CHESTER, Pa. – A pair of doubles from Ashley Vanderbeck and Cassandra Searls helped the Haverford College softball team put up a big inning that led to a, 6-4, win in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader at Widener University. The Pride took the opener by a score of 3-1.
The Fords (14-12) scored five runs in the top of the fifth in their Game 2 victory over Widener (20-10), breaking up a tight, 1-1 game.
After the Pride put up a run in the bottom of the first, Haverford got the equalizer in the third keyed by a leadoff single from Candice Smith and the first of two doubles in the game by Searls.
In the deciding fourth, Vanderbeck's one-out double to the gap in left-center brought home Hilary Bragg and Marina Zambrotta. Three batters later Searls struck again with a double to right that scored Vanderbeck and Beth Davis. Searls scored the final run of the inning on a single by Laura Iwanyk.
Maggie Cronin threw a strong first five innings for the Fords to keep the Pride at bay before giving way to Lauren Gill to start the sixth.
Cronin (4-2) picked up the win surrendering three runs, one unearned, on five hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Gill earned the save giving up a run on a pair of hits and a walk over the final two innings.
Searls went 3-for-4 at the plate in the win, registered a pair of RBI and stole a base.
Widener jumped ahead early in Game 1 pushing three runs across the plate in the bottom of the second off Haverford starter Lisa Karmel. Back-to-back walks followed by a single and then back-to-back errors hurt the Fords in the frame.
They scratched back for a run in the top of the fifth, though. Erin Delaney led off with a double down the left field line then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Following an infield pop-up, Smith laced a single up the middle to bring Delaney in and get Haverford up on the score board.
A threat in the sixth was curtailed by a two-out play at the plate, and then the Fords went down in order in the seventh to close out the Widener win.
Karmel (4-8) took the loss but only allowed three runs, one unearned, off four hits and two walks while fanning five over four innings. Searls took over to start the fifth and held the Pride scoreless in her two innings of work.
Thursday's twin bill split was the seventh of the season for the Fords who have swept two other doubleheaders and been swept just once.
Next up for Haverford is a return to Centennial Conference action with a pair of games at Washington College next Tuesday afternoon in Chestertown, Md. Game 1 is slated for a 3 p.m. start.