CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Morgan Comfort's arm and bat drove the Ursinus College softball team to a 6-0 victory in the finale of Tuesday's Centennial Conference opener at Washington College, giving the Bears an impressive split with the preseason league favorite.

Comfort helped her own cause with an RBI single as Ursinus bounced back from a tough setback in a 1-0 pitchers' duel and defeated the Shorewomen for the first time since 2012. The rookie's first career complete-game shutout followed a gem by senior Kaitlyn Willis, who wound up on the short end of a pitch-for-pitch battle with Taylor Harcum.

Willis and Comfort combined to hold a Washington College team that came in leading the CC in scoring to 11 hits – ten of them singles – and one run.

Junior Samantha Garritano had a two-run single in the top of the first, paving the way for the Bears (9-5, 1-1) to snap an 11-game skid against Washington College and give Ursinus its first triumph in Chestertown since a sweep in 2011.

Game 1: Washington College 1, Ursinus 0

Chances were few and far between as Willis and Harcum traded zeroes against overmatched offenses. Neither team had a hit until the third inning, when junior Gabrielle Manto led off the frame with a base hit to center but was left stranded at second after a sacrifice by Comfort.

The Shorewomen (8-12, 1-1) missed an opportunity of their own in the bottom half, as Willis worked around a leadoff double with the help of an inning-ending, sliding grab by Garritano in center.

The Bears left two stranded in the fifth and the hosts took advantage. Two singles and a stolen base sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with only one out, and Allyson Meil bounced a single just out of Comfort's reach and into left-center field for a 1-0 lead. The Shorewomen could have had more, but Garritano caught a fly ball and hosed Leah Stokes at home to end the threat

Ursinus had a runner on second in the sixth and seventh, but Harcum managed to work out of trouble both times to cap her own shutout.

Manto finished 2-for-3 and freshman Heather Lazer had a two-out double in the sixth to account for all of the Bears' hits on the day.

Willis (4-3) allowed just four hits and struck out eight with two walks.

Harcum struck out six and walked three for Washington College.

Game 2: Ursinus 6, Washington College 0

The Bears went about lifting the Shorewomen's spell with an early onslaught. Comfort drew a leadoff walk and went to third after the home side muffed the throw to first on junior Kayla Quinn's sacrifice bunt. After a groundout, Garritano plated both Comfort and Quinn with a base hit up the middle.

A pair of infield hits by freshman Alyssa Myers and junior Sammi Donato put runners on the corners with one out in the second, and Comfort added to the damage with a single through the right side to make it 3-0. After Quinn advanced a pair of runners with a groundout, Donato dashed home on a wild pitch and Lazer capped a three-run frame with her own infield RBI single.

Lazer didn't need her bat to help the Bears pile on in the sixth, taking a hit-by-pitch to force in a run with two outs.

Washington College threatened to break up the shutout in the sixth, but Comfort got pinch-hitter Amelia Mazza to bounce out to first base with runners on second and third. The home side produced back-to-back singles with two down in the seventh before Comfort closed it out with a fielder's choice grounder to second.

Comfort (5-1) walked one and struck out one, inducing 14 ground-ball outs to just five fly balls and holding the Shorewomen to 2-for-11 with runners on and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Garritano and Lazer each drove in a pair, while Donato and classmate Callie Course both went 2-for-4 with a double.

Up Next

McDaniel comes to Snell Field for a CC doubleheader on Saturday.