Softball Wins Share of Ivy Title With Sweep

Ring-ring.

With the Ivy League title on the line this weekend, the Harvard softball team again answered the call, collecting its second championship ring in as many years.

Harvard beat Dartmouth (17-17, 9-5 Ivy) 8-1 and 5-0 in a do-or-die doubleheader at Dartmouth on Saturday.

The Crimson (21-18, 11-3) now share the title with Cornell (32-16, 11-3), which was hoping for a split between Harvard and the Big Red in order to claim sole possession of the crown.

Instead, the Big Red must come to Cambridge to take on the Crimson in a best-of-three series to determine whch team will receive the Ivy's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

After starting the Ivy season with four wins and two losses, the Crimson closed out by winning seven of eight contests, including six straight conference games. The Big Red was 4-2 over that stretch, allowing Harvard the opportunity to make a comeback and defend its title.

"We're happy that the potential that we had was realized," freshman third baseman Breane Cooley said. "It's great to take advantages of opportunities when they're there."

Harvard 5, Dartmouth 0

After taking the first match of the weekend, the Crimson beat Big Red superstar freshman Lisa Caruso to earn the clinching victory.

Caruso-who leads Dartmouth with a 2.24 ERA and four shutouts-started out strong, quickpitching the Crimson and keeping hitters uncomfortable in the box for the first few innings.

Harvard did not get a hit until the third inning, and could not plate a run until the fifth.

In that frame, freshman shortstop Rachel Goldberg drove in pinch runner Grace Bloowell to open the scoring in the game. Bloodwell was running for designated player Chelsea Thoke, who had singled.

The scoring continued thanks to the Cooley's hot bat. Last week, she was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for her 12-for-18 performance against Brown and then-No. 23 UMass. Cooley did not let up against Dartmouth, driving a high inside pitch over the left field wall to boost the Crimson's lead to three runs.

"We couldn't get to her early," Cooley said. "So I came up with the attitude that I wanted to start things up and make something happen."

Goldberg and Cooley drove in more runs than Harvard would need, as freshman hurler Kara Brotemarkle shut out the Big Red for her tenth win of the year.

Brotemarkle allowed only three hits and struck out five in the victory.

The Crimson would add two more runs in the final two frames. Sophomore second baseman Sara Williamson sacrificed in sophomore first baseman Tiffany Whitton in the sixth, and sophomore catcher Monica Montijo was brought home on a Goldberg single in the seventh.

"We felt like we were coming into our own I these games, "Whitton said. "We're peaking at just the right time."

Harvard 8, Dartmouth 1

The Harvard bats were lively in the first game, as they helped senior ace Chelsea Thoke beat defending Ivy League Rookie and Player of the Year Christine Quattrocchi.

Wasting no time, the Crimson plated three runs in the first. The two-out rally was started when Quattrocchi lost control and hit Whitton with a pitch.

After a bloop single by junior Sarah Koppel put runners on second and third, Williamson singled to left-center field to drive them in. The Crimson added another run off of a single by Thoke.

Dartmouth got its only run in the bottom of the inning off an RBI-triple by senior Jenny Harsey. Thoke tamed the Big Red for the rest of the game, striking out 11 for the complete-game victory.

Thoke continued her domination at the plate, hammering a two-run home run in the third to help Harvard pull away. She was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day, with three RBI.

After a Montijo sac fly made the score 6-1 in the fifth, Whitton would knock Quattrocchi out of the game in the sixth. She connected for her seventh home run of the year to increase the lead to 8-1.

"Our offense was playing really well today," Whitton said. "We came out fired up, and our big first inning gave us enough momentum to pull away."

The team hopes to sustatin that momentum going into another critical contest this weekend. Since Harvard swept Dartmouth and Cornell only mustered a split against the Big Red, the series is a home one for the Crimson.

"We're excited about Cornell," Cooley said. "It was great to give the seniors another ring and be the first back-to-back champs for Harvard, but we want to get to NCAAs."