HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College baseball team defeated visiting Washington College, 16-9, in an offensive slugfest that saw the Fords take the lead for good with a six-run frame in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ethan Lee-Tyson led the way for Haverford, clubbing a home run as part of a 4 for 6 effort with a career-high 5 RBI.
Senior hurler Anthony Rizzo (1-0) picked up the win, the first of his career in relief for the Fords, tossing 3.1 innings of three-hit relief to calm things after the teams combined for 14 runs over the first four innings. Thomas Vollaro added a pair of outfield assists, using his arm to directly keep two runs off the board.
Haverford improves to 13-10-1 (4-3-1 CC) with the win while Washington College is now 11-17 (2-6 CC) on the season. Washington College struck first against Haverford starter Jared Deveau, pushing a run across on a Charlie Meder single in the top of the first inning.
The Fords responded in the bottom of the first, with Sam Partee launching a three-run homer to left field against Billy Benson after Spencer Sohmer walked and Lee-Tyson singled up the middle. Will Karp added an infield single and Harrison Burns came in to score after a throwing error on the Washington College third baseman as the Fords took a 4-1 lead after one full frame.
Luke D'Ostilio punched an RBI single to center field off Deveau in the second inning, cutting the lead to 4-2, but the trail runner, Gavin O'Donnell, was thrown out at home on a fantastic throw from Vollaro, who recorded his fourth outfield assist of the season on the play.
Lee-Tyson homered in the bottom of the second, scoring Vollaro, and Sam Partee reached on an error to score another in the frame as Haverford went ahead 7-2.
After Matt Furlong (0-3) came into the contest on the mound for the Shoremen, the pace of runs slowed down in the third inning before the Shoremen rallied to tie the score in the top of the fourth.
After Deveau walked the bases loaded, D'Ostilio grounded out to first base to score a run. Matt Tancredi reached on a fielding error to score another and Meder tied the score at 7-7 with a three-run home run.
Rizzo surrendered a run in the top of the sixth on an Evan Hirschbaum single, as the Shoremen took a brief lead in the top of the sixth. The Shoremen had a chance to extend the lead to 9-7, as Andrew Barclay singled and looked to pick up an RBI, but Vollaro again came up huge defensively for Haverford. The senior threw a perfect strike from center field to Partee at home plate for his fifth outfield assist of the season while keeping the momentum in the Haverford dugout.
The aforementioned momentum would carry over as before the Fords struck for six runs in the bottom of the inning. Haverford roared back as Will Karp singled to left center ahead of a Nick Perez single to put runners on the corners. Vollaro then reached on a squeeze bunt down the first base line. Karp scored and Perez and Vollaro advanced into scoring position on a throwing error.
Lee-Tyson singled to right field, scoring a pair and Sohmer doubled, picking up another RBI. Karp came up for his second at-bat of the inning, reaching on a perfectly placed bunt hit to plate a run. Perez then walked with the bases loaded as the Fords opened up a 13-8 lead after sending 12 hitters to the plate in the frame.
After, Washington College pushed a run across on a fielder's choice, Ben Furlong continued a torrid run at the plate, adding a homer in the eighth ahead of RBI singles from Lee-Tyson and Vollaro as the Fords took a 16-9 lead that would hold as the final score.
Karp had three hits while Sohmer and Harrison Burns added a pair. John Masella and Daniel Joffe combined to pitch the final 1.2 innings of the contest, walking and striking out a batter each.
Haverford has a quick turnaround, heading to Johns Hopkins for a doubleheader on Saturday. Game one of the doubleheader is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m in Baltimore.