Softball Splits Two With Friars

Even though the Harvard softball team saw its seven-game winning streak snapped in Thursday's doubleheader split with Providence, it's unlikely the players will be crying in their beer for an extended amount of time. Providence  4 Harvard  3 Providence  0 Harvard  4

Why?

Well, for one thing, the outcome will have absolutely no impact on the battle between the Crimson (18-12-0 overall, 7-3-0 Ivy) and the Elis of Yale for second place in the Ivy League. Harvard holds a one-game lead with just two games remaining.

More importantly, however, freshman standout hurlers Heather Brown and Tasha Cupp continued their stellar pitching of late, a trend that bodes very well for the team's future.

In the opener of the twinbill, a 4-3 loss, the Crimson saw itself victimized by a flaw with which the Harvard baseball team can probably relate: shaky defense.

The Crimson committed a pair of errors that led to three unearned runs, allowing the Friars to overcome a 3-2 deficit with single runs in the fourth and seventh innings.

Harvard, meanwhile, could muster only six hits against Friar pitching.

Sophomore first baseman Melissa Reyen led the Crimson with two hits, while sophomore right fielder Melissa Kreuder knocked in a pair of runs.

The victim of these miscues was Brown, who saw her record drop to 8-4 despite allowing just seven hits and one earned run in going the distance for the Crimson.

Game two belonged entirely to Cupp, who has shown absolutely no sign of a letdown after being named Ivy League Rookie of the Week the Previous week for her three league victories.

In Tuesday's nightcap against Hartford, Cupp allowed no runs over the final three innings, striking out four in garnering her second save of the season.

On Thursday, she was even more dominant, hurling a complete game one-hit 4-0 shutout.

Cupp struck out a pair and walked one in improving to 7-3 on the year.

Despite Cupp's Clemens-esque performance, the Crimson showed little offensive punch of its own during the first five innings, and the game entered the top of the sixth a 0-0 tie.

But Harvard put the game away in the final two innings, scoring a pair of runs in each frame to ensure that Cupp's effort would not go to waste.

Sophomore rightfielder Sara Cushman and freshman centerfielder Jenny Franzese stroked back-to-back RBI hits to ice the triumph, Harvard's first in its last nine contests against the Friars.

Harvard continues its schedule with three additional non-league doubleheaders, starting with today's contest at Vermont.

It concludes its Ivy League schedule and season a week from today when fourth-place Dartmouth visits Soldiers Field.

Why?

Well, for one thing, the outcome will have absolutely no impact on the battle between the Crimson (18-12-0 overall, 7-3-0 Ivy) and the Elis of Yale for second place in the Ivy League. Harvard holds a one-game lead with just two games remaining.

More importantly, however, freshman standout hurlers Heather Brown and Tasha Cupp continued their stellar pitching of late, a trend that bodes very well for the team's future.

In the opener of the twinbill, a 4-3 loss, the Crimson saw itself victimized by a flaw with which the Harvard baseball team can probably relate: shaky defense.

The Crimson committed a pair of errors that led to three unearned runs, allowing the Friars to overcome a 3-2 deficit with single runs in the fourth and seventh innings.

Harvard, meanwhile, could muster only six hits against Friar pitching.

Sophomore first baseman Melissa Reyen led the Crimson with two hits, while sophomore right fielder Melissa Kreuder knocked in a pair of runs.

The victim of these miscues was Brown, who saw her record drop to 8-4 despite allowing just seven hits and one earned run in going the distance for the Crimson.

Game two belonged entirely to Cupp, who has shown absolutely no sign of a letdown after being named Ivy League Rookie of the Week the Previous week for her three league victories.

In Tuesday's nightcap against Hartford, Cupp allowed no runs over the final three innings, striking out four in garnering her second save of the season.

On Thursday, she was even more dominant, hurling a complete game one-hit 4-0 shutout.

Cupp struck out a pair and walked one in improving to 7-3 on the year.

Despite Cupp's Clemens-esque performance, the Crimson showed little offensive punch of its own during the first five innings, and the game entered the top of the sixth a 0-0 tie.

But Harvard put the game away in the final two innings, scoring a pair of runs in each frame to ensure that Cupp's effort would not go to waste.

Sophomore rightfielder Sara Cushman and freshman centerfielder Jenny Franzese stroked back-to-back RBI hits to ice the triumph, Harvard's first in its last nine contests against the Friars.

Harvard continues its schedule with three additional non-league doubleheaders, starting with today's contest at Vermont.

It concludes its Ivy League schedule and season a week from today when fourth-place Dartmouth visits Soldiers Field.