SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Fueled by a three-run homer in the fifth inning from junior Nicole Aaron, the Swarthmore College softball team (9-3) bats came alive to defeat Penn State Berks (10-2) 7-4 in game two after falling 3-0 in game one. 

In the first game, the Nittany Lions came out swinging early - racking up six hits and three runs in the top of the first inning - which proved to be enough for the victory. 

In game two the temperature dropped, but the Swarthmore bats heated up en route to a nine-hit game to claim its ninth victory of the season. 

Hits came early and often for the visitors in game one. Jess Epler, after a single from Lamm, smashed a double to set two runners on base. Next up, Marissa Ruggiero found an open hole to bat in both Epler and Lamm for an early 2-0 lead. Lexi Lobb kept the streak going with another double to bring in the final run of the inning and proved to be the final.

Swarthmore looked to get on board in the bottom of the fifth inning after sophomore Chelsea Matzko sent the ball up the middle for a single followed by an error and fielder's choice for two runners on base with one out. However, the Garnet lineup couldn't find a hole in the visitor's defense to bring home a runner.

Jess Epler pitched a complete game for Berks allowing just one hit and struck out four batters.

Despite cold bats, the Garnet defense was flawless the entire game, commiting no errors.

In the second game, senior Danielle Seltzer punched a hit to left center in the bottom of the second to spark the Garnet bench. Up next, junior Rose Pitkin looked for the sacrifice hit, but advanced all the way to third on two errors from the Berks infield. Seltzer scored on the error for Swarthmore's first run of the inning. A sacrifice fly from Matzko sent Pitkin home to set the score at 2-0. Sophomores Laurie Sellars and Emma Madarasz each singled, but were stranged on base to close out the second.

The first batter for Berks in the third, Katy Lutz, reached on an error by the infield and eventually scored after a sacrifice hit from Vrabel and single from Lamm.

The fourth inning was scoreless for both teams, despite crushed left-center double from Pitkin.

Penn State Berks took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning after a two-run homerun from Lamm with two outs. The visitors looked to add to the lead as the next two batters walked, but an infield pop-up from Lobb left both batters on base.

As the temperatures continued to drop, Swarthmore needed no motivation to put its bats in motion. Senior Erin Curtis found the base on balls followed by senior Kate Smayda singled to left center with one out to put the offense in motion and Aaron on deck. Aaron sent the ball over the left center wall for led and the Garnet's first homerun of the 2013 campaign. Seltzer picked up a double and later advanced to third on a ground out and eventually made it home following a passed ball. Swarthmore added another run in the sixth to cushion its 7-3 advantage.

Down 7-3, the Nittany Lions put on the rally cap, but a homerun from Epler wasn't enough to spark a comeback.

Garnet pitcher Melissa O'Connor pitched a complete game for her seventh victory of the season. She struck out five batters in the victory.

Swarthmore begins its Centennial Conference slate on Tuesday, March 26 at Muhlenberg.