The Harvard softball team's double-header versus Princeton on Saturday was supposed to be a matchup between the two best pitching staffs in the Ivy League. A pitching duel is definitely what emerged, two one-run ball games resulted and the Crimson showed that the Tigers will have to settle for the No. 2 slot among the best pitching staffs in the Ancient Eight.

Harvard (22-19, 6-0 Ivy) kept its perfect conference record intact, sweeping the doubleheader at Princeton (20-14, 2-4) by scores of 1-0 and 2-1. The wins, coupled with two weekend losses by Cornell, leave Harvard alone atop the Ivy standings with a chance to clinch its first ever Ivy title this weekend.

"It feels great to be on top," co-captain Jenny Franzese said. "Last year we started out slow and thought we were out of the race, but this year we played well from the beginning. I feel so much better about our team this year." HARVARD (game 1)  1 PRINCETON  0 HARVARD(game 2)  2 PRINCETON  1

Senior Tasha Cupp (11-4) and freshman Chelsea Thoke (10-9) took to the hill and outdueled Princeton's Lynn Miller and Alyssa Smith, respectively, as both Harvard hurlers recorded complete-game victories.

Harvard 1, Princeton 0

Hits and runs came infrequently for both squads in game one as Cupp and Miller nearly matched each other the entire way. Harvard, however, would touch Miller for the game's only run in the third, and Cupp held off a last-inning rally from the Tigers to secure the shutout.

Cupp led off the third for the Crimson and was belted by Miller in a mistake that would come back to haunt the Princeton pitcher. Sophomore Crystal Springer came in to pinch run for Cupp, and she promptly stole second.

That is when the Crimson's captains--as they have done consistently throughout the season--teamed up to spark Harvard's offense. Co-captain Jenny Franzese moved Springer up to third with a single into rightfield, and junior co-captain Tara LaSovage followed with a sacrifice fly into center that brought Springer home for the only RBI of the game.

"I just wanted to get a good, solid swing and get the ball out of the infield so [Springer] could score," LaSovage said.

Staked to a one-run lead, Cupp continued to stupefy Princeton's hitters with a masterful performance. Cupp scattered five hits over her seven innings and walked none while striking out seven batters.

Princeton threatened to tie the game in the last half of the seventh when they had runners at first and second with no outs. But fresh off of her first--and long overdue--Ivy League Pitcher of the Week honor,Cupp closed the door on the Tigers with a littlehelp from her defense.

An attempted sacrifice bunt down the third-baseline apparently worked to perfection and loadedthe bases, as junior Meredith Bagley could notmake the play at first. But a crucial baserunningerror by Princeton allowed Bagley to throw back tosophomore shortstop Deborah Abeles covering atthird, where Abeles tagged out a Tiger who hadtaken a wide turn around the bag and kept Harvardout of a potentially dangerous situation.

"[Cupp and Thoke] both did an outstanding job,"LaSovage said. "They did great, and defensively,we also had a great day. [Bagley's throw toAbeles] was the defensive play of the game."

Harvard 2, Princeton 1

In the nightcap of the twin billing, Thoke senta message to Princeton that Harvard's pitchingwill continue to be a force long after Cuppgraduates. Thoke threw a complete game--includingtwo extra innings of work--five-hitter, giving upjust one earned run and two walks while strikingout 10 batters for the second time this season.

"The fact that [Cupp and Thoke] were able toshut down their batters for all those innings wascrucial," Franzese said. "It took a great deal ofeffort and concentration, and I was really proudof them."

Harvard struck first once again, and LaSovageagain was at the center of the Crimson's offensivedisplay. Harvard's second baseman led off thefourth frame with a double into right centerfield.

Two batters later LaSovage moved to third on asacrifice by senior Hillary Read. With two outsand the go-ahead run 90 feet away, sophomore GhiaGodfree came through in the clutch with a base hitinto center to plate LaSovage.

Princeton wasted no time in getting the runback, as the Tigers' Bevin Keenen led off thebottom half of the fourth with a single and astolen base. Keenen advanced to third on asacrifice and scored when junior rightfielderKaren Rice could not handle a ball off the bat ofLauren Poniatowski.

That run was all Princeton could muster againstThoke, but it took the Crimson five more inningsto finally seal the victory. Junior Terri Tellerled off the top of the ninth with a double to theright-center gap, and Springer came in to pinchrun for Teller and play the role of hero one moretime.

