FORT MYERS, Fla. – Haverford College's baseball team improved its start to the 2013 season with a doubleheader sweep of Skidmore College on Sunday, downing the Thoroughbreds 7-1 in Game 1 then following with a 12-2 victory in the nightcap.
The Fords' 3-0 start to the season has come against a pair of teams, Rowan University in the season opener and Skidmore, that participated in the 2012 NCAA tournament, as did the Centennial Conference-champion Fords. Sunday's sweep by Haverford pushed Skidmore to 0-3 this spring.
Tommy Bergjans (2-0) started the opener (box score) Sunday in Florida, the first of nine games Haverford will play over the spring break, and was on top of his game holding the Thoroughbreds to three hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. His 12 strikeouts in the game brings his season total to 19.
Nick Miranda, Matt Liscovitz, George Hatamiya and William Bannard registered multi-hit games for the Fords with each also scoring a run. Miranda collected three RBIs in the game while Hatamiya, Bannard and Nick Ott added one RBI apiece.
Game 2 was a low-scoring outing with the teams tied at 2-2 entering the sixth inning. Haverford broke the tie with six runs in the sixth then pounded out four more in the seventh for the game's final margin of victory.
Luke Frankiw scored the go-ahead run in the sixth after pinch-running for Justin Coulter who had singled. The runs poured across the plate after Frankiw broke the tie making it easier on the pitching staff that saw starter Jonny Black leave the game after allowing no runs on three hits in only 1.2 innings.
Max Gerard (1-0) took over for Black and earned the win, surrendering two runs on four hits and three walks while fanning five over 4.1 innings of relief work. Clay Bloszies came on to pitch the final inning and allowed only a pair of walks before finishing up the win for the Fords.
Miranda, Hatamiya and Bannard registered multiple hits again and Coulter added two hits before leaving the game in the sixth. Bannard's three RBIs helped lead the attack with Miranda and Hatamiya adding two RBIs each.
Miranda and Hatamiya each finished the day with four hits in seven at-bats. Miranda totaled five RBIs on the day while Bannard collected four RBIs. Of Bannard's four hits, two were triples.
Haverford's spring trip continues Monday afternoon with a doubleheader against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford which will be opening its season against the Fords.