SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team (20-13, 10-6 CC) clinched its 15th Centennial Conference postseason berth on Friday, completing a season sweep of Hood Trophy rival Swarthmore (18-17, 8-8 CC) with a commanding 11-5 victory at Clothier Baseball Field.
Shortstop Harry Genth was the standout performer, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored and an RBI courtesy of a solo home run. He fell just a triple short of hitting for the cycle and showcased his speed with another four stolen bases, surpassing Louis DeRosa '11 as Haverford's single-season steals leader, ending the day with 36 steals. This mark also places him first in the nation for steals per game entering the weekend.
Contributions weren't limited to Genth alone; Chuck Norton batted 2-for-3, tallying three runs and a pair of RBI, while first-year Sam Schaeffer made a strong return to the lineup, delivering a hit and three RBI. First-year Matt Dahl also had a productive outing with two hits, two RBIs, and a drawn walk.
On the mound, Mike Rabayda secured his seventh win of the season with another impressive performance, pitching 6.2 innings and striking out five while allowing just 11 hits. Drew Doyle closed out the game with 2.1 innings, conceding only two hits and a walk while notching a strikeout.
Genth was hit by a pitch with one out, and stole second and third base to set the stage for a two-out RBI single from Chuck Norton that delivered the first run of the game off of Moy, giving Rabayda an early cushion to work with. Rabayda, the Centennial Conference leader in strikeouts, took the hill for the Fords, setting the tone for the Haverford offense. The Garnet rallied to tie the score as Max Roffwarg doubled and scored on a Matthew Silvestre double.
Genth laced his eighth home run of the season in the top of the third, a solo shot that put Haverford ahead 2-1. The Garnet yet again had an answer, this time with Roffwarg punching a leadoff single into left field before Silvestre singled and advanced to second on the throw to set the stage for Brad Johnston, who reached on a third consecutive single to plate Roffwarg. Silvestre was out at home trying to score from second, as the game stayed tied at 3-3 entering the fourth inning.
Swarthmore briefly took the lead in the fifth, as Roffwarg again reached on an infield single and Silvestre followed with a one-out double. Rabayda bounced back to get Johnston out on a grounder, and Radek then struck out swinging to end the frame.
Genth led off the sixth with a single to right field and immediately stole second. Kendrick Curry II then walked, and Chuck Norton laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that was misplayed by the Swarthmore defense, allowing Genth to score. After Kyle Beach laid down a second consecutive successful sacrifice, Jonny Flieder pulled a single into left field, plating Curry. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Sam Schaeffer then plated an insurance run for the Fords, who were now up 5-3.
The line kept moving as Mauro DeCillis walked, spelling the end of the day for Andrew Moy. Reliever Casey Jordan then allowed a single from Matt Dahl that plated another run, sending the Fords to the bottom of the sixth up 6-3.
Rabayda worked around a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the frame, getting Kaiden Rosenbaum to strike out and Roffwarg to fly out to right field to keep the Garnet bats at bay.
Haverford went back to work in the seventh, with who else but Genth roping a double into center field. Genth was successful in his attempt to steal third, and scurried home on a throwing error by the catcher to put the Fords up by four. Norton and Beach later singled against Ethan Weiss and Michael Lewis, respectively, before a fielder's choice off the bat of Flieder plated an eighth Haverford run. Schaeffer then delivered a single up the middle to plate Flieder and Beach as the Fords broke things wide open up 10-3.
Rabayda began the bottom of the seventh getting Aidan Sullivan on a groundout and Silvestre on a fly out, but a Joe Radek two-run homer ended the day for the Haverford ace. Drew Doyle struck out Jett Shue to end the frame.
After a scoreless frame in the top of the inning, Doyle wiggled out of trouble in the eighth, going head to head with the heavy hitters in the Garnet order. Haverford pushed its 11th run of the contest across in the top of the ninth inning without the benefit of a hit. Norton and Flieder were each hit by a pitch before DeCillis and Dahl each walked with two out.
Doyle got into a spell of trouble in the ninth, with Xavier Taylor singing to begin the frame before Radek lined into a double play. Shue popped up to end the contest, sending Haverford back to the CC playoffs for the 15th time and second season in a row.
Andrew Moy had a solid turn in the rotation for the hosts, with 5.2 innings pitched, allowing five hits and striking out seven. Haverford was able to keep him off guard in the final innings and added five runs off the bullpen.
Roffwarg and Silvestre were the heavy hitters for Swarthmore, each adding three hits.
Haverford now returns home for the regular season finale doubleheader against Gettysburg on Saturday, April 27. First pitch of game one against the Bullets is slated for 12 p.m. on Kannerstein Field.