Release courtesy of Swarthmore Athletic Communications

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The No. 22 Swarthmore College softball team became the first program in 25 years to repeat as Centennial Conference Champions, dominating Haverford College 12-1 in five innings on Sunday afternoon to retain the title.
 
The Garnet are the first team to go back-to-back since Muhlenberg College in 2000-2001 and the first to do so since the tournament format began in 2001. McDaniel College won a share of the conference championship in both 1994 and 1995. Ursinus College was a co-champion in 1995 before winning the title outright in both 1996 and 1997.
 
With the victory, Swarthmore earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It is the program's first back-to-back trips to the national tourney. The Garnet will learn of their tournament path when the selection show airs on May 11.
 
Lilly Goldberg was named the Centennial Tournament Most Valuable Player, going 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA. She was the winner in all three of Swarthmore's postseason contests, tossing two complete games with one shutout. The sophomore allowed just one run and 12 hits over 15.0 innings. Goldberg walked two and struck out six.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Fords nearly got on the board in the first with two outs. Haverford hit a double followed by a single to center. The runner attempted to score from second but Iris Barone came up firing from center and threw her out at the plate to end the inning and hype up the Garnet.
 
- Swarthmore then jumped on the Fords with five runs in the bottom of the first. Barone led off with a double and went to third on a groundout. It marked the 200^th career hit for the senior, becoming the first player in program history to reach the number. Emilee Espinoza smacked an RBI triple to right center and scored on an error to give the Garnet a 2-0 lead. Avery McClure singled and Linnaea Rasmussen walked before both came home on a double by Kate Borza. Borza went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout to end the scoring in the frame.

- Haverford put two runners on in the second but Goldberg again emerged unscathed. The Swarthmore offense tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Barone was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a dropped third strike. She became the conference's all-time leader in runs scored on the play. McClure then came up with two outs and blasted a two-run homer just inside the pole in left to make it 8-0.
 
- Goldberg pitched another scoreless inning in the third before giving way to Iris Castor in the fourth. Castor sat down the Fords in order before the Garnet scored four more times in the bottom of the frame. McClure drove in Barone with a single and two more runs scored on an error. Borza recorded a base hit to plate McClure and Swarthmore had a commanding 12-0 advantage.
 
- Haverford spoiled the shutout with an RBI single in the fifth but could not deny the Garnet. Lane Barron entered the pitching circle and recorded the final out to start the Swarthmore celebration.

GARNET LEADERS
Goldberg: W, 3.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K (Tournament MVP)
Barone: 1-1, 2B, BB, 2 SB, 3 R
Espinoza: 1-2, 3B, RBI, R
McClure: 3-3, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
Borza: 2-2, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, R
 
UP NEXT
The Garnet (33-8) will be tuned in to the NCAA Tournament selection show on May 11 at 11 a.m.