Batswomen Sweep Double-Dip

Two double-plays and a pair of strong pitching performances led to double the fun for the Harvard women's softball team yesterday afternoon at Soldiers Field, as the Crimson downed Wheaton, 6-2, and Tufts, 9-3.

The Harvard trio of Lisa Rowning, Mary Baldauf and Trisha Brown turned double-plays in both games before Coach John Wentzell rearranged the Crimson line-up--moving Brown to right field, and giving Rowning a rest while the subs saw some rare action.

"It was a blast," said Brown, the regular first-baseman, who was seen waving from the outfield and asking centerfielder Hanya Bluestone where to stand in her right-field debut.

"I'm in the process of negotiating for a new right-field contract," Brown joked after the game.

Brown will have to do a hard sell to replace starting rightfielder Elizabeth Crowley, who went 3-for-4 in the opening game to lead the Crimson (8-4 overall, 2-2 Ivy League).

Baldauf led off the contest with a double to left, and Harvard batted around with hits from Rowning, Crowley and Bluestone to score four runs.

"We got off to great starts in both games," Wentzell said. "We really hit the ball."

The Crimson gained two more runs in the third inning off sloppy Wheaton fielding to widen the margin to six runs.

Freshman Lee Polikoff pitched a shutout for six innings before giving up RBI-singles to Kathy Bannon and Carla Lucas in the final stanza.

"We got really good pitching, especially in the second game," Wentzell said.

Southpaw Janet Dickerman took the mound for game two and gave up seven hits in her first start this season. The Jumbos cracked a pair of singles in the opening frame to grab a 1-0 lead, but the Crimson rallied in the bottom of the first to score five runs off three hits.

Baldauf repeated her game one performance, leading off with a hit, and Rowning followed with her second triple of the day. Three walks, a Nancy Prior single, and a passed ball accounted for the other four Crimson runs that inning.

Inning two was a Jumbo disaster, as three walks, two errors and a pair of passed balls allowed Harvard to widen the gap to 8-1.

"When you get good pitching and good defense," Wentzell said, "it becomes a timely day."

The Crimson played an excellent defensive game, with the team's lone error coming in the final inning.

"Our fielding looks probably the best it's been all year," Rowning said.

THE NOTEBOOK: Wentzell rested top pitcher Lora Rowning in anticipation of tough doubleheaders against Ivy foes Brown and Yale today and tomorrow. He also gave Co-Captain and catcher Gia Barressi a break, moving her to left field for a total of five innings...Baldauf and Crowley and three hits for the afternoon, while Hayes and Rowning contributed two apiece...Harvard out-hit Wheaton, 8-5, and equalled Tufts' total of seven...Heading into their final week of the season, the batswomen are slated to play at least eight games over the next seven days.