Batwomen End Up 2-1 for Weekend: Take Doubleheader, Shut Out by Bears

The Crimson softball team didn't have much trouble with the dogs but got shut out by the bears this weekend.

The batwomen took both ends of a doubleheader from the Boston University Terriers on Saturday. 3-2 in extra innings, and 11-2.

But yesterday the wildlife was stronger, as the Black Bears of Maine shut out the Crimson, 5-0. The second game of the scheduled double-header at MIT was postponed because of rain.

The batwomen's record now stands at 2-2.

Again playing a warm-weather sport in frigid conditions, the Crimson began its home opener by falling behind B.U. 2-0 when the Terriers got to pitcher Gerri Rubin for two runs in the third inning.

Playing scrappy softball, Harvard came back slowly in the next two innings, emphasizing singles rather than the long ball to score one run in both the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game.

Rubin blanked the Terriers for the rest of the seven innings, and Harvard was unable to capitalize in the bottom of the seventh when Joan Cunningham stranded two runners on base at the end of the inning by flying out to left.

Harvard held on in the top of the eighth as B.U.'S leadoff hitter popped to short. The next B.U. bitter, however, hitting cleanup, put a scare into the batwomen as she tripled. Luckily the Crimson survived the threat when the next two Terriers flied out to right fielder Mary McKinnon.

In the Harvard half of the eighth, the scrappy batwomen needed only four atbats to get what they needed--the winning run.

Freshman Lisa Rowning, pinch hitting for Rubin, started the inning by coming through in the clutch for a single just past the Terrier third baseman's glove. Rowning was moved over to third by two perfect sacrifice bunts by Captain Ellen Sackaroff and McKinnon. The other co-captain, senior Landya Boyer, won the contest by knocking Rowning in with a single.

"I wasn't really expecting to do anything in the first game, so it was kind of a surprise." Rowning said later. "I knew the pitching wasn't really fast, just average, and I was glad hit the ball."

Buoyed by their come-from-behind victory in the first game. Harvard erupted for 11 hits in the second game to crush the Terriers 11-2 Rowning the team's designated hitter for the contest led the charge with a 3 for 4 performance as well as scoring three runs. Sophomore Judy Zachariasen also provided power hitting two doubles after coming in as a pinch hitter Sackaroff who at shortstop isn't really expected to be demon offensively, came through with two hits, including a bunt single.

"Our bats really came alive," said Coach John Wentzell. "Before they caught everything. This game, they all dropped in."

Freshman Janet Dickerman, pitching her first game ever in a Crimson uniform, used control rather than a lot of heat to hold B.U. to two hits in the victory. "It was really great, I got a lot of help from the outfielders. I just tried to hit the corners and change speed a lot."

In yesterday's loss to Main, played in dismal 40-degree weather, the Crimson was not able to produce any substantial offense. Besides Boyer's leadoff single, the batwomen came up with only two other hits. Maine recorded six hits and took advantage of six Harvard errors to triumph, 5-0. It was the second time this season the Crimson had been shut out, both times by scores of 5-0.

Wentzell was both please and philosophical about the mixed results of the weekend. "We played excellent teams, and we played well. Our pitching's been great, but we need more runs. Three hits isn't going to do it for us. When we get more games under our belts, we'll be better. I'm not displeased at all."