Crimson Ends Regular Season With Win

Neither the rain nor Dartmouth could stop the Harvard softball team from coming home again.

Fresh off a North Division-clinching win at the Big Green on Tuesday, the Crimson beat Dartmouth 9-6 at Soldiers Field in a continuation of a game last Saturday that was delayed due to rain midway through and with the score tied 4-4. The victory gives Harvard (29-13, 14-6 Ivy) home-field advantage this weekend in the inaugural Ivy Championship Series against Penn.

Junior first baseman Danielle Kerper delivered the big blow for Harvard, breaking a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-loaded single that just missed clearing the wall in right-center, just one half-inning after the Big Green (16-24, 11-9 Ivy) had rallied to tie the game.

The inning got started when sophomore center fielder Stephanie Krysiak beat out a short bunt and captain second baseman Julia Kidder bunted her to second. Senior shortstop Lauren Brown then hit a grounder to the shortstop, who had to look Krysiak back before throwing to first, allowing Brown to beat it out for a single. Next up was freshman designated hitter Lauren Murphy, owner of a league-record 18 home runs in a single season. Dartmouth walked her, despite first and second base being occupied.

That brought up Kerper, who made the Big Green pay by bashing a long drive to right center. The ball hit near the top of the fence, and when the dust settled, Krysiak and Brown had scored, while Murphy was on third.

“[Kerper] was really determined in warm-ups,” Crimson coach Jenny Allard said. “We knew they would pitch around Lauren Murphy, and she came up big for the team.”

Murphy would score on a wild pitch to complete the scoring.

When the rain came down on Saturday, Harvard had loaded the bases with one out for freshman third baseman Melissa Schellberg. When play resumed yesterday, Schellberg, who hit a game-winning three-run home run the previous day in the Crimson’s 11-8 win at Hanover, delivered another key hit, lining a single to left to score Brown. Freshman right fielder Jennifer Francis then hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Murphy.

Dartmouth wouldn’t go away, rallying in the top of the sixth against Harvard ace Shelly Madick. With runners on first and second and one out, Big Green star designated hitter Kelly Fry tripled into the right-center gap to tie the score.

Madick kept Fry on third by striking out first baseman Alyssa Parker, who had homered against her the previous day, and catcher Leigha Clarkson to end the inning.

Backed with a three-run lead, Madick set Dartmouth down easily in the seventh, allowing only a two-out, infield single before striking out leadoff hitter and shortstop Christy Austin to end the game.

“I had some jitters to get out of the way,” Madick said. “I’ve seen them for 15 innings or so now. I need to just sustain my confidence and keep throwing my pitches regardless of whether or not they knew I was going to throw a curveball or riseball. I was really effective against them with the curveball, so they made some good adjustments on that pitch.

“But when I went back with a three run lead, I felt like that was it,” she added. “There is no way they are going to score three runs, we want this too badly. After our season, we deserve to play at home.”

On Saturday, the Big Green jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second against freshman Dana Roberts. But Harvard came back in the bottom of the third. With Krysiak on second, Kidder knocked a home run to center. Brown followed with a single and reached third after two wild pitches as Dartmouth tried to walk Murphy intentionally. After the freshman reached first, Kerper hit a sacrifice fly to score Brown.

In the bottom of the fourth, Krysiak doubled home Schellberg to give the Crimson a 4-3 lead. The Big Green tied it in the next inning and had runners at second and third with one out. Allard brought in Madick, who promptly struck out pinch hitter J.J. Wright and got pinch hitter Megan Snively to fly to right.

During Harvard’s turn at bat, the Crimson loaded the bases before the weather intervened, postponing the game.

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