SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Haverford College softball team (23-7, 6-4 CC) dropped a pair of Centennial Conference games in a Hood Trophy rivalry matchup to Swarthmore (24-8, 11-1 CC), coming up short 2-1 in a pitcher's duel in game one, before a 9-7 decision in an offensive battle in game two.
Swarthmore 2, Haverford 1
Shelby Preisser led the Fords offensively, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run, accounting for Haverford's lone run of the contest. Addie Sapirstein added a strong showing at the plate, finishing 2-for-3. In the circle, Kaleigh Bodak (7-1) was charged with the loss despite allowing just three hits and no earned runs over 5.0 innings, walking three. Anna Murphy came on in relief, tossing 1.0 inning with one strikeout.
The game unfolded as a pitcher's duel early, with both teams held scoreless through the first five innings. Haverford managed a pair of hits in that stretch, while Bodak kept the Garnet off the scoreboard with steady work in the circle. Swarthmore starter Lilly Goldberg (12-3) matched that effort, going the distance while allowing just three hits and one run, striking out three and walking two to keep the Fords in check.
Swarthmore broke through in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on a pair of Haverford miscues. Iris Barone opened the inning with a walk before Regan Valenzuela reached on a throwing error, advancing into scoring position and moving Barone to third. Linnaea Rasmussen then delivered the key hit of the game, singling up the middle to plate Barone for a 1-0 lead while Valenzuela moved to third.
Following a pitching change, the Garnet added another run on a wild pitch, allowing Valenzuela to cross the plate and extend the lead to 2-0. Murphy limited further damage, inducing a flyout with two runners on to escape the jam.
Haverford mounted a late push in the seventh, as Preisser launched a solo home run down the left field line to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Fords looked to continue the rally, but Swarthmore was able to close out the contest and secure the win.
Swarthmore 9, Haverford 7
Addie Sapirstein led the Fords offensively, going 1-for-3 with a three-run triple and a walk. Kyra Van Denburgh added a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI, while Shelby Preisser also recorded two hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored. Zoe Friedman and Sarah Fan each drove in a run, while Kamaha'o Bode and Abby Litchfield each chipped in a hit and a run scored, with Bode hitting a two-bagger.
Swarthmore struck early in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on a throwing error to take a 1-0 lead before adding two more runs on an RBI single from Kate Borza and a fielder's choice off the bat of Serafina Tinio to make it 3-0.
Haverford responded in the second, getting on the board as Van Denburgh singled home Preisser to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Garnet answered in the bottom half with two more runs, using an RBI single from Regan Valenzuela and another run-scoring fielder's choice to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Scarlet and Black surged in the fourth with a five-run inning to take control. Friedman started the rally with an RBI single, followed by a run-scoring fielder's choice from Fan. Sapirstein then delivered the biggest swing of the game, tripling to left field to drive in three runs and give Haverford a 6-5 advantage, their first lead of the game. .
The Fords added to their lead in the fifth, as Van Denburgh came through again with an RBI single to push the margin to 7-5.
Swarthmore answered decisively in the bottom of the fifth, stringing together timely hits to reclaim the lead. Elisabeth O'Connor tied the game with a two-run double before Valenzuela followed with a two-run single to put the Garnet back in front, 9-7.
Faruol settled things down in the circle for the Scarlet and Black, holding Swarthmore scoreless the rest of the way, but Haverford was unable to generate a late rally as Castor closed out the final two innings to secure the win and a two-inning save.
The two victories give Swarthmore a point in the Hood Trophy rivalry.
The Fords will be back in action on Saturday, April 18, hosting Gettysburg for a doubleheader set for 1 and 3 p.m. The games will serve as the Teal Out games as well as the Hidden Opponent games.
