CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A well-rounded effort in the circle and at the plate pushed Harvard softball to a series victory against Columbia, as the Crimson won the final two games of the series against the Lions at Soldiers Field this afternoon.

Led by a dominant showing in the circle from sophomore pitcher Nicolette Hunter, the Crimson evened the series with a 4-1 win against Columbia. First-Year infielder Alexa Muller enjoyed a great contest at the plate, driving in a career-high two runs and scoring a run on the base paths in the win.

Harvard ended the series on a high-note with a 12-0 run-rule win to close out the weekend. The Crimson outhit the visitors, 14-4, as the 12 runs represent a new single-game season-high for Harvard this season. Senior infielder Maya Douglas hit two home runs, her first multi-homer effort in a game in her collegiate career. The reigning Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year, sophomore infielder Sophie Sun set game-highs in hits (3) and RBIs (4). Hunter did it again in the series finale, posting a complete game shutout.

Fireworks in Cambridge ??

The Crimson take the series with a 12-0 run-rule win against Columbia!#GoCrimson #LND pic.twitter.com/euLS1quG90
— Harvard Softball (@HarvardSB) March 29, 2025
 

HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME TWO:

Harvard (13-8, 2-4 Ivy League) bounced back in the opening moments of the second game of the series. After two scoreless runs, the Crimson tallied the first two runs of the contest in the bottom of the third. The first run scored on a wild pitch, as the second was brought home on a groundout.

The fourth inning saw the Columbia (10-12, 4-2) cut into the Harvard advantage with a triple, as the Crimson pushed its lead up to three an inning later.

With one out, Sun provided Harvard a base runner with a single, as a walk from junior outfielder put two runners on for Muller. The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida native rose to the occasion, clearing the bases with a two-run RBI single, pushing the Crimson lead to three, 4-1.

Hunter was superb in the circle, silencing Columbia across all seven innings with six strikeouts, allowing only one run on five hits in the complete game effort. An All-Ivy League honorable mention last season, Hunter secured Harvard's first Ivy League win of the year with authority, ending the game with three strikeouts in the seventh.

The Crimson ended the game with four runs on four hits, as Muller drove in multiple runs for the first time in her career.

HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME THREE:

After a scoreless first inning, the Crimson offense exploded for four runs in the bottom of the second. With two runners on, sophomore outfielder Audrey Szollosi punched a ball between the gap on the left side, scoring the first run of the game. From there, the Crimson scored three runs on three straight hits, as junior infielder Finley Payne, Sun, and senior infielder Priyanka Kaul all drove in runs to provide Harvard a 4-0 lead in the inning.

The Crimson followed another shutout frame from Hunter with five runs in the third inning. On a full count, Douglas demolished a ball to deep left field for a leadoff solo home run. A walk from first-year outfielder Elena Weinseimer and a single from Szollosi allowed Payne to drive in a run with a double over the head of the centerfielder, pushing the lead to six. Sun and Muller capped the frame with more runs, as the Crimson entered the fourth with a 9-0 advantage.

MAKE THAT TWO

Maya Douglas hits multiple homers for the first time in her career!

??4 | Harvard 10, Columbia 0

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??https://t.co/Vs1Yvmxltu#GoCrimson #LND pic.twitter.com/vYaMrnnTFb
— Harvard Softball (@HarvardSB) March 29, 2025
 

Two more home runs put the contest out of reach in the fourth. Just as she did in the previous inning, Douglas started the frame with a leadoff solo home run, as the Charlotte, North Carolina native recorded multiple home runs in a single game for the first time in her collegiate career. Sun ended Harvard's scoring run with a two-run home run, her fourth of the year.

For a second straight contest, Hunter went the distance in the circle, this time shutting out the Lions with three strikeouts, only allowing four hits across five innings of work. A native of Camarillo, California, Hunter's 2.71 earned run average now leads Harvard this season.  She also owns a team-best three complete games this season.

Harvard scored a season-high 12 runs on 14 hits, as five different Crimson logged multi-hit efforts in the series finale against Columbia.

3?Homers on the Day!

Sophie Sun extends the Crimson lead with a two-run shot!

??5 | Harvard 12, Columbia 0

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??https://t.co/r5aBdoB9oa
??https://t.co/Vs1YvmxTj2#GoCrimson #LND pic.twitter.com/62zqkSkJTB
— Harvard Softball (@HarvardSB) March 29, 2025
 

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• Harvard set season-highs in runs (12) and home runs (3) in the 12-0 run-rule victory against Columbia.
• Hunter pitched eight-straight shutout innings against the Lions, tossing two complete games in the two Crimson victories this weekend.
• Douglas hit multiple home runs in a single game for the first time in her Crimson career.
• Sun and Douglas are both tied for the team lead in home runs this season with four each.
• With five hits in eight at-bats, Muller led the Crimson with a .625 batting average.

UP NEXT:

The Crimson is on the road next weekend, heading south to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a three-game series against Penn on Saturday, Apr. 5 and Sunday, Apr. 6.

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