HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team is set to host the 2019 Centennial Conference Tournament this week as the Fords finished first in the regular season standings with a conference record of 13-3 this spring. Haverford's overall record of 26-10 is already tied for the third most victories in a single season in program history prior to the start of the postseason.
The Fords won their first Centennial Conference Championship on their home field in 2006 during the program's first-ever playoff appearance. Since then Haverford has captured the conference crown in 2014 and 2016. Those three championships trail only McDaniel and Muhlenberg for the most in conference history as those two schools have each won four championships. The Fords will be making their ninth playoff appearance all-time in this year's championship.
In addition to the Fords, No. 2 seed Dickinson (21-15, 12-4 CC), No. 3 Ursinus (20-17-1, 10-6 CC), and No. 4 Swarthmore (21-13, 9-7 CC) have also qualified for the Centennial Conference Tournament. The Fords will open up the conference tournament this Tuesday against Swarthmore at 4 p.m. while the Red Devils and Bears will meet that same day in Carlisle. A complete schedule for the conference tournament is available through the Centennial Conference's Championship Central page. Haverford went 4-2 against these playoff teams during the regular season with a sweep of the Garnet along with game one victories against both Dickinson and Ursinus.
Haverford brings the most prolific offense into the tournament as the Fords scored 97 runs during the conference schedule to lead all of their peers. Haverford has six regulars in the lineup who are batting at least .300 while two others are hitting just under that mark for the year. Haverford batted a conference-best .316 during the regular season with a .438 slugging percentage. Seniors Julia Blake and Rachel Wolfson were both first-years on the 2016 championship team that came within a single game of the Women's College World Series. Blake is batting .361 on the year and ranks second in the conference in both runs scored (34) and on-base percentage (.457), while she is third in hits (43), doubles (12), home runs (5), and slugging percentage (.605). Wolfson is batting .321 on the year and was even better in conference play with a .333 average.
In the middle of the order, Emma Souter is leading the conference in hits (47), doubles (16), and sacrifice flies (5). She is batting .402 on the season but hit an even more impressive .463 against Centennial Conference competition. Souter is also slugging .722 against conference foes and getting on base at a .467 pace during those contests. Nicole Swisher batted .393 in conference play and reached base at a .452 pace while adding three triples. Marybeth Stone has certainly been the beneficiary of all of these runners on base as she led the league with 16 runs driven in during conference play and is hitting .344 on the year. Ashley Sisto is just under the .300 mark for the season but hit .354 in conference play. Emily Reinstadtler has also been a regular in the lineup and is hitting .299 during her rookie season.
Phoebe May has started every game at catcher for the Fords and has caught four runners trying to steal this season. Michelle Kaplan has also started 12 games as another option in the outfield as she holds a .381 on-base percentage. Allison Mackenzie and Genevieve Dallmeyer-Drennen both appeared in 18 games as each have spent some time in the starting lineup.
In the circle, Temma Levis headlines a Haverford pitching staff that posted 2.09 ERA throughout the year. Levis led the Centennial Conference with a program record 16 wins against just two losses. She was a perfect 10-0 in conference games while also saving another CC win. Levis pitched a no-hitter against the University of New England and recorded shutouts against Dickinson and Gettysburg during the regular season. Additionally, she is batting .345 for the Fords at the plate and has driven in 21 runs. Briana Quinn is second on the team in wins with a 7-3 record in 52 innings. Johanna Batterton (1.72 ERA) and Reinstadtler (2.10 ERA) join Maya Casey in providing the Fords numerous options in the circle as opponents are batting just .237 against Haverford's pitchers.
The winner of this week's Centennial Conference Tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. All games throughout the Centennial Tournament will have live video and live stats available through the Centennial Conference Digital Network.
Centennial Conference Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, April 30
Game 1: Swarthmore at Haverford (4 p.m.)
Game 2: Ursinus at Dickinson (4 p.m.)
Friday, April 3
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (2 p.m.)
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (4 p.m.)
Saturday, April 4
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser (11 a.m.)
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner (1 p.m.)
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (3 p.m.) – If necessary