Softball Splits Two-Game Series with Cornell

When Cornell’s Erin Keene stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth in the second half of Friday’s doubleheader, co-captain pitcher Rachel Brown had seen her before. The two’s history went all the way back to their freshman year, when Brown got Keene out on the pitcher’s way to her second career save. Since then, the teams have continued to battle back and forth for Ivy League supremacy.

Keene stepped up to face Brown for the final time Friday under nearly the same circumstances as three years prior, except this time it was Harvard and Brown who were on top, as defending Ivy League Champs and as winners of the day’s first matchup. Which meant it was Keene’s turn to level the rivalry. The senior ripped a two-run homerun to break the 8-8 tie, lifting the Big Red (12-11, 3-1 Ivy) over the Crimson (15-8, 3-1) in the second contest of Friday’s twinbill at Niemand-Robison Field in Ithaca, N.Y.

The two Ivy heavyweights have split each regular season doubleheader since 2007, and Friday was no different, as Harvard scored six unanswered runs to win game one in extra innings, 6-2, in before Cornell squashed the Crimson’s second comeback attempt in game two, winning 10-8 thanks to Keene’s late-game performance.

CORNELL 10, HARVARD 8

After breaking through late in game one, both offenses continued producing early and often in game two. Once again, it was the Big Red who jumped out first, taking an 8-3 lead heading into the fifth inning

But Harvard rallied, getting four runners across to close the gap to 8-7 before tying the game in the top of the sixth on senior shortstop Jane Alexander’s RBI double. With another Crimson comeback potentially in the making, Harvard coach Jenny Allard chose to send Brown, who boasts a team-low 1.67 ERA, into the game in hopes of shutting down the Big Red offense.

“She was our most effective pitcher on Friday,” Allard said. “We thought if Rachel could hold them, then we’d have an opportunity to win.”

The plan worked initially, as Brown struck out her first adversary looking. But then she gave up a double, which brought Keene to the plate.

Brown had handled Keene in game one, striking her out on all three plate appearances. But neither Harvard nor Cornell has been able to establish control over the other in recent history, and the same held true for Brown and Keene specifically. So after Brown dominated early in the day in a Crimson victory, it was Keene and the Big Red’s turn to be back on top.

On cue, Keene drove a Brown offering deep to left field and over the wall, regaining the lead for Cornell. In the top of the seventh, Harvard managed to get only one baserunner on before falling, 10-8.

Despite the outcome, Allard defended her decision.

“I’d make that decision again,” Allard said. “There were a couple pitches she missed on, and they hit them.”

Brown had been warming up and was ready to go in if the team took the lead. But, she said, it was a spur of the moment decision to put her in during a tied game. After pitching eight innings earlier in the day though, Brown wasn’t nearly as effective this time around.

“I think I was a little tired after pitching the first game, which was emotionally draining,” Brown said. “I let down a little bit.”

HARVARD 6, CORNELL 2 (8 inn.)

The first five innings of game one presented a pitcher’s duel. Brown returned to form after a shaky outing Tuesday, surrendering only one hit and no runs in the first five frames. The Crimson offense generated baserunners but no runs thanks to seven stranded runners in five innings.

The Big Red broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth with a Linda Laeufer homer that gave Cornell a 2-0 lead.

But then Harvard’s offense finally broke through. In the top of the seventh with two runners on, sophomore Kasey Lange doubled to left center, bringing both runners home and tying the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Brown surrendered a double but nothing more, sending the game into extra innings.

“We had been battling and had runners on early in the game; we just weren’t coming up with timely hits,” Allard said. “We knew we would get to the point where we would score. It was just unfortunate that it didn’t come until the seventh inning.”

With two runners on again in the top of the eighth, freshman Katherine Appelbe gave the Crimson its first lead of the game on a one-run single. In the next at-bat, Alexander put the game out of reach with a three-run home run that extended the lead to 6-2.

Brown took care of business in the bottom of the eighth to seal the victory. In her complete-game win, the senior fanned 13 batters.

—Staff writer Jacob D. H. Feldman can be reached at jacobfeldman@college.harvard.edu.