BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Haverford College softball team (5-13) fell short in a pair of non-conference games away at Moravian (14-2), a team receiving votes in the NFCA National Coaches Poll, on Saturday afternoon. The visitors won a close game one by a 3-2 final score before taking game two in a run-rule shortened five innings, 8-0. Abby Marquis played well in game one, providing two hits and registering two RBIs. Kaila Uyeda recorded two of Haverford's four hits in game two.
Haverford scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning to take an early lead from the Greyhounds. Marquis' single to right field was able to bring Carly Parsons home. Parsons was on base due to a single down the right-field line earlier in the frame. The rally ended prematurely, however, as Mia Kessinger was left on base after Madison Hujber grounded to third base to end the inning.
The second inning proved to be the difference in the game. Moravian scored all three runs in the inning, with Lindsey Gawrys earning two RBIs from a single up the middle. Aside from that second inning blemish, Maya Casey had a solid day in the circle. She finished the game with six innings pitched, three strikeouts, and two earned runs to her ledger.
The Fords battled for the remainder of the game, and their chance to retake the lead came in the sixth inning. Parsons started the inning with a single up the middle and was able to steal second base. With a runner in scoring position, Kessinger stepped up but could only fly out to center field for Haverford's first out. Marquis later put a charge into an RBI double to right-center field to score Parsons as the Fords still sat on one out in the inning. Nikki Kingsland then reached on an infield single, outrunning the throw attempt to first base.
Abby Olivier, who was pinch-running for Marquis, advanced to third base and was in prime position to be the game-tying run. However, Hujber grounded out, and Tessa Pearlstein popped up for the final two outs to end the inning and the game as Haverford couldn't score in the seventh inning.
Game two was all Moravian in the second half of the contest. Haverford's Alexa Finkele pitched well in her outing, logging 4.2 innings pitched with two strikeouts, but it started to unravel for the Fords in the third inning. Moravian scored two runs in the third, one in the fourth, and five runs in the fifth inning. Kaila Uyeda and Maddie Etheridge provided extra-base hits in the loss, the bright spot in game two for the Fords. Haverford finished the game with four hits and left five runners on base.
Haverford now returns home on Tuesday, April 5, when they will go up against Ursinus in a doubleheader to begin Centennial Conference play. The first pitch of action on Class of '95 Field is slated for 3 p.m.