CHESTERTOWN, Md. – July 4th's fireworks came early in 2012. Haverford College pounded out 40 runs in a doubleheader sweep of host Washington College in Centennial Conference action Saturday afternoon, 'rallying' for a 17-11 win in the opener before really getting the bats going in a 23-9, seven-inning Game 2 victory.
The sweep was more than just an explosive day at the plate for the Fords (15-16, 7-5 CC) as the wins will likely erase from their memories a four-game losing streak which had seen the team slip from a tie atop the conference standings into a sixth-place spot. Washington (23-6, 8-4), on the other hand, had been sailing along with the league's leaders before ending up on the wrong end of Saturday's slugfests.
Of the 16 innings of action Saturday the Fords posted at least two runs in an inning nine times, including five frames in which they registered five or more runs. The Shoremen weren't slouches either, scoring two or more runs in an inning five times.
Haverford trailed Washington by a count of 8-7 after six innings but roared ahead with five runs in the top of the seventh. Washington scored a run in the bottom of the frame then cut into the lead with two more in the eighth, but the Fords pulled away with a five-run ninth to cap off the win.
Game 2 looked like the team's had reversed roles in early action as Washington got its bats rolling early scoring one in the first and four more in the second. A six-run third inning by the Fords erased a Shoremen lead as a two-RBI triple by Jake Chaplin and a two-RBI double by Alex Hudak keyed the big inning.
The Fords didn't let up as they scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings before finishing with a flourish -- a five-run sixth and a seven-run seventh. The umpires called the game on account of darkness after the Fords held Washington scoreless in the bottom of the seventh.
There were pitchers on the day, but only one of the starters factored into any of the decisions. Reliever Mike Bozzi (2-0) ended up getting the win in both the first and second games for Haverford after throwing a total of four innings without allowing a hit. He walked only one batter and struck out four over the two games.
Washington's Game 1 starter, Brian Lewis (3-1) took the loss in the opener, and reliever Matt Christopher (2-1) took the Game 2 loss.
Five Haverford starters finished their day at the plate batting at least .400 on the day led by Jeremy Zoll's 4-for-5 (.800) outing. Zoll walked six times, stole one base, tallied six runs and three of his hits were doubles and he collected four RBIs.
Hudak was 6-for-9 (.667) with three doubles, a triple, a stolen base, four runs and eight RBIs, and William Bannard went 3-for-6 with three walks, a double three runs scored and two RBIs. Casey Fox hit the lone home run of the day for the Fords, opening the Haverford scoring in Game 2 with a solo shot in the top of the second.
Haverford opens its upcoming five-game week with a conference outing at home on Kannerstein Field against Franklin & Marshall College on Tuesday, April 17.