HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College Softball team (12-8) welcomed MIT (10-1) to Class Of '95 Field for a rare non-conference matchup, as the Fords fell in a doubleheader to the Engineers. MIT secured a pair of victories on Tuesday, taking 11-3 and 10-3 decisions from the Fords.
MIT 11, Haverford 3
In game one, Haverford fell into a bit of an early hole as MIT displayed power at the top of the lineup. Kennedy Adkison led off the contest with a solo homer to dead center, and the Engineers extended the lead to 4-0 as MacKenzie Bivin launched a three-run shot to put the visitors up 4-0 early.
MIT added another homer in the second, as Haley Samuelsen connected to extend the lead to 5-0. The Fords added a run on Niki Kingsland's RBI grounder in the second, but MIT went back to work to break things open in the fifth, with a double off the bat of Adkison giving the Engineers a commanding 10-1 edge.
The Fords did well to resist the run-rule shortened ending in the bottom of the frame. Kingsland singled and pinch-runner Abby Olivier then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Tessa Pearlstein walked, and Kaila Uyeda laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position. Addie Sapirstein then laced a single into center, plating a pair as Haverford climbed closer, now facing a 10-3 deficit. MIT added another run in the seventh inning to seal the victory, with Adkison collecting her fourth RBI of the contest.
Caroline Langmeyer frustrated the Haverford offense, as she improved to 5-0 on the year with a complete game shutout. Langmeyer scattered six hits, but struck out 10 Fords. Alexa Finkele took the loss for the Fords, striking out three, while Anna Stowe fired two innings of two-hit relief.
With her first inning steal, Addie Sapirstein took over the Haverford single-season record with 19 stolen bases. Sapirstein, the Centennial Conference leader in batting average and hits, collected two and added two RBI at the top of the order. Kingsland also added a pair of hits and an RBI.
MIT 10, Haverford 3
Haverford began game two with all of the offensive momentum after a strong second inning rally. Molly Kaufman and Kingsland walked ahead of Kaila Uyeda's double into the gap that plated a pair. Uyeda came in to score on a wild pitch and suddenly, Haverford had a 3-0 lead, something that proved elusive in the first contest. The Engineers methodically pulled back to a 4-3 lead behind a continued display of power in the third inning. MIT rallied for four runs in the frame. Jordan Sell roped an RBI single before Olivia Scarpaci drilled a homer. Bivin then went back-to-back for MIT as the visitors were now in the lead for the first time in the contest.
A three-run fourth was keyed by RBI singles from Ava Ladd and Jordan Sell before Scarpaci added a sixth inning double into the right field gap and Bivin notched an RBI single. Kara Hines capped the scoring for the visitors with a home run in the seventh.
Haverford was held to just one hit after the second inning, Abby Olivier's pinch hit infield single in the seventh. Deb Torres notched 5.2 innings of one-hit work in the circle, striking out one without surrendering a walk. Rachel McQueen and Susie Piper combined for seven innings in the circle, allowing just two walks on the Haverford side.
Softball's next slated game is for Saturday, April 1 at McDaniel in the Centennial Conference opener. There is a chance the Fords may add a contest on Thursday, March 30, as details will be made available soon.