CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard is scheduled to welcome Dartmouth to Soldiers Field this weekend for its final regular-season homestand of the 2022 campaign. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET with both games airing on ESPN+. Sunday's finale will also start at 12:30 p.m. ET and air live on ESPN+, with NESN showing the replay at 7 p.m. ET.
What to Know
- The series has major implications on the Ivy League standings as both Harvard and Dartmouth enter the weekend in a tie for second place at 11-4. The Crimson and Big Green trail current conference leader Princeton, which is 14-4 against Ivy competition. The top two teams that finish atop the standings will face in the Ivy League Playoff Series, with the No. 1 seed playing host to the best-of-three showdown.
- The Crimson returned to action for the first time since April 11, when it faced Brown in the series opener last Saturday, April 23. Harvard took Game 1, 2-1, before dropping the second game, 1-0. The Crimson claimed the road series with an eight-inning 4-3 decision on Sunday to finish the Ivy League season with a 7-2 road record.
- With the Crimson playing host to its the last regular-season homestand, Harvard will recognize Grace Krantz, Morgan Melito, Alyssa Saldana and Charlotte Ruhl on Saturday after Game 2. The senior quartet will be playing at Soldiers Field for the last time in a regular-season setting.
- First-year Katie Arrambide on Monday was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for her effort in Providence, R.I., against the Bears. In two appearances, the pitcher finished with a 0.00 ERA and five strikeouts across 11.0 innings. In a Game 2 start, Arrambide pitched a complete game, but suffered a hard-luck loss after the lone run was scored on error. In Game 3, Arrambide pitched five innings of scoreless relief, which allowed Harvard to rally for the 4-3 win in extra innings.
- Anna Reed, meanwhile, was solid in a Game 1 start against the Bears, going the full seven innings in a winning effort. The sophomore gave up just one run, while striking out a career-high-tying seven hitters, matching her performance at Columbia. The victory was her team-leading 10th of the campaign and the complete game represented her team-best seventh of 2022.
- Allison Heffley led the Crimson offensively, going 5-for-11 (.455) from the plate in three starting assignments vs. the Bears. During a week in which Harvard scored six runs, Heffley crossed home plate twice, while posting an OPS of .993, both of which led all Crimson players.
- Harvard continued to create havoc on the basepaths, swiping four bags in five attempts against Brown. The four stolen bases upped the Crimson's season total to an Ivy-best 51 (51-58; .879). Individually, Lauren Bobowski has 16 stolen bases, which is also tops in the Ivy League.
- Harvard leads the all-time series with Dartmouth, 68-24, and has won five straight games vs. the Big Green. Since the 2016 campaign, Harvard has won 14 of the last 16 meetings against Dartmouth.
- Along with Senior Day, Saturday is Harvard Athletics' Bark at the Park event. All dogs, which must be leashed, will receive a free Harvard giveaway, while supplies last.
- Following its series with Dartmouth, Harvard will make the quick turnaround and head to Ithaca, N.Y., on Monday to prepare for a Tuesday-Wednesday series at Cornell. The three-game set is a makeup from a postponed series that was originally scheduled for April 16-17, but was put on pause due to COVID-19 concerns and safety protocols within the Harvard program.
At the Helm
Jenny Allard is in her 27th season at the helm of the Harvard softball program and will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2022. She has helped guide the Crimson to the last two Ivy League titles (2018, 2019) and owns a career record of 654-497-3.
Up Next
Harvard will face Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., beginning on Tuesday, May 3, for a series-opening doubleheader. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 1:30 p.m. ET.
