HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College softball team made a spirited run to last year's Centennial Conference championship game and the Fords are looking for more in 2014.
The scene will seem familiar as the conference playoffs will once again take place in Allentown, Pa. at the home field of top seed Muhlenberg College. The participants are also the same as Muhlenberg, Haverford, McDaniel College and Washington College will renew acquaintances over the course of the double-elimination tournament. The Fords will aim to write a new ending, however, as Haverford seeks the second title in program history.
Entering the weekend as the second seed, Haverford (24-9, 12-5 CC) will begin tournament play against third-seeded McDaniel (25-13, 11-5) on Saturday at 10 a.m.
The journey to hoisting the Centennial trophy will not be easy but the Fords' veteran roster is up for the challenge.
Jen DiCandilo and Elizabeth Newman have played major roles in Haverford's rise to the top of the standings. DiCandilo, a first-team all-conference selection in 2013, batted .310 during the regular season with a team-high nine doubles. The senior third baseman has been a consistent threat at the plate over the course of her career as she will graduate with the program record in doubles and RBIs.
DiCandilo's classmate Newman, also a first-team all-conference honoree in her junior season, aims to wreak havoc on the basepaths. The senior center fielder is currently the program record-holder in batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored. Newman has swung a hot bat this season as she leads the team, and ranks third in the conference, in batting average (.427).
While Newman has provided some energy to the bottom of the lineup, junior Jill Schnall has delivered some pop from the leadoff position. Schnall's breakout season has seen the junior hit .400, register a scintillating .753 slugging percentage and blast a program-record eight home runs.
Sarah Brody, Julie Garlick, Stephanie Wolfson, Dayle Comerford, Lauren Touey and Kristin Tatum have also come through with big hits over the course of the campaign.
Haverford's deep pitching staff was a major factor in last year's memorable run to the championship game. That staff of Emily Winesett, Sara Tauriello, Brittany Stevenson and Claire Fitzgerald returns to the bright lights of the conference tournament intact. Winesett currently leads the league in ERA with a minuscule 1.04 and Tauriello is right behind in second (1.24). Stevenson has earned a conference-high four saves this season while Fitzgerald has struck out over 200 batters in her career. Add freshman right-hander Kendall Chambers to the mix and the Fords have a plethora of pitching options to choose from over the course of the two-day tournament.
The battle over the course of the weekend for conference supremacy should be a good one as the four tournament participants were separated by just one game in the final regular-season standings. Haverford split with Muhlenberg and McDaniel while dropping two to defending conference champion Washington.
Looking to get off to a good start, the Fords will need to overcome McDaniel starting pitcher Caroline Brehm in the tournament opener. Brehm leads all of Division III with 302 strikeouts on the season.
The opening contest will be followed by a game between the host Mules (23-11, 12-4) and fourth-seeded Washington (26-11-1, 11-5). Tournament play will then continue through Sunday afternoon with the conference champion earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Haverford hopes to be leaving Cedarcreek Field late again on Sunday this year, but with the conference trophy in hand.