FT. MYERS, Fla. - The Haverford College baseball team (5-4) continued its torrid start to the 2020 season offensively, scoring 18 runs on 18 hits in an 18-4 victory over Carroll (Wis.) (3-6). Owen Plambeck had another standout contest, with four hits and six RBI to his ledger. Plambeck was one of six Haverford players with multi-hit days. The Fords have now scored 67 runs over the last four contests as the Fort Myers sunshine has proved conducive to power hitting for the squad. The Fords are hitting a scorching .474 on the week, with Plambeck (.692) joining Will Karp (.647) and Zach Landry (.611) as players batting over. 600 since Monday's win over Wooster.
Carroll struck for four runs in the top of the first inning against Haverford starter Eric Kopczynski (2-1), who was making his first collegiate start. Undaunted, Haverford matched that outburst with a four-run frame in the bottom of the third inning. Somorjai was hit by a pitch, and Harrison Burns reached on an error ahead of a sacrifice bunt from Matt Sabitsky. Karp then crushed a triple into right center, plating Somorjai and Burns. A sac fly off the bat of Zach Landry served as prelude to consecutive singles from Luke Smith and Luke Wallis. Plambeck then stepped up to the dish and delivered an RBI double, knotting the score at 4-4.
Somorjai was hit by a pitch in the fifth to help the Fords embark on yet another rally. Burns then walked, forcing a pitching change from Carroll. With two runners on base, Sabitsky reached on a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and Karp then walked the bases loaded. Landry continued his sizzling hot week with a two-RBI single, and Wallis then walked with the bases loaded. Plambeck came up in another big RBI situation in the fifth, delivering a sacrifice fly before the wild inning continued with a double steal, as Smith took home as Wallis advanced into scoring position. Haverford suddenly found itself in command of the contest, up 10-4.
The Fords unleashed another rally in the sixth as Landry and Smith singled to start the inning. Landry was thrown out trying to score, but Wallis singled to put runners on the corners. Plambeck then uncorked another towering home run, extending the Haverford lead to 13-4.
Karp and Plambeck also both played a large hand in a four-run seventh, as Karp doubled down the line for an RBI. Oliver Bergeron later contributed a two-RBI single, and then Plambeck yet again struck for extra bases, pulling into second and making the score 17-4. The Fords added the 18th run of the contest on an error, as Lucas Greenbaum came in to score the first run of his career after entering as a pinch runner.
Kopczynski was effective in his first career start, striking out seven and settling down after the big first frame from the Pioneers. Thomas Primosch tossed a pair of hitless innings with a strikeout before Kevin Casey threw the ninth inning, allowing just one hit and striking out a batter.
The Fords return to action as the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic continues with a doubleheader against Defiance. The first game of the twinbill is slated to begin at 9 a.m.