CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard softball clinched a pivotal series victory on Sunday afternoon at Soldiers Field, as the Crimson split a doubleheader against Ivy League rival Princeton.
The Crimson earned the series win with a resilient 8-7 victory in game two of the series. An explosive first inning lifted Harvard to the win, as the Crimson sent 11 batters to the plate to score six runs in the frame.
The series finale was another enthralling contest between Harvard and Princeton, as the Tigers won the last matchup of the weekend, 6-5.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME ONE:
The visitors struck first, as Princeton (16-11, 5-4 Ivy League) took the lead in the top of the first. With one out and runners on first and second base, the Tigers scored the opening run on an RBI double to deep left center field, 1-0. With two runners in scoring position, sophomore starting pitcher
Riley Flynn escaped the jam, catching a batter looking for a strikeout and forcing the next to pop out.
Following the same blueprint from the series opener, Harvard (14-13, 5-6) answered, sending 11 batters to the plate in the first inning to take the lead. After senior outfielder
Lauren Bobowski manufactured a leadoff walk, first-year infielder
Sophie Sun got a hold of a pitch in the zone, sending Bobowski to third with a double. The Crimson leveled the score, as senior infielder
Madi Mays sent an RBI-single to shallow center, bringing home her fellow captain Bobowski, 1-1. After a perfectly placed bunt from junior outfielder
Savannah Fitzpatrick loaded the bases, patience at the plate paid off, as a walk from sophomore infielder
Finley Payne scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run, 2-1.
The Harvard bats kept going, scoring four more runs in the bottom of the first inning. Following Payne's walk, junior designated player
Maya Douglas provided Harvard with insurance runs, scoring two more with an RBI-double down the left line, 4-1. After a sacrifice fly from first-year catcher
Alexa Wohr tallied a run
, sophomore outfielder
Lael Ayala roped a line drive RBI-single to center field, scoring Harvard's last run of the inning, 6-1.
Heading to the top of the second inning, Princeton cut into Harvard's lead. With the bases loaded, the Tigers worked a walk and got hit by a pitch to score a pair of runs, 6-3. After a lineout, Princeton lofted a two-run RBI-single to right field, reducing Harvard's lead to one, 6-5.
After a shutout inning from first-year pitcher
Nicolette Hunter, Harvard pushed its lead to two in the third inning, as the Crimson scored on a wild pitch, 7-5. Princeton produced a run in the fourth, bringing the deficit back to one with a bunt, 7-6.
In the sixth inning, Harvard doubled its lead. After another leadoff walk, Bobowski put a runner on third after reaching second safely on a throwing error. A great piece of hitting from Sun scored a run on a sacrifice fly, 8-6. Princeton got a run back in the sixth inning on a solo home run, but the Crimson shut the door in the seventh to secure the 8-7 victory.
Harvard scored eight runs on nine hits to secure the series victory. Hunter earns her second win in the circle this weekend, sitting down three batters on strikes while allowing three hits and one run in 2.2 innings of work. Junior
Katie Arrambide picked up her second save of 2024.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME TWO:
The series finale started with Princeton jumping out to a 3-0 lead, scoring one run in each of the first three innings.
In the fourth inning, Harvard answered, reducing the Tigers' advantage to one. Mays provided Harvard with a leadoff baserunner after getting hit by a pitch. The Crimson loaded the bases after Mays' plate appearances, as Fitzpatrick reached on an error and Payne worked a walk. On a 1-2 count, Wohr slapped a two-run RBI single to bring Harvard within one, 3-2.
The fifth inning saw Harvard and Princeton trade two run frames. The Tigers reestablished their three-run advantage with a sacrifice bunt and RBI-double, 5-2.
The Crimson manufactured a response in its portion of the fifth. A perfect bunt from Bobowski set up a scoring chance for the Crimson, as Mays fired a hit that rolled all the way to the wall for an RBI-double, 5-3. Fitzpatrick kept the momentum going, getting Harvard back in the contest with an RBI-single, 5-4.
After a Harvard fielding error allowed a runner to score for Princeton, 6-4, the Crimson came back to bring the deficit back to one. With a runner on second, Bobowski lined a hit to the edge of the infield, scoring a run, 6-5. Neither side scored in the seventh, as Princeton held on to take the series finale.
Harvard scored five runs on nine hits, as senior pitcher
Anna Reed went the distance in the circle, allowing only two earned runs in her complete game showing.
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HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:
- Across all three games of the series, Harvard outscored Princeton, 27-19.
- Douglas was pivotal the dish, as the Charlotte, N.C. native drove in a team-high four runs against Princeton this weekend.
- Coming out of the bullpen, Hunter was excellent, posting a 1.17 earned run average across 8.0 innings against the Tigers, striking out seven hitters.
- Against Ivy League opposition this season, Sun leads Harvard in batting average (.486) and slugging percentage (.800).
UP NEXT:
Harvard looks to clinch its third Ivy League series win of the 2024 season on Tuesday, Apr. 9, as the Crimson welcome back Dartmouth to Soldiers Field for the series finale. Action begins at 3:30 p.m. and Harvard fans can catch the contest live on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).
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Gallery: (4-7-2024) Softball vs. Princeton
