Team Wins First Four CC Games For The First Time In 17 Years

CHESTERTOWN, MD – Host Washington College swept Haverford for the third straight season in a Centennial Conference softball doubleheader this afternoon at Washington College Softball Field.  The Shorewomen downed the Fords, 8-3, in game one and rallied to post a 6-2 win in the second game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.  The Shorewomen improve to 12-7 overall and 4-0 in the conference, while the Fords drop to 8-5-1 and 0-2 respectively.  Washington is 4-0 in Centennial play for just the second time, the other time being in 1995.

In game two, Haverford led 2-0 entering the bottom of the sixth with single runs in the first and third innings when the Shorewomen exploded for six runs to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead.  Haverford pitcher Claire Fitzgerald issued back-to-back walks to sophomore Lauren Dockrill (San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic) and sophomore Kylie Nottingham (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) to put runners on first and second with no out.  The next hitter, freshman Suzanne Patinella (Fallston, MD/Maryvale Prep) singled to left-center to load the bases.  Dockrill would score on a wild pitch to cut the Fords' lead to 2-1 and Kylie Nottingham would score on a single through the left side by freshman Kristin Cooper (Georgetown, DE/Sussex Central) to even the game at 2-2.  With one away, junior Shaelan Nottingham (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) doubled down the right field line with the ball just inside fair territory to plate Patinella and put Washington up 3-2.  Cooper would score on a squeeze bunt off the bat of junior Lindsey Glascock (Glenwood, MD/Glenelg) to give the hosts a two-run lead.  Freshman Molly Gallagher (Abindgon, MD/Edgewood), who came in to pinch-run for Shaelan Nottingham, scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of freshman Christine Anderson (Palmer Lake, CO/Lewis-Palmer) to make it 5-2.  WC capped off the scoring when Glascock scored on a single down the left field line by freshman Kelsey Graham (Dunkirk, MD/Northern) to give the Shorewomen a 6-2 lead and provided the final margin.  Haverford got one runner on in the of the seventh inning, but could not score.

The Fords scored in the top of the first on back-to-back doubles by Lauren Touey and Jen DiCandilo with the latter driving in the former to make it 1-0 Haverford.  The guests made it 2-0 in the top of the third when Elizabeth Newman scored on a two-bagger by DiCandilo.

For Washington in game two, Graham and Patinella each had two hits in the win.  In the circle, junior pitcher Brittany Walter (Forest Hill, MD/C. Milton Wright) got the win and improves to 2-5.  She went six innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits.  She walked three and struck out five.  Cooper tossed a scoreless seventh inning for the Shorewomen, giving up just one hit.

Touey was a perfect 4-for-4 in game two for Haverford and had a game high in hits.  DiCandilo went 2-for-4 with both RBI for the guests.  Fitzgerald took the loss in the circle for the Fords and drops to 4-2.  She tossed a complete game, allowing eight hits, six runs, walking four and striking out four.

In game one, Washington jumped out to a 5-0 lead en route to an 8-3 win.  The Shorewomen took a 2-0 lead in the last of the second when Cooper socked her third home run in four games, a two-run shot, over the left-center field wall just out of the reach of a leaping Newman to put the hosts up for good in the opener.

In the last of the third, Kylie Nottingham tripled down the right field line with one out and scored on a single to right by Patinella to give the hosts a 3-0 lead.  Patinella would score on a two-base hit to left by Cooper to make it 4-0.  The scoring was capped when Cooper scored on a single up the middle by Shaelan Nottingham.

The Fords got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 5-2.  Laura Iwanyk doubled to left to plate Dayle Comerford and DiCandilo to trim the WC lead to three runs.

Washington answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take an 8-2 lead.  Graham scored on a Kylie Nottingham single down the left field line to make it 6-2.  Dockrill scored on a throwing error by the Fords to give the hosts a five-run bulge.  Gallagher came home on an RBI groundout by Cooper to push the lead to 8-2.  The Fords got one run in the top of the fifth when DiCandilo singled to center to drive in Jill Schnall to cut the lead to 8-3 and close out the scoring in game one.

For Washington in the opener, Cooper went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored to spark the offense.  Kylie Nottingham went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, while Patinella scored twice.  Anderson and Shaelan Nottingham both recorded two hits in the win.  In the circle, senior Jill Piasecki (Galena, MD/Kent County) went the first 4 2/3 innings to record the win and improve to 5-1 on the season.  She allowed six hits, three runs, two of which were earned.  Cooper allowed just one hit in the final 2 1/3 innings, striking out five hitters out of the seven she retired.

Iwanyk had a pair of RBI for the Fords in game one.  Pitching wise, Brittany Stevenson went the distance, but took the loss and falls to 4-3.  She gave up 12 hits, eight runs, five of which were earned, walking and striking out three.

WC has now won six straight from Haverford, the longest streak since winning 10 in a row from 1999-2003.

The Shorewomen conclude their eight-game, four-doubleheader homestand on Thursday afternoon against visiting Widener.  First pitch for the non-conference twinbill is slated for 3:00 p.m.