HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College baseball team (19-12, 8-6 CC) kept up its historic offensive performance with a doubleheader sweep of Washington College (18-17, 4-10 CC) on Saturday afternoon at Kannerstein Field, prevailing in a pair of seven-inning games over the Shoremen. Haverford took the first game by a 19-9 final before prevailing in the late afternoon contest by a 12-2 final. In total, Haverford banged out 31 runs on 26 hits and seven home runs in the doubleheader sweep.
Senior co-captain Harry Genth capped off a monster week with yet another statement performance against Washington College, launching three home runs in Saturday's doubleheader sweep. Genth went a combined 4-for-6 at the plate with five RBI, eight runs scored, and two stolen bases.
In game one, he went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI, sparking the Fords' offense to put a bow on a 5-0 week that has seen the Fords surge in the Centennial standings. He followed that up with another homer in game two, extending his historic streak to seven straight games with a long ball—a new Centennial Conference record and just one game away from matching the NCAA record.
Genth's explosive week was complemented by the continued emergence of rookie shortstop Jackson Sgro, who continued his torrid breakout season with a huge performance against Washington. In Saturday's twin bill, Sgro went 5-for-7 with a homer, two doubles, and nine RBI, flashing both his bat and glove as the Fords' dynamic middle infield duo helped power the team to back-to-back victories.
Game 1: Haverford 19, Washington College 9 (7 innings)
Haverford's offense erupted early and never let up, hammering out 16 hits, including six home runs, to overwhelm their Centennial Conference foes. After Washington College opened the scoring with back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Haverford responded emphatically. Sgro's three-run blast tied the game, and Jonny Flieder's two-run homer moments later gave Haverford a lead it would not relinquish.
The Fords kept their foot on the gas with three more runs in the second, highlighted by a solo shot from Genth and a two-run homer off the bat of Luke Treese. Sgro punched in two more with a double. By the end of the third inning, Haverford led 11-4 and had forced an early pitching change for the Shoremen.
Genth and Treese starred at the plate, each launching two homers. Genth finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI, while Treese was equally dynamic, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and four runs scored. Sgro added a double and six RBI as part of his three-hit performance. Showcasing the depth of Haverford's lineup, first-year Miles Prusek also laced three hits while Chuck Norton notched a multi-hit game.
On the mound, starter Riley Grohowski (3-2) gutted out six innings, striking out three. Ethan Goldstein closed the door with a scoreless seventh, setting the stage for Haverford to end the game early.
Chase Ruppel was an offensive star for Washington College, as he launched three home runs in a game that featured 10 total blasts.
In the bottom of the seventh, after Treese and Flieder drew back-to-back one-out walks, Miles Prusek's perfectly placed bunt single drove in the 19th run, pushing the Fords' lead to the 10-run threshold required for the run-rule to take effect.
Game 2: Haverford 12, Washington College 2 (7 innings)
The Fords wasted no time establishing their dominance, erupting for three runs in the first inning. Sgro's RBI single drove in the game's first run, and he later scored on a wild pitch. Treese followed with an RBI single. The offensive onslaught continued in the second, with Daniel Rosman's RBI double and Sgro's two-run single putting Haverford ahead 6-0.
In the always-exhilarating Centennial Conference, the Fords knew the game was far from over. Washington College mounted a rally in the third when Zach Stolze connected for a two-run homer, narrowing the gap to 6-2. However, Haverford responded emphatically. Genth blasted a two-run home run in the fourth—his seventh consecutive game with a home run—and the Fords added four more runs in the fifth, with Jack Wallis's three-RBI double down the left-field line that cleared the bases being the key blow.
Sam Cohen was very impressive on the mound for Haverford, pitching a complete game. Cohen allowed just two runs on six hits and struck out five WAC batters, effectively silencing Washington College's bats.
The Shoremen pitching faltered under Haverford's offensive pressure. Conor McCloskey, the starting pitcher, was tagged with the loss, surrendering eight runs on seven hits over four innings. The Shoremen's bullpen couldn't slow Haverford, allowing four more runs to the ledger.
Haverford's offense was powered by several key contributors. Rosman tallied two hits and two RBI, while Jack Wallis drove in three runs with two hits. Genth delivered a crucial home run and two RBI.
The Fords now face another busy week, with five contests on the docket for the final week of the regular season. Up first is a trip to Hood Trophy rival Swarthmore on Tuesday, April 22, with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.
