CARLISLE, Pa. - Junior Lindsay Kucker went 5-6 with five RBIs to lead the Dickinson softball team to a pivotal Centennial Conference split against the visiting Haverford College Fords on Saturday afternoon at Dickinson Park. The visitors took the first contest 5-3 before the Red and White responded with a 5-2 win in the second game.

Game One - Fords 5, DEVILS 3

Pitching Decision

W - Maya Casey (4-5) | L, Riley Kuehn (4-6)

Inside the Game

Haverford began the second with a single for Madison Hujber off of Kuehn. After taking second on a wild pitch she moved to third on a sac bunt. That led to a sac fly for Phoebe May. The Fords added two more runners with a hit batter and an error. It became 2-0 after a DC throwing error and then a double for Carley Parsons as well as a single by Abby Marquis extended the advantage to 4-0 through two. 

Kucker took over to start the third and surrendered a walk along with a hit batter, but allowed no damage. She would do offensive damage in the home-half trying to help herself out as Devon Kueny and Celia Vinacco singled prior to Hannah Seburn drawing a free pass to fill the bags for Kucker. She smoked a double to left-field plating two to trim the deficit to 4-2 heading to the fourth.

Marquis sent a homer over the left-field wall to extend the advantage to 5-2 in the top of the following frame.

Casey was solid in the circle for the Fords as she held the Red and White hitless after the Kucker double until the bottom of the seventh when Kueny and Vinacco both produced base hits. With one gone Kucker stepped up again with a chance to tie the game with one swing. She would not do that, however, she would drive the ball to left scoring Vinacco. Unfortunately, Paige Hahn popped up and Brooke Espenshade grounded out to end game one.

Game Two - DEVILS 5, Fords 2

Pitching Decision

W - Lindsay Kucker (3-5) | L, Rachel McQueen (1-2)

Inside the Game

Kuehn went back to the circle to begin game two for the Devils but ran into immediate trouble in the first as she walked five batters which led to one coming home to score. Kucker replaced her and got May to pop up to retire the side. DC had an early chance in the home-half of the frame with hits by Kueny and Vinacco along with a free pass to Kucker loaded the bases with one away for Hahn. However, both she and Espenshade were turned away by McQueen to keep things at 1-0. 

After a quiet couple of innings for both sides, the Fords had the next best opportunity to add to the scoreboard as they filled the bags with one out in the fourth for Parsons. However, Kucker settled down and retired her and Marquis to wrap things up. Kucker singled to start the bottom-half, but the next three hitters were put away to move the game to the fifth.

Both teams got on the board during the fifth. First, Haverford made it 2-0 with singles by Hujber and May plating one in the away-half. Dickinson loaded the bases on a single for Hannah Brenner, Laila Gwathmey got hit by a pitch, and Vinacco worked a walk. Seburn picked up one of the easiest RBIs of her career by working a walk off a McQueen to plate one. That meant the end of the game for McQueen as Alexa Finkele took over. Her first opponent was Kucker who continued her hot afternoon driving in two more with a knock to right. The Devils added two more in the frame with Hahn reaching on a fielder's choice to score one, before Kucker advanced home when Jen Klepfer (running for Hahn) was caught stealing at second. Brenner ended the rally at 5-2 with a liner to short. 

Kucker allowed a single in the sixth, but then shut the door on the Fords with a one-two-three seventh.

On Deck

Dickinson (7-14, 1-5 Centennial) continues conference play on Tuesday afternoon when they welcome Muhlenberg College to Dickinson Park for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.