ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - The Swarthmore College softball team returned north with a split at Eastern University on Tuesday. The Garnet dropped a pitcher's duel in the opener, 4-1, while bouncing back with a shutout victory in the finale, 4-0.

Lilly Goldberg tossed her second complete-game shutout of the season. The rookie threw seven scoreless frames while allowing seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. 

Swarthmore's offense rallied for three runs in the opening stanza to provide all the necessary offense. Avery McClure, the reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Week, had three hits and an RBI in both games to lead the offense. Iris Barone also combined for three hits to eclipse the 100 career hit milestone.  

SWARTHMORE 1, EASTERN 4
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Eastern knocked in a two-out score in the bottom of the first inning to plate the game's first run. Lane Barron then settled in to strike out the side looking in the second inning, 1-0. 

- Swarthmore took advantage of an Eastern error to spark a two-out rally in the third. After Barone reached on an error with two outs, Jordan Jackson and McClure kept the inning alive with consecutive singles. McClure tied the game with a go-ahead knock, but the Garnet left a runner stranded at second base to end the frame, 1-1. 

- Barron shut down the Eagles in the third and fourth to keep the game knotted. Swarthmore threatened in the fifth with a couple one-out singles, but were unable to plate the go-ahead score. 

- The Eagles broke through for a couple runs in the fifth inning to take the lead. Eastern busted the game open with a one-out, two-run double to build a two-run cushion over the Garnet. The Eagles then tacked on another run in the sixth after retiring Swarthmore in order, 4-1. 

- Swarthmore threatened in the seventh with a pair of two-out, infield singles from Kate Borza and Barone. Jackson then hit a ball hard towards the left-center gap, but the left fielder made an excellent catch to end the game.  

GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
McClure: 2-for-3, RBI
Barone: 2-for-4, R

GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Barron (W, 1-0) 6.0 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 5 SO, BB


SWARTHMORE 4, EASTERN 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Swarthmore rallied for three runs in the opening frame. McClure drove home Barone on a ground ball, while Olivia McClammy doubled home McClure from first base. McClammy later touched home on a fielding error, 3-0. 

- Goldberg cruised through the opening two innings while allowing just one baserunner. The first-year then stranded the leadoff runner at second base to escape the third inning unscathed. 

- The Garnet added on an insurance tally in the fourth inning. Kate Borza opened the frame with a leadoff double, and later came home to score on a Catherine Heflin ground out. Avery Babcock also doubled in the stanza, but was left stranded at second to end the inning, 4-0. 

- Goldberg returned to the circle with another shutdown frame in the fourth. After allowing a leadoff single, Goldberg struck out two of the next three batters to end the inning. The Eagles threatened in the fifth with three singles, but stranded the bases loaded with an inning-ending strikeout. 

- Goldberg faced the minimum in the final two frames as she retired the side 1-2-3 in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Eagles had one hit in the sixth, but the runner was caught in a rundown trying to stretch a single into a double. 

GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
McClure: 1-for-3, RBI, R
McClammy: 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2B

GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Goldberg (W, 4-3) 7.0 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 7  SO, 0 BB

UP NEXT
The Garnet (7-7) open their home schedule versus Immaculata University on Saturday.