Softball Seals First-Ever Ivy Title

Another season, another Ivy League Championship for a Harvard women's athletic team.

And still more history made.

The Harvard softball team clinched the first Ivy title in the program's history this weekend by sweeping a pair of doubleheaders at Penn (10-27, 0-8 Ivy) and Cornell (29-8, 8-4). Harvard (27-20, 10-0) downed the Quakers by scores of 5-0 and 2-0 on Saturday afternoon before surviving a Sunday rain postponement to crush the Big red, 2-1 and 10-0, yesterday in Ithaca.

The Crimson now advances to the postseason, where it will host an NCAA Play-In Series versus the Patriot League Champion beginning on Thursday, May 7. Before the playoffs begin, however, Harvard has a chance to complete the school's first ever undefeated conference season if it can sweep a twin billing from Dartmouth at Hanover on Saturday.

Harvard's pitchers were phenomenal throughout the weekend, especially while outperforming Cornell in a much-anticipated battle with the Big Red's highly-touted staff. Senior southpaw Tasha Cupp (13-5) threw two complete-game shutouts, surrendered just five hits and struck out a combined total of 16 batters.

Freshman Chelsea Thoke (12-9) kept pace with Cupp as the Ivy League leader in strikeouts hurled 10 innings, rang up 15 batters, gave up just three hits and earned a victory. Senior Heather Brown looked sharp on the hill as well, allowing just two hits in four innings against Penn.

Harvard 5, Penn 0

Harvard started the weekend exactly as it had expected--going right after the woeful Quakers. Behind a complete-game two hitter from Cupp, Penn's offense really had no chance. And with its defense committing four errors, Penn sealed its own fate.

But the Crimson took no chances. Led by junior co-captain Tara LaSovage's 3-for-4, four RBI performance--including her third home run of the season--Harvard scored twice in the third, once in the fifth and two more times in the sixth to leave no doubt as to which was the better team.

Junior rightfielder Karen Rice and sophomore leftfielder Jessie Amberg each had 2-for-3 days at the plate with one run scored. Cupp drove in the Crimson's other run to help her own cause.

Rice is Quietly moving her way up Harvard's list of offensive statistical leaders. She is currently second on the team in batting with a .371 average, and she has an on-base percentage of .400, third on the squad.

Harvard 2, Penn 1

Despite 11 hits in game two, Harvard could muster only two runs against Penn pitcher Suzanne Arbogast. But Brown and Thoke made up for the Crimson's offensive inefficiency by combining to throw a gem.

Brown got the start and the win, going four complete innings, as the Quakers mustered only two hits off of the senior. Thoke then came on in relief for the last three frames and fanned four while giving up just one hit.

LaSovage and freshman designated player Mairead McKendry led the way at the plate for Harvard, both recording multiple-hit games. Sophomore first baseman Ghia Godfree and junior third baseman Meredith Bagley scored the Crimson's two runs.

Harvard 2, Cornell 1

With the lowly Quakers out of the way, Harvard focused its attention on its chief rival for the league crown, Cornell. The Crimson needed a split with the Big Red to secure at least a share of the title.

But in would be on easy task, as Cornell threw two-time Ivy League Pitcher of the Week Julie Westbrock at Harvard in the opener. Westbrock was riding a 14-game winning streak entering the contest.

Harvard wasted no time taking it at Westbrock, as LaSovage maintained her offensive onslaught with a first-inning lead-off triple into right. LaSovage scored the first run of the game three batters later when junior catcher Terri Teller rifled a single into leftfield.

The score remained 1-0 until the third inning when sophomore sensation Deborah Abeles crushed a Westbrock pitch over the rightfield fence for a lead-off round-tripper, her Ivy League-leading ninth of the season. Last week Abeles broke the Harvard career home run record with a blast against Boston College.

Behind another outstanding day on the mound from Thoke, Harvard kept the Big Red's bats at bay until the bottom of the seventh. Cornell's Jamie LoCaslio scored on a fielder's choice to Godfree by Wendy Fiel.

