With the potential tying run at the plate, Rubin once again toughened up in the clutch, and retired the next three hitters. She capped the comeback by catching Jaudura on a called third strike.

The six strikeouts on the day gave the hurler a total of nine for the year--already one-third of her last season's total of 27.

The Crimson padded its lead in the bottom of the sixth, as eight batters came to the plate.

Pinch-hitter Kristen Abely walked, but was erased on the ensuing play. Hanya Bluestone, who had replaced Paul in center, lofted a fly to right, which was dropped by the MIT fielder, Maria Koslowski.

The ball dropped right at Koslowski's feet, however, and she hurried the throw in to second, forcing Abely.

With Bluestone now on first, Baldauf lined a solid single into center. After MacKinnon walked, catcher Gia Barresi knocked in the fourth run with a shot up the middle.

Baldauf scored on cleanup-hitter Brown's at-bat, when Jaudura unleashed a wild pitch over everything.

Harvard's shutout was spoiled in the seventh, as Rubin gave up a leadoff single to MIT. With one out, the third batter hit a ground ball to Hayes, who attempted to start a 6-4-3 doubleplay.

Baldauf couldn't handle her toss, however, and both runners were safe.

Hayes bounced back on the next play, charging a grounder and nailing the throw to first.

But then Koslowski pulled a single into left, picking up two RBI. Fortunately, before the visitors could engineer a comeback. Crimson third-baseman Lisa Rowning made the play of the day, to snap the lid on the victory.

Stacy Thompson lined the ball down the line, the MIT batters' ability to get around on the ball perhaps indicating that Rubin was tiring after throwing more than 90 pitches.

Rowning dove hard to her right, intercepting the shot in midair, to stop both the ball and the ballgame.

"We were 0-2 in our previous games against MIT," Wentzell said. "They had a very good pitcher, who graduated. It's nice to see them without her."

The batswomen next see action on Saturday, when they travel to Mt. Holyoke for a doubleheader.