Softball Fall Short in Doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer, 1-0 and 14-6
CLAREMONT, Calif. - Despite an excellent defensive effort the Swarthmore softball team (0-8) fell just short of its first win of the season as the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens edged the Garnet 1-0 and 14-6 on Friday afternoon.
Game 1
Pitching and defense controlled the pace of game one that saw only eight total hits and 13 strikeouts between the two teams.
The Sagehens doubled in the first inning to plate the lone run of the game due to a stellar defensive stand by the Garnet.
Freshman Melissa O'Connor pitched four great innings for Swarthmore, allowing only three hits while fanning three Pitzer batters.
The Garnet came close in the fifth inning when it had runners on second and third but just couldn't get the bats going as the Sagehens would end the threat forcing junior Liz Cushing to pop out. Swarthmore left eight runners stranded in the game.
On offense, sophomore Kate Smayda led the Garnet at the plate with two hits in the game.
Game 2
Unlike game one, the second game of the doubleheader was an offensive battle with runs being scored in all but one inning of the game.
Pomona-Pitzer struck first in the bottom of the first inning but Swarthmore struck right back in the second inning with three runs of its own.
Sophomore Danielle Seltzer got things started with a leadoff single followed by some help from the Sagehens, walking senior Kristie Scheirer and committing an error to load the bases with no outs. Pomona then walked sophomore Emily Richardson to plate Swat's first run.
After a quick pitching change by the Sagehens, the Garnet would keep it going after another walk-in run and an RBI single up the middle by senior Kira Kern to put Swat up 3-1.
Unfortunately the Swarthmore lead wouldn't last after Pitzer went on to score five runs in the bottom of the inning after a 2 RBI double and a three-run homerun.
Sagehen pitching continued to help Swarthmore's cause in the third inning, walking Seltzer and hitting Scheirer to start the inning. Sophomore Rose Pitkin loaded the bases with an infield single to set up another Richardson walk-in RBI.
Junior Erin Curtis cut the Pomona-Pitzer lead down with an RBI single down the rightfield line.
Swat gave up another run in the bottom of the inning but Pitkin would quickly respond in the fourth with a big RBI double down the leftfield line, scoring Seltzer. Pitkin led the team with two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
Pomona ended the possibility of a Garnet victory in the bottom of the sixth when it put up six runs off of six hits including a three-run homerun, its third homerun of the game.
Swarthmore returns home today after a long week in California and will look to rebound when it faces off against PSU-Abington on Tuesday March 15. First pitch is set for 2:30 PM.
