WESTMINSTER, Md. – It was a great day to be a hitter at Preston Field on Saturday as Haverford and McDaniel combined for 60 runs and 55 hits in just 14 innings of play on the McDaniel campus. Ultimately, Haverford emerged victorious in both ends of the conference opening doubleheader, taking an 18-14 win in game one before returning in the nightcap for a 14-12 win in a contest that was called due to darkness after the completion on five innings.
Will Karp, Michael Schwarze, Ethan Lee-Tyson, Sam Partee and Matt Goss each hit safely in half or more of their at bats. Schwarze tallied eight RBIs on the day, including three doubles and a home run. Karp went 6-7 with two walks and two stolen bases while Lee-Tyson and Partee each tallied a home run. On the day, Haverford pounded out 16 extra base hits for 56 total bases. Nine different Fords tallied a hit and 10 different Fords scored a run on the afternoon.
Haverford is now 9-11 on the season and 2-0 in Centennial Conference action. McDaniel is now 6-6 and 0-2 in the Centennial.
In game one, McDaniel struck first with seven runs in the second inning, chasing Haverford starter Ryan Giovenco from the contest. The Fords grabbed a run back in the third inning with a Lee-Tyson double and scored sixth in the fifth inning as Schwarze punched a single through the left side to plate a pair and Owen Plambeck, Partee and Ben Furlong all roped RBI doubles to tie the score at 7-7.
McDaniel grabbed the lead back at 8-7 in the fifth, but Schwarze went back to work at the plate, delivering a home run in the sixth to restore a one-run Haverford lead at 9-8. The seesaw battle continued as Kasey Nelson doubled in a run for the Green Terror in the bottom of the frame.
Karp singled to score a run in the top of the seventh, and yet again, McDaniel had an answer in the bottom of the inning, scoring on an error to tie things at 10-10. First year Ben Somorjai drilled an RBI double into the gap in the eighth for a 12-10 Haverford lead, but McDaniel came right back with a two spot in the bottom of the frame to tie things up.
The Fords appeared to break things wide open in the top of the ninth, with Schwarze delivering yet another clutch hit, this time a double to right, keying a rally that also saw RBIs from Sohmer, Partee and Somorjai as Haverford went ahead 18-12.
In the bottom of the inning, McDaniel made things extremely interesting, scoring four runs charged to the ledger of Brandon Jenkins. The Fords turned to first year hurler Thomas Primosch, who got the final two outs of the contest to nail down a save in the 18-16 contest.
In game two, the bats picked up where they left off in game one. A bases loaded walk in the first inning was a prelude to a two-RBI single from Matt Goss as the Fords plated three in the opening frame. Haverford added two more as Schwarze again continued his monster day at the plate with a double into the gap to plate a pair.
With the Fords up 5-0, McDaniel rallied for eight runs against Dylan Livingston in the bottom of the second inning. Only three of the runs were earned as McDaniel benefitted from some Haverford fielding mistakes to take an 8-5 lead. The Fords turned up the power in the third inning, with Partee launching a solo shot before Ethan Lee-Tyson sent a thunderous jolt to score three for a 9-8 Haverford lead.
In the bottom of the frame, McDaniel answered with a pair of RBI singles, taking a 10-9 lead. As was the theme all afternoon long, Haverford had an answer in the top of the fourth. Ben Furlong tripled to key a three-run fourth as Haverford regained a 12-10 advantage.
The Fords would not lose the lead for the remainder of the contest. McDaniel scored on an RBI groundout in the fourth, cutting the lead to just one, but Owen Plambeck doubled into the gap in the fifth, plating a pair for a 14-11 lead. Tom Phillips allowed a run in the fifth, but was credited with the win after pitching the final three innings of the contest as the teams battled each other as much as the impending sunset.
Haverford will next return to action on Tuesday, April 3 against Ursinus in Collegeville, Pa. as Centennial Conference play continues against a conference playoff foe from a season ago. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.