HANOVER, N.H. – A pair of comeback victories at Dartmouth Softball Park lifted Harvard softball to a key series sweep of Dartmouth, as the Crimson improve to 12-6 in conference play heading into last weekend of the regular season.
Trailing 4-1 entering the fifth inning of the second game of the series, the Crimson staged one of its signature comebacks, as two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth inning led Harvard to a 7-5 win against Dartmouth. A two-run home run from junior infielder
Finley Payne made the difference in the sixth inning.
In the series finale, junior outfielder
Lael Ayala and senior infielder
Maya Douglas both hit home runs in the contest, as a five-run outburst in the seventh inning pushed the Crimson to an 8-4 win, securing the sweep of the Big Green.
First-year infielder
Alexa Muller enjoyed a fantastic weekend in the woods, ending the series against the Big Green with a team-high .667 batting average with eight hits and four RBIs. Junior pitcher
Ryan Grace earned the win in the circle in both of today's contests.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME ONE:
Just like it did in the series opener, Harvard (23-11, 12-6 Ivy League) manufactured the opening run of the contest. Back-to-back singles from Payne and sophomore infielder
Sophie Sun, along with a walk from senior outfielder
Savannah Fitzpatrick, loaded the bases for Ayala. On the first pitch of her at-bat, Ayala was hit by a pitch, scoring the first run of the day to put the Crimson ahead.
In the third inning, Dartmouth (17-18, 10-8) took its first lead of the contest, scoring one run on a single and then the next run on a double to take a 2-1 lead. The hosts doubled their lead in the fourth, scoring two more with an RBI-double, 4-1.
Harvard pulled within one of the Big Green in the fifth inning. A leadoff single from first-year catcher
Quinn Salazar-Stewart put a runner on for Szollosi. The Upper Arlington, Ohio native punched a pitch into deep center for an RBI-single. Muller kept raking at the plate later in the frame, scoring a run with a sharp line drive towards right field.
Dartmouth pushed its lead back to two, 5-3, in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI-single.
In the sixth inning, the Crimson flipped the script, putting up four runs on the board to take its first lead of the contest since the opening inning. Senior designated player
Priyanka Kaul ignited the comeback with a one-out RBI triple, as Szollosi brought the runner with a single on a full-count, 5-4.
The Crimson didn't stop there in the sixth inning, as the next at-bat saw Payne crush a pitch past the right field fence, putting the Crimson ahead, 6-5. Muller padded the Crimson's lead to close out the, hitting Harvard's second triple of the inning to score Sun, 7-5.
With a 7-5 victory, Harvard secured a key series win, as the Crimson scored seven runs on 11 hits. Szollosi and Muller both recorded two RBIs, as Payne's homer in the sixth inning was her 100
th career hit. Grace earned the win in the circle, keeping the hosts off the board over 2.1 innings of relief work with two strikeouts and zero hits allowed.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME TWO:
The series finale saw the hosts take the initial lead with solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
After three consecutive scoreless innings, Harvard took the lead, as Ayala sent a pitch to deep left field for a two-run homer, 2-1. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Ayala's homer in the fourth inning against the Big Green is her first of the 2025 season.
The two sides continued the home run exchange in the bottom of the fourth inning. With a runner on, Marilyn Beauvais sent a two-run homer to right field, 3-2.
Ayala came up clutch again in the fifth inning, evening the score. Harvard started the rally with two-outs, as Muller reached safely with a single and advanced to second on the throw. After a walk from Fitzpatrick, Ayala sliced a pitch between the short stop and third base, scoring the tying run.
A late surge in the seventh inning lifted the Crimson to the series sweep, as Harvard earned its third victory up north with five runs on five hits in the top of the seventh. A leadoff bunt single from Payne put a runner with one out for Muller, as the first-year stepped up, lifting a pitch to the gap in right center field to score the go-ahead run with an RBI-double. Kaul delivered in the next at-bat, clearing the bases with a two-run RBI-double, pushing Harvard's lead, 6-3.
Douglas put an exclamation point on Harvard's output in the seventh inning, scoring two runs with a no-doubt two run home run to left field, her seventh of the year.
The hosts scored one run in the bottom of the seventh, but Grace shut the door, as Harvard completed the sweep with an 8-4 win against the Big Green. Harvard scored eight runs on 13 hits, as Ayala and Salazar-Stewart both recorded three hits. Ayala drove in three runs, tying her career-high. First-year pitcher
Linden McCarl and Grace combined for 3.2 relief innings, as the duo only allowed one run.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:
- In the sixth inning or later in the series, Harvard outscored Dartmouth, 17-2.
- Harvard has now won four-straight games against Dartmouth.
- Muller shined at the plate for the Crimson in the series against the Big Green, recording a team-best .667 batting average with four RBIs, two doubles and two triples.
- Ayala's homer in the fourth inning of the series finale is her first of the season.
- Sun and Douglas are now tied for the team lead in home runs this season with seven each.
- Payne now has 100 hits in her Crimson career.
- Junior pitcher Riley Flynn has 200 strikeouts in her Crimson career, becoming the 11th student-athlete in program history to do so.
UP NEXT:
Harvard ends the regular season at home next weekend, welcoming Cornell to Cambridge on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. All three games will air live on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).
