Two One-Run Wins for Softball

A riddle: Although perhaps it was not perfect yesterday, even a little turbulent at times, it was better than the weekend, holds promise for the future, and finished in style. What is it?

The weather? Close, but wrong (The weather yesterday was as perfect as it gets in Cambridge.)

The correct response is the Harvard women's softball team, which swept Cornell in a twinbill yesterday at Soldier's Field, 8-7, 2-1.

The win boosted the Crimson's record to 10-5 (3-1 Ivy).

The key to this win was Harvard's defense, which was tighter than Olivia Newton-John's leather pants in the final scene of "Grease."

"Defensively we were solid today," Reinhard said. "We didn't throw the ball around like we did last weekend."

Junior Nicole Desharnais ripped a triple with the bases loaded in the first half of the twinbill and knocked in two runs in the second game to pace the Crimson attack.

Sophomore Elizabeth Walker started the twinbill on the mound for Harvard, pitching the first five innings. Senior Christine Carr relieved Walker, finished the game and went on to pitch the full seven innings of the second game, striking out five batters

"Liz did a great job in the first game," Reinhard said. "Christine gave us the confidence to pull out the victories."

While both sides combined for 15 runs in the first game--which the Crimson won on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh--the bats cooled down and the pitchers warmed up for the second game:

Until the top of the fourth, the scoreboard read 0-0. Then Cornell pulled ahead with a fly ball over the centerfielder's head, knocking in one run for the Big Red.

After that, all was quiet until Desharnais stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth. With a forceful, solid swing, she hit the ball into deep right field and sent two of her teammates across home plate.

Coming back from behind is unusual for Harvard, and yesterday is seen as a positive sign, both mentally and physically.

"We have trouble coming back from behind," Captain Nancy Johnson said. "It was good for us mentally to come back like that."

The mental endurance displayed yesterday will be vital to the Crimson during the next few days. The team plays eight more game's this week, beginning with a doubleheader at Providence this afternoon.