KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Haverford College softball team split a pair of 5-1 games Monday afternoon in Florida. The Fords (3-1) took the first game of the day against Marietta by a 5-1 score to start the season with three straight wins. However, that 5-1 outcome was turned against them in the first setback of the season against Beloit.
Temma Levis was outstanding in the circle for the Fords for the second straight day as she went just five innings on Monday, scattering five hits, striking out four, and allowing just one run in the win against Marietta. Just like yesterday's opener, the Fords gave her plenty of run support early.
Playing as the visiting team, Haverford was up 2-0 before Levis took the circle. The formula for the early lead was also very similar as reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Week Julia Blake beat out an infield single and stole second to put herself in scoring position. She came around to score on an RBI single from Nicole Swisher during the next at-bat. Swisher was moved up to third on an infield groundout but scored on a single back through the middle off the bat of Marybeth Stone. Haverford added two more in the second inning with a Levis single and walk to Michelle Kaplan getting that inning started. Swisher's second RBI of the game came on an infield groundout while Rachel Wolfson delivered a two-out RBI single to make the score 4-0.
Marietta scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the third with three singles, the last of which came with two outs before Emily Reinstadtler gunned down the runner from left field trying to stretch that hit into a double to escape further damage. Haverford got that run back as Wolfson tripled to start the seventh and scored on an RBI groundout from Emma Souter. Briana Quinn shut the door on the game during the final two innings. A strong throw from Ashley Sisto nailed a runner trying to score in the sixth before Quinn retired Marietta in order during the seventh.
In game two against Beloit, the Fords were up 1-0 after five innings but a five-run sixth from Beloit proved too much for Haverford to overcome late in the game. Haverford scored its run in the third when Blake singled, advanced to second on wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout, and eventually scored with Wolfson getting in a rundown long enough for Blake to cross the plate first.
Johanna Batterton got the start for Haverford and left in line for the win as she bounced back with five strong innings of six-hit ball before she exiting the game with no runs allowed. However, Beloit came alive in the sixth and scored five runs to take the lead. Quinn came on in relief to shut the inning down and allowed just one hit over the final 1.2 innings during her second relief outing of the day. Nevertheless, the damage had been done. The Fords put two more runners on base in the sixth, but stranded those runners and left a total of eight on base throughout the second game.
Softball will now have Tuesday off before returning to action on Wednesday for six games over the team's final three days in Florida. Wednesday's action will begin with a scheduled 2 p.m. start against Keene State before following that game up with a clash against William Paterson. Both games will once again be played at Fortune Road Field on Wednesday.