Garnet Keep Pace, Split Carolina Twinbill
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Swarthmore softball offense broke through Wednesday afternoon, smashing 19 hits including a home run and three RBIs from freshman Maggie Vizcarra and two doubles with three runs scored by All-Centennial junior Christine Sendelsky, splitting a doubleheader at Peace College.
Peace (12-4) ran its win streak to nine games with a comeback victory in game one, 5-4, before the Garnet (1-3) snapped that streak with an 8-3 win in the second contest.
Vizcarra (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach) put Swarthmore ahead, 2-0, in the first inning of game one with a two-out, two-run home run, driving in junior infielder Sendelsky (Edison, N.J. / John Stevens).
The Garnet increased their lead to 4-0 in the fifth when senior shortstop Katherine Gold (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill East) laced a single up the middle to drive home sophomores Kristin Caspar (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. / Briarcliff) and freshman Lauren Marczi (Chester, N.J. / West Morris).
The Pacers rallied for two in the bottom of the fifth and then three more in the last of the seventh for the win.
Swarthmore came out swinging again in the second game. Sendelsky generated the game’s first run in the first inning, reaching on an error, stealing second and scoring on Vizcarra’s single. Sendelsky provided the big hit in her next plate appearance, smoking a double to center to drive home classmate Lauren Walker (Fallston, Mary. / Hotchkiss School) and sophomore Kathryn Riley (Dagsboro, Del. / Indian River). Sendelsky scored on the play, as a Pacer miscue let Swarthmore go up 4-0.
Garnet freshman catcher Kira Kern (Newton, Pa. / Council Rock North) tripled in the top of the fourth inning and scored on Walker’s double.
Peace responded with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth off Garnet starting pitcher Riley.
The sophomore right-hander settled down, striking out two Pacers to put out the fire in the fourth. Riley (1-1) allowed just two hits the rest of the way, picking up her first win of the season. She threw all seven innings Wednesday, striking out seven batters without a walk.
Gold added a two-run double in game two, bring her total on the afternoon to four while Riley contributed three hits.
Swarthmore wraps up the North Carolina-portion of the 2008 spring break swing on Thursday with a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at Guilford College in Greensboro.