HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team recorded its first sweep of a Centennial Conference opponent with two victories against Ursinus on the Class of '95 Field Tuesday afternoon. Following Tuesday's results, the Fords (16-16, 7-5 CC) move into a tie for third place in the conference standings and are just two games out of first place with two more weekends left on the conference slate.
Strong pitching highlighted both games as Kendall Chambers allowed just one run in her complete game effort that resulted in a 2-1 win for the Fords. Sara Tauriello continued to stifle the Bears' (10-16, 4-8 CC) bats as she allowed just an unearned run through her six innings of work before Emily Winesett closed the door on a 6-1 victory. Tauriello's win was the 39th of her career, tying her with Becky Garibotto '09 for the most in program history.
The opening game saw strong performances in the circle from both starting pitchers. Ursinus scored its only run of the first game on a two-out single during the top of the second. Haverford answered that early run in the bottom of the third inning when Alex Craig and Rachel Wolfson singled with one out. Craig advanced to third on a wild pitch with two outs and came home after a throw from the catcher trying to get her at third went wide of the base.
Haverford also capitalized on the Ursinus defense to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Kaitlyn Guild beat out an infield single in the hole at short to start the inning, while a single from Kristin Tatum put two runners on with one out. A ground ball to short forced out Guild, but the Bears committed two throwing errors on that same play attempting to complete a double play. Those errors allowed Tatum to score all the way from first base.
Chambers finished her gem in the circle by setting down Ursinus in order during the seventh inning on three straight ground ball outs. She put Ursinus away in order on three separate occasions during the complete game effort. The junior allowed just six hits and one walk, while striking out eight, en route to her fifth win of the season.
The Fords jumped right on the offense in game two as they scored in each of the first four innings to pace the victory. In the first inning, a double from Wolfson and walk from Guild set the table for Tatum. Tatum stepped in and delivered her seventh home run of the season to give her side a 3-0 advantage.
Haverford added another run in the second, third, and fourth innings. An RBI single from Julia Blake scored Craig in the second inning. Craig did the damage at the plate in the third inning with an RBI single to score Katie Cook's first career run. Cook came in to run for Chambers after she singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jessica Koshinski capped the Fords' scoring in the fourth with an RBI single to score Blake.
The six runs proved more than enough from Tauriello who was in control seemingly the entire game. After allowing a leadoff walk in the top of the first, the Fords' left-hander set down the next 12 batters she faced. An error to start the fifth inning broke that stretch, but Tauriello got the next two batters to strike out. However, that error loomed large as a two-out RBI double put Ursinus on the scoreboard and broke the no-hit bid.
Tauriello finished the game with just two hits and just the one unearned run allowed. She walked one, but struck out nine batters en route to her fourth win of the year which tied the program's career record. Winesett came on to get the final three outs. She would do so in order after a single and walk from the Bears started the seventh inning.
Softball will be back at home this Thursday for a doubleheader against Alvernia that will get underway at 3 p.m. Thursday's games will be the final non-conference action of the regular season.