HAVERFORD, Pa. – Ursinus outhit host Haverford in both ends of Tuesday's Centennial Conference softball doubleheader, but the Bears were unable to get the clutch knock they needed in losing a pair of tight decisions on a cold afternoon on the Main Line.
Ursinus (11-15, 2-10) saw a late rally come up just short in a 3-2 opener, then lost an early lead as Haverford completed the sweep with a 4-2 finale.
Junior Callie Crouse hit her first home run of the season for the Bears, while classmate Kayla Quinn and freshman Michela Coleman each notched a three-hit game.
Game 1: Haverford 3, Ursinus 2
The Fords (15-7, 5-3) drew first blood in the bottom of the second. Emma Souter doubled to lead off the inning and took third on a passed ball before sliding in safely on Ashley Sisto's one-out bunt single.
Ursinus threatened with a two-out rally in the fourth, as Crouse worked an eight-pitch at-bat into a single and took third when classmate Gabrielle Manto grounded a double down the left-field line. But Temma Levis induced a pop-up on the infield to get out of the jam.
Haverford gained some breathing room in the bottom half of the frame, when Souter's second double of the day put runners on second and third with no outs. The first scored on a sacrifice fly, and Souter came home on a bae hit up the middle by Sisto to make it 3-0.
The Bears got on the board in the fifth. Senior Rachel Hyman reached on an infield single ahead of Coleman, whose bunt hit put two on with no outs. A one-out fielding error loaded the bases for Quinn, who plated freshman pinch-runner Jayme Callum with a grounder to second. Levis averted further damage with a groundout to second with Bears on second and third.
Crouse got to Levis again to lead off the sixth, fouling off four tosses in a seven-pitch at-bat that ended with her first home run of the season and the third of her career, a shot to straightaway center that pulled Ursinus within 3-2. Manto followed with a single, but a fielder's choice and a double play helped the Fords hold on to the lead.
Coleman gave the Bears a chance in the seventh, legging out a leadoff single and moving to second on a wild pitch, but the rookie would get no further as Joanna Batterton shut the door with three straight outs.
Coleman finished 3-for-3 for her first career multi-hit game, while Crouse and Manto were ach 2-for-3 with an extra-base hit.
Senior Kaitlyn Willis allowed three runs – two earned – with seven strikeouts and no walks in another complete game on the mound.
Game 2: Haverford 4, Ursinus 2
Quinn doubled and Coleman was hit by a pitch to lead off the third and chase Haverford starter Briana Quinn. Junior Sammi Donato greeted Batterton with a bunt single to load the bases, and freshman Morgan Comfort took one for the team with a hit-by-pitch RBI. Three batters later, Manto's single to left made it a 2-0 game, though Ursinus had a runner thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
The Fords responded with two of their own in the bottom half, tying the game on RBI doubles by Rachel Wolfson and Jessica Koshinski. The home side then went ahead on an RBI groundout by Alex Craig in the fourth. Haverford added another in the sixth with the help of two Bear errors.
Ursinus had its chances, but left runners stranded at second and third to end the fourth and sixth frames.
Quinn finished 3-for-3 with a double and freshman Alyssa Myers was 2-for-3 with a double, the second of her career.
Quinn came back to earn the save for Haverford, and Batterton got the win with 3.1 scoreless innings.
Willis started the nightcap for the Bears, working three frames and conceding a pair of runs. Comfort (5-6) took the loss, permitting two runs (one earned) with a walk and two strikeouts over the final three innings.
Up Next
Ursinus hosts Elizabethtown in non-conference action Thursday.