KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Swarthmore College baseball team dropped its 2025 opener to Berry College, 11-1 in eight innings, at the D3 Showcase on Friday night.
 
The Garnet scored the first run of the evening but the Vikings offense woke up late, tallying 11 runs over the final three innings. The barrage spoiled a strong start by Swarthmore lefty Liam Alpern, who tossed 5.1 innings of two-run ball. The senior allowed five hits and struck out five.
 
Max Beadling and Matthew Silvestre led the Garnet at the plate with two hits each. Beadling recorded a double and drove in Swarthmore's lone run.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- It was a pitcher's duel early on with just eight combined baserunners through the first five innings, only four of which reached second base. The Garnet broke the ice in the sixth. Brad Johnston drew a two-out walk then Beadling came through with a RBI double to right center to put Swarthmore up one.
 
- Berry finally got to Alpern in the bottom of the sixth. The Vikings drew a leadoff walk followed by a stolen base. Berry then registered three straight singles, two of which scored a run, to take a 2-1 lead. Zach Potthoff later took over on the mound with the bases loaded and one out. The senior induced a fly ball which turned into a double play to keep the Garnet within one.
 
- Swarthmore was unable to find a spark from the inning-ending double play and the Vikings pulled away with five runs in the seventh and four in the eighth. Berry totaled eight hits and capitalized on two Garnet errors over the two innings. The Vikings ended the game early due to the ten-run rule when they forced a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth.
 
GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Hits: Beadling, Silvestre 2
Runs: Johnston 1
RBI: Beadling 1
Walks: Aidan Sullivan, Johnston 1
 
GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Alpern: 5.1 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 5 K
 
UP NEXT
Swarthmore (0-1) continues its weekend in North Carolina on Saturday when the Garnet play Washington and Lee University.