CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After picking up its first Ivy League series victory last weekend against Columbia, Harvard softball hits the road again this weekend, traveling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a three game set against Penn.

The Crimson kickoff the weekend on Friday, Apr. 4 with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The series finale between Harvard and Penn will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Apr. 5.

CRIMSON UPDATES:

• Harvard travels to the City of Brotherly Love with a 13-8 record, as its .619 winning percentage is second in the Ivy League.
• Last weekend saw the Crimson move its conference record to 2-4, taking two-out-of-three against Columbia at Soldiers Field.
• In the opening game of the series, the Crimson recorded a season-high 15 hits, falling just short in a 9-8 defeat.
• The Crimson bounced back in game two, as sophomore pitcher Nicolette Hunter only allowed one run and five hits with six strikeouts in a complete game effort.
• Harvard ended the series on a high-note, earning its first run-rule win of the year with a 12-0 toppling of Columbia. The 12 runs are the most for the Crimson in a game this year, as senior infielder Maya Douglas and sophomore infielder Sophie Sun combined for three home runs.
• As a team, the Crimson is batting 3.13 and own a 3.73 team earned run average, as both marks rank second in the Ivy League.
• Both Sun and junior infielder Finley Payne are batting above .400 this season, making Harvard the only team in the Ivy League with multiple student-athletes owning a batting average higher than .400.
• Harvard is capitalizing on quick starts this season, holding a 12-2 record when it scores first.
• Head coach Jenny Rohn is in her second season at the helm of the Crimson softball, owning a 40-25 record in her Harvard tenure.

SCOUTING THE QUAKERS:

• Penn is 2-23-1 this season, as head coach Christie Novatin is in her second season.
• Last weekend saw the Quakers drop all three games against Brown at Penn Park.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Harvard and Penn have met 88 times on the softball diamond, as the Crimson lead the all-time series, 67-20-1.
• Last season saw the Crimson sweep the Quakers at Soldiers Field, outscoring the visitors, 23-10.
• The Crimson have won the last nine meetings against Penn.

HERE COMES THE SUN:

• The only student-athlete in conference history to win Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year in the same year, Sun is orchestrating a remarkable encore season.
• A native of Austin, Texas, Sun is second in the Ivy League in batting average (.423) and ranks in the top-five in hits (30) and total bases (45). Nationally, Sun ranks 21^st in toughest to strikeout, as she's only struck out twice in 71 at-bats this year.
• In the preseason, D1Softball ranked Sun as the No. 8 shortstop in the country.

HUNTING SEASON:

• An All-Ivy League honorable mention last year, Hunter is emerging as one of the top pitchers in the Ivy League this season.
• Across 41.1 innings of work this year, Hunter's 2.71 ERA ranks third in the Ivy League this year, as that mark also leads the Crimson.
• In the Columbia series, Hunter posted two complete games, including a complete game shutout in the 12-0 run-rule win for Harvard.

BRINGING THE PAYNE:

• Payne is enjoying one of the best years of her collegiate career in 2025.
• A native of Liberty Township, Ohio, Payne is second on the team in batting average (.407) and OPS (1.078) this year. She is only one of six student-athletes in the Ivy League to bat above .400 this year.
• The series opener saw Payne go a perfect four-for-four at the plate, setting a new career-high for hits in a single game.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS:

• The Crimson pitching staff is filled with talent this season, boasting a steady rotation of strong arms.
• Three of Harvard's student-athletes rank in the top-five in ERA in the Ivy League this year. Hunter is third (2.71), while juniors Riley Flynn (2.98) and Ryan Grace (3.90) and third and fourth, respectively.
• Harvard is the only program in the Ivy League to have multiple pitchers hold a ERA below 3.00.
• Grace also leads the conference in opposing batting average (.220).

IVY EXCELLENCE:

• Over the last five full seasons, Harvard is one of the top softball programs in the Ivy League, owning a league-best 75-30 record in conference play from 2018 to 2024.
• In that time span, the Crimson is the only team in the Ivy League to not drop double-digit conference games in a single-season.
• Harvard has won back-to-back Ivy League regular season titles, as it won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament in Princeton in 2023.

CAPTAINING THE CRIMSON:

• Seniors Savannah Fitzpatrick, Katie Arrambide and Grace are Harvard's team captains this season.
• An All-Ivy League First Team selection in 2024, Fitzpatrick leads the Crimson with nine doubles this year.
• Arrambide owns a 3.31 career ERA across 186.1 innings in the circle.
• Grace leads the Ivy League in opposing batting average (.220) this season.

CRIMSON ACROSS THE COUNTRY:

• Harvard softball has found and recruited talent from all across the United States.
• The Crimson hail from 13 different states, including Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Hawaii, Washington, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, California, Texas, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

UP NEXT:

Harvard remains on the road for its next midweek contest, venturing to Providence for a 2 p.m. meeting with the Friars on Tuesday, Apr. 8. The Crimson return to Soldiers Field on Saturday, Apr. 12 and Sunday, Apr. 13 for a three-game Ivy League series against Yale.

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