COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team pounded out two run-rule victories on the road Tuesday against Ursinus. The Fords (17-6, 8-2 CC) racked up 22 hits in the two victories against the host Bears. Haverford took the opening game by a 9-1 final. A 12-4 second game capped the doubleheader sweep in which both games were completed with the Fords ahead by eight runs after the sixth inning.
It was a pair of big innings in each game that highlighted Haverford's sweep. In the first game, a six-run sixth inning put the run-rule in effect. Sara Tauriello went the distance in the victory to pick up her seventh win of the season in the opener. She scattered three hits over her six innings of work, striking out four on the afternoon.
Even with the stellar showing in the circle, Ursinus was up 1-0 after the third inning following back-to-back two-out hits in the second inning. When the Fords did get the offense jump started, Haverford pounced on the Bears for three runs in the fourth. Dayle Comerford and Kristin Tatum started the frame with two straight singles. Jill Schnall doubled both of those runs home before a two-out single from Julie Garlick made it 3-1.
Holding that same advantage heading to the sixth, Haverford went from a 3-1 lead to a run-rule victory to start the day with six runs in the sixth. During the offensive outburst, the first five Haverford runners to step to the plate all reached base. A walk to Tatum, single from Schnall and error during Kendall Chambers' at-bat loaded the bases. Sarah Brody worked a walk to force in the first run, while Garlick drove in the next two runs with a single to right field.
An RBI groundout from Miwa Wenzel recorded the first out of the inning, but also brought Haverford's seventh run of the game across the plate. RBI singles from Lauren Touey and Comerford scored the final two runs of the inning. That support was more than enough for Tauriello as she set down the Ursinus side in order to complete the victory. She retired 12 of the final 13 batters she faced in the game with the lone exception being a leadoff walk to start the fourth.
Schnall paced the offense in game one with a 3-for-3 opener at the plate that included two runs and two RBI. Comerford and Garlick also had two hits in the opener. Garlick drove in three runs during the 9-1 victory.
In game two, Haverford trailed 2-1 heading to third inning. However, an eight-run frame put the Fords in position for the sweep. Starting with the top of the order, Jessica Koshinski began the inning with a single. She was bunted into scoring position by Touey and scored on an RBI single from Comerford. A walk to Tatum and single from Schnall brought across the game-tying run, while a double from Chambers emptied the bases and gave Haverford a 5-3 advantage.
After a pop up in the infield, four straight singles brought home the final four runs of inning. The four hits in succession came from Garlick, Stephanie Wolfson, Koshinski, and Touey. Touey's final hit of the frame scored two, while the hits from Garlick and Koshinski also brought home a run during that stretch. Three runs in the final Haverford at-bats put the second game into a run-rule situation. Comerford and Tatum singled to start the frame, while a walk to Schnall loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly from Chambers scored the first run. A double from Brody brought home the final two Haverford runs of the game.
In game two, it was Chambers that went the distance in the circle. She allowed just two earned runs over her six innings of work and struck out six. Her complete game effort was the first of the sophomore's career. All nine starters recorded a hit as the Fords combined for 12 hits during the second game. Koshinski, Comerford, and Tatum each had two hits and scored two runs. Schnall also scored two runs. Chambers helped her own cause with three RBI. Touey and Brody finished game two with a pair of runs knocked in.
Softball returns home Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader with Arcadia. Those contests will get started at 3 p.m on the Class of '95 Field.