FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Haverford College baseball team kicked off its annual spring break stint at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Sunday with two contrasting seven-inning victories at Terry Park. Haverford (5-1) secured a dramatic 2-1 walk-off win against Skidmore in the first game, only to return in the late afternoon and dominate the Thoroughbreds (2-2) with a commanding 20-6 final score.
Game 1: Haverford 2, Skidmore 1 (7)
The standout performance in the opening game belonged to senior Mike Rabayda, who delivered an outstanding pitching display, setting the tone for the Fords. Rabayda began by striking out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for the team's aggressive start against Skidmore hurler Ameer Hasan. Harry Genth's one-out solo homer in the bottom of the first proved to be the only run for either side until the final frame.
Rabayda continued his dominance by striking out the side again in the second inning. He recorded two more strikeouts in the third and one in the fourth. In the seventh inning, Rabayda faced his first major challenge as Jaden Torrado doubled. With two outs, a tough hop on an Eddie Galvao grounder allowed Torrado to score, tying the game at 1-1. Wyatt Mattison, summoned from the bullpen, secured the eventual victory by striking out Nate Vandersea to send Haverford back to the bats.
Pinch hitter Luke Shane drew a walk to lead off the seventh and then gave way to pinch runner Luke Treese, who promptly stole second. With one out, Jack Wallis delivered an RBI single, bringing Treese home for Haverford's fourth win of the season.
Rabayda's stellar outing included 6.2 innings of three-hit, one-run ball, striking out 11 without allowing an earned run. On the Skidmore side, Hasan pitched a complete game with 6.1 innings, scattering four hits and two runs while striking out four.
Game 2: Haverford 20, Skidmore 6 (7)
The second game showcased Haverford's offensive prowess as they faced off with Skidmore's pitching after the Thoroughbreds pushed across two runs against Colin Lewis in the first inning.
Haverford's lineup delivered success up and down, amassing 18 hits and producing three significant innings in the fourth, fifth, and sixth. Kendrick Curry II kickstarted the offensive surge in the third with a two-RBI double. In the fourth, Wallis and Jonny Flieder contributed with crucial RBI hits, while Rosman and Genth each added RBI hits in the fifth, followed by a two-RBI triple from Luke Treese.
The sixth inning saw the floodgates open, with rookie Sam Schaeffer connecting on a three-run homer and a single in his next at-bat as the Fords batted around. Treese added two more RBIs, and Mauro Decilis found the gap with a double.
Drew Doyle stood out in relief for Haverford, logging three scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit, and striking out six to secure the victory. Skidmore added late runs in the seventh when the game was out of reach.
Haverford returns to action tomorrow in sunny Fort Myers, facing Scranton in a single game at 12 p.m. as the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic continues.