NAPLES, Fla. – The Haverford College softball team (8-2) closed out the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Naples on Friday, collecting two wins. The Fords rolled past SUNY Potsdam by a score of 13-3 in six innings, before taking down Clark by a score of 8-7. Haverford is off to its best start since the 2014 team began the season 9-1.
Haverford 13, Potsdam 3 (6)
The Fords got back to their winning ways against Potsdam on their final day in Florida. Maddie Etheridge acted as the catalyst for the team's performance, recording seven RBI. With that performance, Etheridge jumped to second on Haverford's all-time list for RBI in a game, trailing only Kristin Tatum's total of eight in 2013.
Susie Pieper started the game for the Fords, registering her third win of the week after pitching four innings. The senior allowed only three runs, all in the second inning, and struck out three on the day.
The first of Etheridge's three hits came in the second inning where she drove in runs with an RBI triple and the Fords certainly needed it. Haverford eventually tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third behind Etheridge's performance, and an Uyeda RBI fielder's choice.
Haverford got hot in the third inning, scoring five runs in the frame. Leal registered an RBI with a single while Etheridge registered another two-RBI single. Carley Parsons followed that duo up with a first-pitch swing, rapping a single to score a run. Addie Sapirstein later singled while facing a 1-2 count to score the inning's final run.
The Fords got production from just about everyone. In the third inning alone, Mia Kessinger, Jocelyn Leal, Nikki Kingsland, and Parsons all scored runs after getting on base. The third ended with Haverford leaving two on base, but the damage was done after registering five hits and five runs.
Rachel McQueen took over pitching duties in the fifth and sixth inning, continuing the dominance over the SUNY Potsdam batters. In the two innings, McQueen allowed no runs, one hit, and struck out two. Her performance gave the Fords the platform to pull away for good as the team scored four runs in the sixth inning.
Kessinger singled to center field to start the sixth and Molly Kaufman followed that up by reaching first on an error. Sarah Fan and Carina Whiting eventually pinch ran for both Kaufman and Kessinger with Leal stepping up to the plate. Leal singled through the right side for an RBI to score Fan.
Already dominating on the day, Etheridge stepped up and made her final impact on the game with an RBI double into the gap to score three runners: Kingsland, Leal, and Whiting.
It was certainly a performance to remember for the Fords as it was their fourth time this week scoring 13 or more runs in a single game. Sapirstein and Kessinger each finished the game with three hits while Leal and Parsons registered two. Parsons also recorded two RBI and added a run scored. Stolen bases from Uyeda, Sapirstein (2), Kingsland (2), and Parsons played a huge role in scoring a bulk of the Haverford runs.
Haverford 8, Clark (Mass.) 7
The game with Clark (Mass.) was a thriller for the traveling fans in the Sunshine State. The Fords ended their Florida trip with a tightly contested matchup with the Cougars. The eventual game-winner came from a run scored by Leal due to a throwing error during Kingsland's at-bat.
The Fords led 2-0 early, recording two runs in the second inning. Kingsland singled to left center field. Etheridge reached first after a fielder's choice that forced Kingsland out at second. Etheridge later stole second, putting her in scoring position. Two runs scored on Parsons' inside-the-park homerun after her big hit to right center field.
Haverford carried that momentum into the later innings. Despite not scoring in the third and fourth inning, they also held the Cougars scoreless through four. This propelled Haverford to tack on two more runs in the fifth with RBI singles from Leal and Litchfield. Whiting and Leal scored on the back-to-back hits from the Fords.
Still keeping their foot on the gas, the Fords scored three runs in the sixth inning. Etheridge, Uyeda, and Fan all registered hits contributing to the production. Fan's single to left field scored two runs as Uyeda and Etheridge scored. Then, Kessinger flew out to right field, but it was good enough for the sacrifice fly as Fan raced home.
The Cougars stormed back in the bottom of the frame, scoring six quick runs to tie the game. Clark finished the inning with five hits only leaving two on base and looked poised to snatch the victory away from the Fords.
However, in clutch fashion, Leal crushed a one-out triple to right field. Kingsland stepped up and hit the ball right toward the Clark shortstop, but the ensuing throw was well off target, allowing Leal to make her way home and giving the Fords an 8-7 lead. With Alexa Finkele in the circle for the final inning, the Cougars had eyes on a walk-off. However, that would not be the case as Finkele forced Clark into a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two batters to earn the win.
With the win, the Fords leave Florida with an 8-2 record, with both losses coming to John Carroll. For the week, the team went on a five-game winning streak and will hop on the plane back to Haverford having scored 94 runs in 10 games.
Haverford will next play on Thursday, March 16 when they travel to Cabrini for a doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. with the second game to follow shortly after.