Softball Tops Defending Ivy Champ Cornell, 1-0

With the help of a propitious solo homerun and some inclement weather, the Harvard softball team (8-15, 1-0 Ivy) defeated reigning Ivy League champion Cornell (17-5, 0-1 Ivy) 1-0 in Ithaca on Saturday.

Senior Deborah Abeles blasted a solo shot off of Nicole Zitarelli with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, breaking a scoreless tie and propelling the Crimson to victory. The game-winning blast was Abeles' third of the season and the 20th of her career. As a junior, she set a Harvard softball record with 10 homeruns.

With the Big Red threatening in the bottom of the sixth with a runner in scoring position and the team's RBI leader Christina Trout at the plate, the game was halted due to heavy rain, drowning any hopes of a late-inning comeback for Cornell.

"Going into the league season, we figured that Cornell would be one of our toughest competitors, " Abeles said. "Emotionally it was a huge victory for us."

Before Abeles' homerun, a pitching duel between the two junior aces of each staff set the tempo of the game. Cornell starter Nicole Zitarelli (11-2) pitched well in the loss, scattering five hits, including the mistake to Abeles, and two walks in five strong innings of work. Not to be outdone by the rival Big Red, junior Chelsea Thoke (4-8) turned in an outstanding performance for the Crimson. Thoke tossed a no-hitter, striking out five en route to her fourth victory of the season.

"This was a very important victory, and it was a great way to open the Ivy season," Thoke said. "I think that it will set the tone for the rest of the season."

Thoke, a power pitcher with the potential to take over a game, has struggled recently but appeared to regain her form on Saturday, baffling hitters with a combination of fastballs and off-speed pitches.

"Chelsea did an excellent job of challenging the hitters and tying their hands," Coach Jenny Allard said.

Her pitching kept the game scoreless, despite Harvard's inability to score in the early innings. The team squandered two scoring opportunities, stranding two runners in the second and third innings.

In the second, sophomore Sarah Koppel led off the inning with a single. Koppel advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt by freshman Tiffany Whitton and a single by Monica Montijo, but she was stranded after senior Jessie Amberg struck out to end the inning.

Sophomore Cherry Fu reached on an error to lead off the third inning. Fu advanced to third on a double by Ghia Godfree. Once again, however, the team failed to capitalize on the opportunity, and the game remained scoreless going into the fourth.

In the fifth, with the rain threatening to end the game in a tie, Abeles crushed a two-out offering from Zitarelli to put the Crimson up by one. The clutch performance came just in time, as the game was called due to heavy rain the very next inning. The one-run margin proved enough to thwart the Big Red on its home field and give Harvard an important conference win.

The two teams will make up the second game of the doubleheader at a later date. The two games at Syracuse on Sunday were also cancelled and will be rescheduled.

The victory should give the Crimson some much-needed confidence for the remainder of the Ivy season. The team has struggled this year with tough pre-season competition, so Coach Allard is looking for some more veteran leadership down the stretch.

"It was a good win. We play a very tough schedule during the preseason, and it really prepares us for the conference schedule," Allard said. "We actually felt better-prepared for the game and the team came out really fired up and ready to play."

The Crimson will resume action on Thursday, with a doubleheader at Boston College. Next weekend, Allard and Co. will return home for important conference games against Yale and Brown. With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the team seems prepared and excited for the upcoming games.

"There are so few Ivy League games, so every one is important," Abeles said. "We are very excited about the rest of the season because in three weeks it will all be over."