"[Thoke] did really well," Abeles said. "She pitched one of her best games and looked very strong."

As impressive as Thoke was, her teammates did not give her much run support. Harvard did not get on the scoreboard until the final inning as Jeffries threw six shutout innings for UMass before allowing one run in the top of the seventh.

"It's disappointing as a pitcher when you're throwing well and you don't get the victory," Abeles said of Thoke's performance. "She was handling their hitters all day, and we didn't help her out."

The Crimson did stroke five hits, including doubles by sophomore Mairead McKendry and junior Ghia Godfree. But Harvard could not cross the plate until the seventh, and even then it fell shy of tying the score.

"We should be able to hit their second pitcher better," Abeles said. "Once a few people start hitting, it will catch on, but that hasn't happened. Once it's sparked, everything will come together."

UMass scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Cherra Wheeler led off with a triple to the rightfield wall, and senior Becky George drove Wheeler in with an RBI ground out.

Jeffries went the distance for the Minutewomen, striking out seven.

Harvard will next be in action this weekend with four more Ivy League contests. The Crimson will travel to Penn for two games with the Quakers tomorrow afternoon before a doubleheader at Princeton on Sunday.