CLERMONT, Fla. – The Haverford College softball team earned two wins Thursday in its second to last competition day in Florida. The Fords (6-2) did it in a variety of ways as they used pitching and defense to claim a 2-1 win over Wittenberg (2-3) in the first game. The offense then erupted for nine runs on 10 hits in a 9-2 victory over Hood (1-5) for the second win.
Haverford 2, Wittenberg 1
Emily Winesett continued her stellar start to the 2015 season with her third complete game in four starts in the circle. Winesett tossed seven innings of five-hit ball, while allowing just one run and striking out nine batters. With her defense behind her, Winesett improved to 5-1 on the season.
Haverford gave its starter the lead right away with a run in the bottom of the first. Jessica Koshinski started off the game with a leadoff walk. She was then bunted into scoring position. A single from Dayle Comerford was not quite enough to score the first run, but Koshinski came home on a wild pitch in the next at-bat for the early 1-0 lead.
Wittenberg answered with its only run of the game in the top of the third after two singles put runners on the corners. The Haverford defense conceded the tying run and opted for a force play. Avoiding the big inning paid off when Kristin Tatum smacked her third home run of the season and 13th of her career to lead off the bottom half of the third.
With the 2-1 lead, Winesett retired the Wittenberg side in order during the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. With two down in the top of the seventh, Winesett had set down the last 13 batters she faced. However, the final out proved to be the most dramatic.
A two-out single kept the game alive, while a double into the outfield threatened to bring home the game-tying run. However, a great throw from Miwa Wenzel in right field with a relay from Koshinski at third nailed the runner at the plate to secure the 2-1 victory in dramatic fashion.
Haverford 9, Hood 2
Fresh off its dramatic finish, the Fords were not going to let the second game possibly be decided in the final at-bats. Batting first to start the game against Hood, the Fords saw the first three batters reach as Koshinski singled, while Sarah Brody also singled before an RBI double from Comerford. A passed ball and RBI base hit from Jill Schnall made it 3-0 before Hood even came to bat.
The Fords added two more runs to their total in their next chance at bat. Koshinski again started this inning with a single, while Brody followed her up with a walk. Tatum brought both of those runners home with a two-run double. In the third inning, Haverford capitalized on three errors from the Hood defense, making the score 8-1 after two and a half innings. The Fords also added an unearned run in the seventh inning as Hood finished the game with six errors as a team.
A second-team All-Centennial Conference selection a season ago, Sara Tauriello made her season debut in the circle for the Fords. She jumped right into the season head first with a complete game effort in her first live action. Pitching the full seven innings, Tauriello scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run, while striking out eight. Offensively, Comerford finished the second game 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI. Koshinski and Brody were menaces to the Hood defense all game long and finished with three runs each as both scored every time they reached base during the second game.
Up next…
Softball has two more games on the schedule in Florida. Those two contests will be played Friday against Westfield State (11 a.m.) and Moravian (1 p.m.).