Batwomen Survive Tufts; Victory Preserves Streak

The Harvard women's softball team kept a live-game winning streak alive when it defeated Tufts, 2-1, yesterday in Medford.

An impressive performance from sophomore pitcher Gerri Rubin was the only thing that enabled the batwomen to survive the lackluster contest, which went nine innings before anyone could go home A softball game is usually seven innings.

But when the batwomen finally returned to Cambridge last night, they brought home a 6-2 mark that includes the five-game streak.

"If you asked me to describe the game. I would say two words-Gerri Rubin," captain Landya Boyer said. "It was, by far, the best game I've ever seen her pitch."

Rubin, whom Crimson Coach John Wentzell calls "the heart and soul of our team," had a stellar performance yesterday with seven strikeouts, only two walks and a number of run-saving plays in the field as she pitched her way to her fourth win against two defeats.

The batwomen were also fortunate on offense yesterday, scoring both their runs on errors by Jumbo fielders. Harvard capitalized on the first Tufts mishap in the second inning, when first baseman Joan Cunningham came home after Tufts' Kris Herman, covering on a bunt, threw the ball into the outfield after trying to get Cunningham at third.

Tufts didn't even things up until the fifth, when third baseman Noreen Cahalan squeezed shortstop Janet Rizard in from third.

Rubin, who hit the corners quite effectively yesterday, saved the Crimson streak in the sixth by striking out the last two batters (both went down looking) after Tufts had loaded the bases on two hits and an error.

She pitched out of a similar jam in the seventh, when she fanned center fielder Kathy Walsh with runners on second and third.

Neither team could produce anything substantial during the eighth, and as the ninth approached, both teams had to contend as much with darkness as with each other.

Harvard, again capitalizing on a Jumbo mishap which this time proved to be fatal, got the run it needed to pull out the squeaker in the top of the ninth.

Cunningham reached first on an error to lead off the inning, and Mary MacKinnon sacrificed her over to second. Boyer doubled,' moving Cunningham over to third. After second sacker Nancy Andrea walked, Gia Barresi hit a long fly to left.

The Jumbo left fielder, trying to double Boyer off second, fired it in to second baseman Margie Cohen, but overthrew her. Analert Cunningham immediately broke for home, and scored what would turn out to be the winning run.

Rubin started the bottom of the ninth by fanning Rivard, and then made impressive barehand stab of a Cahalan grounder to throw her out. She then got Cohen to pop out to short to end the game.

THE NOTEBOOK: Gia Barresi and Lisa Rowning, both freshman, continued to provide the majority of Harvard's hits. Barresi was 2 for 5 yesterday and Rowning went 3 for 5.