With three runs on walks, it would be difficult to conceive of a way for URI to blow the game more than it did. In truth, Harvard received the victory rather than earned it.
"The runs in the first game were gimmies," Harvard coach Jenny Allard said. "We should have swung our bats today a lot better."
URI 7, Harvard 0
When you hit as many balls out of the infield for base hits as you commit errors, common sense dictates that you'll lose. Well, score one for common sense.
The Crimson had two of each and lost a 7-0 contest in the process. Rhode Island scored three times in the third inning to grab the lead for good and then plated two runs in both the fourth and seventh innings for the 7-0 victory.
Harvard didn't hit, field, pitch or run well in game two; basically, the only good thing that happened was that nobody suffered hypothermia.
"It was very disheartening," Allard said. "We weren't effective on the mound and we didn't hit."
Things fell apart for Harvard with two outs in the top of the third. Freshman pitcher Kathleen Brown looked like she might pitch out of a jam with a runner on second and nobody out, as the Rams sacrificed Heather Reinfinger to third and Brown induced a popup.
However, Jeanne Ferrier connected for a two-out single to drive in the game's first run. Meredith Cloutier doubled to right to put runners on second and third. Sara Villa then launched a rocket to deep centerfield, which sailed just over the outstretched glove of Franzese for a triple and two more runs. Heather Brown relieved her namesake for the third out, but the damage had been done.
And when Harvard first threatened to score, it was already down by five. The Crimson started a rally in the bottom of the fifth inning, but bad base-running kept the team off the score-board. A runner decided to try and score from third and nobody out on a sharp grounder to the pitcher, and she was roadkill at the plate.
"We got thrown out a couple of times when we shouldn't have," Allard said.
After a strong performance out West, yesterday's play left much room for improvement. Harvard will be in action again on Friday when it travels to Central Connecticut State for a twinbill.
Notes
Allard continued to juggle the top of the line-up, as getting on base has been a struggle for the team so far. Reinhard, a co-captain, hit first with Franzese batting second in both games.... The longest play of the year occurred on a rundown in the seventh inning of the second game, as Harvard used five throws to nail a runner trying to advance from second to third. For those of you scoring at home, the play went 8-2-5-4-3-9.... Harvard left eight runners on base in the second game, five of them in scoring position. HR: None. 3B: URI--Smith, Kessler; Harvard--None. 2B: URI--Ashi; Harvard--Lee, LaSovage. E: None. WP: H. Brown; LP: Berlinger HR: None. 3B: URI--Villa; Harvard--None. 2B: URI--Bailey, Cloutier, Cookus, Smith; Harvard--Reyen. E: URI--Cloutier; Harvard--Franzese, Feinberg. WP: Bailey; LP: K. Brown