SWARTHMORE, PA. - Playing in their final home games of the regular season, the Swarthmore baseball team defeated Dickinson College in a double header on Thursday, Apr. 27, taking the first game 9-2, and the second 7-5. With the pair of wins, the Garnet clinched a spot in the Centennial Conference Championship Tournament. 
 
Offensively, the Garnet were powered by sophomore Max Roffwarg and junior Joe Radek. In game one, Roffwarg notched three runs for Swarthmore after drawing three consecutive walks. In game two, Radek's bat came to life, smacking two hits and two RBIs while also crossing home twice.
 
Swarthmore saw a pair of excellent performances from the mound, as both sophomore Liam Alpern and first year Noah Potholm showed up for the Garnet. In game one, Alpern was slinging fire, tossing a career best 12 strikeouts while holding the Devils to just six hits and one earned run over eight innings pitched. In game two, Potholm put up career numbers of his own, striking out nine Dickinson batters while surrendering 11 hits and five earned runs across a complete game pitched.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1 (W, 9-2)
- After holding Dickinson scoreless in the top of the first, the Garnet caught fire in the bottom of the inning. After Roffwarg walked and sophomore Matthew Silvestre reached on a fielder's choice, a single to left center from senior Austin Burgess brought both runners home, giving Swarthmore an early 2-0 lead.

- While the Devils put a run on the board in the second, Swarthmore grew their advantage in the third. Loading the bases with no one out, Roffwarg came home on a sacrifice foul out from senior Emmett Reynolds, followed immediately by first year Aidan Sullivan being brought in by a wild pitch, growing the Garnet's total runs to four. A single from senior Nate Jbara scored both Radek and Burgess and put Swarthmore up 6-1, a scoreline that would hold through the end of the half inning.

- Not satisfied with merely a five run lead however, the Garnet extended their margin even further in the fourth, as a Reynolds single brought in Roffwarg for Swarthmore's seventh score.

- Dickinson was finally able to stem the bleeding in the sixth, putting up one run to close Swarthmore's advantage to five at 7-2.

- Despite some signs of life from the Devils, the Garnet answered right back in the seventh, as two runs from both Jbara and junior Jett Shue essentially iced the game.

- Two more shutout innings from Alpern secured Swarthmore's 9-2 win. 

GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Hits: Sullivan (2), Burgess (2), Jbara (2)
Runs: Roffwarg (3)
RBIs: Burgess (2), Jbara (2)
 
GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Alpern: 6 H, 1 ER, 12 SO, 8.0 IP
 

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HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2 (W, 7-5)
- Dickinson drew first blood, taking an early 2-0 lead over the Garnet in the top of the first.

- Swarthmore responded in the bottom of the second, tying the game at 2-all. Shue crossed home on a Reynolds sacrifice fly, while Radek was brought in by a Jbara single, effectively evening the playing field.

- The Garnet took their first lead of the game in the third, going up 3-2 thanks to a Burgess single that brought home Silvestre.

- The Devils recaptured their advantage in the fourth, taking a 5-3 lead over Swarthmore.

- Unphased however, the Garnet chipped away at their deficit over the next couple of innings. In the fourth, Roffwarg scored off of a Sullivan double down the right field line, shrinking the Dickinson advantage to just one at 5-4.

- Swarthmore completed the turnaround in the fifth, as both Burgess and and Shue crossed home thanks to a Radek double to right field, putting the Garnet up 6-5. Radek tacked on one more when he was hammered in by Jbara, giving Swarthmore a comfortable 7-5 lead over the Devils.

- Potholm's lights out pitching kept the Dickinson bats silent over the next four innings, securing the 7-5 win and series sweep for the Garnet. 

GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Hits: Jbara (3), Buchman (3)
Runs: Radek (2)
RBIs: Radek (2), Jbara (2)
 
GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Potholm: 11 H, 5 ER, 9 SO, 9.0 IP
 
UP NEXT
Playing in their final regular season game, the Garnet will travel to Haverford College on Friday, Apr. 28 at 3:30 p.m.