Softball Wins First-Ever Ivy Title With Unblemished League Record

After three years of being the bridesmaid, the Harvard softball team finally took its own walk down the aisle in 1998.

Harvard (34-22, 12-0 Ivy) captured its first-ever Ivy League championship this season--following three consecutive second-place league finishes in the past three years--and made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Regionals, advancing to the Regional semifinals as one of the nation's top 24 teams.

"This has been my greatest year ever with softball," said co-captain Jenny Franzese. "Making history has been an amazing experience."

The 1998 season was one in which Harvard's players helped the program perform better than it had at any point in its 18-year history. Records were broken, milestones were reached and, for one magical afternoon on April 28, Harvard was even perfect.

Record: 34-22, 12-0 Ivy

Coach: Jenny Allard

Highlights: Wins first-ever Ivy title; Has perfect league record; Tasha Cupp pitches perfect game, named Ivy Pitcher of the Year; Tara LaSovage named Ivy League Player of the Year.

Seniors: Heather Brown, Tasha Cupp, Jenny Franzese, Tara Hartl, Hillary Read, Mandy Wills

On that overcast Tuesday, senior ace Tasha Cupp brightened the day for the Crimson and its fans by hurling the first perfect game in Harvard history, a 3-0 victory over Rhode Island. Cupp fanned six Rams that day, and she graduates today as Harvard's all-time leader in strikeouts with 486 career Ks.

"We had just clinched the Ivy League one week before, and the perfect game added something I never expected," Cupp said.

"Tasha's perfect game came right when we started to peak," Franzese said. "It totally fit into our season. It showed how focused we were; it was an example of how dedicated we were."

Cupp also led the parade of Harvard players who received postseason honors. The southpaw was voted Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, the first Harvard player to earn that distinction, and was one of six members of the Crimson to be named to the All-Ivy First Team.

Cupp was also named to the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) Division I All-Star Team and the Northeast All-Region Second Team. She finished the year with an outstanding 1.37 ERA, the third-best single-season ERA in Harvard history.

"It is a great way to leave," Cupp said. "We are the first class graduating without any regret. We knew what we could accomplish, and we did it."

Sophomore shortstop Deborah Abeles was the Crimson's offensive juggernaut, leading her team and the Ivies in nearly every major statistical category during the regular season, including batting average (.437), home runs (10) and RBI (53). In only her second season, Abeles broke the Harvard career records for home runs (13) and RBI (90).

Her 10 dingers, 53 RBI and 71 hits (including the playoffs) this year are all new single-season records as well. For her contribution Abeles joined Cupp on the All-Ivy First Team and NEISCA Division I All-Star Team. She garnered a spot on the Northeast All-Region First Team as well.

Junior co-captain and second baseman Tara LaSovage became the first Harvard player ever to be voted Ivy League Player of the Year. She batted an eye-popping .526 in 12 conference games and was also named to the All-Ivy First Team.

Franzese, Harvard's starting centerfielder in all four years of her career, was named to the All-Ivy Second Team. She also received NEISCA Division I All-Star Honorable Mention accolades.

Juniors third baseman Meredith Bagley and rightfielder Karen Rice and sophomore utility player Jessie Amberg rounded out Harvard's list of All-Ivy First Team selections. Senior leftfielder Hillary Read, junior catcher Terri Teller and freshman pitcher Chelsea Thoke joined Franzese as All-Ivy Second Team honorees, and freshman utility player Mairead McKendry was an All-Ivy Honorable Mention.

"In previous years, we've felt that we deserved more recognition than we received," Cupp said. "To finally make the most of all our talent is great. And the best part was that it wasn't just the stars who were honored--a lot of players who have been solid for the last few years made it also. Everyone was recognized."

But the individual accomplishments and recognition are only representations of what Harvard softball achieved as a team in 1998. The Crimson, quite simply, enjoyed the best season in the history of its program.

Harvard kicked off its 1998 campaign at the Florida Atlantic Invitational where it posted a 4-2 record. The Crimson dropped its opening game, 8-5, to Florida Atlantic before rebounding to defeat Furman, 8-2, and Villanova, 1-0. A close 3-2 loss to then No.13 Missouri inspired Harvard with the confidence to compete against top-caliber teams, and the Crimson closed out its trip to South Florida with a 2-1 victory over No. 20 Illinois-Chicago and an 11-3 rout of Florida International.

