FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Haverford College baseball team (3–6) dropped a pair of contests at the Gene Cusic Classic on Friday afternoon. After suffering a narrow 9–8 defeat to Skidmore (7–1) earlier in the day, the Fords fell to Rockford (8–2) by a score of 12–2 in seven innings.
Skidmore 9, Haverford 8
The Fords were powered offensively by a standout performance from Sam Schaeffer, who went 4-for-4 with one home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a home run. Ryan Field also delivered a strong day at the plate, finishing 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Miles Prusek added two hits and two RBIs, including a key extra-base hit late in the contest. Will Schroen and Luke Treese each contributed two hits as the Scarlet and Black totaled 12 hits in the game.
On the mound, Sam Cohen got the start for Haverford and battled through 4.2 innings, striking out eight batters. Sammy Angel followed with 1.1 innings of relief before Will Singer and Ethan Goldstein combined to cover the final three innings. Goldstein was particularly effective down the stretch, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames while striking out three.
Skidmore wasted little time getting on the board in the top of the first inning, as Mac Cady lined a single up the middle that brought home Jack Collins to give the Thoroughbreds a 1–0 lead.
The Fords answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame with a four-run rally. Ryan Field started the surge with a single to right field that plated both Miles Prusek and Will Schroen, putting the Scarlet and Black in front. Cole Roman then executed a sacrifice bunt that allowed Luke Treese to score, and Sam Schaeffer capped the inning with a single to right-center that brought Field across, giving Haverford a 4–1 advantage.
Skidmore chipped away in the top of the second inning when Holden Caney connected on a solo home run to right field, trimming the deficit to 4–2.
The game tightened again in the top of the fourth. Nate Vandersea delivered a two-run single to right-center field, allowing Jack Riva and Quinn McDonald to score and pulling the Thoroughbreds even at 4–4.
Haverford quickly reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning when Schaeffer stepped to the plate and launched a solo home run to right field, putting the Fords back in front, 5–4.
That advantage proved short-lived, however, as Skidmore mounted a decisive rally in the top of the fifth. Eddie Galvao opened the inning with a solo homer to tie the contest before McDonald doubled into the left-center gap to bring home Landon Schwartzman and give the Thoroughbreds the lead. Moments later, Caney delivered the biggest blow of the afternoon, sending a three-run home run over the left-field fence to stretch Skidmore's advantage to 9–5.
Haverford refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the fifth, Field came through again with an RBI single to right field that scored Treese, trimming the deficit to three runs.
The Fords continued their push in the bottom of the sixth inning. Prusek lined a double into the left-center gap that brought home Luke Shane and Schaeffer, cutting the margin to just one run at 9–8 and setting up a tense finish.
Despite the late momentum, Haverford was unable to push across the tying run over the final three innings, as Skidmore relievers Charles Modlin and Sam Dalsimer combined to hold off the rally and secure the narrow victory.
Rockford 12, Haverford 2 - Seven Innings
Miles Prusek paced the offense for the Fords with a 2-for-3 performance and a run scored. Will Schroen, Luke Treese, Jackson Sgro, Ryan Field, Sam Schaeffer, and Kaden Van Kempen each added a hit for the Scarlet and Black, while Sgro drove in Haverford's lone RBI of the contest as the team finished with eight hits.
Rockford jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Blaise Mace launched a solo home run to right field. Later in the frame, Zach Fabis lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed Qj Mangelsen to score, giving the Regents a 2–0 advantage.
The Regents added to their lead in the bottom of the second inning. Kadin Bergstrom singled down the left-field line to bring home Ryan Stary before Fabis followed with an RBI single to right field that plated Bergstrom, pushing the score to 4–0.
Rockford continued to apply pressure in the bottom of the third. Stary delivered an RBI single down the left-field line to score Zach Duke, and Mace followed with a single to left-center that allowed Stary to cross the plate. Later in the inning, Bergstrom connected on a three-run home run to left field that scored Mace and Myles Foy, extending the Regents' lead to 9–0.
Rockford tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Stary singled up the middle to drive in Nate Burdin, stretching the lead to 10–0.
Haverford broke through in the top of the sixth inning. Prusek came around to score on a wild pitch as Treese advanced to second, putting the Fords on the board. Moments later, Sgro lined a double to right-center field that brought Treese home, trimming the deficit to 10–2.
Rockford responded in the bottom of the sixth inning when Burdin scored on a wild pitch before Zack Foreman lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed David Wilhite to score, sealing the 12–2 result.
The Scarlet and Black will wrap up the Gene Cusic Classic with one final game against Alfred State at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 14.
