COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College softball team broke out the bats in the opener of Saturday's Centennial Conference doubleheader, but the Bears were unable to quiet the opposition's as visiting Swarthmore secured a split with a big offensive outburst in the nightcap.

Sophomore Samantha Garritano finished 4-for-7 with two triples, three runs scored, and two RBI on the afternoon for Ursinus (8-14, 1-5), which rolled to a 9-2 decision and its first conference victory of the season in Game One.

Swarthmore (10-12, 1-5), which gave up 15 hits to the Bears in the first game, exacted revenge with a pair of home runs among 15 hits of their own in the second half of the double feature.

Game 1: Ursinus 9, Swarthmore 2

The Bears buried Swarthmore behind a five-run first-inning deluge, which came after their first two hitters were retired. The next six batters reached base, starting with a double by sophomore Sammi Donato. Three batters later, sophomore Faith Carson brought home two with a base hit up the middle, and junior Rachel Hyman came up with a two-run triple to right to make it 4-0. Sophomore Callie Crouse's infield single scored Hyman with the fifth tally of the frame.

After freshman Marissa Beebe stretched the lead to 6-0 with an RBI single in the third, which followed Garritano's leadoff triple, the Garnet dented the scoreboard with two runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-2.

Ursinus, however, left no doubt with a three-run fifth that included a two-run single by Beebe and an RBI infield single by sophomore Gabrielle Manto.

Garritano was one of several Bears to have huge days at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored. Beebe was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run, and Hyman was 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. Carson drove in two runs and scored a pair of her own, while Donato registered two hits and two runs scored. Ursinus racked up a season-high 13 hits.

Junior Kaitlyn Willis (6-5) was efficient in the circle, surrendering seven hits and two earned runs in a complete-game effort. The right-hander struck out four without a walk.

Game 2: Swarthmore 13, Ursinus 5

Swarthmore jumped out to a big lead on a two-run homer by Kalli Segel in the second, and Sara Planthaber added a two-run shot of her own during a four-run third that made it 6-0.

The Bears got two back in the bottom of the third on an RBI triple by freshman Isabella Dewes and a Garnet error, but the Garnet stormed back out to an eight-run lead with four more in the next frame.

An RBI double by sophomore Kayla Quinn, a sacrifice fly by Dewes, and another run-scoring triple off the bat of Garritano got the Bears within 10-5, but Swarthmore tacked on one in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

Kennedy Kings was 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBI for the Garnet.

Quinn finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI from the leadoff spot, while Dewes drove in two runs and scored one herself. Garritano was 1-for-4 with two RBI and Manto produced two hits and two runs scored.

Willis (6-6) was charged with the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings.

Up Next

The Bears host Immaculata in a non-conference doubleheader on Monday.