Swarthmore sweeps McDaniel with pair of four-run victories

WESTMINSTER, Md. – Melissa O'Connor did not allow a hit through five innings and finished with a three-hit, six-strikeout shutout to cap Swarthmore's doubleheader sweep of McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) softball action on Thursday.

The Garnet (6-14, 2-4 CC) took the opener 5-1 for its first conference win of the season before completing the sweep with a 4-0 win in game two.

Rachel Sidney (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) led the Green Terror (8-13, 3-4 CC) with two hits, recording a base knock in each game.

Kate Smayda, Kira Kern and Nicole Aaron led Swarthmore's offense with three hits apiece in the two games combined.

Scoreless through the first three innings of the operner, Elizabeth Cushing drew a walk to lead off the visitor fourth.

A singled up the middle and fielder's choice put runners at the corners with two ours for Aaron, who doubled in Cushing for a 1-0 lead.

With one out in the fifth, Kern singled through the right side then stole second before scoring on a Jessica Lammerts single to left.

A fielding error and hit batter loaded the bases before Rose Pitkin drove in Lammerts for a 3-0 lead.

An Ashley Crawford (New Market, Md./Linganore) one-out home run in the bottom of the frame trimmed the deficit to 3-1.

Kern reached on an error to lead off the seventh before scoring on a Lammerts double the gap in left-center.

After a sacrifice bunt put Lammerts at third, she scored on a Krista Scheirer bloop single to left.

Smayda went the distance in the opener for her first win of the season in the circle.

The Garnet notched two-out singles in each of the first four innings of the nightcap but it was a one-out error in the second that allowed Pitkin to score on Katie Teleky's single for a 1-0 lead.

A one-out fielding error, stolen base, wild pitch and Pitkin double doubled the advantage in the visitor sixth.

With one out in the seventh, Smayda and Kern reached on infield singles. Coupled with a pair of stolen bases between the knocks, Smayda was able to score from third on Kern's slap up the middle.

Kern also stole second and scored on a Cushing single to left for the final margin.

McDaniel returns to action at Muhlenberg on Saturday. The first game of the doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.

Score by Inning – Game One    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    -     R   H   E
Swarthmore (5-14, 1-4 CC)            0    0    0    1    2    0    2    -     5    9    1
McDaniel (8-13, 3-4 CC)               0    0    0    0    1    0    0    -     1    7    2

Kate Smayda and Danielle Seltzer; Sara Erlichman, Ashley Meister (5), Erlichman (7), Erinne Warrenfeltz (7) and Leigh Blohm. WP: Smayda (1-0). LP: Erlichman (5-2). S: none. SO-BB: Smayda 2-1; Erlichman 1-1, Meister 1-0, Warrenfeltz 0-0.

Score by Inning – Game Two     1    2    3    4    5    6    7    -     R   H   E
Swarthmore (6-14, 2-4 CC)            0    1    0    0    0    1    2    -     4    9    0
McDaniel (8-14, 3-4 CC)               0    0    0    0    0    0    0    -     0    3    2

Melissa O'Connor and Danielle Seltzer; Erinne Warrenfeltz and Tracy Davis. WP: O'Connor (4-5). LP: Warrenfeltz (0-3). S: none. SO-BB: O'Connor 6-4; Warrenfeltz 3-0.

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