It was the first earned run Rowning had allowed in collegiate ball.

And the first loss--against a pair of wins--for the Yardling from Lake Oswego, Ore.

"Lora was super today," said Wentzell after the game. "She turned in a gutsy performance against one of the best teams in the East. It had to be hard to pitch today, hard to grip and throw the ball."

While Rowning was holding B.C. to just four hits over the course of nine rainy innings, her Eagle counterpart, Lane, was equally successful.

Although the B.C. hurler eventually yielded a total of 10 hits to the Crimson, she was masterful over the first three innings, facing the minimum of three Harvard batters in each.

Meanwhile, Rowning was struggling somewhat, giving up a pair of walks and two singles, escaping both the second and third innings by virtue of double plays.

The game could go on forever.

Or something could snap.

And snap it did--in the top of the fourth.

With two down, Crimson catcher Gia Barresi hit a lazy line drive to left, which dropped in front of Montuori. Cleanup hitter Trisha Brown followed with a single to center, and Sharon Hayes drove Barresi home with a skimmer just beyond the reach of Eagle shortstop Robin LaBrecque.

B.C. didn't take long to retaliate, however, picking up a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Rowning hit the leadoff batter and then, with one out, Maureen Bench slapped the ball into the hole. Harvard third baseman Lisa Rowning made a diving stop, but her rushed throw to second sailed past Baldauf into deep right.

With right fielder Nancy Prior backing up a possible play at first, the ball continued to roll along, unmolested, allowing both Eagles to score.

The Crimson manufactured a catch-up run in the top of the fifth on a string of two-out singles, with a repenting Lisa Rowning driving in Mary Sheehan.

Despite the lone tally, though, the batswomen left the bases loaded, when Brown grounded to short to retire the side.

And from the time of the squandered chance until the bottom of the ninth, the score held tight at two-all.

Harvard came close in the top of the ninth, when Prior--who had reached on a fielder's choice--was stranded on third, but Lane persevered to protect the tie by retiring Elizabeth Crowley.

And a scanty two outs later, Davenport blooped the ball in front of a charging Prior to score Montuori.

THE NOTEBOOK: Barresi, Brown and Crowley each had two hits for the Crimson...Rowning retired 10 Eagle batters on infield pop-ups, including the side in the sixth...Harvard hosts Smith at Soldiers Field tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m.