Cooper Fires Shutout In Game One; Briganti 3-For-3 In Game Two

CHESTERTOWN, MD – Host Washington College and visiting Haverford split a Centennial Conference softball doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Washington College Softball Field.  The Shorewomen blanked the Fords, 2-0, in game one, but the Fords rebounded to take game two by a 10-7 score.  The Shorewomen are now 13-4 overall and 3-1 in the conference, while the Fords are 11-5 and 1-1 respectively.

In game one, the Shorewomen score a single run in each of their first two trips to the plate.  Freshman Paige Briganti (Severna Park, MD/Severna Park) scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-0 Washington and senior Lindsey Glascock (Glenwood, MD/Glenelg) was plunked with the bases loaded in the last of the second to plate freshman Jaclyn Jayo (Peoria, AZ/Liberty) for the game's second and final run.

Sophomore Kristin Cooper (Georgetown, DE/Sussex Central) fired her program record fifth shutout of the season as she scattered five hits, walked one and struck out four in going the distance for the eighth time this season.  Cooper improved to 8-2 with the victory.  For Washington, it was the team's third straight shutout, a program first.

For Haverford, Emily Winesett took the loss and drops to 5-3.  She went the distance too, allowing three hits, two earned runs, walking three and fanning three.  Lauren Touey had two hits for the Fords to lead all players.

In game two, Washington jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the last of the second.  Freshman Jennifer Hanner (Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) scored on a squeeze play to make it 1-0 with one out and with two away, Briganti singled down the left field line to plate junior Lauren Dockrill (San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic) for the frame's second run.  In the bottom of the third, junior Kylie Nottingham (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) doubled to left with nobody out to score Glascock to make it 3-0.

The Fords scored eight times in the top of the fourth to take the lead for good and it was the first time in conference play that a team scored on Washington.  The Shorewomen had no surrendered a run in the first 22 innings of Centennial play.  Kristin Tatum scored on a fielding error to cut the lead to 3-1 with nobody out.  Jill Schnall worked out a bases loaded walk to force home Touey to trim the lead to 3-2.  Haverford tied it at 3-3 when Elizabeth Newman singled through the right side to score Sarah Brody. The Fords took the lead when Gabrielle Sapienza scored on a fielder's choice to put the visitors ahead 4-3.  With two outs, Schnall scored on a fielding error to make it 5-3.  Touey would single to right-center to score Julie Garlick and Jen DiCandilo to put the Fords up 7-3.  Haverford capped the scoring on a Brody single to shallow center that plated Tatum to give Haverford a five-run lead.

Washington got one back in the last of the fourth when sophomore Molly Gallagher (Abingdon, MD/Edgewood) came home on an RBI groundout by Glascock to cut the lead to 8-4.  Haverford answered with a leadoff home run by Newman in the top of the fifth to make it 9-4.

The Shorewomen scored three times to reduce to Fords' lead to two runs at 9-7.  Sophomore Christine Anderson (Palmer Lake, CO/Lewis-Palmer) scored on an error by the Fords to cut the lead to 9-5.  On the same play, Dockrill scored via the error to make it 9-6 Haverford.  Jayo scored the final run with one out when she scored on a pop-up sacrifice fly by sophomore Kelsey Graham (Dunkirk, MD/Northern) for the third and final run of the frame.

The Fords scored the final run of the game in the top of the seventh when Dayle Comerford doubled to left field with two outs to score Newman.  The Fords retired the Shorewomen in order in the bottom of the seventh to close out the scoring.

For Haverford, Newman was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Touey was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.  Brody had two hits in four at-bats, while Tatum scored twice.  The Fords had nine hits in the win.  In the circle, Sara Tauriello got the win in relief and improves to 4-0 on the year.  She struck out six in five innings.

For Washington, Briganti was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Dockrill scored twice.  Pitching wise, Anderson took the loss and falls to 4-2.  She went three-plus innings, giving up five runs, but just three were earned.  Five of the runs Washington pitchers allowed in game two were unearned.

Washington committed six errors in the game, while Haverford had four errors.

The Shorewomen return to action on Saturday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. Centennial Conference doubleheader versus visiting Muhlenberg.