Batwomen Split Doubleheader With Bentley; Rubin Wins Harvard's First in Six Outings

WALTHAM--They didn't do it by much and it was short lived, but the women softballers ended their six game losing streak by downing Bentley College, 2-1, yesterday in Waltham. The Crimson was unable to remain in the win column, however, as they dropped the second game of the double header, 7-4.

At first it looked as if the Crimson bats, which had been conspicuously silent for the last couple of weeks, had come alive. The Cantabs opened the first game with two singles in the top of the first inning that put Harvard ahead, 1-0. That, however, was the last that was heard from the batwomen for the next four innings, as Bentley pitcher Tracey Mirmina baffled the Crimson batters.

Without any offensive clout Harvard turned to a familiar weapon: the pitching of Gerri Rubin.

After allowing one run in the bottom of the first to tie the game. Rubin settled into a pitching duel with Falcon hurler Mirmina. While neither pitcher gave up more than seven hits in the game. Rubin was more clearly in command.

The freshman fastballer controlled the ball well throughout the game, allowing no walks and consistently finding the corners. Her performance was eventually rewarded by the Crimson batters.

Co-Captain Pat Horne personally presented Rubin with the game winning run. Horne led off the sixth inning with a double, but after the next Harvard better grounded out to advance her to third. Horne took things into her own hands.

With Horne poised at third. Mirmina delivered a pitched that scooted past Falcon catcher Bey Smith. As the ball lay behind the plate Horne broke for home tagging best just ahead of the tag of the covering Mirmina.

The Falcons mounted a threat in the bottom of the seventh on a single and an error to put runners on first and third with one out. But the one-run lead held as the Crimson defense made two good plays to convert ground balls forced by Rubin into the final outs of the game.

Unfortunately for the Crimson the second game was any thing but a pitching duel.

The Falcons' first three batters exploded off a tiring Rubin for doubles, and before the inning was over they had earned a 3-0 lead Freshman Mary MacKinnon replaced Rubin in the fourth with Harvard trailing by five runs. While MacKinnon put in a good showing, allowing only two runs in the remaining innings. Harvard's bats managed only to narrow the gap to two runs.

Even though the game was lost, coaches and players said the doubleheader was a turning point for the team. "We finally broke out of the slump that we've been in since the Ivies by winning the first game and hanging in the second," said shortstop Ellen Sackaroff.

Added Assistant Coach Dan Leist, "People were hustling and not making the mental mistakes that had been hurting us in the other games."