TUCSON, Ariz. – The Haverford College softball team earned its first wins of the season Monday night with a pair of victories in the desert, taking a 7-1 decision over Pitt-Bradford followed by an 11-3 victory against Wheaton (Ill.) College.
Freshman Jen DiCandilo helped the Fords (2-2) at the plate with a 4-for-8 day that included five RBI, her first collegiate home run, and a double. Fellow newcomer Claire Fitzgerald stepped into the pitcher's circle for the first time in her collegiate career and hurled a complete-game win in the victory over Pitt-Bradford.
The Fords jumped on the Panthers early in the day's opener scoring three runs on DiCandilo's homer in the first. Elizabeth Newman and Candice Smith, both of whom had singled, scored on DiCandilo's round-tripper.
Two more runs came across the plate in the second via an RBI single by DiCandilo and a bases-loaded walk to Laina Gagliardi. Haverford's final runs came in the third-inning when a Candice Smith single plated Newman and Beth Davis.
Fitzgerald (1-0) struck out eight and allowed just four hits during her successful collegiate debut.
DiCandilo and Gagliardi were a big part of the offensive outburst in the day's second outing against the Thunder.
Gagliardi picked up a pair of RBI in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out single that scored Newman and Davis. The third inning was almost a repeat of the first as Gagliardi again came through with a two RBI single, this time scoring Davis and Smith. DiCandilo had singled to load the bases ahead of Gagliardi and both players came around to score on an Erin Delaney single.
DiCandilo added another RBI with a double in the sixth.
The heavy run support was helpful but not needed as starter Lisa Karmel and Maggie Cronin teamed up over six innings to keep the Wheaton bats quiet. Karmel (1-1) earned the victory pitching three innings while allowing just two runs. Cronin closed out the Haverford victory surrendering one run over the final three frames.
The Fords get a day off Tuesday then head back to the diamond Wednesday for an early game, 8 a.m. PST, against Division II Rockhurst (Mo.) University followed by a match-up against Waldorf (Iowa) College.