HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team won its home opener 6-1 against Immaculata on Tuesday afternoon, but fell by a 3-2 score in the second half of that doubleheader. Seniors Julia Blake and Rachel Wolfson both homered in the last home openers of their Haverford careers to pace the offense in the game one victory. Visiting Immaculata hit a two-run home run of its own in the top of the fourth inning of game two, providing just enough offense to salvage a split.
Haverford struck quickly in the first game with Blake drawing a leadoff walk and promptly stealing second base. Wolfson followed that up two batters later by blasting the first home run of her season, the seventh of her career, well over the left field fence.
The Mighty Macs got one of those runs back with an unearned run in the third, but the Fords stretched their lead to 4-1 after the bottom half. Nicole Swisher reached on an error to start that inning while Wolfson singled into right field to put two aboard. A ground out moved those runners into scoring position before Emma Souter found the left-centerfield gap for a two-run double. Blake provided Haverford's final offense of the first game as she blasted a two-run home run over the left-centerfield fence. Blake is now tied for seventh in school history with nine career home runs.
Temma Levis picked up the win in the opener as she pitched her fourth complete game of the season, running her record to 5-1 overall. Levis allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eight over her seven innings of work. She retired the first six batters she faced to start the game and put her stamp on the final by retiring the last seven batters for Immaculata in succession. Wolfson was the only Ford with multiple hits in the opening game as both she and Blake finished with two RBI and two runs scored.
With strong outings from both pitchers in game two, Immaculata took the lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run. That blast came just one batter after the leadoff hitter in the inning reached on a dropped third strike. A walk, two wild pitches, and a sacrifice fly provided the Mighty Macs the eventual game-winning run in the fifth as Briana Quinn allowed just four hits and two earned runs during the first complete game of her junior season.
Blake drove in another run during the bottom of third to give the Fords a temporary 1-0 lead early in game two. Trailing 3-1 heading into its final two times at bat, Blake also started Haverford's half of the sixth with a double over the right fielder's head. Two ground outs brought her around to score, including one final RBI from Wolfson. Nevertheless, Haverford left a runner stranded in the sixth after a hard line drive with two outs before three more hard hit balls in the seventh all went as outs with Immaculata holding on for a 3-2 win.
Softball will be back at home this coming Thursday for another Atlantic East Conference foe as Neumann comes to the Class of '95 Field for 3 p.m. doubleheader. The Fords will wrap up this week by heading out on the road to face their third straight opponent from the AEC in Cabrini on Saturday.