HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College baseball team (7-11, 1-1 CC) split its Centennial Conference-opening doubleheader against McDaniel (18-6, 1-1 CC0 at Kannerstein Field on Saturday afternoon. A decisive early surge powered Haverford to an 11-5 victory in game one before a big inning lifted McDaniel to a 13-3 win in the nightcap.
Game 1: Haverford 11, McDaniel 5
Haverford wasted little time setting the tone, scoring in each of the first three innings to build a commanding 10-0 advantage. Jackson Sgro sparked the offense in the first inning with a solo home run to left field, giving the Fords an early lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.
The Fords broke the game open in the second inning, capitalizing on timely hitting and a McDaniel error. Sam Dorian delivered an RBI single before Sgro struck again with a two-run double to extend the margin to 4-0. An error later in the frame allowed another run to score, making it 5-0.
Haverford's biggest inning came in the third, plating five runs on four hits. Mauro DeCillis provided the key swing with a three-run home run, while Miles Prusek added an RBI double. The Fords also took advantage of four walks and two wild pitches in the inning to extend the lead to 10-0.
On the mound, Sam Cohen earned the win with a strong five-inning outing. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits while striking out seven, retiring nine of the first 11 batters he faced and keeping McDaniel off balance throughout.
McDaniel showed resilience late, scoring single runs in the fourth and sixth innings before adding two more in the seventh to trim the deficit to 10-5. Ben Davis led the Green Terror with a home run, double, and two RBIs, while Shane Daly also homered.
Haverford's bullpen steadied the game down the stretch. Ethan Goldstein bridged the middle innings, and Drew Doyle closed with two scoreless frames, striking out three and allowing just one hit.
The Fords added an insurance run in the seventh when Sgro lifted a sacrifice fly to score Dorian, who finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
Sgro drove in four runs to lead all players, while DeCillis added three RBIs as part of a three-hit performance. Prusek and Jack Phiel also recorded multi-hit games as Haverford totaled 14 hits and drew six walks.
Game 2: McDaniel 13, Haverford 3 (7 innings)
Haverford sent Alex Jenkinson to the mound in game two, matching up with McDaniel's Jack Kinsey in a tightly contested game early on. The Fords pushed across the first two runs in the bottom of the third as DeCillis walked and Will Schroen singled up the middle before stealing second. Dorian followed with a single to left field, and after Sgro walked to load the bases, Prusek brought home Schroen on a fielder's choice.
McDaniel responded in the fourth, as Ben Davis reached on an infield single and Shea McKenna followed with a base hit. After a bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Anthony Cerone delivered a two-run single. The Green Terror briefly took the lead in the fifth on an RBI single from Shane Daly, but Dorian answered with a solo home run to right field in the bottom half to tie the game at 3-3.
The game turned in the sixth inning. Davis led off with a home run before Lewis recorded back-to-back strikeouts. McDaniel then strung together a rally, with multiple batters reaching via walks and hit-by-pitches. Davis capped the surge with a bases-clearing triple, and after an error extended the inning, Thomas Mezzullo added a home run to complete a 10-run frame.
Haverford put two runners in scoring position in the seventh as Field walked and Treese doubled, but Jake Young closed out the contest with his third inning of relief, finishing with six strikeouts.
Dorian paced the Fords with three hits, including his solo home run. Jenkinson tossed 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out three.
Baseball continues Centennial Conference play with a home-and-home series against Franklin & Marshall. The Fords travel to Penn Medicine Park on Tuesday, March 31 (3:30 p.m.) before returning to Kannerstein Field on Friday, April 3 for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
