HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team rolled to a pair of run-rule victories on Senior Day against Franklin & Marshall. The Fords (24-10-1, 12-3-1 CC) picked up an 8-0 victory in six innings during the first game before a 13-2 victory in five innings to complete the sweep. Prior to the game, the Fords also honored the achievements of their two seniors: Julia Blake and Rachel Wolfson.
Today's results, coupled with a split from Dickinson against Swarthmore, allowed the Fords to take over first place in the Centennial Conference standings. Haverford will now travel to Gettysburg on Sunday for a 4 p.m. start, as a win in that contest would give the Fords hosting rights throughout the entire Centennial Conference Tournament.
Senior Julia Blake was at the top of the lineup for the Fords and knocked in four runs to pace the Fords' offense in the opener during her 2-for-3 start to the day. Haverford scored in four of its six innings at-bat in the first game, adding three runs during both the second and third frames.
Blake scored the first run of the game as she drew a leadoff walk during the bottom of the first and eventually scored on an RBI groundout from Marybeth Stone after Nicole Swisher doubled to put her in scoring position. Blake's big blast in the game came when she drove in three runs on a bases-clearing double during the second inning.
The Fords made it 7-0 after three innings as fellow senior Rachel Wolfson started that frame with a leadoff single. She stole second before coming around to score on one of F&M's two errors in the inning. Emily Reinstadtler drove in the final run of that frame after Ashley Sisto scored on the Diplomats' second error. Another F&M error helped the Fords start the sixth inning as Johanna Batterton reached first and was bunted into scoring position. Fittingly enough, it was Blake who drove in that walk-off run from second to put the run-rule into effect.
Temma Levis continued to add to her program record with her 15th victory this season as she allowed just three hits over her five innings of work before being lifted in order to start game two. Levis struck out seven and did not walk a batter before Reinstadtler came in and pitched a perfect sixth inning.
During the game two victory, both Blake and Wolfson finished with multi-hit games as nine different Haverford players finished with a hit while that same number also scored a run during the 13-2 triumph. Blake was 3-for-3 in the second game with a run and RBI while Wolfson was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.
Haverford broke things open early in game two with seven runs in the first inning. A home run from Stone was the big blast in the inning as the Fords sent 11 runners to the plate. The Fords were also right back on the offense in the second inning as Sisto's two-run double into center field made it 9-2 before Blake had a two-out RBI knock to make the score 10-2 after just two innings. For good measure, the Fords added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Batterton blasted her 1-2 pitch over the left field fence in what turned out to be the final runs of the 13-2 final.
The Fords' pitchers split the duty of game two as Levis, Batterton, and Briana Quinn each had their turn in the circle. Levis got the start before turning the game over to Batterton. Batterton picked up the win as she pitched the third and fourth innings and allowed just one hit during that time. Quinn wrapped things up for Haverford with a perfect fifth inning.
Even if the Fords do not get the result that they want tomorrow against Gettysburg, Haverford could still host the conference tournament if Swarthmore is able to defeat Ursinus on Sunday. That game will be resumed in the bottom of the fifth inning at Ursinus with a 2 p.m. start. Regardless of Sunday's outcomes, the Fords will be at home on Tuesday, April 30 for their first game of the Centennial Conference Tournament.