Softballers Sweep Crusaders

It was short.

It was sweet.

And it was all Crimson.

After a weekend which saw Harvard's softball team (0-0 Ivy, 8-12 overall) lose three of four games against Maine and Vermont, the Crimson rebounded Tuesday to sweep Holy Cross, 7-3, 11-3, in what was one of the team's best performances of the season.

"Played Awesome"

"We Played awesome in both games," junior Jana Meader said. "Everyone put in good performances all-around. Defense, hitting, pitching--they were all there for us."

Going into the game, Harvard was somewhat wary of the Crusaders. Holy Cross has been working into build its programs after a few tough years. But Tuesday, the Crimson put such considerations aside and dominated.

"They didn't have a really great program a couple of years ago," Meader said. "Their program has improved a lot over the years, as has ours. I guess yesterday [Tuesday] we just showed that our program is outgrowing theirs."

In the first game, the Crimson passed its biggest resilience test of season. After even innings, the squad found itself down 3-2, and looking a loss in the face.

"We came out a little flat," junior Elizabeth Walker said. "We were playing well on defense, but we weren't hitting well."

But in the final inning. Harvard hit pay dirt, stroking five runs to win the game by four.

"That was a really good win," Walker said. "We were really hot in the last inning."

The team then carried the momentum over into the second game, which it led from the beginning to end.

"The second game wasn't really a contest," Walker said. "We ran away with it."

The win gives the Crimson a three-game losing streak, its longest of the season. The team defeated Vermont 8-7 on Sunday in its final game of the weekend.

BU This Afternoon

Harvard will get the chance to extend that winning streak this afternoon when it travels across the river to take on Boston University in a doubleheader. Action will get started at 3 p.m.

After the BU games, the Crimson will begin the Ivy League portion of its schedule on Saturday when it hosts Princeton.

The Tigers currently reside at the top of the division standings with a 4-0 league record and a 21-9 overall mark. They have been tested by both league and non-league teams, and have a lot of experience as a squad.

Still, the Crimson is confident.

"The Holy Cross wins were really good for us," Meader said. "Everything is beginning to click now, and we are beginning to gain some confidence."