HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team saw two games snatched away from them in the Centennial Conference opener against Dickinson. The Fords were up 3-0 heading to the fifth inning of game one before the Red Devils claimed a 4-3 win. In the second game, Haverford went up 3-1 in the fourth but fell by a 6-4 score.
Haverford jumped out to its first game advantage with three runs in the bottom of the third. Briana Quinn drew a walk to start the inning while Ashley Sisto singled back through the middle to put two runners on. Julia Blake brought home the first run of the game with an RBI double off the left field fence before a Rachel Wolfson sacrifice fly made it 2-0. A two-out single from Jessica Koshinski made it three straight plate appearances where the Fords plated a run.
Dickinson's rally in the sixth featured five singles over the course of six at-bats. A pair of misplayed balls in the outfield ultimately helped the Red Devils to a 4-3 lead. Haverford threatened to tie the game in the bottom of that inning as Sisto walked to start the frame and Julia Blake reached on an error trying to give herself up in a sacrifice situation. Wolfson just missed a three run home on a great catch by Nicole Clayton who ran into the wall in centerfield and still hung on for the out.
Madison Milaszewski, who got the win in the circle during both games, escaped that inning unharmed after just inches separated the Fords from the lead. Walks to Quinn and Alex Craig in the sixth put two Haverford runners on, but the Dickinson hurler also got through that inning before retiring the side in order during the seventh.
The Red Devils opened the scoring by manufacturing a run in the top of the third inning in game two. However, Haverford answered back with three in the bottom half of the fourth. A single from Koshinski got the inning started while a double off the bat of Kendall Chambers put two in scoring position. A walk to Craig loaded the bases before Emily Gorman came through with a two-run single just out of the reach of the second basemen and into right field. Quinn followed that up with another single make the score 3-1.
Just like the first game, it would not take the Red Devils long to respond. A batter reaching via an error, along with an infield single, put two runners on with back-to-back bunts. The big blast in the inning came from Nicole Torlincasi's second home run of the year, while another run crossed on an RBI double from Nicole Clayton later in the inning.
Haverford got one of those runs back on a sacrifice fly from Koshinski, but that would be the only run relief pitcher Emily Rosenberg surrendered as she earned her first save of the season.
Softball will have busy week upcoming with three doubleheaders as they host Muhlenberg on Tuesday before making Thursday and Saturday road trips to Rowan and Franklin & Marshall. Tuesday's home games will start at 3 p.m.