NEW YORK – Harvard softball got big hits in critical spots on Saturday to help it sweep Columbia in New York City. The Crimson downed the Lions in five innings, 9-1, in the first game before emerging with a six-inning 8-0 win in Game 2.  
 
In Game 1, Harvard (11-13; 5-3 Ivy League) jumped on the Lions (7-17; 4-4 Ivy League) early and often, with Madi Mays delivering in the first inning what would be all the offense the Crimson needed. With Megan Welsh doubling to lead off the game and Lauren Bobowski having walked, Mays crushed a two-out three-run dinger to put the visitors ahead, 3-0.
 
Harvard added another three runs in the second inning, opening the frame with a Molly Dickerson single and a Trina Hoang walk. A wild pitch moved the runners up and Welsh hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Dickerson. On the same play, a throwing error allowed Hoang to cross home plate. The Crimson continued to apply pressure on the basepaths as Bobowski single to right, stole second and then scored on an Allison Heffley triple.
 
Harvard added a single run in the third inning when it successfully pulled off a double steal of second (Dickerson) and home (Teagan Shaw), and then pushed across pair in the fourth thanks to an RBI single from Heffley and a Shaw fielder's choice, which scored Ella Lee.
 
While the Crimson was providing fireworks at the plate, Anna Reed was brilliant in the circle. The sophomore from California went the full five innings, allowing just one run on one hit, while striking out a career-high seven Lions.
 
Following a quick break, the teams reconvened at the diamond and it appeared Game 2 would be a pitcher's duel. The teams breezed through the first two innings, but the environment changed in the top of the third when Kaitlin Lampson singled to center field and Welsh was hit by a pitch. One batter after Welsh's HBP, Heffley got the Crimson on the board with a single through the right side, bringing up Morgan Melito, who jumped on the first pitch she saw and deposited it over the left-field fence, giving Harvard a 4-0 lead.
 
Similar to Reed in Game 1, Katie Arrambide was dealing, coasting through the first four innings. The first-year encountered trouble to begin the bottom fifth, allowing the first two Lions to reach on singles. Arrambide, however, hunkered down and got a strikeout, lineout and a popout to escape the jam and preserve the Crimson's lead.
 
Arrambide's effort turned the game over to the Harvard offense and it stressed Columbia in the top of the sixth, starting with a Melito single. Allison O'Heany followed in a pinch-hit situation and reached on an error, allowing Melito to advance to third base. Soon after, O'Heany stole second and Shaw reached on another miscue to load the bases. Two batters later, with Kendall Jean pinch-hitting for Hoang, Jean sent a 1-0 offering over the left-field wall, clearing the bases and pushing the Crimson to an 8-0 advantage.
 
Arrambide returned to the circle in the bottom of the sixth and shut the door on the Lions as she picked up her third win of the season and her third complete game. Over six innings, she allowed four hits and struck out two batters.

Harvard Highlights

• Lauren Bobowski reached based in each of her three plate appearances in Game 1, going 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored. Her two hits matched a career high and her three runs were a personal best. The sophomore has recorded a hit in seven straight games after going 1-for-3 in Game 2.
• Allison Heffley tied a career high with two hits and two RBI in Game 1. She has recorded at least one hit in six straight outings, following her 1-for-3 performance in the second game.
• With her effort in Game 1, Madi Mays scored the first run of her career and knocked in a personal best three runs.
• Harvard had 10 hits in Game 1, its most since having 10 against North Dakota on March 11.
• Kendall Jean's four RBI in Game 2 was a career high and it gave her four multi-RBI performances this season.
• Morgan Melito was 2-for-3 in Game 2 with two runs and three RBI. The two runs scored matched a season high and she now has 18 RBI for the season, which leads all Harvard players.

What's Next?

Harvard will close out its series at Columbia on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET. The contest will air on ESPN+.