Softball Sweeps Conference Foes Columbia and Penn

The Harvard softball team (16-13, 6-2 Ivy) swept both Penn (13-16, 2-6) and Columbia (7-24, 2-6) this weekend at Soldiers Field as the squad solidified its second-place spot in the Ivy League.

“This weekend was really crucial after going 2-2 [against Princeton and Cornell] in the first weekend, we really wanted to gain some ground back,” co-captain Zoe Galindo said.

The weekend victories put the Crimson in a good position as it looks toward challenging Dartmouth for the top spot.

“We’re really going to have to keep pace with Dartmouth by winning every game we can,” Galindo said. “It’s going to be a fight, but as long as we focus on ourselves and focus on winning every game we have ahead of us. . . we’ll be able to get to the [No.1] spot.”

HARVARD 10, PENN 2

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Harvard scored double-digit runs for the second straight game to close out the weekend with a four-game sweep.

Sophomore Maddy Kaplan and freshman infielder Rhianna Rich led the team with two runs, two hits, and two runs batted in each.

“Rhianna Rich, Maddy Kaplan, and Giana Panariello all came up big in big situations,” rookie center Elizabeth Shively. “Honestly, offensively everybody has been hitting really well. I couldn’t tell you one person that did so much better than anybody else. It was a total team effort.”

A solo home run by senior outfielder Haley Davis and three additional runs gave the Crimson a 4-0 advantage in the bottom of the third. After Penn answered with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, Harvard added six insurance runs on three doubles and a single in the bottom frame.

Junior righthander Taylor Cabe limited the Quakers to two runs in the five-inning contest, striking out 4 batters and recording her 10th win of the season.

HARVARD 11, PENN 10

The front end of the doubleheader Saturday was the biggest challenge for the Crimson this weekend, as the game extended to extra innings.

Galindo and Rich each drove in runs as they got the game rolling in the bottom of the second inning.

After Penn plated five runs in the top of the fourth, Harvard quickly responded to knot the score in its half of the inning.

In the sixth, Penn once again took a commanding lead, but freshman catcher Elizabeth Shively’s first career home run in the bottom of the seventh shifted the momentum back in the Crimson’s favor.

The game come down to the wire as it was tied in the bottom of the eighth inning after freshman infielder Meagan Lantz drove in a run to make the score 10-10.

With two outs and Lantz in a position to score, it was up to junior Bay Shore, N.Y. native Panariello to finish the game. The second baseman delivered, lacing a walk-off single to right field to win the game.

“Having Giana come in and get the game-winning hit was just really clutch,” Galindo said.

HARVARD 4, COLUMBIA 3

The second game in Friday’s doubleheader was another close matchup as the Lions pushed the Crimson defense all seven innings.

Columbia sophomore infielder Taylor Troutt drove in two runs with a homer over the right-center fence in the first inning to give the Lions a 2-0 advantage over Harvard.

The Crimson would not respond until the fourth inning, as sophomore outfielder Dallas Hogan, junior infielder Savannah Bradley, and Lantz all drove in runs to put Harvard up, 3-2.

Troutt would come up big again for Columbia in the top of the fifth inning with a double to bring the score to an even 3-3. However, Kaplan’s sacrifice fly to center field in the following inning allowed Rich to cross the plate and secure the victory for the Crimson.

HARVARD 8, COLUMBIA 0

In the first game of the weekend Harvard’s offense out hit the Lions, 13-3. The Crimson had two doubles and two triples in the five-inning game.

Senior right-handed pitcher Morgan Groom earned her fifth win of the season as she struck out six Columbia batters and allowed zero earned runs.