Weary Batswomen Drop Pair

We've all heard the saying "Let's play two."

But what about four? Or six?

It was a weary Harvard softball team that faced Holy Cross yesterday at Soldiers Field. Playing four games in a 24-hour span and six games in less than two days, the Crimson (7-8) just couldn't seem to get the bats going. Holy Cross (8-8) swept the doubleheader winning the first game, 4-0, and taking game two, 4-1.

"We just couldn't hit the ball," Crimson Coach Barry Haskell said, "and you have to score to win."

The Crusaders took advantage early in the first contest.

Sharon Brigham led off the second inning with a single to left-center. Katie Matylewski followed with a single to left. After a double-steal, there were runners on second and third with nobody out.

Harvard freshman Julie Fromholz worked to get out of the jam as Paula Renaud lined out and Tricia Matthews hit a fly out to centerfield. Brigham tagged from third and almost got caught in a run-down, but a Beth Reilly throw hit the runner in the shoulder and bounded away. Brigham and Matylewski both scored to give Holy Cross a 2-0 lead.

Pitching and good defense by both squads dominated play into the seventh, but then Holy Cross struck again.

Matthews led off with a single to center. Patty Dimeno's ensuing bunt was fielded cleanly by Fromholz, but her throw to first handcuffed Ellen Cox. Dimeno was safe at first; Matthews scrambled to third. The Crusaders then pulled off another double-steal to make the score 3-0, and Dimeno eventually scored on a Mary Gobes sacrifice fly to round out the scoring at 4-0.

Take Two

Game two was a strikingly similar affair.

The Crimson managed a two-out first inning threat when Beth Wambach and Elizabeth Crowley had consecutive base hits, but Fromholz's ground ball up the middle was speared by Holy Cross pitcher Amy Cotter.

In the top of the second, Harvard displayed the heads-up defense which has characterized its play this season. With a runner on second and nobody out, Reilly stopped a hard-hit ball to third for a put out, junior Lee Polikoff struck out Renaud, and catcher and Captain Nancy Prior picked off the Holy Cross runner at third.

Jen Clawson kept the momentum going in the bottom of the inning by smacking a triple to the gap in right center. But flawless Crusader defense prevented the Crimson from picking up the run.

Holy Cross' four runs proved to be plenty on this day as every time Harvard was about to break loose with a big inning, the Crusaders would pull off an unbelievable defensive play to end the threat.

"We didn't win because we didn't score runs," Prior said. "Every time we threatened, they would make a big play."

The bottom of the third is a perfect example. After Prior nearly killed the pitcher with a rocket right into her glove, Reilly and Wambach both singled. Next, Crowley delivered a scorcher to left which had extra-bases and two RBI's written all over it. Somehow Matylewski managed not only to catch the smash but also to double off Reilly at second.

Holy Cross did major damage in the third.

With two out and two on, Crusader catcher Michelle Fagnant bombed a three-run homer to break the scoreless deadlock.

Holy Cross built the lead to 4-0 in the fifth, and Harvard finally broke into the scoring column in the sixth.

The Crimson loaded the bases with nobody out on the strength of singles by Reilly and Wambach and a walk to Crowley. After Fromholz flied to center and Clawson forced Reilly out at home, Liz McNamara beat out an infield single to put Harvard on the scoreboard.

But the Crimson was frustrated again when Katy Frucher's apparent single to rightfield was nullified by a controversial runners' interference call.

The Crimson hosts Bentley in a doubleheader at Soldiers Field tomorrow at 3 p.m.