Pitching Staff Carries Crimson Softball Team to Key Victories

Heading into weekend play against Brown, Harvard softball sat just three games behind Dartmouth for the top spot in the Ivy League standings.

As a fly ball settled into the glove of freshman left fielder Kaitlyn Schiffhauer for the final out of the home series, the Crimson cut Dartmouth’s lead to a solitary game.

After an extra-innings opening tilt with the Bears on Saturday afternoon (16-21, 5-11 Ivy), Harvard (25-14, 13-3) dominated the rest of the series to pick up the sweep. The Crimson extended its winning streak to six games and is undefeated in 10 home games this season.

“We really want to defend the home turf, and it’s fun before a game to be around, have our fans, have our pregame mix, and really just have a great time,” senior catcher Rachel Halperin said.

HARVARD 11, BROWN 4

Harvard scored a combined nine runs in its final two turns at bat and capped off the weekend with a fourth win over the Bears.

Freshman Kathleen Duncan made the start on the mound for the Crimson to give the duo of junior Taylor Cabe and senior co-captain Morgan Groom a respite. However, after Brown led three innings into the game, coach Jenny Allard brought in Groom from the bullpen.

The senior held down the fort for Harvard in the final four frames, as the Crimson rallied to pull away with a comfortable margin of victory.

Junior Giana Panariello and senior Haley Davis each homered and drove in four runs, while freshman Meagan Lantz doubled and crossed the plate three times.

“I think we’re seeing the ball well,” Allard said. “I think we’re being patient at the plate….and I think we’re really staying positive in our at bats.”

HARVARD 6, BROWN 2

The Bears struck early with two quick runs in the top of the first, but Harvard answered with three of its own in the bottom half and added three more to secure the victory.

The Crimson offense continued firing on all cylinders in Sunday’s opening game, as it scored six or more runs again.

Cabe went the full seven innings for the sixth time this season and picked up her 14th win, good enough for second in the Ancient Eight.

HARVARD 8, BROWN 0

Harvard only needed five innings to dispatch Brown in the back end of Saturday’s doubleheader.

The Crimson jumped on Brown junior Leah Nakashima in the early going, scoring six runs and forcing a pitching change with two outs in the second inning.

Cabe struck out five batters in five innings of work while only allowing two baserunners.

“I thought we came out strong,” Allard said. “Our pitchers did a wonderful job of each inning attacking the batter, getting the first out of each inning.

Panariello and freshmen Rhianna Rich and Elizabeth Shively each recorded two hits. Shively and Lantz went deep, their second and seventh long balls of the season, respectively.

HARVARD 7, BROWN 6

Through five innings, it appeared as though Harvard would pick up a comfortable win in the opening game of the weekend. An inning and a half later, however, the Crimson found itself locked in a 6-6 tie with the Bears.

Having scored three runs in the top of the seventh to bring the game to within one, Brown was down to its final out against freshman Sarah Smith. Right fielder Yeram Park kept the Bears’ hopes alive, as she homered to left to even the score.

Harvard wasted no time bringing the contest to a close in extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Groom came back into the game to replace Smith in the circle, and she worked out of a bases-loaded jam.

In the bottom half, the Crimson quickly loaded the bases with two singles and an intentional walk. Allard opted to pinch hit junior Catherine Callaway for co-captain Zoe Galindo, and the switch paid off. A fielder’s choice allowed Shively to cross home plate with the winning run.

“I think our team had a lot of fight,” Halperin said. “I think everyone really wanted that game, and so even when we ended up tied everyone was going to do everything they could to get that win.”

-Staff writer Jack Stockless can be reached at jackstockless@college.harvard.edu.