Harvard Softball Batters Brown Bears, Dials in for Midseason Matchups

The Harvard softball team has had a busy week. A three-game sweep over Brown this past weekend and a doubleheader against Massachusetts neighbor Merrimack have bolstered the Crimson’s confidence as they wade through the depths of midseason play.

“We just passed the halfway point of our season, so we are really focusing on getting to our best softball,” sophomore lefty Savannah Fitzpatrick said. “We can end Ivy play strong and go into the Ivy tournament feeling good [and] feeling confident in ourselves.”

Battles with Brown (5-19, 2-7 Ivy) last Friday and Sunday indicate the team is heading in the right direction. The Crimson (16-9-1, 7-2) bested the Bears 3-1, 6-2, and 7-0, showcasing consistent output at the plate and formidable defense in the field.

HARVARD 3, BROWN 1

Junior Madi Mays set the pace early in game one, sending junior Lauren Bobowski home with a first-inning single. Senior infielder Teagan Shaw produced the rest of the scoring in that same inning, knocking in two more runs with a single. She later put up a single in the bottom of the sixth.

When Brown put Harvard away in order during the bottom of the third, the Crimson needed to lock in the batters’ box.

“Our pitching staff is definitely one of the strongest in the Ivy League,” first-year Riley Flynn said. “We can all start and finish games and we can all come in for each other.”

Flynn came in clutch in the final 2.2 innings on Friday, relieving Anna Reed and striking out two. Reed walked away with the win, striking out four and walking none.

Senior Megan Welsh capped off the game with a thrilling catch. The right fielder rammed into the wall to rob Brown’s Jasmine Hsiao of a homer.

HARVARD 6, BROWN 2

The first Crimson player to approach the plate on Sunday, Bobowski started the scoring for Harvard. She reached on a full-count error, then stole second, later hustling home after a groundout two at-bats later. The Crimson managed to fill the bases and score one more, closing the inning ahead 2-0.

In the sixth, Bobowski finished off the scoring with an RBI double that scored Kaitlin Lampson and was then batted in by a double from senior Allison Heffley.

Sophomore Katie Arrambide pitched the first six innings, striking out three, walking two, and earning her fourth win of the season.

HARVARD 7, BROWN 0

In game three, Harvard only needed one pitcher: Flynn. In her 17th appearance for the Crimson, the righty struck out four and allowed only two hits.

Flynn acknowledges that “it's a big jump coming out here [to Massachusetts],” but credits upperclassman guidance for her strong first campaign. “[They] are able to help me navigate anything from classes to social to softball and anything in between.”

Payne and Shaw batted in two apiece in the first frame, giving Harvard a 4-0 lead. Arrambide scored on an error in the second, and a fifth-inning single from Douglas sent two more home to cap off Crimson scoring for the day, 7-0.

Harvard currently stands in step with Princeton at the top of League standings, and the Crimson has big hopes as they roll into May.

“Our goal is obviously to win the Ivy League championship,” Flynn said. “Right now we are in a good position to do that. We are definitely working towards that every day, whether in practice or in games.”

To reclaim their 2019 tournament title, stolen by Princeton in last spring’s championship, daily diligence is crucial.

“We are really focusing on taking each game at a time, each series at a time,” Fitzpatrick said. “You’re seeing a lot of upsets each weekend, so we are trying to stay dialed in before we worry about games down the line.”

Harvard will ride this five-game win streak straight to Hanover, N.H. on Saturday for a three-game set against Dartmouth.