HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College softball team (15-15, 3-7 CC) was swept by visiting Swarthmore (24-8, 11-1 CC) in a doubleheader at Class of '95 Field on Tuesday afternoon, falling 5-1 in the opener before the Garnet prevailed 15-7 in six innings in a wild Game 2 that was briefy halted by rain.
The games served as Haverford's annual Play with Pride Day, celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Haverford Athletics and the broader college community.
Game 1: Swarthmore 5, Haverford 1
A late offensive burst led Swarthmore past Haverford, 5-1, in the opener. The Garnet used a three-run homer from third baseman Catherine Heflin in the sixth inning to pull away, while starter Lilly Goldberg went the distance to earn her 12th win of the season.
The Fords were trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth but got on the board with a sacrifice fly from Mia Kessinger, scoring Jocelyn Leal. Haverford had cut the lead in half before Heflin's blast over the left-field fence—helped by gusty winds—gave Swarthmore a comfortable cushion.
Goldberg (12-3) scattered five hits and struck out eight over seven innings, allowing just one earned run. She worked out of early trouble in the first and third innings, stranding runners in scoring position both times.
Lauren Martin led the Haverford offense with a pair of hits, including a double in the fourth. Kyra van Denburgh added a double of her own in the sixth, setting up the Fords' run.
In the circle, Lauren Lamme (7-3) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on six hits over 4.2 innings. Rachel McQueen gave up the three-run homer in the sixth but recorded three ground-ball outs to end the threat.
The Fords left six runners on base and were held hitless in the final frame by Goldberg, who closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Game 2: Swarthmore 15, Haverford 7 (6 innings)
In the second contest, Haverford struck first, plating two in the bottom of the first inning. Addie Sapirstein walked to lead off, and back-to-back doubles from Leal and Kamahaʻo Bode brought home a pair of runs.
Swarthmore tagged starter Lamme and reliever Clarissa Smith for eight runs in a second-inning rally, but Haverford responded in the bottom half. Martin roped another double to begin the inning, and after a Sarah Fan bunt single, Abby Litchfield delivered an RBI groundout. With two outs, Maddie Etheridge singled to right-center to trim the lead to 8-4.
Swarthmore added an insurance run in the fourth, but the Fords answered in the bottom of the fifth. Leal walked ahead of a Bode single into left field. With one out, Kessinger unleashed a three-run homer—her third of the season—cutting the lead to just two and energizing the Haverford dugout.
The Garnet responded immediately with a six-run sixth inning, highlighted by back-to-back doubles from Jordan Jackson and Olivia McClammy, extending the lead to 15-7 and triggering the run rule.
Lia Fong pitched the final four innings to earn the win after starting the game at shortstop. She allowed two hits and three earned runs while striking out two. Kaleigh Bodak pitched the bulk of the contest for the Fords, surrendering just one earned run.
Bode had a team-high two hits in Game 2. Swarthmore was led by McClammy with two hits and four RBI, while Kate Borza notched three hits, including two doubles. Five different Garnet players recorded multiple RBI in the contest.
Haverford now faces another tough Centennial Conference test on the road, traveling to No. 14 Gettysburg for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
