SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College softball team battled to a hard-fought split against Stockton University in a double-header headlined by quality pitching. The Garnet outlasted the Ospreys, 1-0, in an eight-inning opener, while falling 5-2 in the nightcap. 

Lilly Goldberg led the Garnet to victory in a game-one pitcher's duel. The first-year tossed eight-shutout innings with three hits, no walks and 11 strikeouts to blank the Ospreys. Catherine Heflin played hero with a walk-off single in the eighth inning to plate the courtesy runner. 

Swarthmore rallied for 11 hits in game two, but struggled to find timely hitting. Jordan Jackson led the way with three hits, while Iris Barone, Emily Bertrand, Lia Fong and Kate Borza all contributed two hits. Four through six in Swarthmore's lineup was a combined 6-for-10 at the plate. 

SWARTHMORE 1, STOCKTON 0 (8 INN)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Ospreys advanced a runner to second with one out in the first, but Goldberg and Olivia McClammy escaped the jam with a strikeout and caught stealing to close the frame. The first-year then struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 second inning. 

- Goldberg tore through the Ospreys lineup, facing the minimum in the opening four innings with just one hit allowed. Jackson closed the fourth with an excellent grab on a liner to left field. 

- The Ospreys ace held up her end of the pitcher's duel, holding Swarthmore's dangerous offense scoreless with only an infield hit through four innings.

- In the fifth, Goldberg found herself in some trouble after the Ospreys loaded the bases with two hits and a hit batter. The first-year paired her excellent changeup and high fastball to strike out the side, escaping the inning unscathed. 

- Goldberg retired the side in the sixth and seventh to keep the game scoreless. The Garnet had their first two runners reach to open the bottom frame, but stranded the winning run to send the game to extra innings. 

- Following a clean eighth from Goldberg, Heflin brought the courtesy runner home with a leadoff single through the left side. Borza advanced to third on a passed ball during the at bat, then trotted home on Heflin's hit for the walk-off score. The defeat marked the Ospreys fifth walk-off loss of the season. 

GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Heflin: 1-for-3, RBI

GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Goldberg (W, 13-3) 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 SO

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SWARTHMORE 2, STOCKTON 5
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Ospreys scored their first run of the afternoon with a pair of doubles in the second inning. Lane Barron avoided further damage with a pair of strikeouts to strand a runner at third base.

- Swarthmore put runners on the corners in the second with one out after a pair of singles from Bertrand and Borza. However, Stockton escaped the jam with a popup and ground out to strand the tying run. 

- Barron escaped some trouble in the third, before retiring the side in the fourth. Fong then threatened with a one-out double in the bottom half, but was left standing at third base. 

- Swarthmore's defense shined in a scoreless fifth inning. Grace Taylor made a couple challenging plays on hard-hit liners at third base, while Fong made an excellent throw from across the diamond to end the inning.

- In the fifth inning, Barone and Jackson strung together consecutive two-out singles to chase Stockton's pitcher out of the game. The Ospreys new arm then generated an inning-ending pop out to preserve her team's one-run lead. 

- The Ospreys added on with a pair of runs in the sixth to build a three-run advantage. Swarthmore loaded the bases in the bottom half, but came up short with an inning-ending groundout. Stockton then countered with two more insurance runs in the seventh to take a 5-0 lead. 

- Swarthmore refused to go down easy, rallying for two runs in the seventh inning. Bertrand brought home a run with a groundout, while Fong singled in the team's other run. Swarthmore brought the tying run to the plate, but ran out of steam after sending eight batters to the plate in the inning. 

GARNET OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Jackson: 2-for-3, R
Bertrand: 2-for-4, RBI
Fong: 2-for-3, RBI, 2B

GARNET PITCHING LEADERS
Barron: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 SO

UP NEXT
The Garnet (25-9) return to action against Washington College next Tuesday in their final regular-season home game.