FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Haverford College baseball team registered its second consecutive victory at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Thursday, taking a nine-inning triumph from Bluffton (Ohio) by a final score of 13-4. The Fords improved to 3-4 overall on the young season with an emphatic nine-run win at Tery Park.
The top story of the day was the performance from first-year Drew Doyle on the mound. Doyle put forth a standout effort, logging 7.2 innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five Bluffton batters. Doyle held the Beavers completely in check for his first seven frames, as he was perfect through the fourth inning before a leadoff single from Justin Maurer to lead off the Bluffton fifth.
Haverford plated two runs in the first inning and another in the third, as Harry Genth got on base via a single and advanced to third on an error. An RBI groundout from Daniel Rosman brought Genth home, and after Jonny Flieder singled and advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch, Jack Wallis continued a torrid start to the campaign with another RBI single, and suddenly Haverford was ahead 2-0 with just two outs on the board.
Early runs set the tone for what would be a methodical day at the plate for Haverford. Genth singled again in the third, and scored on an error after swiping third base. On the day, the sophomore finished 4-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, two walks, and two stolen bases.
Haverford added a run on another Wallis single in the fifth, and eventually expanded the lead to 7-0 as Kyle Beach lifted a sacrifice fly into the gap and Becker doubled into left center in the eighth.
After Bluffton rallied for a four-run frame in their half of the eighth, the contest was suddenly just a three-run game as the Beavers tacked four runs onto the ledger of Doyle before Haverford brought in Josh Fuller, who calmed things down and sealed the victory for the Fords, picking up the save with a solid 1.1 innings of relief work.
The Fords were undaunted by what was suddenly a close contest, as the offense went back to the dish and broke things open further in the top of the ninth, rallying for six runs thanks to a patience approach that delivered four hits and four walks. Flieder, Beach, Zach Landry, Becker, and Genth all tallied RBI in the ninth frame.
Haverford now heads into the penultimate day at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, as the Fords will take on Western Connecticut State (WestConn) for a doubleheader. Action at Terry Park will begin at noon on Friday.