Softball Season Recap

Just five games from the end of the Harvard softball team’s 2014 season, everything was looking up for the Crimson. After starting the season with an 8-7 record, a tally that included a stunning victory over Louisiana State and a disappointing 5-7 trip to California, the Crimson embarked on an 18-game winning streak to bump its record up to an impressive 26-7-1.

However, Harvard (28-15-1, 14-3-1 Ivy) was unable to maintain the streak, as the team dropped three of four games to league rival Dartmouth at the conclusion of the season to give the Big Green the Ivy League North Division title, eliminating itself from contention for an Ivy League Championship Game berth.

“The season was ultimately definitely difficult,” junior pitcher Laura Ricciardone said. “Nonetheless, the season had a lot of high points for not only this team in this particular season, but for Harvard softball as a program.”

The high point of the season came early for the Crimson, when the team traveled to Baton Rouge for the Purple and Gold Challenge hosted by No. 23 LSU.

Despite going into the game as the heavy underdog, the Crimson outlasted the Tigers to earn the victory in a contest that lasted 12 innings.

After junior shortstop Emily Gusse knocked in co-captain outfielder Shelbi Olson in the top of the 12th to put Harvard up, 1-0, LSU roared back in the bottom half of the inning to load the bases with two outs. Ricciardone did not waver, however, and recorded the final out on a strikeout to clinch the win for the Crimson, which went on to win the tournament with another extra-innings victory over Jackson State in the final.

However, the LSU victory was followed by a lackluster roadtrip to California, during which the team lost four straight games and managed to come back to Cambridge with a .500 record leading into the Ivy League season.

While the season certainly had its fair share of disappointment and frustration for the Crimson, the coaches and players were quick to point out that this year’s team had a grittiness and resilience that allowed for success even after suffering significant losses.

“It was difficult to have such incredible success in the beginning of and throughout the season...and then not have the outcome that we had hoped for,” Ricciardone said. “The team showed a lot of grit in [the face of] adversity throughout the season.”

The Crimson displayed its collection of high-end talent throughout the year, as both the pitching rotation and the batting order at times showed exceptional ability—although often one made up for the other. Ricciardone led the Ivy League with a 1.53 ERA and tied for the league lead in wins. Freshman Taylor Cabe and sophomore Morgan Groom also posted top-10 ERAs in the Ancient Eight.

With the underclassmen spearheading the team on the mound, the Crimson was led by its two captains at the plate. Co-captain Kasey Lange was second in the Ancient Eight in on-base percentage and hit six home runs. Olson hit .329 and stole 15 bases to finish second on the team in both statistical categories. Junior Katie Lantz also had a breakout year, hitting .326 with 12 doubles and two home runs.

Yet, for the second year in a row, the Crimson dropped three of four in the final weekend, giving Dartmouth the chance to represent the North Division in the Ivy League best-of-three championship series.

“In the end, we didn’t take care of business against Dartmouth,” Ricciardone said. “They are such a competitive team and the results were so close.... It will serve as good motivation for the team next year.”

The squad, which will return a large contingent next year, has now experienced the disappointment of being knocked out of championship contention twice at the hands of Dartmouth, and will be hungry in 2015 for another berth in the championship series that it reached in 2011 and 2012.

In order to do so, however, the Crimson will likely have to face the Big Green once again, the team that ultimately won the championship series against Penn.

“As a team, we did a great job of stepping up, taking everything in stride, and being flexible,” Lange said. “Now [that the team has] some extra motivation, I think that everyone wants to get back to the championship.”

—Staff writer Jacob W. Lynch can be reached at jacoblync@gmail.com.