Sports

Softball has sensational week, goes 5-1

In print | April 17, 2008

In four days, the Garnet softball team (19-9, 8-2 CC) competed against three Centennial Conference opponents, playing six games and winning five of them. The 5-1 record that the team has compiled since Saturday has solidified their place near the top of the Centennial Conference standings.

“It’s good that we got this string of games out of the way, now we can have fun and reap the benefits of our victories,” Katie Gold ’08 said.

Last Saturday, the Garnet traveled to McDaniel College, splitting its doubleheader against the Green Terror. Kathryn Riley ’10 dominated the first game for the Garnet on the mound, giving up only one hit while striking out nine McDaniel hitters. Garnet first baseman Krista Scheirer ’11 scored the only run of the game, as she advanced home on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth. With steady pitching and defense, Swarthmore took the first game of the day by the count of 1-0.

In the second game, the Garnet jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Centerfielder Lauren Walker ’09 led off the game with a single and later advanced home after a single by third baseman Melissa Emmerson ’11.

The Garnet held onto this slim lead until the bottom of the sixth, when McDaniel took advantage of a Swarthmore error to score two runs. Swarthmore could not catch up in the final inning, and the Terror walked away with a 2-1 victory. Al Zelaski ’09 gave up only three hits and one earned run in the loss for Swat.

The next day, the Garnet returned home to play a doubleheader against defending Centennial champion Gettysburg College. The two games had been postponed after a rainout on April 6.

The team thrilled the Parents Weekend crowd by winning both games over the Bullets, thanks to strong hitting from designated hitter Maggie “Diva” Vizcarra ’11 and catcher Michele Perch ’10.

In the bottom of the sixth inning of the first game, the Garnet faced a 2-0 deficit to the Bullets. However, Vizcarra hit a bases-loaded two-run double in this inning to score Gold and Christine Sendelsky ’09, tying the game at two apiece. Up next was Perch, who hit a two-run single, scoring Emmerson and Zoe Hendrickson ’11, who was pinch running for Vizcarra. The Garnet held on to win the game 4-2. Getting the win was Riley, who gave up only five hits over seven innings.

Riley was also named Centennial Conference pitcher of the week on Monday, her third weekly award from the conference this season.

The second game against Gettysburg was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when the Garnet scored four runs. Emmerson led the scoring drive by hitting a single to score Sendelsky. With the bases loaded and two outs, Perch hit a clutch single to bring home Emmerson and Gold. Vizcarra capped off the inning by reaching home on a passed ball.

In the bottom of the sixth, Swarthmore struck again. Walker first scored off a single from Riley, and Vizcarra later followed with a three-run double that would score Gold, Riley and Sendelsky, giving the Tide an 8-0 victory. Zelaski gave up only three hits in five innings to get her fourth victory of the season at the mound. Overall, Perch and Vizcarra combined for nine of the team’s 12 RBIs on the day.

On Tuesday, Swarthmore finished off its tough conference streak by hosting a doubleheader against Washington College.

After no score in regulation during the first game, the Garnet had to rely on extra innings and spotty defense by the Shorewomen to seal the win. Walker took the plate and reached first base after a bad throw. After advancing to second, Walker took advantage of another Washington fielding error and made it home to seal a 1-0 victory for the Garnet. Riley pitched all eight innings, improving her record on the year to 14-4.

Swarthmore used the momentum from the extra-inning victory to get off to a fast start in the second game.

Vizcarra hit Walker home with an RBI single, and Gold immediately followed her by hitting a two-run home run, her third of the season. After the quick start, the Shorewomen could never catch up, and the Garnet cruised to a 7-2 victory.

“We were never able the make the adjustment to their pitcher, but a conference win is a conference win, and we were able to redeem ourselves in the second game,” Riley said.

“We need to start coming out harder in our first games,” Perch said.

The Garnet will put its hot streak on the line during a home doubleheader against Ursinus College today at 3 p.m. The game should be exciting, since both teams currently sit atop the standings with identical records of 8-2.

This coming Saturday, the team will play host to Franklin & Marshall College for Senior Day. Since Gold is the lone senior on the team this year, the rest of the Swat softball team has dubbed Saturday “Katie Gold Day.”

“If we just keep doing what we’ve been doing these past few games, we should be fine,” Riley said.