SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The No. 22 Swarthmore College softball team scored all of its runs within the first two innings and made it hold up in a 3-1 victory over Muhlenberg College in the Centennial Conference Tournament on Saturday.
The Garnet advance to the championship series for the fourth time in five years and need just one win on Sunday to secure back-to-back conference titles. Swarthmore will battle Haverford College, who earned wins against Gettysburg College and Muhlenberg to avoid elimination.
The Garnet opened the scoring in the first with a run and added two in the second for a 3-0 lead.
Lilly Goldberg kept the Mules off the board until the sixth, retiring 15 consecutive batters at one point. After Muhlenberg cut the deficit to two in the sixth, the sophomore pitcher sat down four of the last five hitters to secure the victory. Goldberg conceded just four hits in picking up her 16
th complete game.
The Mules limited Swarthmore to just five hits but the home team made them count.
Iris Barone,
Regan Valenzuela,
Avery McClure,
Linnaea Rasmussen, and
Kate Borza all recorded a base knock. Barone smacked a triple, stole a base, and drove in two runs while Valenzuela tallied one RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Muhlenberg looked to get going early, starting the game with a bunt single to third and the runner stole second with one out. The Mules then hit a groundball to short.
Lia Fong fielded the ball and made a heads-up defensive play, faking the throw to first to get the lead runner leaning off of second. Fong then fired over to
Elisabeth O'Connor, who was covering the bag, to tag the runner out at second.
- The Garnet carried the momentum into the bottom of the first and scored the first run of the contest. Barone led off with a walk then stole second. It was her 33
rd swipe of the year, setting a new program single-season record. Valenzuela followed with a base hit to left center to plate Barone.
- Swarthmore upped the advantage to three in the second. Borza started with a walk and Fong later drew a free pass to put two on with one out. After a strikeout, Barone sent a 2-0 pitch into the gap in left center and raced to a two-run triple. The Garnet had a chance to open up the lead in the third, loading the bases with no outs. However, the Mules dug deep and got out of the inning unscathed after two foul-outs and a strikeout.
- After giving up the bunt single to start the game, Goldberg dominated the Muhlenberg lineup, sitting down 15 in a row. However, the Mules finally got to the sophomore in the sixth. The visitors led off with a single and the runner went to second on a groundout. After a walk and a single, the bases were loaded. Muhlenberg then pushed a run home on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
- Goldberg limited the damage to one run in the sixth, getting a groundout to end the frame. She allowed a one-out single in the seventh but retired the next two batters to clinch the triumph.
GARNET LEADERS
Barone: 1-3, 3B, SB, BB, 2 RBI, R
Valenzuela: 1-2, BB, RBI
Goldberg: W, 7.0 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K
UP NEXT
Swarthmore (32-8) takes on Haverford on Sunday with the conference title on the line. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
