Batswomen Go Even; Take Two Out of Four

The Harvard softball team had the kind of ending that would send the most calm and collected people gnawing incessantly at their nails.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Crimson down, 2-0, to Brooklyn College yesterday in a game played on Boston College's field, Harvard rapped out four hits and three runs for a 3-2 comeback victory.

The win ended a weekend that saw Harvard (9-8) sweep the visitors from Brooklyn twice, but lose games to Maine and Boston College.

The Crimson also defeated Brooklyn College (which entered the weekend with a 2-19 record), 8-3, Saturday afternoon at Soldiers Field. Maine shut out Harvard, 2-0, before the first Brooklyn College game. B.C. followed Maine's lead and blanked Harvard, 3-0, yesterday at Chestnut Hill.

"We salvaged something on a long, wet, sleety weekend," Harvard Coach John Wentzell said of Cambridge's Cardiac Kids.

Brita Lind started the rally off with a single the skipped off third base. After Lind advanced to second on a passed ball, Co-Capatin Mary Baldauf singled and stole second. With runners on second and third, catcher Nancy Prior singled in both runners to tie the score.

Liz Crowley then singled and Co-Captain Sharon Hayes reached first base on an error to load the bases. Freshman Beth Reilly's walk brought Prior in from third with the winning run.

Sophomore Lee Polikoff won both games against the Brooklynites. Polikoff upped her record to 5-2.

Senior hurler Lora Rowning also pitched well this weekend, allowing only five runs in two games. But her two opponents held Harvard to no runs.

Maine's Lori Methot had a perfect game for five innings and gave up only three hits in the last two innings to shut out the Crimson. Methot, a southpaw with a strange delivery, confused the Crimson hitters throughout the game.

"She was really tough," Wentzell said. "She was one of the toughest pitchers we faced all season."

B.C.'s Chris Comeau held the Crimson to three hits and gave the Eagles their third victory over Harvard.

In the Crimson's 8-3 victory over Brooklyn College, Prior collected two RBI and Crowley went 3-for-4.

Harvard travels to Tufts tomorrow and hosts Boston University Thursday afternoon at Soldiers Field.