Sports Brief: Harvard Splits in Utah

The Harvard softball team departed for Utah expecting to play 10 games. The Crimson ended up only playing six times, but managed to remain close to the .500 mark, going 3-3 over the break to bring the team’s record to 9-10. Freshman Jade Reichling was named Ivy League Rookie of the week, notching a .429 batting average over the course of the six game period.

HARVARD 12, UTAH VALLEY STATE 4

The Crimson held a significant lead over Utah Valley State the entire second game of Monday’s doubleheader, but it was in the seventh inning that the team’s bats were really on fire. Junior Susie Winkeller doubled to right field to start off the inning. Freshman Hayley Bock singled to left and freshman Suzi Cominski drove them both home when she singled, advanced to second on an error, and made it to third on the throw. Reichling doubled to right-center, allowing Cominski to score. Reichling advanced to third on a steal and scored on a double by senior Erin Halpenny. Junior co-captain Julia Kidder recorded the final Crimson hit of the night, a double to center field that scored Halpenny, bringing the score to 12-4.

Freshman Bailey Vertovez recorded the win for Harvard, pitching the entire game and striking out nine. Kidder and Winkeller both went 3-for-4 and recorded two RBI.

UTAH VALLEY STATE 3, HARVARD 2

Sophomore Amanda Watkins was the starting pitcher in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader. She pitched four innings and gave up two runs on three hits and struck out one. Co-captain Michele McAteer came in on relief and was able to hold the Wolverines to a 2-2 tie until the eighth inning, when she gave up the winning run and recorded the loss for the Crimson.

Bock singled up the middle to start the third inning. Two outs later, she scored on a passed ball to put Harvard on the board. In the sixth, junior Lauren Brown homered to left to tie the game. After the seventh inning, the score was still tied and the game went into extra innings. Kaeleigh Forsyth scored the game-winning run for the Wolverines in the bottom of the eighth inning.

UTAH 3, HARVARD 0

Amanda Watkins was the starting pitcher in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, pitching all six innings. She gave up three runs on eight hits.

Senior Rachel Murray, sophomore Danielle Kerper, Halpenny, Winkeller, Bock, and Reichling all recorded singles, but the Crimson was unable to score in the 3-0 shut-out.

HARVARD 4, UTAH VALLEY STATE 1

In the first game of Saturday’s twinbill, sophomore Shelly Madick recorded the win for Harvard. She allowed only one run on three hits and recorded eight strike-outs.

A series of walks helped the Crimson get on the board in the fourth inning. After Murray flied out to start the inning, Winkeller walked and advanced to second on a single by senior Pilar Adams. Kerper walked and Bock recorded two RBI with a double to right field, giving Harvard a 2-1 lead. Madick pinch ran for Bock and advanced to third on a RBI single by Reichling.

Kidder homered to left to start the fifth inning, bumping the Crimson lead to 4-1, where it would remain for the duration of the game.

PORTLAND STATE 2, HARVARD 1

Vertovez was the starting pitcher for the Crimson in the second game of the opening day of the spring break schedule, which began on Friday. Vertovez pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and notching four strikeouts.

Portland was only able to score one run in the second inning and one more in the fourth, but it was enough to give the Vikings the win. McAteer held Portland scoreless in her inning of relief in the top of the seventh inning.

The only run scored by Harvard came in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Kerper scored on a double by Reichling.

Kerper went 2-for-3 against the Vikings and Adams went 1-for-3.

HARVARD 6, UTAH STATE 5

In the Crimson’s first game of the Utah Tournament, a late surge gave Harvard the victory.

The Crimson was down 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The inning began with a ground out to second by Halpenny. Kidder singled to shortstop and advanced to second base on an error. She scored on a single by Murray to tie the game at 5. Junior Sarah Shaughnessy pinch ran for Murray and advanced to second on a single by Adams. Kerper doubled to score Shaughnessy, ending the game.

The bulk of Harvard’s runs came in the fifth inning, when Winkeller hit a three-run homer to center field. Winkeller also scored in the second inning off a single by Bock.

Harvard will end its round trip tomorrow against Quinnipiac.