GLENSIDE, Pa. - There seems to be no slowing down the Haverford College Softball team (12-4). The Fords headed into a doubleheader contest with the Arcadia University Knights (11-5) riding a seven-game winning streak and off to their best start in program history. However, Haverford's win streak came to an early end on Tuesday, after the team was edged out by the Knights 2-1 in game one, before a 16-4 loss in game two of the doubleheader.
On Tuesday morning, Senior Abby Marquis was announced the Centennial Conference Player of the Week but was kept somewhat quiet by her standards on the afternoon. On the day, Marquis finished with two hits and 2 RBI.
Haverford ranks top 15 nationally in a variety of categories but there are three that jump off the page. The Fords rank 12th across Division III in hits with 168. The likes of Addie Sapirstein, Carley Parson, Kaila Uyeda, and Jocelyn Leal lead the charge with Marquis in the uptick of hits in 2023. Sapirstein is the best of the bunch, ranking in the top 20 of Division III in hits with 27 before Tuesday's games.
The Fords are also no strangers to extra-base hits this season, specifically triples. Their ten triples rank fourth in Division III which leads them to their No. 7 ranking in total runs scored. Based on their 139 runs, it's clear that the Fords value getting in scoring position early and often. Arcadia was well aware of Haverford's early season success and made game one a close battle.
Arcadia 2, Haverford 1
All eyes were on the pitchers in this one as there wasn't much happening outside of the pitching circle. Juliana Presto was in the circle for the Knights and pitched a complete game giving up six hits and one run while striking out four.
For Haverford, Rachel McQueen was called on to start and she delivered throughout the contest. McQueen arguably pitched the better game between the two, going 5.2 innings and giving up only three hits. She gave up two runs with only one of those earned while striking out four batters.
The game was knotted at zero for the first four innings as neither team could get anything going in the batters box. However, Haverford had better opportunities to put runs on the board. Through four innings, the Fords left a total of seven runners on base.
The first runs of the game looked to surely come in the fourth inning as Kaufman was hit by a pitch and advanced to third after Tessa Pearlstein doubled down the left-field line. Abby Litchfield stepped up in an attempt to bring Kaufman home but unluckily fouled out for the second out of the inning. Parsons then walked, putting runners on first and third but Kaila Uyeda's ground out to second base brought the inning to a close.
Haverford finally grabbed that well-deserved run in the top of the fifth. Sapirstein singled to left field and then stole second. Mia Kessinger was able to move Sapirstein to third with a single up the middle as Marquis was on deck with no one out. Marquis delivered with a sacrifice fly to score Sapirstein, but two straight outs following the run ended the scoring right there.
McQueen continued to have one of her best outings of the season allowing no hits in three of the first five innings. However, Arcadia took advantage of Haverford slip-ups to snatch the lead in the sixth inning. A few walks and a throwing error allowed the Knights to tie the game at one. McQueen's day came to a close after her third walk of the inning as Alexa Finkele stepped into a bases-loaded situation. Finkele walked the very next batter, bringing in another run for the Knights but the damage ended there. Finkele struck out Arcadia's Devon Fithian before some great defense behind Finkele got the Fords out of the inning.
With one last opportunity to come back in the seventh inning, the Fords looked to Sapirstein as she doubled to left center with only one out. A Kessinger walk moved the game-tying run into scoring position but back-to-back outs from Marquis and Leal left the Fords just short of the comeback opportunity.
Arcadia 16, Haverford 4 (5 innings)
Game two was one to forget for Haverford. The Fords started the game by giving up ten runs in the first inning despite opening the game with two runs of their own. Marquis singled to third base for an RBI, scoring Uyeda. Kessinger also scored due to a throwing error from the Knights.
That would be just about it for the Fords on offense. Arcadia rattled off another six runs in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 16-2. Outside of the first and third, Haverford played some good softball. The Fords scored in three of the five innings but nothing to the capacity of host Arcadia.
A Pearlstein double gave the Fords their third run of the contest and Carina Whiting scored due to an Arcadia throwing error. Uyeda and Kessinger both recorded two hits in the contest while Kessinger, Leal, and Peralstein each recorded a double.
The Fords now continue a busy week at Penn State Brandywine on Thursday (3 p.m. and 5 p.m.) before hosting No. 18 Rowan on Saturday (1 p.m. and 3 p.m.) at Class of '95 Field.