PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Morgan Melito hit a lead-off, go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning to help Harvard defeat Brown on Sunday, 4-3. The victory gave the Crimson the series win and moved it to 17-16 overall and 11-4 in the Ivy League. The Bears dropped to 13-23 and 5-13 against Ivy foes.
 
Brown opened up a 3-0 lead after three innings, with a solo shot in the second and scoring a pair of unearned runs in the third. Bears pitcher Lauren Innerst, meanwhile, continued to keep the Crimson off the board with a scoreless fourth.
 
Innerst's mastery of the Harvard lineup, however, ended in the fifth as Mackenzie Tyler led off the frame with a single after beating the throw from second. Allison Heffley kept the line moving, sending Innerst's offering back up the middle and Lauren Bobowski executed a bunt that stopped on the third-base line to load the bases.
 
Brianna Jewett stepped to the plate, pinch-hitting for Trina Hoang, and the junior flied out to right to score Tyler. Madi Mays then stepped into the box and promptly grounded out to short, bringing Heffley home to cut the Crimson's deficit to one.
 
In the sixth, Marissa Zheng battled at the plate and forced new Brown pitcher Jodie Aguirre into issuing a walk after falling behind 0-2. Kaitlin Lampson pinch ran for Zheng and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Morgan Melito. Harvard head coach Jenny Allard then called on Priyanka Kaul to pinch hit for Alyssa Saldana and the move paid off as the first-year delivered an RBI single to center, leveling the score at 3-3.
 
Both teams had their chances in the seventh inning, putting two runners aboard, but neither could come up with the clutch hit, ultimately leaving the heroics to Melito in the eighth. Katie Arrambide stepped into the circle and the first-year completed her fifth inning of relief by sending the Bears down in order.
 
Harvard returns to action on Saturday, April 30, when it welcomes Dartmouth to Soldiers Field. The doubleheader is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. ET, with both games airing on ESPN+.