Two weeks into the season, the Haverford softball team had yet to play a game at the Class of ‘95 field, but the team had already proved that they didn’t need a home field advantage to win. After a week in Clermont, Florida, participating in THE Spring Games, Haverford came away with a 9-1 record, riding a 9-game win streak heading into their first game at Haverford on Thursday, March 19. Their record marks the best start to a season in program history.
The team kicked off the week in Florida with a close game against Nichols, scoring four runs in the first two innings before Nichols answered in the bottom of the second with a five-run inning, giving them a lead that they held onto until the seventh, when Haverford rallied for a 9-8 lead. Nichols quickly responded in the bottom half, scoring two for a walkoff win. But Haverford wasn’t perturbed by their first game of the season, taking the field minutes later to face off against Skidmore. Despite a close contest through the first five innings, with both teams scoring runs in the fourth and fifth, Haverford held fast and broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth by scoring four runs and securing a 9-4 victory.
In a morning contest against Utica on Monday, March 9, the team came out of the gates swinging, outscoring their opponents 10-3 through the first four innings. Not to be outdone, Utica responded in the fifth with an 8-run rally, forcing the Fords to keep their bats hot with four more runs across the last two innings, eventually walking off a 14-13 victory with one out in the seventh.
After the back-and-forth game against Utica, the Fords were unstoppable, outscoring their opponents 35-7 across their next four games in contests against Pitt-Greensburg, Wesleyan, Otterbein, and Curry. Only Suffolk University managed to get close to the Fords on Thursday afternoon, leading Haverford 4-3 heading into the seventh inning. But Haverford wasn’t going to let that lead survive, needing only four batters and no outs to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh. On Friday, the team only needed four runs apiece to secure their final two games of spring break, beating Blackburn and Regis 4-1 and 4-2 respectively.
The Fords return to Haverford with eight players on their roster boasting batting averages above .300 with more than 20 plate appearances. The list is highlighted by senior Jocelyn Leal, who maintained an average of .586 through 29 at bats. Junior Lauren Martin also put together a stellar week, totalling six extra base hits, including the team’s lone home run of the week, and a slugging percentage of .719. On the pitching side, junior Kaleigh Bodak led the team in innings pitched and ERA, holding a 1.62 ERA through 17.1 innings, earning her Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Week honors. First year Sophia Faruol also put together a fantastic week in the circle, holding her opponents to a .200 batting average, and collecting a WHIP of .84 through 14.1 innings.
The Fords kick off their season at home on Thursday, March 19 with a doubleheader against Gwynedd Mercy, in which they’re looking to continue their winning streak.
