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BY BEN RAPHEL

In print | Published April 3, 2008

The Garnet softball team (11-8, 1-1 CC) has been busy and very successful in the past two weeks. The team played its first conference games and a nationally ranked opponent. Kathryn Riley ’10 continued her success on the mound, while Christine Sendelsky ’09 connected for a grand slam in a game against Arcadia University last Thursday.

The Garnet built on its strong momentum from its spring break travels, winning both games of a doubleheader at Penn State – Berks on March 22, 5-3 and 16-0. Al Zelaski ‘09 and Riley continued their solid pitching, while the Garnet’s bats were once again out in full force.

During the first game, Zelaski took the mound, only giving up four hits over the course of the game. However, the Nittany Lions took the early advantage on Swarthmore, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Garnet answered quickly though by tying the game up in the top of the second, when catcher Michele Perch ’10 hit her first home run in her collegiate career. PSU-Berks then took a 3-2 lead by scoring in the bottom of the second.

The Nittany Lions were unable to score again though, as Zelaski had seven total strikeouts in the game and gave up only one more hit after the second inning. The Garnet bats were dormant for a few innings, until the top of the sixth, when Katherine Gold ‘08 hit a home run. Sendelsky also scored off Gold’s homer, and the Garnet took a 4-3 lead. Melissa Emmerson ’11 scored an insurance run later in the inning, making the final score of the first game 5-3.

After the close first game, the second contest against the Nittany Lions was never in doubt. The Garnet jumped out to an early lead in the first when Walker reached home plate on a passed ball. Later that inning, Emmerson doubled, scoring Gold and Maggie Vizcarra ’11. Emmerson would later score herself, and Swarthmore ended the first inning with four runs. After getting another run in the second, The Garnet put the game away in the third with an eight-run inning. Riley started off the run parade by hitting a three-run double to score Lauren Walker ’09, Krista Scheirer ’11 and Kira Kern ’11. Two batters later, Vizcarra hit a double to bring home Riley and Sendelsky. Next up at the plate was Gold, who singled to allow Vizcarra to score. Gold and Emmerson later scored off a single by Lauren Marczi ’11. This productive third inning gave the Garnet a 13-0 advantage. The Garnet scored three more runs in the fourth inning, and the game was called after five innings due to the mercy rule.

Swarthmore held its home opener against nearby Widener University on March 25. The Garnet won the first game 5-1, but could not hold on for a second victory, losing 4-2 to the Pride. In the opener, Riley pitched a two-hit, one-run game en route to the win. She also helped on the offensive end by hitting a double in the fourth inning to score Walker, and later scoring herself off a single from Maggie Vizcarra. In the sixth, Emmerson singled to score Kristin Caspar ‘09. Later in the inning, Gold and Hendrickson would reach home plate, capping off a strong performance by the Tide on both ends of the field. The second game started close, as Swarthmore and Widener traded a couple runs each. Vizcarra had an RBI single to put the Garnet on the scoreboard in the third, while Riley’s double drove home Walker in the fifth. Unfortunately, the ride scored an extra run in both the sixth and seventh inning to steal the victory away from Swat. Krista Scheirer pitched a complete game in the loss for the Tide.

On March 27, the team won both ends of a doubleheader against visiting Arcadia University. In the first game, Sendelsky’s grand slam in the bottom of the sixth piloted the Tide to an 8-2 victory. The grand slam was Sendelsky’s first home run of the season, and fifth home run of her Swarthmore career.

“Sendelsky’s grand slam was like eating a lobster dinner,” head coach Renee Clarke said.

The second game of the day featured another shutout on the mound by Riley, as the Garnet took home a 3-0 victory. Swarthmore scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the third, as Walker, Riley and Sendelsky all crossed home plate. Riley also held the Knights to only three hits over seven innings.

“It’s the first time in five years at least that we have swept Arcadia,” Gold said in an e-mail.

On Saturday, the Garnet had traveled to Dickinson College to begin Centennial Conference play. Swarthmore split its games with the Red Devils, winning the first while losing the second. In the first game, Riley hit a two-run home run in the top of the third to give the Garnet an early lead. Riley then scored again in the fifth off a single by Gold, ensuring the Tide of a victory. The Tide held off the Red Devils and won the game, 3-2. In the first game, Riley was not only a force at the plate, but she also earned the victory on the mound. In the second game, Swarthmore could not keep its momentum up, losing a 2-0 decision to Dickinson. Red Devil pitcher Grace Perry shut out the Garnet and only gave up four hits over seven innings. Riley, pitching her second game of the day, let up only four hits as well in the losing effort.

The next day, Swarthmore hosted non-conference foe Rowan University, the 24th-ranked team in the nation. The Profs (18-3) jumped out to an early lead and never relented, shutting out the Garnet 4-0. Riley pitched in the losing effort, but the Garnet could only produce four hits during the game.

“Rowan was a great team and we just did not hit enough to keep us in the game,” team captain Katie Gold said in an e-mail.

Although Rowan won the game, the Profs scored most of their runs in the first inning, and the team was happy to compete closely against one of the best teams in the region. “They got real fortunate, because they had lots of base hits that went right through the open holes on the field,” Vizcarra said.

“Without the first inning, it was only a 1-0 ballgame,” Riley said.

So far this season, Riley has emerged as a team leader both at the plate and on the mound. In the Garnet’s past 10 games, she has accumulated a .529 batting average, along with three home runs and 18 RBI. In addition to her hitting prowess, Riley has been pitching both ends of Garnet doubleheaders recently. “I want to give a special nod to Kathryn Riley, who pitched every game this week and hit amazingly,” Gold said in an e-mail.

The Garnet’s home doubleheader against Ursinus College Tuesday was postponed and rescheduled for April 17. The team will next travel to Rosemont College today at 3 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader. After that, Swarthmore hosts conference rival Gettysburg on Saturday at 1 p.m.

“Gettysburg won the conference last year,” Riley said. “We won both games in the regular season last year but they beat us in the playoffs, so we’ll be out to get revenge.”

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