Softball Edged by Arcadia in Doubleheader Sweep

Marybeth Stone
Marybeth Stone

GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team dropped both ends of its non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon, falling at Arcadia by 4-3 (8 inn.) and 4-2 scores. In game one, the Fords forced extra innings with three runs in the top of the sixth before the Knights walked off with a win during the opener. The Fords then outhit Arcadia 13-6 in game two but just could not seem to get the timely hit as they left 11 runners on base over seven innings during that setback.

The majority of the offense in the opening game came in back-to-back half innings as the Knights scored three times in the bottom of the fifth. A key two-out error proved costly for the Fords as they trailed 3-0 heading to the top of the sixth. After two quick outs, four straight Haverford singles tied the game. Rachel Wolfson started the rally with a single into right field. A single from Marybeth Stone continued to set the table before more base hits from Emma Souter and Emily Reinstadtler chased home three runs.

With the international tiebreak rule in effect starting in the eighth, Haverford bunted its runner placed on second into scoring position with one out but an infield pop up and line drive to left kept the runner stranded on third. Arcadia used the same strategy in the bottom half of the inning as Haverford starter Temma Levis got a strikeout to keep the runner on third with two outs before a single just got past the infield for the game-winning RBI. Levis finished the game with just one earned run allowed in her 7.2 innings of work. She struck out seven and has now pitched a complete game in six of her nine starts as she lowered her season ERA to 1.31.

Three different Fords finished game two with three hits as Nicole Swisher, Stone, and Souter all accomplished that feat. However, only Souter's trips to the plate were able to bring any runs home. Souter doubled into the right-centerfield gap during the sixth inning to bring home Stone who singled to start the inning before advancing to second on an error.

Souter also had a sacrifice fly in Haverford's last time up to bat, but 10 runners left on base over the final five innings proved too much for the Fords to overcome. That stretch included having the bases loaded with nobody out in the sixth after Souter had already driven in Haverford's first run of the game. However, Arcadia got out of that jam by getting a force out at the plate followed by back-to-back strikeouts from the Knights' starter. Briana Quinn got the start for the Fords and scattered five hits over her 4.2 innings of work. Reinstadtler came on in relief allowed just one more hit the rest of the way while striking out two.

Softball will return home to the Class of '95 Field this Saturday for the start of Centennial Conference play as McDaniel comes to campus for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. This weekend will mark the first of three straight home doubleheaders for the Fords. In other scheduling news, Haverford announced that the previously postponed doubleheader at Rowan has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 18.