Batwomen Beat Smith Under Blue Skies; Victory Gives Crimson Two-Game Streak

Taking advantage of the first reasonably good weather of the season, the Harvard women's softball team put together a strong mine hit performance to defeat Smith College 5-3, yesterday.

The batwomen, who have won their last two games in a row and now sport a 4-2 record used two RBIs each from second baseman Nancy Andrea and designated hitter Lisa Rowning to snag the win at Smith.

Playing under beautiful blue skies, the bat-women struck quickly scoring one run in the top of the first.

Senior center fielder Landya Boyer led off the contest with a bunt single, setting the brisk pace the Crimson maintained throughout the game Nancy Andrea then sacrificed Boyer into scoring position and Rowning, following a groundout by Gia Barresi, brought Boyer home with a sharp line drive single to left.

Smit answered quickly, though. With the visiting Cantabrigian nine in the field, the hosts replied with two tallies of their own in the bottom of the first. After leadoff batter Ellen O'Shea walked, Brenda Bridgharh doubled, and Jane Cucuci singled both Smith softballers onto the scoreboard. After giving up two runs, two hits and a walk before recording an out, pitcher Gerri Rubin blanked the next three batters, stranding Cucuci on third.

After an exchange of one two three innings, Harvard came back with a run in the third, after catcher Barresi tripled over the left fielder's head and scored on a wild pitch.

Harvard survived a scare in the bottom of the third when the first two host hitters got to Rubin for a double and a single. Yet, Rubin retired the next three Smith batters on popups to third baseman Trisha Brown, first baseman Joan Cunningham, and shortstop Ellen Sackaroff, respectively.

Six Dead

The next inning again saw an exchange of triple killings, and the teams entered the fifth deadlocked at two.

The fleet-footed Boyer, who has yet to be caught stealing this season, led off the inning with a walk. She promptly swiped second, leaving her at the top of the diamond, just asking to be knocked in. After the next two Crimson hitters flied out, Rowning answered, bringing in Boyer with her second line drive single to left.

Smith again scrapped back to tie things up in the bottom of the fifth, after leadoff hitter O'Shea singled, was sacrificed over to second and third and came in on infield grounder.

But Crimson nine exploded for four hits after two outs in the sixth, bringing in Captains Boyer and Sackaroff (who together yesterday combined for four steals).

Neither team was able to score the rest of the game, as Rubin sewed up her second victory against two defeats, retiring Smith in the bottom of the seventh on only five pitches.

"It was just a well-played ball game all around," Harvard Coach John Wentzell said. "We had strong defense--only one error today--and a strong pitching performance by Gerri."