After its excursion to Florida, Harvard headed to the West Coast for a 19-game, spring break swing through California. Harvard sandwiched three doubleheaders between the Sacramento State Tournament and the Cal State-Hayward Tournament, going 8-11 for the week against some of the nation's top teams.

Harvard posted victories over the likes of Central Michigan, Kansas and Ohio State. It also suffered convincing defeats at the hands of third-ranked Fresno State, fifth-ranked Nebraska and ninth-ranked Stanford. Still, the Crimson returned to Cambridge confident that its effort against some of the country's best would make the team much more competitive against its East Coast rivals. It did.

After splitting three doubleheaders against Hofstra, Rutgers and Holy Cross in early April, Harvard proceeded to win 17 of its final 20 games, including separate winning streaks of six and nine games. The Crimson capped off its first undefeated Ivy season in school history, captured its First ever Ivy title and earned a spot in an NCAA Play-In Series against Holy Cross with the winner destined for the NCAA Regionals.

"We didn't know how good we were after the California trip," Franzese said, "but it helped us prepare for the rest of the season."

Harvard made quick work of Holy Cross in the best-of-three series, sweeping the Crusaders, 7-4 and 6-0, and the Crimson entered the Regionals riding an 11-game winning streak, the third longest in the nation at the time. Harvard was seeded fourth of four teams in Region 5 and traveled to Amherst, Mass. to square off against top-seed and No. 7 Oklahoma in the first round of the double-elimination Regional.

"We were playing really well as a team at the end of the season," Cupp said. "People were sore and exams were coming up, but it just didn't matter."

With several Harvard players forced to take final exams on the road during the Regional, the Sooners' pitching proved to be too much for the Crimson to handle as Harvard mustered only one hit on its way to an 8-0 loss. But Harvard was not prepared to pack its bags without one last hurrah, and the third-seeded Boston College Eagles became the Crimson's prey.

Harvard eliminated B.C. with a sound, 11-2 thrashing one day after its disappointing showing against Oklahoma. The win moved the Crimson into the Regional semifinals where it was forced to face the Sooners once again, as Oklahoma had gone down to No. 21 and second-seeded UMass earlier in the day.

Despite a much stronger showing than it had one day earlier against the same opponent, Harvard's fate was no different. The Sooner eliminated the Crimson from the postseason and ended Harvard's fabulous season with a 3-0 defeat. UMass went on to defeat Oklahoma in the Region 5 finals and earn a trip to the Women's College World Series.

"We went into the Regionals ready to take on anybody," Franzese said. "Our momentum kept building and building. We could have easily collapsed for the B.C. game, but we didn't. We never gave up; it was just a better team [Oklahoma] that beat us."

While the ending to the season may not have played out the fairy tale scenario Harvard had hoped for, the Crimson's 1998 campaign remains the most memorable in the history of the program. Harvard's 34 victories represent a new school record, eclipsing the previous mark of 32 set only last season. Harvard Coach Jenny Allard, in just her fourth season at the helm, is now the Crimson's all-time winningest skipper with a career record of 115-72-1.

"I'm very proud of how we did," Cupp said. "I knew we were talented, but I think we performed even better than expected, especially at Regionals. I think with a year of experience, the returning players will expect a little more next year."

Harvard graduates six players this afternoon: Franzese, Cupp, Read, Heather Brown, Mandy Wills and Tara Hartl. But Harvard's underclassmen appear prepared to make a run at a second consecutive Ivy title next season.

Eight of the Crimson's 11 All-Ivy honorees will return for the 1999 season, including four of the squad's top five hitters from this year (Abeles, LaSovage, Rice and Amberg). Thoke has already established herself as a potent force on the mound as well--she led the Ivies in strikeouts this season with 165 Ks in 146 innings.

"We had the best year ever. I hope it continues in the future, and I think it will," Franzese said. "The returning players know what it takes, and they have what it takes."

For now, however, Harvard continues to savor the achievements of its groundbreaking season, which is less than three weeks removed. Like a newlywed couple, the Crimson entered unchartered territory this year, and it hopes its time in the elite company of playoff squads will continue next season and for many happy years to come.