Box Score HAVERFORD, Pa. – Despite getting six straight shutout innings from sophomore
Joe Warren on the mound, the Swarthmore College baseball team fell to Haverford by a 3-1 score in the Centennial Conference opener for both schools on Tuesday, Apr. 1 at Hannerstein Field.
Haverford (8-7, CC 1-0) had the first major chance to score for either team in the top of the sixth, as senior William Bannard hit a one-out single and stole second to move into scoring position. The Fords continued to hit the ball hard, but freshman center fielder
Ryan Burnett, who made a diving catch to begin the inning, gunned down two runners at home to keep the game scoreless.
In the seventh, Haverford was finally able to break the scoreless tie by getting a solo home run from senior Justin Coulter to deep right. The hosts then got a two-run single from senior Nick Miranda to end the frame with a 3-0 advantage.
Despite falling behind, Swarthmore threatened to get on the board in the top of seventh. Sophomore
Roy Walker, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, got the offense going by blasting a double to the power alley in left center.
Ryan Burnett then drew a walk two batters later with two down, but Fords starter Tommy Bergjans got out of trouble by inducing a groundout to short that ended the inning.
The Garnet threatened one more time in the top of the ninth. After junior
Scoop Ruxin blasted a home run off the scoreboard in right with two outs to bring the visitors within two, freshman
Wesley Fishburn kept the inning alive and brought the tying run up to the plate by singling up the middle. But the Garnet would not be able to push across any more runs, as senior reliever Patrick Falkoff forced the next batter to pop out to left.
Bergjans earned the victory for Haverford by blanking the Garnet in eight innings of work and improved his record to 3-1. He yielded only three hits while striking out nine and issuing just one walk. Falkoff picked up his fifth save of the season despite giving up two hits and one run in the ninth. Warren suffered the loss for Swarthmore and fell to 1-1 after giving up 10 hits and three runs, which were all earned, and recording four strikeouts over seven frames.
Swarthmore (11-6, CC 0-1) will look to avenge today's setback when it hosts Haverford on Friday, Apr. 4 at 3:30 p.m.
