CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard softball returns to the east coast after a seven-game road trip in California last week, as the defending Ivy League champion Crimson opens its conference schedule at Yale this weekend on Saturday, Mar. 16 and Sunday, Mar. 17. All three games will stream live on ESPN+.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard wrapped up its California trip yesterday, defeating San Diego in a 5-4 game two victory.
• First-Year infielder Sophie Sun starred at the plate for the Crimson in its seven game road trip, as the Austin, Texas native led the Crimson in batting average (.444), slugging percentage (.889), runs batted in (5), and home runs (2) in the seven-game span. Sun leads Harvard in home runs this year with four.
• Along with Sun, senior outfielder Lauren Bobowski tallied a team-high nine hits in California, including a three-hit performance against UC San Diego in the Lance Up Invite, tying a single-game career high.
• In the circle, first-year pitcher Nicolette Hunter posted a 1.56 earned run average over nine innings in her home state, striking out five batters in nine innings of work.
• Against California Baptist, sophomore pitcher Riley Flynn tied a career-high in strikeouts with nine, as the Phoenix, Ariz. native posted a 2.21 ERA in her three appearances out west this past weekend.
• The Harvard pitching staff is among the nation's best, as the Crimson rank fifth in the NCAA in team ERA (1.29). Harvard is the only non-power five program to sit in the top 10 of the national team ERA leaderboard.
• The Crimson hold a 9-7 record on the 2024 season, the best record in the conference heading into Ivy League play.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Yale is 2-14 heading into the three-game set against the Crimson, losing its last five contests.
• The Bulldogs hosted Bryant yesterday, dropping both games of the doubleheader with the Bulldogs.
• Harvard and Yale have faced off on the softball diamond 105 times, first meeting in 1981. The Crimson lead the all-time series, 81-24, and own a four-game winning streak in the series. 

UP NEXT:

Harvard welcomes Dartmouth to Soldiers Field for the 2024 home opener next weekend, facing off against the Big Green on Saturday, Apr. 23 and Sunday, Apr. 24. The whole series will stream live on ESPN+.

For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).