PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Harvard softball and Brown kicked off their Ivy League series by splitting the doubleheader at Brown Softball Stadium this afternoon.
After falling 4-0 in the series opener, Harvard bounced back with a 5-1 victory to even the series heading into tomorrow's series finale. Senior pitcher
Riley Flynn led the way in the circle, picking up five strikeouts while only allowing one run on two hits across a complete game effort. Offensively, sophomore infielder
Alexa Muller led the way with two hits and two RBIs.
'
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME ONE
Harvard (15-15-1, 7-4 Ivy League) produced traffic on the base paths early against the Bears, as back-to-back singles from junior outfielder and team captain
Audrey Szollosi and first-year outfielder
Sheila Forbes put runners on first and second with no outs. A walk from Muller would load the bases, as the hosts worked out of the jam to preserve the 0-0 tie.
Runs from Brown (11-18, 4-7) in the first, second and third innings would open up a 4-0 lead for the hosts. From there, junior pitcher
Nicolette Hunter settled in, as the Camarillo, California native tossed four-straight scoreless innings to end the contest.
The Crimson would put runners on in the seventh inning, thanks to a leadoff single from Ziecik, as Brown would hang on to secure the 4-0 win to start the series. Harvard outhit the hosts, 7-5, in the series opener, as Ziecik went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Crimson offensively with a new career-high in hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED IN GAME TWO
Harvard regrouped for game two and produced an immediate response, tallying two runs in the top of the first inning. With two runners on, junior infielder
Sophie Sun drove in the opening run of the contest, 1-0, as the next-at bat saw senior infielder
Finley Payne double the lead with another RBI single, 2-0.
After a scoreless second inning, Harvard extended the lead in the third inning. A leadoff walk from Forbes set the table, as Muller drove a shot right up the middle for an RBI-single to push the Crimson advantage to 3-0 after three and a half innings.
The fourth inning saw Harvard add a fourth run, as once again Muller cashed in on a run scoring opportunity, bringing home a run with the bases loaded with a sacrifice fly, 4-0. A native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Muller has now driven in multiple runs in a game four times this season.
Brown would tally a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, 4-1, as the Crimson would end the game with another run in the top seventh by drawing a walk with the bases loaded, evening the series with a 5-1 win. In the circle, Flynn was superb, tossing her third complete game of the season with five strikeouts while holding the Bears to one run on two hits.
Harvard outhit Brown, 8-2, for the second time this series, as Szollosi and Muller both recorded multi-hit efforts. Three different Crimson drove in runs against Brown in the second leg of the doubleheader.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS
- Szollosi recorded her 100th career hit, joining teammates Sun and Payne as the only active Crimson to achieve the feat.
- Ziecik recorded a career-best three hits in the first game of the series against Brown.
- Muller drove in two runs in the 5-1 win against Brown, marking her fourth game this season with multiple RBIs.
- Forbes extends her hitting streak to eight games, the longest active streak on the team.
UP NEXT
Harvard and Brown return to the diamond tomorrow for the series finale. First pitch at Brown Softball Stadium is scheduled for noon and all the action will air live on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of Harvard Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@HarvardSB) and Instagram (@harvardsb).
Â
