Softball Falls Short Against No. 23 UMass

Coming off of two split doubleheaders last weekend, the Harvard softball team lost two games yesterday to No. 23 Massachusetts. Despite outhitting the Minutewomen in both games, the Crimson (14-18, 5-3 Ivy) lost the first, 4-3, and the second, 4-2.

In the first game of the doubleheader, UMass (28-9) jumped to an early 4-0 lead after three innings. Yet in the top of the sixth, Harvard staged a three run rally that fell just short of tying the game. The near comeback came as freshman Rachel Goldberg smacked a triple and senior Jen Crusius followed the triple with a single that scored Goldberg.

In the same inning, while Crusius was still on base, freshman Lisa Feigenbaum was hit by a pitch. Sophomore catcher Monica Montijo made the Minutewomen pay for their mistake by hitting a single that scored two more runs.

Unfortunately for Harvard, the comeback battle stopped there. The Crimson went on to lose the game, 4-3. Freshman Kara Brotemarkle suffered the loss for the Crimson.

In the second game, Harvard came out swinging and ended up taking a quick 2-0 lead. In the first inning sophomore Tiffany Whitton hit a single to drive in Goldberg. Two innings later Crusius increased the lead, slapping a single to score another run.

The Crimson held the lead for four innings behind junior Sarah Koppel, who pitched for the first time since spring break last season. Despite never pitching in practice, Koppel did an incredible job holding off UMass. Koppel was forced to pitch because senior Chelsea Thoke-last week's Ivy Player of the Week-could not attend.

After the Minutewomen cut the lead in half on a homerun in the fourth, the Crimson began to have some defensive problems that resulted in a three-run fifth inning for UMass. The runs came on a pair of hits and an error in the field. By the end of the inning, the Minutewomen had taken the lead and would hold it for the rest of the game.

It was another tough luck loss for Whitton.

In both games, the Crimson was plagued by a familiar problem. Harvard has been out hitting most of the teams it has played, but the hits have not come together. The Crimson has yet to be outhit in an Ivy game this year, yet still has three league losses. The team has outhit its Ivy opposition 80-40 on the season.

Harvard has a big weekend coming up as two league games, against Brown on Saturday and against Yale on Sunday.

"We need to tighten up and stay loose but try to improve on what we know how to do," said tri-captain Jen Vogt-Lowell. "Our bats came out ready to swing [today]. Looking ahead to the weekend we have to work on making sure we have solid defense. Our bats are working, but we need to back up our bats in the field."

It is important that Harvard wins the rest of its Ivy games this season to have any chance of winning its third Ivy championship in four years. The Crimson's season will continue with a doubleheader against Brown tomorrow and another pair against Yale on Sunday.