyne managed to get out of the inning with no further damage.
Sophomore Emily Winesett, who relieved starter Claire Fitzgerald (2-3) in the fifth, made sure the Fords remained within striking distance with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth.
Down to its final three outs, Haverford looked primed to complete the comeback when the visitors' first two batters of the seventh reached base safely. Jill Schnall worked a leadoff walk and Julie Garlick followed with a double to left center. Widener (14-6) was able to escape, however, as Coyne kept the Fords hitless over the remainder of the contest on the way to earning her first career save.
Garlick registered two of Haverford's seven hits in the opener. Brody finished 1-for-1 while Tatum and Schnall each went 1-for-2.
The final game of the day featured a pitchers' duel as Haverford starter Kendall Chambers (2-2) and the Pride's Ally Horvath (2-0) had the squads still searching for the first run of the game after three innings.
Widener broke through with one run on two hits in the bottom of the fourth and that is all the run support Horvath would need as the freshman allowed just one hit while going the distance in the circle for the hosts.
The Fords continue their Centennial Conference slate on Saturday with a doubleheader against visiting Franklin & Marshall College beginning at 1 p.m.