Softball Wins Tournament to Cap Spring Break

The Harvard softball team captured the George Mason Invitational crown yesterday afternoon, as Lauren Bettinelli limited Delaware State to three hits over six innings in an 8-2 victory.

Virginia Fritsch blasted a three-run bomb in the second inning, while Susie Winkeller cranked a two-run pinch-hit home run. Julie Kidder, Sarah Williamson and Rachel Goldberg each contributed two-hit afternoons behind Bettinelli, who struck out five on the day.

SOFTBALL 8, IONA 0

Fritsch paced the Crimson yesterday, going 3-3 with two RBI and a run scored as Harvard picked up a convincing 8-0 five-inning victory over Iona.

Kara Brotemarke pitched shutout ball, striking out five and scattering three hits over five. Bettinelli ended the game in the fifth inning with an RBI double.

DELAWARE STATE 2, SOFTBALL 1

In its second game on Saturday, Harvard couldn’t keep its hot offense going, losing to Delaware State 2-1 in the second game of the George Mason Invitational.

Janice Savage stymied the Harvard batters all game long, and Kathryn Powell drove in the winning run for the Hornets in the top of the seventh off of Brotemarkle, who took the loss.

Bettinelli started the game for the Crimson, pitching six and a third strong innings before giving way to Brotemarkle.

SOFTBALL 10, GEORGE MASON 1

Harvard exploded for ten runs on Saturday, crushing George Mason University 10-1 in the first game of the George Mason Invitational.

The Crimson was led by Bettinelli and Michelle McAteer, who limited the Patriots to only two hits over five innings of work.

Fritsch led the offensive barrage, going 2-3 and driving in four runs. Lauren Stefanchik also had a strong game, going 3-3 and swiping two bases.

HARVARD 7, DREXEL 1

Harvard topped Drexel 7-5 in Philadelphia last Thursday behind the arm and clutch hitting of Bettinelli.

A five-run Crimson lead vanished after the Dragons put up a four-run fifth inning, but Harvard secured the victory when Bettinelli drove in Rachel Goldberg for a two-run cushion in the bottom of the sixth.

The second half of the double bill was canceled due to lightning with the Dragons up 3-2 in the third inning.

PROVIDENCE 0, HARVARD 0

Pitching prevailed in the second game of a doubleheader against the Friars, as the teams played to a 0-0 tie last Tuesday.

Senior Brotemarkle pitched all seven innings for Harvard, allowing only two hits and punching out six. Julia Kidder had the Crimson’s lone hit.

PROVIDENCE 5, HARVARD 4

The Crimson dropped its second consecutive extra inning affair, this time 5-4 at the hands of Providence.

Harvard rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh on a Sara Williamson sacrifice fly that scored Lauren Brown, and went up by one in the eighth when Annie Dell’Aria drew a bases loaded walk.

But the Friars’ Michelle Willette hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning to give Providence the win. Cecily Gordon and Virginia Fritsch each went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a double and Lauren Bettinelli went 7 1/3 giving up five earned runs on five hits.

NORTH TEXAS 4, SOFTBALL 3

North Texas picked up the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning to dispatch Harvard 4-3 in the final game of the Wells Fargo Classic last Sunday.

Brotemarkle pitched brilliantly, allowing one earned run over seven and two-thirds innings and striking out 10. Dell’Aria swatted two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs, and Lauren Stefanchik also collected a pair of hits while scoring a run.

SOFTBALL 8, NEW MEXICO 0

The Crimson bounced back to blank New Mexico 8-0 in the fourth game of the Wells Fargo Classic last Saturday.

Bettinelli hurled five pristine frames, limiting the Lobos to three hits while striking out four. Cecily Gordon had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double, home run, and three RBI. Monica Montijo went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Lauren Brown went 1-for-2 with a triple and two RBI.

N. COLORADO 9, SOFTBALL 1

Harvard lost a tough game to Northern Colorado in the third game of the Wells Fargo Classic, falling to the Bears 9-1 in five innings last Saturday.

Brotemarkle had a rough outing for the Crimson, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits in three innings. Rachel Murray provided the sunshine for Harvard hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to prevent the shutout. Stefanchik supplied the only other Crimson hit, going 1-2 in the process.

SOFTBALL 8, NORTH TEXAS 0

Bettinelli scattered five hits in six shutout innings to lead the Crimson past North Texas in the second game of the Wells Fargo Classic last Friday.

Harvard wasted little time in getting on the board, as Stefanchik and Bettinelli opened the game with back-to-back bunt singles and Gordon followed with a three-run home run. The Crimson added two more in the fourth when Fritsch reached base on an error and scored on Miller’s two-run blast.

Kidder broke the game open with her first career hit—a bases-loaded triple that gave the Crimson an 8-0 lead.

NEW MEXICO 10, SOFTBALL 4

Harvard surrendered seven extra base hits—four of them home runs—to New Mexico and fell 10-4 in the opening game of the Wells Fargo Classic in Denton, Texas last Friday.

After falling behind 6-0 after five innings, the Crimson cut its deficit to two in the bottom of the sixth, registering four runs with two outs.

After Lobo starter Ashley Perkins walked the bases loaded, Williamson welcomed reliever Amy Dumas with a bases-clearing double to make it 6-3.

—Staff writer J. Patrick Coyne can be reached at coyne@fas.harvard.edu.