Softball Ends Regular Season with Split

The Harvard softball team split its doubleheader against Dartmouth on Sunday in Hanover, N.H. Having split Saturday’s doubleheader as well, the Crimson comes out of this weekend with two conference losses against the Big Green. Before the four-game series, Harvard had lost only one Ivy League match, when it fell to Cornell in late March.

After shutting out Dartmouth, 4-0, in the first contest of the day, the Crimson (31-13, 17-3 Ivy) could not keep the momentum going into the second game and ultimately fell, 9-3, to the Big Green (14-25, 7-13).

Harvard struggled in the second matchup without sophomore pitcher Laura Ricciardone, who suffered a sprained ankle the day before. Over the past two seasons, Ricciardone has paired with co-captain Rachel Brown to form a one-two punch that has been crucial to the Crimson’s success both this season and last, when the team won the Ivy League championship.

But on Saturday, Ricciardone went down during the fifth inning after holding Dartmouth to one run on three hits, keeping her off the mound on Sunday.

“Not having Laura on the mound is definitely hard for our team,” senior shortstop Jane Alexander said. “She’s such a strong presence in the circle, and we love having her out there. She’s very dependable and such a strong force for our team.”

Ricciardone is expected to return in time for the Ivy League Championship Series in two weeks.

DARTMOUTH 9, HARVARD 3

In the second game of the day, Ricciardone’s absence, paired with the team’s offensive struggles, appeared to hurt the Crimson, as it fell, 9-3.

After a scoreless first inning, the Big Green was the first team on the scoreboard, plating in a run in the bottom of the second.

Harvard was unable to respond at the plate in the third, and Dartmouth continued its rally in the bottom half, scoring six more runs to put the Crimson in a seven-run hole.

In the fourth inning, Harvard got on the board.

Sophomore third baseman Kasey Lange reached first after getting hit by a pitch and then advanced to second base on freshman Katherine Appelbe’s single. Rookie Katie Lantz grounded out, allowing Lange to touch home, and freshman Adrienne Hume gained first on an infield error, putting Appelbe in scoring position.

Appelbe then scored on a passed ball, and the third Crimson run came in when junior Jess Ferri singled up the middle to knock in Hume.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Crimson replaced rookie hurler Gabby Ruiz with senior Marika Zumbro, who held the Big Green scoreless for the next two innings.

“Mari and Gabby haven’t really gotten in many innings throughout the season, so to do what they did was really great,” Brown said. “I think they’ll only improve given more opportunities.”

The top of the sixth inning proved to be another scoreless half for the Crimson lineup, and in the following half, Zumbro allowed two hits and two runs, as Harvard’s deficit increased to six.

The Crimson was unable to answer in the seventh inning, and the team lost, 9-3.

HARVARD 4, DARTMOUTH 0

Brown fanned 12 and the Harvard defense allowed just one error to lead the Crimson squad to a 4-0 shutout win in the first game of the day.

Though Dartmouth hurler Kristen Rumley earned an impressive 11 strikeouts in seven innings, it was not enough to stop the Harvard offense, which still finished with six compared to the Big Green’s one.

Lange homered in the top of the first inning to give the Crimson an early one-run advantage.

In the bottom of the inning, Rumley responded by ripping a double, but her team failed to keep the rally going, and she was ultimately left on second base. This would be the furthest that any Big Green hitter advanced in the contest.

The following three innings proved to be a pitchers’ battle, as neither team was able to produce a single hit or run.

In the fifth inning, Harvard extended its lead to two runs when sophomore catcher Allison Scott smacked a solo home run.

The sixth inning featured another Crimson run, making the score 3-0. Freshman center fielder Andrea Del Conte hit a double and then advanced to third base on Alexander’s sacrifice bunt. Next up, sophomore right fielder Shelbi Olson grounded out, allowing Del Conte to score.

Harvard earned one final run in the top of the seventh inning to make it a 4-0 game. Scott singled up the middle, and freshman Camilla Gibson, pinch running for Scott, then reached second on a steal. Zumbro followed with a single to right center and Gibson touched home.

Dartmouth was unable to score in its last licks, and the Crimson came away with the shutout win.

—Staff writer Marlee Melendy can be reached at melendy@college.harvard.edu.