READING, Pa. - The Haverford College baseball team (8-10) swept a doubleheader from Alvernia (6-13-1) on Saturday afternoon, reversing a loss to the Golden Wolves at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Florida. The Fords prevailed by a 6-0 final in a seven-inning game one before taking a 3-1 win in the nine-inning game two.
Haverford looked strong out of the gates in the first game, plating a run in each of the first two innings against Jake Reese (1-1). Consecutive singles from Harry Genth and Zach Buck to begin the contest came ahead of a sacrifice fly from Luke Smith to give the Fords an early lead. The Fords added insurance in the second as Anthony Runfola and Zach Crampton both singled to lead off the inning before Runfola came in to score on a wild pitch.
Zach Landry continued his torrid start to the season, launching a double into the gap in the fifth, and a rally in the sixth inning eventually resulted in a three-run frame as Buck drew a bases-loaded walk ahead of a two-RBI single from Smith. August Williams (2-1) got the ball in the first game, and looked solid in his 4.2 innings of work, striking out four but walking six. Riley Grohowski kept Alvernia completely off guard with his 2.1 innings of relief, not allowing a hit and striking out a pair.
Haverford held the Golden Wolves without an extra base hit as the hosts had just one player, Brandon Smith, with multiple hits in the game.
In the second, a pitcher's duel saw the Fords send Luke Bessette (1-1) to the hill against Jack Cossa (2-2). Each pitcher twirled scoreless frames in the first two innings, but the hosts struck against Bessette in the third as designated hitter Nick Nutile punched through an RBI single.
The Fords tied things up in the fifth as Runfola singled with one out ahead of a double from Kendrick Curry II as the two first years teamed up to knot the contest at 1-1. In the seventh, Landry reached on an error, taking third on the miscue ahead of a single from Runfola and a two-out single from Genth as Haverford went ahead 3-1. Buck and Runfola each had two-hit days to pace Haverford while Nutile was the only Golden Wolf with a two-hit day in the nine-inning nightcap.
Pitching was again the key for Haverford as Bessette scattered just four hits over his six innings of work, striking out six. Josh Fuller was credited with a three-inning save as he got the assignment over the last three, surrendering just one hit and one walk while striking out five of the 13 batters he faced. Fuller tossed 34 pitches in his relief outing.
The Fords now return home to Kannerstein Field, hosting a midweek matinee with Eastern on Wednesday, March 30. The contest is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. before conference play begins with Dickinson on Saturday (April 2, noon).