Softball Rides Late Offense to Sweep of Boston College

It’s always good to be home. After traveling from Florida, to Louisiana, and then to California, the Harvard women’s softball team (13-11) finally returned to Cambridge.

After having four games rained out this weekend, the Crimson took the field on Tuesday in a doubleheader against Boston College (15-15).

Dominant pitching would be the key to success, as Harvard followed up a first game victory in walkoff fashion with another win in the rubber game to sweep the doubleheader against the Eagles for the first time since 1999.

HARVARD 4, BOSTON COLLEGE 3

Although co-captain Kasey Lange ended the first game with a walkoff, two-run home run, the Crimson didn’t have much time to celebrate as the team retook the diamond for the second game of the afternoon.

Freshman Taylor Cabe stepped into the circle for Harvard and delivered another quality performance. In the six-inning contest, the rookie hurler went the distance, allowing only three runs on six hits to go along with eight strikeouts as she guided her squad to a 4-3 win.

In the first inning, the Crimson received a double from Hume and scored a run due to an error.

But in the top of the third inning, Cabe allowed two runs and Harvard was once against trailing.

It didn’t take long for the Crimson to respond, as the team bounced right back in the next frame to even the score. Hume reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and then scored on a single up the middle by junior Emily Gusse.

In the top of the fifth, Boston College strung together a couple of hits to retake the lead. But once again, Harvard didn’t shy away.

“[We] stuck with the process,” junior Laura Ricciardone said. “We were then able to come through clutch with relentless efforts at the plate.”

After co-captain Shelbi Olson doubled to right field, a sacrifice bunt advanced her to third. Then her fellow captain stepped to the plate and delivered for the second time on the day. Lange blasted a double down the right field line, driving in Olson and tying the game.

After Lange moved to third on a sacrifice fly, junior Katherine Lantz knocked a single up the middle to give the Crimson its first lead of the ball game.

The one run advantage was all that Cabe would need. The freshman retook the mound in the sixth inning—the final frame of the day—and got two outs from her defense and took care of the final batter with a strikeout.

HARVARD 4, BOSTON COLLEGE 2

In the first game of the day, Ricciardone improved to 6-5 on the year, as she shut down the Eagles in a complete game effort. Ricciardone struck out eight batters, allowing only five hits for two earned runs in the 4-2 win.

The Eagles managed to get on the board early behind two hits and an error from Harvard. But Ricciardone took control from there. The junior hurler went the next five frames, surrendering just two hits.

“The change-up was working very effectively,” Ricciardone said. “Paired with some strategic pitch calling, we were able to limit the production of the BC offense.”

But Harvard couldn’t get its bats going. Unable to string together many hits, the Crimson offense remained silent for the first six innings of the game.

Devoid of any offensive support, Ricciardone hit a batter in the top of the seventh. The Eagles then played small ball, as bunting, pinch-running, and situational hitting pushed another run across the plate.

Facing a 2-0 deficit, Harvard seemed to be heading for a loss in the day’s first game. But the Crimson dugout didn’t see it that way.

Harvard only needed two runs in that final inning. It got a whole lot more.

Lantz began the inning with a single up the middle, and in the very next at-bat, the Crimson tied the game as junior Adrienne Hume blasted a home run, bringing life to Harvard’s dugout.

Then, with two outs and the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, Lange stepped up to the plate.

A season ago, Lange broke Harvard’s all-time home run record. This afternoon, the Crimson co-captain added to that tally.

“I just wanted to do the most with the opportunity I was given,” Lange said. “Adrienne had a huge home run before me, and I wanted to keep the ball rolling.”

Lange blasted a walkoff home run to left-center field, driving in junior Jessica Perillo to secure the win

“Winning in that way definitely gave us momentum for the second game,” Lange said. “We were able to complete a big sweep.”

—Staff writer Andrew Farber can be reached at andrewfarber@college.harvard.edu.