HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford College Softball (6-7) exploded for an eight-run sixth inning to defeat Arcadia (6-10), 8-0, in game one, before falling to the Knights, 9-2, in game two of a non-conference doubleheader on a chilly Thursday afternoon at Class of '95 Field.
Haverford 8, Arcadia 0 (six innings)
Haverford Pitcher Rachel McQueen was lights out in the pitcher's circle in game number one against Arcadia, as the junior tossed six scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, one walk, and fanning seven batters in the shutout victory.
Mia Kessinger led the offensive charge for the Fords, as she had two hits and 3 RBIs including a three-run homer in the convincing win over the Knights.
The first five-and-a-half frames were a pitchers' duel between McQueen and Paige Nolan, as both hurlers were retiring hitters with ease.
After McQueen shut Arcadia down yet again in the top of the sixth, the Scarlet and Black bats began to wake up in the bottom half of the inning. The Fords began the inning with just one out and two runners in scoring position, as Maddie Etheridge was camped out at third base following a hit by pitch and stolen base. She scooted over to third after a single from Addie Sapirstein, who reached second base on the throw from the outfield. After a flyout from Sarah Fan, Kessinger stepped up to the plate with the Fords threatening to score. Kessinger smashed a ball way over the left field wall, as the three-run bomb gave Haverford their first lead of the contest, 3-0.
The Fords kept the rally going following the home run as Lauren Martin, Kyra Van Denburgh, and Jocelyn Leal loaded up the bases after three consecutive singles. Abby Litchfield knocked in Martin on a bases-loaded fielding error to make it 4-0, until a Grace Stowe two-run double opened up the floodgates, as the Scarlet and Black took a commanding 6-0 lead.
Etheridge, doing her best to continue the rally, launched another two-run double down the left field line to plate Stowe and Litchfield, to seal the walk off via the run-rule, 8-0.
Arcadia 9, Haverford 2
Lauren Martin and Abby Litchfield were the offensive catalysts in game two, as both players added one hit and one RBI each in a seven-hit, two-run game for the Fords.
After Haverford took a 1-0 lead on Martin's RBI-double, the Knights countered with a three-run second inning to take a 3-1 lead. After tying the game at 1-1, a Maddie Costigan two-run single gave Arcadia their first lead of the afternoon.
Both teams remained quiet for innings three and four, until the Knights tagged Kaleigh Bodak for two more runs in the fifth inning, with Megan Klose delivering a two-run homer, to make it 5-1 in favor of the visitors.
A Grace Caldwell two-run double in the top of the sixth inning chased Bodak out of the ballgame, as Alexa Finkele entered the pitcher's circle facing a 7-1 deficit.
Finkele was able to escape the sixth inning jam, and a Litchfield RBI double in the bottom half of the inning trimmed the Arcadia lead down to 7-2. The Knights' bats kept staying warm, as two more runs were scored in the final frame, as the Scarlet and Black trailed 9-2 heading into their final chance in the bottom of the seventh.
In the end, the Haverford bats couldn't get hot in the blustery cold conditions of Class of '95 field, as Arcadia took game two 9-2.
The Fords will look to get back to their winning ways tomorrow, as Haverford will welcome #13 Rowan to Class of '95 Field on Friday, March 22, with the first pitch of game one slated for 3 p.m. The ball games which were originally scheduled for Saturday, March 23, were moved up a day earlier because of weather conditions.