Springer reached third when Read sent a sizzlerdeep into the hole at shortstop that Princeton'sTanya Hendricks could not handle. After a groundout by Godfree advanced sophomore JessieAmberg--who was pinch running for Read--to second,freshman Mairead McKendry stepped up and roped apitch into center to bring Springer home with thegame-winning run.

"Beating Princeton was worth missing the SeniorSoiree," said Franzese, who was unable to attendSaturday's formal because of a late arrival fromPrinceton. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Harvard has six Ivy League games remaining,four of which will come this weekend withdoubleheaders at Penn and Cornell. The Crimson hasa chance to seal the league championship and aspot in a postseason play-in series with thePatriot League champion, but the team does notwant to look past tomorrow's games at BostonCollege or Thursday's double dip with Vermont.

"We've done a good job all season long ofconcentrating on one game and one day at a time,"LaSovage said. "This week's games will be good forus to fine tune some things before a big Ivyweekend."

"Our focus will be on getting ready for theweekend," Franzese added, "but we haven't clinchedthe Ivy title yet; we can't let up. We're ready todo it. Yeah, baby."HARVARD, 1-0 (GAME 1) at Princeton, NJ

R  H  EHarvard  001  000  0  --  1  5  2Princeton  000  000  0  --  0  5  0

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOAbeles ss  3  0  0  0  0  2Franzese cf  3  0  1  0  0  0LaSovage 2b  2  0  0  1  0  1Teller  3  0  0  0  0  0Read If  2  0  1  0  0  0Amberg pr/If  1  0  0  0  0  0Godfree 1b  3  0  1  0  0  0McKendry dh  3  0  1  0  0  1Rice rf  3  0  1  0  0  1Cupp p  2  0  0  0  0  2Springer pr  0  1  0  0  0  0Bagley 3b  0  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  25  1  5  1  0  5

PRINCETON  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKeenen If  3  0  0  0  0  0Alary c  2  0  1  0  0  0Poniatowski 3b  3  0  0  0  0  2Keefe dh  3  0  0  0  0  1Briscoe 2b  3  0  1  0  0  0Siesta pr  0  0  0  0  0  0Volker cf  3  0  2  0  0  0Herm 1b  2  0  1  0  0  0Miller p  2  0  0  0  0  1Bay ph  1  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  25  0  5  0  0  7

E: Bagley, LaSovage.LOB:Princeton6, Harvard 5. 2B: Godfree. SB:Franzese, Springer.

PRINCETON  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOMiller, L(11-7)  7.0  5  1  1  0  5

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOCupp, W(11-4)  7.0  0  0  0  0  7

HBP: Cupp (by Miller).HARVARD, 2-1 (GAME 2) at Princeton, NJ

R  H  EHarvard  000  100  001  --  2  7  2Princeton  000  100  000  --  1  5  1

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOAbeles ss  4  0  0  0  0  2Franzese cf  3  0  1  0  0  0LaSovage 2b  3  1  1  0  0  0Teller c  4  0  1  0  0  0Springer pr  0  1  0  0  0  0Read If  4  0  1  0  0  1Amberg pr  0  0  0  0  0  0Godfree 1b  4  0  1  1  0  0McKendry dh  4  0  1  1  0  1Rice rf  4  0  1  0  0  0Thoke p  4  0  0  0  0  2Bagley 3b  0  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  34  2  7  2  0  4

PRINCETON  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKeenen If  3  1  1  0  0  1Alary dh  3  0  1  0  0  1Poniatowski 3b  4  0  0  1  0  0Keefe c  4  0  1  0  0  2Briscoe 2b  4  0  0  0  0  1Volker cf  3  0  1  0  0  1Herm 1b  4  0  1  0  0  1Hendricks ss  3  0  0  0  0  2Reeves ph  1  0  0  0  0  1Owings ph  0  0  0  0  1  0Breslin ph/rf  2  0  0  0  0  0Smith p  0  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  25  0  5  0  0  7

E: Bagley, Rice, Hendricks. LOB:Princeton 8, Harvard 7.2B: LaSovage,Teller.SB: Keenen, Volker. CS:Keefe.

PRINCETON  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOSmith, L(4-4)  9.0  7  2  2  0  4

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOThoke, W(10-9)  9.0  5  1  1  2  10

HBP: Hendricks (by Thoke), Franzese (bySmith).CrimsonKathleen M. O'TooleREADING RAILROAD: MAIREAD McKENDRYhad two hits and a game-winning RBI in game twothis weekend in the Crimson's sweep ofPrinceton.