Heartbreak in Hempstead: Great Danes Oust Softball From Regional

A second straight outstanding performance on the mound from its ace wasn’t enough to prolong the Harvard softball team’s season.

Albany (34-16, 14-9 America East) topped the Crimson, 1-0, in an elimination game in the NCAA Championships at the Hempstead Regional, sending Harvard (31-15, 16-6 Ivy) home despite a second complete game in as many days from junior hurler Shelly Madick.

Madick, the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, threw six innings and allowed just one run, a day after she had gone the distance in a tough nine-inning 3-2 loss to Hofstra. But Great Dane freshman Leah McIntosh did her one better, throwing a shutout to improve to 11-5. The rookie struck out six and worked around six Crimson hits, stranding eight opposing runners. Madick allowed just three hits and three walks while piling up four strikeouts, but took the loss to move her record to 16-6.

“Shelly pitched a great game,” said captain and second baseman Julia Kidder. “She did nothing wrong.”

Shut down for most of the game by McIntosh, Harvard launched a two-out rally in the top of the seventh inning. After sophomore pinch hitter Bailey Vertovez hit a long fly out to right, freshman center fielder Stephanie Krysiak reached as her grounder was too tough for the Albany shortstop to handle. Senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Lauren Brown then hit a tough grounder to third that the third baseman couldn’t make the play on, putting runners on first and second with just one out.

That brought up Kidder. The captain, who already had two hits on the day, hit a line drive to left that looked like it would score the speedy Krysiak. But Albany junior left fielder Amber Maisonet went down to one knee to make the catch. She then threw to second to double off Krysiak, ending the game and the Crimson’s season.

“Julia hit a rocket-shot to left,” Harvard coach Jenny Allard said. “We thought the ball was going to bounce. If that ball was a foot to the left or right, it’s a double to the fence, and we either have two runs in or runners at second and third with Lauren Murphy coming up.”

“I made hard contact,” Kidder added. “I did everything I could have hoped for, it’s just frustrating that [Maisonet] made a great play.”

Maisonet also hurt the Crimson with her bat, as she drove in the only run of the game in the fifth inning. McIntosh and Madick had exchanged zeroes until the bottom of that inning when freshman catcher Kat Smith led off with a walk and was pinch run for by Shane Pais. The next two Great Danes sacrificed Pais to third, bringing up Maisonet. The junior singled through the right side to score Pais with what would prove to be the game’s only run.

“We out-hit them but didn’t string things together,” Allard said. “We didn’t get a big hit and they did.”

Harvard had chances to take the lead in the second and third innings, but McIntosh would not let the Crimson take advantage of the opportunities. Freshman third baseman Melissa Schellberg led of the second with a base hit, but the next two batters each hit into force-outs before McIntosh struck out senior left fielder Susie Winkeller.

“McIntosh got outs when she needed them,” Allard said.

The next inning, after the first two hitters were retired, the Crimson loaded the bases. Kidder reached on an infield single, then freshman designated player Lauren Murphy singled to left. Freshman right fielder Jennifer Francis walked to load the bases. That brought up Schellberg, who popped to second.

Harvard wouldn’t get a runner in scoring position again until the final inning.

Despite the losses, the weekend showcased two great performances from the Crimson despite many players having to deal with final exams. Several players had to take exams in Hempstead either on Thursday morning, on Friday before playing Hofstra, or right after yesterday’s contest.

“I’m exceptionally proud of this team—we have an extra opponent in final exams,” Allard said.

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