Late Error Costs Crimson Sweep

Harvard softball faced a familiar non-conference foe on Tuesday as it battled Rhode Island in a doubleheader at Soldiers Field.

Riding a strong pitching performance from sophomore starter Shelly Madick, the Crimson (18-21, 6-6 Ivy) took the first game 5-1. It appeared that Harvard would ride another strong performance, this time from sophomore Amanda Watkins, in game two, but the Rams (16-21, 4-4 Atlantic 10) scored five times in the top of the sixth to manage a split.

The teams had previously met in Miami in March, with Harvard winning 8-2 the first time, but later falling to URI 1-0.

RHODE ISLAND 5, HARVARD 3

Leading 3-2 with two outs and two Rams in scoring position in the top of the sixth, the Crimson appeared to be out of the inning when reliever Bailey Vertovez induced shortstop Jamie Plamondon to ground to short.

Junior shortstop Lauren Brown’s throw was low, however, and first baseman Suzy Cominski could not dig it out. The ball rolled in front of the bag as both runners scored.

“I think if we would have gotten that out, we would have won 3-2,” said Harvard manager Jenny Allard.

The next batter doubled to deep right to score Plamondon and give URI a 2-run lead.

The Crimson tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh as freshman center fielder Jade Reichling hit a one-out infield single and advanced to second on Brown’s single to right.

The Rams brought in freshman reliever Odalys Torres, however, and she got junior captain second basemen Julia Kidder to ground into a 5-3 double play.

For most of the game, it appeared URI would be rendered helpless offensively by strong Harvard pitching. Through the first five innings, Watkins had allowed only one base runner.

“Both of [our pitchers] were lose and ready to throw,” Allard said “Their stuff was working and they were on. Both of them threw very well.”

In the sixth, she allowed a one-out double to the number nine hitter, center fielder Tara Hiteman. Leadoff hitter Danielle Quimby scored Hiteman with a single up the middle that Watkins nearly grabbed. The next two batters contributed hits that scored Quimby and put runners on second and third. Allard then replaced Watkins with Vertovez, who had been playing right field.

Vertovez struck out the first batter she faced, before allowing Plamondon’s fateful groundball.

The Crimson had scored twice in the second off starter Jill Anderson, who got the win, and once more in the third to take an early 3-0 lead.

HARVARD 5, RHODE ISLAND 1

During the weekend, Madick had thrown a complete-game shutout on Saturday against Princeton and lasted one-third of an inning in a losing start against Penn the next day.

In this game, she pitched like she did against Princeton.

Madick went 6 2/3 to improve to 8-6 on the season. She struck out seven while allowing only one run on six hits and five walks.

“Some days you have it, some days you don’t,” Madick said. “I thought I was breaking the ball pretty well today.”

In the seventh, the Rams finally scored and had the bases loaded with two outs, but Watkins came on in relief of Madick and got third baseman Christine Gentile to pop to third.

“Amanda did a great job,” Madick said. “She came in for me and that is what we needed.”

The offense gave her an early lead as Harvard scored twice in the first. Brown led off with a double, stole third, and then scored when Kidder blooped a single to right. Kidder was bunted to second and scored when freshman designated player Hayley Brock singled up the middle.

The Crimson added two more in the fourth and another in the sixth against Katie Holcomb [8-10], who went the distance.

“It is nice to go in with the lead right from the beginning,” Madick said. “It keeps the pressure on the batters instead of on me.

—Staff writer Ted Kirby can be reached at tjkirby@fas.harvard.edu.