COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - The Haverford College softball team battled host Ursinus College into extra innings in both games of a Centennial Conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. The Bears edged the Fords, 5-4, in an eight-inning affair in game one before the second game was halted in the 10th inning due to darkness with Haverford leading 3-2.
The Fords (18-11, 5-6 CC) and Ursinus (11-16, 6-5) entered the day tied for fourth in the Centennial standings with only a handful of conference contests remaining.
Haverford wasted no time in showing the Bears they were in for a long day as the Fords opened game one with consecutive hits and the contest's first run. Sarah Brody's triple to right scored Elizabeth Newman who was on with a lead-off single through the left side.
Ursinus answered back with three runs in the bottom of the frame as Allison Pfrommer registered an RBI-double.
Newman and Brody helped the Fords' cause again in the fifth with another pair of back-to-back hits. Newman started things off with a one-out double and Brody continued the rally with a single through the left side. Coming to the plate with two outs, Dayle Comerford did not miss out on the opportunity to tie the game. Comerford's only hit of the game was a big one as her single up the middle scored Newman and Brody and knotted the game at 3-3.
A playoff-like feeling hung in the air as the game headed to extra innings. Newman earned a bases-loaded walk to put Haverford ahead, 4-3, in the top of the eighth but the Bears claimed victory in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Zoe Heinke.
Jen DiCandilo, Kristin Tatum, Newman and Brody had two hits apiece in the contest as the Fords tallied 11 hits in the opener.
Surrendering two runs in three-plus innings of work, Emily Winesett (7-7) suffered the loss in the circle for the Fords.
Kelly Schymanski (6-8) went the distance to earn the victory for Ursinus.
Looking for the split, Haverford pushed the hosts into extra innings once more in the second game of the day.
The Fords went ahead 3-2 in the top of the 10th but the game was halted on account of darkness before the Bears had an opportunity to bat. The contest will resume on a date to be determined.
Haverford continues its quest for a spot in the conference tournament on Saturday when it heads to Swarthmore College for a twinbill against the rival Garnet beginning at 1 p.m.