Brotemarkle Tosses No-Hitter, Softball Splits Lions

The Harvard softball team surrendered five runs and seven hits in a 5-4 loss to Columbia in the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader. After the defeat, Crimson Coach Jenny Allard turned to her game two starter, junior tri-captain Kara Brotemarkle, with a simple message—no more.

Brotemarkle responded by pitching a complete game no-hitter—the first for Harvard since 2000—striking out nine and surrendering only three walks.

“I told Kara before the game that she needed to pitch the game of her life and she did,” Coach Allard said.

Junior Rachel Goldberg had two home runs, including one that broke a scoreless tie in game two, giving the Crimson a lead it would never relinquish.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak and marked only the second Crimson victory in the month of April.

Harvard 3, Columbia 0

When two pitchers take the mound who are a combined 5-16 on the season, the last thing to expect would be a pitchers duel.

However, the Lions’ Allison Buehler and Brotemarkle turned in two stellar pitching performances.

Buehler struck out nine batters in her complete game performance, surrendering three runs on five hits.

Brotemarkle turned in the performance of the year in her complete game, no-hit shutout, only allowing one runner to advance as far as second base.

“I felt good to get in a groove which I don’t think I’ve been able to do in a while now,” Brotemarkle said. “The fact that the defense got to every ball made me stronger.”

In the bottom of the third, Goldberg smashed a two-run home run to left center putting the Crimson ahead 2-0.

Harvard put together a solid sixth inning as Goldberg and captain Tiffany Whitton started the inning with singles. Freshman Rachel Murray laced a single to center giving the Crimson a three-run cushion.

Sophomore Lauren Stephanchik had a strong offensive performance in the doubleheader going 5-of-7 including three infield singles while scoring two runs and driving in one.

“She had a tremendous weekend for us,” Allard said. “She just eats up the defense.”

Columbia 5, Harvard 4

The Crimson could not capitalize on golden opportunities to create big innings and suffered dearly in the end.

The Crimson loaded the bases with no one out in the first, again with two out in the third, and had runners on first and second with no one out in the sixth. However, the team could not manufacture a single run from those ideal situations.

“We had a tough time getting the big hit,” Allard said.

Though the Crimson struggled to finish off scoring opportunities, it had no trouble generating runs out of nothing.

Down 3-0 in the third, Whitton hit a two-run homer and Rachel Goldberg followed with a solo blast to left center to tie it.

In the fourth inning Stephanchik sent a deep fly to right center over a drawn in outfield and legged it out for an inside the park home run to tie the game at four.

The Crimson threatened in the sixth after both junior Kim Koral and Stephanchik reached on bunt singles with none out. But the Crimson failed to score.

This failure proved crucial as the Lions opened up the seventh with a double and a single. Sophomore pitcher Lauren Tanner came in to relieve Crimson starter freshman Michele McAteer, only to hit Columbia’s Courtney Ryan to load the bases with no one out. Tanner subsequently walked the Lions’ Hillary Parsons to force home the go ahead run. Tanner was able to record two strikeouts to keep the Lions from doing further damage.

Harvard opened up the game with three consecutive singles, loading the bases with no one out. However, the heart of the order was unable to move the runners, and all three were stranded.

Columbia took the lead in the second inning on the strength of two singles and a triple.

The Lions added one more in the third and fourth innings. In the third Columbia took advantage of a first-and-third situation with one out to bunt home a run. In the fourth inning, two Crimson errors led directly to a Columbia run.

Each time Harvard fell behind, it was able to answer, except for the decisive Lions’ run scored in the seventh.

“For a team that’s struggling, to lose the first game when you’ve battled back is pretty tough,” Allard said. “But they picked themselves up and came back strong.”