No-hitter? No Problem

Not even halfway through her Harvard career, sophomore pitcher Rachel Brown has already made her way into Crimson softball history.

A year after setting the program single-season strikeout record, Brown added another accomplishment to her already-lengthy resumé on Friday—her first career no-hitter.

Brown’s stat line was flawless in Harvard’s Ivy opener, as the hurler allowed no hits and no walks while ringing up seven. The only thing between the sophomore and perfection was a sixth-inning fielding error from junior second baseman Ellen Macadam.

The Crimson summoned enough offense to come away with the 4-0 win.

Brown’s gem was the first no-hitter thrown by a Harvard pitcher since May 5, 2007, when Shelly Madick ’08 allowed just one walk in Game 1 of the Ivy League Championship series against Penn. Coincidentally, the Crimson also won that game by a 4-0 count, and Madick also recorded seven strikeouts—and Madick came on to save the second game of the doubleheader, just as Brown did against Princeton on Friday.

Madick’s heroics brought her team its fourth-ever Ivy title. While Brown’s no-hitter didn’t have the same implications, it did get Harvard’s conference season started on the right foot. Through the first weekend of play, the Crimson leads the North Division with a 3-1 record.