HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College softball team (7-14, 1-3 CC) dropped a doubleheader to Gettysburg (15-6, 3-1 CC) on Senior Day and Faculty Appreciation Day at Class of '95 Field Saturday afternoon, as Gettysburg edged the Fords 2-1 in the first game before the Bullets took a 10-2 win in five innings in game number two. Prior to first pitch, Haverford paid tribute to its lone senior, Alexa Finkele, with a pregame ceremony. Once the contest ensued, it was Finkele who impressed in the circle during a pitchers' duel against Paige Forry.
Game 1: Gettysburg 2, Haverford 1
The Bullets seized the opening run in the first frame as Audrey Bergan walked and, following two consecutive fielders' choices, Morgan DeFreitas brought home a run with a double to open the scoring. Despite encountering some trouble, Finkele managed to navigate her way out, while Forry set down Haverford in order in the bottom of the frame.
Both pitchers encountered some traffic in the second inning, with Abby Litchfield and Addie Sapirstein singling for the Fords. However, Forry managed to induce Van Denburgh to ground out of the final out of the frame. Following scoreless innings for each squad in the third, Finkele delivered her second consecutive perfect inning in the top of the fourth.
Haverford resumed its offensive efforts, capitalizing on a throwing error and a sacrifice bunt by Jocelyn Leal to advance pinch runner Abby Olivier to third base. Litchfield was hit by a pitch, and Sapirstein delivered an RBI grounder to plate the tying run.
Finkele continued her impressive performance with another stellar inning in the fifth, while Forry worked around a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning. Gettysburg threatened with a two-out double from Carlie Goldstein in the sixth, and Kessinger singled in the bottom of the frame, but neither side was able to push across a run until Giovanna Komst launched a homer past the left-center field fence to leadoff the seventh inning.
Finkele limited the damage, getting three quick outs, giving Haverford one last chance in the bottom of the inning. Van Denburgh added a one-out single, and Tessa Pearlstein delivered a sacrifice bunt to put the tying run at second, but Forry was able to induce a groundout off the bat of Lauren Martin to seal the win for the visitors.
Kyra Van Denburgh had two hits to pace the Fords, while Giovanna Komst had a strong contest for the Bullets with the homer part of a two-hit day, the only Bullets player with a multi-hit contest.
Game 2: Gettysburg 10, Haverford 2 (5)
In game two, Haverford sent Rachel McQueen to the circle for a matchup against Megan Hughes of the Bullets. Each pitcher twirled a scoreless frame in the first inning, but Gettysburg opened up the scoring in the top of the second with a double from Anika Pelekis and a single from Emily Vinal, helping the visitors open up a 3-0 cushion. The Fords pulled a run back in the second, with Leal singling ahead of a one-out single from Maddie Etheridge.
Pelekis poked a two-out RBI single into left center for Gettysburg's fourth run of the contest in the top of the third following a Komst double, but Lauren Martin reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a grounder, and scored on a wild pitch to trim the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the frame.
Gettysburg tacked on three runs on three hits in the fourth, with Goldstein, Allegra DeCandia, and Julia Smith all delivering in RBI opportunities. After Gettysburg drew three consecutive walks to load the bases in the fifth, DeCandia drilled a two-RBI single, and Clare Sottile followed with a single of her own to cap a second consecutive three-run frame.
The Bullets, now with a chance to end things early via the run-rule, was faced with a Haverford rally in the fifth with one out. Pearlstein lashed a double into left center, and Martin reached on an error to advance Pearlstein to third. Needing a run to extend the game, Stowe delivered a groundout to move Martin to third, but Hughes retired Kessinger via a groundout to end the contest.
Hughes went five innings, scattering three hits and one earned run while striking out four to pick up her fourth win of the season. McQueen went three innings for the Fords, while Anna Stowe went the final two frames with four strikeouts.
Komst, DeCandia, and Pelekis each had multi-hit games for the visitors.
The Fords will hope to rebound quickly as they dive right back into action on Tuesday, April 9. Haverford will host Hood Trophy rival Swarthmore in doubleheader action at Class of '95 Field, with games slated for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.