HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team fell to visiting Eastern University in non-conference doubleheader action Thursday afternoon dropping the opener, 6-2, in extra innings before falling 3-1 in Game 2.
The Fords (8-2) picked up four hits and two base on balls from Laura Iwynyk but Eastern (8-2) was able to quiet many of the other Haverford bats in the sweep.
After the Eagles added their second run of the game in the sixth inning of Game 1, Haverford was able to answer with a pair to knot things up.
Consecutive singles from Iwanyk and Laina Gagliardi opened the inning followed by a walk to Gabrielle Sapienza that loaded the bases.
Lauren Gill singled up the middle to score Ashley Vanderbeck, who had come in to run for Iwanyk, then Jordan Nieusma worked Eastern hurler Maggie McGowan for a walk, and RBI, which pushed Gagliardi across the plate with the tying run.
After a scoreless seventh, Eastern was able to break the deadlock with four runs, three earned, against relief pitcher Brittany Stevenson who took the loss for Haverford. McGowan threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth to secure the complete-game victory for the Eagles.
Claire Fitzgerald opened Game 2 in the pitcher's circle for the Fords and gave up an unearned run in the top of the first and an earned run in the second allowing Eastern to grab an early 2-0 lead.
Fitzgerald settled into a rhythm over the next three scoreless innings setting down nine of the 11 batters she faced, including a four-pitch fourth inning.
Eastern managed a third run scoring once in the sixth off Maggie Cronin, who came on to pitch at the start of the inning, but Cronin held the visitors scoreless in the top of the seventh giving the Fords one last chance in the bottom half of the inning.
Gagliardi got on base with an error and dashed to second on another error to lead off the frame. A Charlotte Bax bunt moved Gagliardi to third where she was able to come in to score on a Gill grounder to shortstop.
Eastern starter Janelle Fair ended the Haverford threat with a strikeout to earn the win while Fitzgerald was credited with the loss.
The Fords open Centennial Conference play with their next outing, a Sunday doubleheader at Gettysburg College beginning at 1 p.m.