CLERMONT, Fla. – For just the fourth time in program history, the Haverford College softball team has started its season 4-0. The Fords' latest victories on Monday came against Manhattanville, a 12-3 win, and Salve Regina, a 7-4 victory. The Fords started out the 2012 season with a program-record six straight wins to start that campaign. The team also won five straight games to start the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Haverford 12, Manhattanville 3
In Monday's opening win against Manhattanville, Haverford scored five runs in the first two innings and seven runs over the fifth and sixth innings for a run-rule victory. Batting first as the visiting team, Jessica Koshinski started the game with a single into left field. She was then bunted into scoring position by Sarah Brody before Dayle Comerford singled home the first run of the game. With two outs, Comerford came around to score on an infield error to make it 2-0 before the Valiants came to bat.
The Fords started the top of the second inning with four straight hits. Julie Garlick and Miwa Wenzel both singled, while Koshinski singled in her second time up to bat and brought the third run of the game across the plate. Those runners moved into scoring position on an error in the outfield and were eventually driven in by Brody for a 5-0 lead.
Haverford again threatened in the third, but left the bases loaded. However, the team again broke through in the fifth with three more runs. Jill Schnall opened the frame with a walk and was promptly bunted into scoring position by Emily Winesett. After the second out of the inning, the next three batters all reached with one run coming home during each successive at-bat. Garlick singled for the first run of the inning. A Valiants' error kept the inning going during Wenzel's at-bat, while Koshinski made that error even more costly with an RBI single after Manhattanville should have been out of the inning.
The Fords put the eight-run rule in effect during the sixth inning. Kristin Tatum drove a two-run home run over the fence after Comerford reached on an error. Schnall and Winesett then singled as the first four hitters in the inning reached base. A pair of RBI ground outs from Stephanie Wolfson and Garlick would be the 11th and 12th runs of the afternoon.
Nine players recorded a hit for the Fords in Monday's early game. Out of the leadoff spot, Koshinski went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Comerford and Schnall also finished with two RBI. The top four hitters in the lineup drove in a combined seven runs with two each. Brody, batting second, and Garlick, hitting eighth, also had multiple runs batted in on the afternoon.
Haverford used three different pitchers on the afternoon. Kendall Chambers got the start and went three innings, allowing just one run. Alex Craig saw her first collegiate action in the circle, while Winesett picked up her third win in as many games with a three shutdown innings to finish off the victory.
Haverford 7, Salve Regina 4
The early runs kept coming for Haverford in its victory over Salve Regina. The Fords got an unearned run in the bottom of the first. However, it was not until the fourth inning when the Fords did the majority of their damage. Tatum doubled to centerfield at the start of the inning, while Schnall singled and stole second. Chambers drove the first run of the inning home on a sacrifice fly, while back-to-back hits from Wolfson and Garlick brought home two more. Koshinski delivered the final blow with a two-out single, making the score 5-1.
Haverford also added on two more runs in its final two at-bats of the afternoon. Tatum homered to centerfield in the fifth inning, while a double from Wolfson and RBI single from Wenzel in the sixth inning provided the Fords' seventh run of the day.
Salve Regina's biggest threat of the afternoon came in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back infield singles and a sacrifice bunt put a pair of runners in scoring position. At the time, Haverford was up by just that 5-1 margin. Winesett got the next batter to go down swing for the second out. Salve Regina did get a key two-out RBI single that plated a pair of runs, but Winesett kept her composure and got the next batter to ground out to short with the 5-3 lead in tact. After the aforementioned Haverford runs in the fifth and sixth, Salve Regina got a solo home run in the seventh but did not get another runner on base in its final chance at the plate.
Once again, it was Winesett who picked up the victory for the Fords as she improved to a perfect 4-0 on the year as the pitcher of record in each of Haverford's first four games. She pitched five innings before giving way to Chambers for the final two innings. Chambers would go on to collect her first save of the year. Offensively, Koshinski, Tatum, and Wolfson each finished with two hits for the Fords against Salve Regina.
Up next...
Softball will be back in action tomorrow morning with its second straight day that starts at 9 a.m. The Fords will battle Millikin in that early 9 a.m. game. The team will then take on Berry in an 11 a.m. scheduled start time.