HAVERFORD, Pa. - It was a real roller-coaster ride for the Dickinson softball team on Sunday afternoon as they visited the Fords of Haverford College at the Class of '95 Field. First, in game one it was the Red and White who took command early and never looked back in a 10-6 win. However, in the second game DC had to rally back from a 6-0 hold after five en route to an 8-7 extra inning win.

Game One - DEVILS 10, Fords 6
Time of Game - 2:00
Pitching Decision
W - Riley Kuehn (8-2) | L - Alexa Finkele (2-7)

Inside the Game
Dickinson immediately applied the pressure as Devon Kueny led off with a single, before swiping two straight bags. After Jane Lloyd walked, Kueny would be picked off of third base, which also allowed Lloyd to scamper to third. That was followed by an RBI groundout by Eden Blanker. The game stayed at 1-0 until the top of third as with one out Lloyd singled and Blanker worked a walk. Paige Hahn would reach on an error by the shortstop allowing Lloyd to score. Zoe Kleeblatt followed with a two-bagger to center plating one more, before Abby Kohan notched a single to right making it 4-0. That chased Finkele from the game and brought on Susie Pieper. She would get Emily Whelan to swing through strike three. However, the catcher dropped the pitch which forced her to throw to first to complete out giving time for Kleeblatt to hustle home for the 5-0 lead through three. 

Kuehn was dominant in the circle for the Red and White giving up just two hits over the first three frames. In the top of the fourth, Laila Gwathmey began things with a single, before walks to Kueny and Lloyd loaded the bags. Two batters later Hahn drove home two with a double to right, which then set the stage for a Kleeblatt RBI two-bagger extending it to 8-0. Haverford pulled three back in the bottom-half as a single by Kaila Uyeda gave Jocelyn Leal the opportunity for the sac fly two batters later to make it 8-1. Mia Kessinger doubled next, before Abby Marquis provided a two-run homer. 

In the sixth, Dickinson loaded the bases with one out thanks to two singles and a walk. A single from Kleeblatt along with a sacrifice fly to center for Kohan plated two more pushing the lead to 10-3 heading to the home-half. Haverford grabbed three more with their chance after picking up three doubles and a single to cut it down to 10-6. Haverford went to work in the last of the seventh and were able to get a one-out single from Uyeda off of reliever Lindsay Kucker, but then watched back-to-back groundouts end the game. 

Game Two - DEVILS 8, Fords 7 (F/9)
Time of Game - 2:04
Pitching Decision 
W - Riley Kuehn (9-2) | L - Rachel McQueen (6-8)

Inside the Game
After the first two-and-a-half frames went by scoreless the Fords tallied three times in the last of the third thanks to a hit batter and three singles. They then added three more during the last of the fifth as a walk and two singles made it 4-0, before Leal pounded a two-run double to center for a 6-0 advantage going to the sixth. 

With two down in the top-half a double by Blanker set the stage for an RBI knock by Hahn. After Haverford was held off the board during the sixth the Red and White went in search of a massive rally in the seventh. An error let Kohan reach safely, before a single by Brooke Espenshade put runners on the corners for Gwathmey. Both she and Kueny followed with back-to-back RBI singles to trim it down to 6-3. Lloyd was then walked to load the cushions for Blanker. She delivered a RBI knock to left plating two, before Hahn drove home two with a single to center giving DC a 7-6 edge.  Kuehn replaced Kucker in the circle to start the home-half and got a quick out, but then allowed a solo homer by Kessinger to knot the score forcing extras. 

After a quiet eighth, a single by Lloyd began the ninth. With the next two hitters retired Kleeblatt came through clutch with a run-scoring single to center. Kohan followed with a knock to put two on, unfortunately, Whelan grounded out to second for the last out. Kuehn nailed down the sweep with a "one-two-three" bottom of the ninth. 

The On-Deck Circle 
Dickinson (18-10, 7-1 Centennial) will look to maintain their hold on the top spot in the conference when they head to the battlefield to take on Gettysburg College for a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 3pm. Read Full Article