CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the third consecutive year, Harvard softball is heading to the Ivy League Tournament, as the Crimson took both games against Cornell in a doubleheader to kick-off the final series of the regular season.
Pitching, along with timely hitting, propelled Harvard to the wins against the Big Red. In game one, a complete game shutout from sophomore pitcher
Nicolette Hunter paved the way for the 2-0 victory. An All-Ivy League honorable mention in 2024, Hunter only allowed four hits with seven strikeouts, as senior infielder
Maya Douglas put Harvard ahead in the fifth with an RBI-double.
Game two saw more of the same from the Crimson pitching staff, as junior pitcher
Riley Flynn also pitched a complete game, striking out three batters while only allowing one run on four hits. After two scoreless innings, first-year designated player
Alexa Muller sparked Harvard's offense in third with a two-run RBI single, pushing Harvard to the 5-1 win to end the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME ONE:
Incredible pitching performances from both starters defined the series opener between Harvard (25-11, 14-6 Ivy League) and Cornell (16-21, 6-14). For the first four innings, Hunter and Cornell's Mila Fiordalisi kept the offenses at bay, as the scoreline was 0-0 entering the fifth inning.
In the second, Hunter preserved the tie with strong pitching in a key spot. With one out, three straight Big Red singles loaded the bases. After forcing a fielder's choice for the second out, Hunter ended Cornell's scoring chance with a three-pitch strikeout, preserving the 0-0 tie.
Harvard produced the first run of the contest in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, senior infielder
Priyanka Kaul lofted a single to shallow left field, as first-year catcher
Quinn Salazar-Stewart moved the runner over with a sacrifice bunt. On the second pitch of her at-bat, Douglas delivered, bringing home the game-winning run with a shot down the left field line.
The sixth inning saw Harvard double its lead. Junior infielder
Finley Payne started the inning strong, launching a ball into the gap in left field for a leadoff double. With the runner now on third, Muller scored another run with a sacrifice fly.
Harvard posted two runs with six hits in the 2-0 victory in the series opener, as the Crimson shutout an opponent for the fifth time this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME TWO:
After two and a half scoreless innings, the Crimson jumped ahead in the bottom of the third inning. Consecutive hits from sophomore outfielder
Audrey Szollosi and Payne, along with a walk from sophomore infielder
Sophie Sun, loaded the bases for Muller. Facing a full count, Muller slashed a pitch right up the middle, scoring the first two runs of the contest, 2-0. Senior outfielder
Savannah Fitzpatrick added another run with a sacrifice fly before the inning ended to push Harvard's advantage to three runs.
The Crimson offense manufactured two more runs in the fifth inning. Singles from Sun and Payne put two runners on, as a walk from Muller loaded the bases yet again. Harvard cashed in, as Fitzpatrick poked a hit between shortstop and third base to score another run, 4-0. The next at-bat saw junior outfielder
Lael Ayala sky a pitch to deep center field on a 2-1 count, scoring Harvard's fifth and final run of the contest, 5-0.
Harvard's pitching staff stepped up again, as this time it was Flynn producing a stellar showing in the circle. The 2023 Ivy League Rookie of the Year went the distance, only allowing four hits and one run with three strikeouts.
Cornell scored a run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough, as the Crimson earned the win in game two of the series, 5-1. Harvard needed nine hits to score its five runs in the last leg of the twinbill, as Szollosi, Payne and Sun each recorded two hits, while Muller and Fitzpatrick each drove in two runs.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:
- For a third-straight season, Harvard clinches a spot in the Ivy League Tournament, as the Crimson look to win its second Ivy League Tournament title after winning it in 2023.
- Harvard is now 20-3 this season when it scores first.
- In game one of the series, Hunter collected seven strikeouts, tying her career high.
- Payne and Sun each posted three hits in the doubleheader against the Big Red, tied for the team lead.
UP NEXT:
Harvard and Cornell return to the field tomorrow for the 2025 regular season finale. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. as every inning will air live on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).
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