But Thoke struck out Stephanie Riggins--her 11th "K"--to end the affair and Westbrock's string. LaSovage finished the game 2-for-3, including a double and a triple, with one run scored.

Harvard 10, Cornell 0

The Crimson must have been frustrated by its lack of run production in the first game, because the nightcap witnessed an offensive explosion by Harvard. Couple the hot bats with typical defensive prowess, and you have Harvard in a runaway.

Harvard's tear began in the third inning when the Crimson sent eight players to the plate. Godfree led off with a walk, moved to second on a LaSovage single to left and advanced to third when Rice drew a walk to juice the bags.

Abeles then launched a sacrifice to center that scored Godfree, and Teller ripped a double down the leftfield line to plate LaSovage and Rice. Harvard would need no more, but the Crimson added four runs in the fifth and three in the sixth before Cupp struck out the last two batters she faced in the bottom of the sixth to invoke the mercy rule and end the contest one inning early.

Abeles had a perfect game at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. LaSovage, Teller and senior Hillary Read had two RBI, LaSovage scoring twice and Read crossing the plate once.

Senior Mandy Wills went 1-for-1 and drove in a pair on a two-RBI single in the fifth. Cupp added another RBI to her weekend offensive total, and she struck out 11 en route to a brilliant three-hit shutout.

Notes

Cupp and Thoke continue to anchor the Ivy League's top pitching staff. This weekend's performances lower Cupp's ERA to 2.07 and increase her career strikeout total to 459. Thoke leads the Ivy League in strikeouts this year with 140 Ks in 124 and one-third innings.

LaSovage had one of the better weekends by a Harvard softball player in recent memory. She went 9-for-15 with a double, two triples, a home run and four RBI to increase her average to .346.

Abeles bounced back from a minislump with a big weekend as well. She was 5-for-10 with two doubles, one home run and three RBI. Abeles currently leads Harvard with a .404 average, and her career home run record stands at 12.

Despite its late-night arrival from Ithaca, Harvard will take to the diamond at Soldiers Field this afternoon at 3 p.m. for its final home games of the season, a double dip with Rhode Island.

Harvard, 5-0 at Warren Field   R  H  E Harvard  002  012  0  --  5  11< Tab>1   Penn  000  000  0  --  0  2   4

HR: Harvard--LaSovage; Penn--None. 2b: Harvard--LaSovage; Penn--None. 2B: Harvard--Abeles; Penn--None. E: Cupp, Atwater, Nakata, Dominic, Pepe.

WP: Cupp (12-5); LP: Pepe (2-9)

Harvard, 2-0 at Warren Field   R  H  E Harvard  001  001  0  --  2  11< Tab>1 Penn  000  000  0  --  0  3   0

E: Abeles.

WP: Brown (2-6); LP: Arbogast (8-13)

Harvard, 2-1 at Niemand-Robison Field   R    H  E Harvard  101  000  0  --  2  40 Cornell  000  000  1  --  1  20

HR: Harvard--Abeles; Cornell--None, 3B: Harvard--LaSovage; Cornell--None. 2B: Harvard--LaSovage; Cornell--LoCascio.

WP: Thoke (12-9); LP: Westbrock (16-2)

HARVARD, 10-0 at Niemand-Robison Field   R  H  E Harvard  003  043  --  --  10  1 1  0 Cornell  000  000  --  --  0  3< Tab>3

2B: Harvard--Abeles, Teller; Cornell--None. E: Quinn, Bombach (2).

WP: Cupp (13-5); LP: Zitarelli (10-4)

HR: Harvard--Abeles; Cornell--None, 3B: Harvard--LaSovage; Cornell--None. 2B: Harvard--LaSovage; Cornell--LoCascio.

WP: Thoke (12-9); LP: Westbrock (16-2)

HARVARD, 10-0 at Niemand-Robison Field   R  H  E Harvard  003  043  --  --  10  1 1  0 Cornell  000  000  --  --  0  3< Tab>3

2B: Harvard--Abeles, Teller; Cornell--None. E: Quinn, Bombach (2).

WP: Cupp (13-5); LP: Zitarelli (10-4)