Softball Goes 2-2 on Ivy Trip

The Harvard softball team wrapped up interdivisional play the same way it began it last week: sweeping its firstdouble header and getting swept in the second.

The Crimson took two from host and two-time defending league champion Princeton on Saturday, 5-2 and 3-1. But the next day, it was on the wrong end of the sweep, as it fell to Cornell, 9-8 and 6-4. The games were played in Providence because of a snowstorm in Ithaca.

Despite Sunday’s sweep, Harvard is still in good shape as it enters divisional play. The Crimson (13-11, 4-4 Ivy) leads its division heading into next weekend’s four-game set at Yale, thanks to the sweep against the Tigers.

“The team came out relaxed, fired up, and confident,” Harvard coach Jenny Allard said. “It was nice to see us play such a good game.”

CORNELL 6, HARVARD 4

A strong pitching performance from Big Red sophomore Haley Mirrer shut down the Crimson for the first five innings, as Cornell (26-7, 7-1 Ivy) assumed a 6-0 lead. Harvard struck three home runs in a late rally, but ultimately fell short.

Sophomore Bailey Vertovez went 4 1/3 innings on the slab for the Crimson. She allowed one run in the first and two more in the third before the Big Red knocked her out with three runs in the fifth.

Harvard got those three runs back in the top of the sixth, thanks to a solo home run by freshman designated player Lauren Murphy, and a two-run shot by senior left fielder Susie Winkeller. But with the bases loaded later in the inning, freshman pinch hitter Jessica Pledger grounded out to short to end the threat.

Murphy hit her team-high 10th homer of the season in the top of the seventh, but no other Crimson player reached base in that frame as Cornell finalized the sweep.

CORNELL 9, HARVARD 8

The Big Red scored five times in the bottom of the sixth to come from behind and capture the opener yesterday in Providence.

Freshman third baseman Melissa Schellberg had helped stake the Crimson to a 8-4 lead entering the penultimate inning with three runs batted in, but Cornell’s bats came alive with seven hits in the bottom of the frame to pull ahead for the win.

Junior Shelly Madick had held the Big Red in check until that point, but allowed a run as three of the first four batters reached base.

After freshman Dana Roberts replaced Madick, she was greeted with an RBI single, and after a strikeout, three more RBI singles gave the Big Red a lead it would not give up.

Harvard went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh against Mirrer, who picked up her first save of the season.

The Crimson scored the first five runs of the game in the third and answered Cornell’s three runs in the bottom of that inning with three more in the top of the fourth. Schellberg hit a two-run single in the fourth for the last two Harvard runs.

HARVARD 3, PRINCETON 1

Junior Amanda Watkins hurled her first complete game of the season, allowing one run in seven innings as the Crimson picked up the sweep of the Tigers (13-20, 4-2 Ivy).

Three Harvard players hit solo home runs to account for the visiting team’s three runs. Junior first baseman Danielle Kerper went deep leading off the second for her first homer of the year and Murphy doubled the lead the next inning with another round-tripper. Freshman Melissa Schellberg added a solo shot in the fourth.

Watkins made those three runs stand up. She struck out four Princeton batters, while giving up just four hits. She did walk eight Tigers, but only one of them made it around to score as she improved to 4-0 on the season.

“I had a really strong and supportive defense behind me,” Watkins said. “I had confidence that no matter what I did, they would back me up.”

Senior Calli Jo Varner threw a complete game for Princeton in the loss.

The Tigers seemed to have something going in the bottom of the seventh when two batters reached on walks, bringing the winning run to the plate with two outs.

But Watkins got Varner to fly out to right field, clinching the sweep.

HARVARD 5, PRINCETON 2

A big day at the plate from captain second baseman Julia Kidder and a strong performance on the mound from Madick gave the Crimson a win in the first game of its weekend road trip.

Kidder went 2-for-3 with four RBI, highlighted by a two out, two-run home run in the third that broke a 2-2 tie. It was her first homer of the season, after hitting one in each of the past two seasons.

“Obviously, I’m excited by the home run,” Kidder said. “I don’t go up trying to hit home runs. I just connected on a good pitch.”

Kidder also drove in runs in the first and seventh inning. Her single in the first scored senior shortstop Lauren Brown, while her bases-loaded walk in the final frame brought in sophomore Bailey Vertovez.

“She was a real spark plug for us,” Allard said of Kidder.

On the mound, Madick pitched the first of two complete games for Crimson pitchers on the day. She struck out six and allowed just four hits in the seven innings.

“Both our pitchers had great game plans and showed great poise,” Allard said. “They got stronger as the game went on.”

—Staff writer Ted Kirby can be reached at tjkirby@fas.harvard.edu.