Swarthmore Riles Up Split With Knights
GLENSIDE, Pa. -- Garnet freshman right-hander Kathryn Riley picked up her fourth win of the season as visiting Swarthmore defeated Arcadia 3-2 in the second game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Thursday afternoon.
The Knights (11-5 overall), the pre-season favorite in the Pennsylvania Athletics Conference (PAC), used an eighth inning walk-off home run by senior pitcher Jenn Compton to win a pitchers' duel in the first game, 2-1.
Swarthmore head coach Renee Clark now has 303 career victories—192 at Kean (NJ), 60 at Drexel and now 51 as leader of the Garnet.
Garnet starter Alexandra Zelaski '09, the reigning Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Week, locked horns with Compton early, limiting the Arcadia hitters to just two hits in the first six innings. The Swarthmore bats were missing from the bus on the trip to Glenside and it took awhile for them to wake up on this afternoon. The Garnet finally broke through in the top of the sixth when Christine Sendelsky '09 reached on an error and swiped second base. Riley drove her home with a single to put Swarthmore up 1-0.
Down to their final at bat, the Knights got a lead-off double by senior Jennifer Jackson in the seventh. Diana Rufo pinch ran for Jackson and came around to score the tying run on a single by Danielle Abrams. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Compton hit the first pitch over the fence to deliver the win.
Compton (6-2) struck out three batters in eight innings, allowing just the one unearned run. Zelaski (3-1) suffered her first loss of the season, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out three.
Swarthmore got rolling early in the second game when leadoff hitter Lauren Walker '09 hit a single, moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Brandt '07, and came around to score on junior Katie Gold's two-out double.
The Knights tied the game in the bottom of the first when Laura Fencik doubled home Compton. It was the first earned run ever allowed by Swarthmore starter Riley, ending her impressive streak at 24.1 innings.
The Garnet opened up a two-run lead in the top of the sixth. Brandt lashed a one-out single and Sendelsky brought her in with an RBI double. Sendelsky made it 3-1 Swarthmore later in the inning, scoring on senior Kelly Siano's bases-loaded single.
Arcadia added a second run in sixth but Riley bore down for the final four outs to pick up her fourth win of the season.
Riley (4-0) struck out six batters in seven innings, allowing only four hits and two runs. Knights starter Kiersten Hughes took the loss, giving up three earned runs on six hits while fanning three.
Riley finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI while Gold added a pair of hits and an RBI.
Swarthmore hosts its annual Alumnae Game this Saturday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m. and returns to competition on Tuesday, April 3 when Rosemont comes to Clothier Fields for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader.