READING, Pa. – A 14-hit attack behind the starting pitching of Bryn Henrick combined to lead Haverford College to a 10-2 non-conference win Tuesday afternoon over host Alvernia University.
The road victory against the Crusaders (24-10-1) was the final non-conference game for Haverford (19-17) which closes out its regular season Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, Md., with a Centennial Conference doubleheader against Johns Hopkins University.
The Fords struck quickly Tuesday nabbing the lead in the top of the first when Nick Miranda stole home on a double-steal as Alex Hudak swiped second base. The Crusaders evened the score in the bottom of the frame but Miranda was able to generate more run support for Henrick in the top of the second.
With two outs and two on, Miranda laced a two-RBI triple into the gap in right-center field scoring Chance Griffiths and Clay Bloszies. An error by the Alvernia second baseman allowed Miranda to complete his route and score on the play.
A 4-1 lead stretched to 8-1 as Haverford added runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Bobby Hubley's ninth-inning double to center field plated two more Fords to close out the Haverford scoring.
Henrick (2-5) threw four solid innings for Haverford, allowing just one run on five hits and three walks while striking out three Crusaders. A trio of relievers, Brett Cohen, Max Gerard and Kevin Goff combined to scatter three hits over the final five innings, surrendering one run while fanning three.
Alvernia's Mike Weinhold (1-4) took the loss giving up five runs, one unearned, off six hits and four walks over four innings on the mound.
Miranda finished with a 3-for-4 day scoring twice, stealing two bases and driving home three runs. Hudak was a perfect 4-for-4 and added a run, RBI and stolen base. Hubley added a fifth-inning RBI to go along with his two from the ninth inning. Griffiths, getting his fourth start of the season, scored once and collected two hits in the victory.
The race for the four spots in the Centennial postseason tournament will go down to the wire with the Fords currently sitting in second place within the league standings, trailing only Johns Hopkins (12-2 CC). A split of Saturday's twinbill should lock the Fords into the playoffs but results over the upcoming weekend from the five teams in a logjam behind Haverford -- Washington College (9-7, two games remaining), Gettysburg College (9-7, two remaining), Dickinson College (9-7, two remaining), McDaniel College (7-7, four remaining) and Swarthmore College (7-9, two remaining) -- would determine the Fords' seed number in the tournament.