Blue Jays Sweep Garnet Softball, 5-4 and 9-1
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - It was a tough day on the diamond for the Swarthmore College softball team, as the Garnet dropped a pair of games to homestanding Elizabethtown, 5-4 and 9-1 on Thursday afternoon. In the first game, Swat (4-8) saw a 3-1 sixth inning lead slip away thanks to four runs from Blue Jays (7-2-1) in the bottom of the frame, while in the second game, Blue Jays' starting pitcher Emily Vogel limited the Garnet to just one hit innings over five innings.
Junior first baseman Krista Scheirer paced the offense, finishing 4-of-6 for the day including a double - the Garnet's only extra base hit for the day. Freshmen Danielle Seltzer and Angelica Sanchez each finished with three hits in the first game.
Scheirer finished 4-of-6 for the day.
Buoyed by an excellent start from freshman Isabel Sanchez (2-3), things appeared to be going smoothly for Swat in the first game, who entered the game on a two-game winning streak. A two-out, bases loaded RBI single from senior Michele Perch in the top of the fourth gave the Garnet a 3-1 lead.
But things began to unwind in the bottom of the sixth, as the Blue Jays recorded five hits to bring home four run. The big blow was the game-tying one-out two RBI double from Elizabethtown's Courtney Comstock down the right line, which would open the floodgates.
Down 5-3 in the final frame, Swat mounted a comeback, bringing the score to 5-4 thanks to an RBI single from Scheirer, which also loaded the bases with just one out. But the Blue Jays escaped the jam, throwing out sophomore Liz Cushing at the plate on the next play and forcing Melissa Emmerson to line out to end the game.
The second game was all about the pitching of Vogel. The Blue Jays hurler allowed just a Scheirer single and one run in the second inning while striking out one en route to the 9-1 win. Freshman Kate Smayda (1-2) took the loss for the Garnet in two innings of work. Swat was hampered by five errors in the second game.
Swarthmore will look to get back in the win column this Saturday with a road doubleheader with Penn State-Berks. Action is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.