Tough Weekend Sees First Victory

Hoping to reverse a poor start last weekend, the Harvard softball team (1-9) managed to capture only one victory in its second tournament of this young season.

The Crimson entered the five-game series in Miami with an 0-5 record, coming off of a tough tournament in San Diego the previous week.

BALL STATE 9, HARVARD 0

Harvard finished the tournament on a low note late yesterday morning, dropping its final game to the Cardinals.

The game remained scoreless into the third inning, when Ball State put away two runs that proved to be the first of many. The Crimson committed four errors to Ball State’s one over seven innings.

Sophomore Margaux Black saw time at the mound, allowing only one run in her single inning of play.

HARVARD 2, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 0

Nearing the end of the tournament, the team was ready for a change of pace.

“We were done losing,” captain Shelly Madick said. “We all wanted to win.”

Harvard ended its eight-game losing streak in the second to last game, upseting Florida International, 2-0, on Saturday night. The Crimson surprised the Golden Panthers in its only win of the tournament.

Harvard accumulated both of its runs in the first inning, and that proved to be all the Crimson needed, as neither team scored after the opening frame. Madick, who did not pitch in the first game against Florida International, allowed only four hits and managed a seven-inning shutout.

“It was a good, hard fought game on both sides,” Madick said. “Our defense did a phenomenal job backing me up. It was a good first win to have.”

BALL STATE 5, HARVARD 4

Ball State barely defeated the Crimson for the first time on Saturday in a come-from-behind win.

The Crimson was leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Cardinals notched three runs when they counted to outlast Harvard. Ball State rallied with back-to-back singles, followed by a walk, a fielder’s choice, and a Crimson error. Harvard out-hit the Cardinals 8-5.

“We need to step it up on the attack,” Crimson coach Jenny Allard said. “When we are in a position to get runs, we are not producing offensively.”

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 13, HARVARD 1

The Crimson saw a crushing 13-1 defeat in its first game against Florida International.

Harvard started off strong, earning a run on two hits in the top of the first. The Golden Panthers immediately responded with five hits, four of which came around to score.

In the following three innings, Florida International added nine runs. The Crimson failed to score again and the game ended after a disappointing five innings.

“We really need to get in the cages,” Allard said. “We need to hit more.”

OREGON STATE 2, HARVARD 1

In Friday’s opening game, the Crimson fell to Oregon State in a close matchup. Scoreless up until the sixth inning, Madick walked the leadoff hitter, hit another, and gave up an RBI double, knocking in the Beavers’ first run.

Up until that point, Madick had allowed only three hits.

Harvard stepped up and immediately tied the score in the bottom half of the sixth with an RBI from sophomore Jennifer Francis. Francis knocked in freshman Ellen Macadam, pinch running for sophomore Melissa Schellberg.

The final inning proved detrimental to the Crimson, as the team failed to tie it up in the bottom of the seventh, losing its first game of the five-game tournament.

“Our bats are coming out swinging,” Madick said. “We are having better at-bats. We did a better job overall of letting balls go and swinging at good pitches.”

Despite the tough weekend, Harvard has seen some overall improvement since the start of the 2008 campaign.

The Crimson looks to improve itself further when it travels to Macon, Ga. to compete in the Mercer Easter Classic the weekend of March 21.