HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team seemingly had Senior Day magic working in its favor on Saturday as the Fords scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Washington College by a 4-3 score and sweep the visiting Shorewomen. Those two victories helped the Fords maintain their third place standing in the conference and moved them two games ahead of the final playoff spot. The Fords won the first game of the doubleheader by a 4-1 score.
Right at the start, the Fords began with a bang. Fittingly enough, it was senior Jessica Koshinski who got the day started with a two-run home run down the left field line in the bottom of the first. That blast, her first home run this season and 10th of her career, also scored Nicole Swisher who singled to start the game.
That would be all the offense Haverford starter Temma Levis needed as she allowed just one run, scattering six hits during her complete game victory. Levis is now 8-3 this year and has nine complete games in her 13 starts. Washington College scored its only run of the first game with a two-out double just out of the reach of the right fielder, but Haverford answered back in the bottom half of that frame. Ashley Sisto and Emma Souter both walked to start the Fords' half of the third. Julia Blake looked to have a perfectly placed bunt down to move both runners into scoring position, but ended up doing way more than that as an errant throw traveled into left field to make the score 3-1.
Back-to-back walks also got Haverford going during the fourth inning. Swisher and Sisto worked those free passes with two outs before Souter singled down the line in left to score Swisher for the second time, setting the score at 4-1. After stranding runners during the fourth through sixth innings, Levis pitched a perfect seventh to secure the victory with three outs on the infield.
In game two, Haverford completely flipped the script on what appeared to be the story line as Washington College starter Taylor Harcum pitched a perfect game into the sixth until Alex Craig reached on a strikeout passed ball with two outs in the inning. An error on the infield and another walk loaded the bases before Harcum ultimately carried her no-hitter into the seventh.
The Shorewomen had just extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh before Haverford completely turned the tables. A single on the infield from Koshinski broke up the no-hitter while Sisto worked a walk to bring the potential game-tying run to the plate. After the first out of the inning, Rachel Wolfson laid down a perfectly placed bunt to load the bases while an errant throw on that same play allowed the first run to score and moved the other two runners into scoring position.
Johanna Batterton delivered the hardest hit ball of the inning with a single back through the middle to tie the game. Batterton moved up to second on the throw home to try and get the game-tying run at the plate. After a strikeout put two away, Swisher worked a walk in the process of Batterton moving to third on a wild pitch. Sisto then put another perfectly placed ball out to second base that fell right between the shortstop and second baseman as Batterton scampered home with the game-winning run.
Batterton scored the game-winning run and was the winning pitcher as she allowed just one run during her 4.2 innings of relief. Batterton allowed just three hits during her time in the circle. She came on in relief of Briana Quinn who got the start in game two and allowed just one earned run during her 2.1 innings of work.
The busy weekend continues for softball with a doubleheader tomorrow at Dickinson that gets underway at 1 p.m. Haverford will be back at home this coming Tuesday for its make-up date with Swarthmore. That doubleheader on the Class of '95 Field will get started at 3 p.m.