SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Swarthmore College softball team split its home-opening doubleheader versus No. 25 Eastern University on Wednesday, dropping the first game, 2-1 in eight innings, before bouncing back to take the nightcap, 7-1 in five innings.
Regan Valenzuela went 3-for-4 with a stolen base, one RBI, and one run over the two contests.
Iris Barone tallied a pair of doubles, one walk, two stolen bases, one RBI, and two runs.
Serafina Tinio smacked a two-run double and scored a run.
In the circle,
Lane Barron earned the win in game two, tossing all five innings and allowing just one run and three hits.
Lilly Goldberg pitched well in the opener, conceding two runs – one earned – and striking out a season-high 11 over eight frames but suffering the tough-luck loss.
EASTERN 2, SWARTHMORE 1 (8 INN.)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Garnet scored their run in the opening frame. Barone led off with a walk, stole second and third, then came home on a wild pitch. Goldberg kept the Eagles off the board through the first three innings, stranding four runners on base.
- Eastern broke through in the fourth. The Eagles started with an infield single and the run came around on a two-out double. Eastern had a chance to go ahead in the sixth with a runner at third and just one out but Goldberg recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
- Swarthmore had an opportunity to walk it off in the seventh as
Linnaea Rasmussen hit a lead-off double and a one-out single by Valenzuela put runners on the corners. However, a strikeout and a fly out sent the game into extras even at one.
- The Eagles scored their ghost runner in the eighth on a one-out double down the third-base line to take a 2-1 lead. Eastern had a chance for more on a single by the next batter but Barone threw out the runner at home plate to keep it a one-run game. However, the Garnet could not respond, going down in order in the bottom of the frame.
GARNET LEADERS
Rasmussen: 1-3, 2B
Valenzuela: 1-1, SB
Goldberg: 8.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 11 K
SWARTHMORE 7, EASTERN 1 (5 INN.)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Eagles struck first with a two-out RBI single in the opening inning. Swarthmore left four runners on base over the first three innings but Barron retired 10 of 11 after conceding the run to keep the Garnet in the game.
- Running out of daylight, Swarthmore went off for seven runs just in time in the bottom of the fourth. Rasmussen started the frame with a walk,
Ava Babcock was hit by a pitch, and
Lia Fong hit an infield single to load the bases. Tinio then came through with a clutch two-run double to put the Garnet on top, 2-1. Barone, Valenzuela, and
Emilee Espinoza all recorded RBI hits to build the cushion to four (5-1). Valenzuela later scored on a sacrifice fly and Fong drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 7-1.
- Eastern tried to extend the game with a lead-off single in the fifth but Barron got a strikeout and a double play to make the contest official just before twilight.
GARNET LEADERS
Barone: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
Valenzuela: 2-3, RBI, R
Tinio: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Barron: W, 5.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K
UP NEXT
Swarthmore (10-6) hosts Penn State Berks on Thursday.
