GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team came out on the wrong side of a pair of one-run games during a battle with first-place Gettysburg on Saturday. The Bullets (9-9, 6-0 CC) secured a 1-0 shutout victory in the opening contest. The Fords (11-7, 3-3 CC) led 3-0 heading to the fifth inning of game two before Gettysburg scored a pair of runs in each of its final two at-bats for a 4-3 victory.
In game one, Temma Levis found herself locked in a pitcher's duel with the Bullets' Aileen Reilly. A Gettysburg run in the bottom of the first inning proved to be the only offense of the opener as Levis allowed just six hits in her seventh complete game of the season. Three of those hits, all singles, came in the first as a two-run RBI single proved to be the difference.
Jessica Koshinski and Rachel Wolfson each had two hits in the opening game for the Fords. A Koshinski double with one-out in the second put Haverford's first runner into scoring position. However, a nifty double play was turned by the Bullets to escape any damage. Wolfson singled to start the fourth inning, but back-to-back line drives were snagged by the Gettysburg third baseman to leave her stranded on first.
Wolfson also singled with two down in the sixth inning, but was erased as she tried to swipe second base. Koshinski had a two-out single in the seventh before a grounder to third sealed the Bullets' 1-0 win. The only other Haverford hit in the opening game belonged to Alex Craig as she singled to start the third inning, but was cut down going to second on an attempted sacrifice bunt.
In game two, the Fords used the first inning to their advantage by scoring three runs before the Bullets even came to bat. Haverford worked a pair of walks in the inning and took advantage of three defensive miscues to jump in front early. Julia Blake started the game with one of those walks while Wolfson reached on an error to put runners on the corners. Wolfson promptly stole second and when the throw down went into the outfield, Haverford had a 1-0 lead before recording a hit.
Emma Souter followed that up with another walk to again put runners on first third with nobody out. Once again, Haverford went back to a steal as Souter successfully swiped second. This time, a wild pitch allowed Wolfson to score while a third error on a grounder to short allowed the third run of the inning to come in.
The Fords went back to Levis to start game two and after stranding the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, she retired 10 of 11 batters to keep the Fords' advantage at 3-0 heading to the fifth. A leadoff single and walk prompted a call the bullpen, but those two inherited runners both scored a two-out triple. The Bullets took the lead in the bottom of the sixth with two singles, coupled with the help of a passed ball and wild pitch. Haverford got the game-tying run on base in the seventh inning as Blake was hit by pitch with two outs. Nevertheless, a fly out to centerfield ended the Fords' threat.
Softball will be back in action this coming Thursday for a home non-conference doubleheader against Eastern that is scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m. The Fords resume Centennial Conference play when they travel to Dickinson on Sunday, April 15 for the rescheduled date of that earlier postponement.