Devils Take Two
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Cold, wet weather started Saturday for Swarthmore softball and the ending was just as dreary with the Dickinson leaving campus with a sweep of a Centennial Conference doubleheader.
The Red Devils came back to win game one, 6-4, and then used a big seventh inning to win the second game by a score of 9-1 on the opening weekend of Centennial softball for either squad.
The Garnet (9-10, 0-2 CC) jumped out to a 3-1 lead in game one, an af(fair pushed back one hour due to the wet conditions harassing the East Coast on Friday night. Sophomore infielder Melissa Emmerson (Ringwood, N.J. / Lakeland Regional) and classmate Zoe Hendrickson (Strafford, N.H. / Coe-Brown Northwood Academy) both hit doubles and catcher Kira Kern ’10 (Newtown, Pa. / Council Rock North) followed with an RBI single.
After the Garnet posted another run in the third inning, Dickinson (11-7, 2-0 CC) scraped out runs over the next three frames. Swarthmore pushed over a two-out run in the seventh on an RBI single by Elizabeth Cushing (Middletown, Del. / Padua Academy).
Dickinson’s Liz Barry (6-2) earned the win by fanning five Garnet batters without a walk while Swarthmore right-hander Alexandra Zelaski (Middleburg Heights, Ohio / Midpark) suffered the loss (3-6).
The clouds got darker as the day wore on, yet the Swarthmore softball team continued to fight. Down 2-0, the Garnet loaded the bases and cashed in a run with another RBI single by Hendrickson.
The Red Devils broke open the 3-1 game with six runs in the top of the seventh inning, securing the sweep. Starter Alex Brody (4-5) picked up the win for Dickinson while Swarthmore hurler Kathryn Riley ’10 (Dagsboro, Del. / Indian River) suffered the loss to fall to 5-4 on the season.
Things don’t get any easier for Swarthmore, as defending conference champion Ursinus visits Clothier Fields Tuesday, March 31 for a 3:00 twinbill.