On another weekend, a 3-1 record would have been a success for the Harvard softball team. This weekend, however, only the Crimson's one loss seems to matter.

Harvard (18-18, 8-2 Ivy) swept a doubleheader from Vermont (15-20) yesterday, 3-1 and 8-5, but split a twin bill with Ivy rival Cornell (33-7, 11-1), 2-0 and 3-1, on Saturday. The Big Red swept two games from Dartmouth (10-23, 2-8) yesterday by counts of 11-0 and 8-0 clinch its first-ever Ivy League title. CORNELL  0 HARVARD  2 CORNELL  3 HARVARD  1

The Crimson's lone loss of the weekend left it one game behind the Big Red in the Ivy standings, and Cornell sealed the deal with its victories over Dartmouth. Harvard had been chasing its second consecutive Ivy championship.

"It's disappointing," said Harvard Coach Jenny Allard. "We were swinging our bats, we were hitting the ball hard. They played good defense, and we didn't capitalize on some opportunities that we did have. They came out and played hard." HARVARD  3 VERMONT  1 HARVARD  8 VERMONT  5

Despite the disappointment of the weekend, Harvard remains second in the standings with two Ivy contests remaining.

Harvard co-captain Deborah Abeles had a phenomenal weekend at the plate, going 9-for-13 with three RBI and smacking her team-leading fourth home run of the season. Abeles numbers helped her increase her average by 36 points; the junior shortstop is now batting .430.

Junior Ghia Godfree added some pop at the plate with a 7-for-13, two-RBI weekend. Sophomore Chelsea Thoke and freshmen Suzanne Guy and Julie Schwab each picked up a victory for the Crimson.

Harvard 8, Vermont 5

The Crimson wasted no time jumping in front of the Catamounts in yesterday's nightcap. Harvard scored three runs in the first inning to open up a lead it would not relinquish.

Harvard added one run in the third, two in the fourth and another pair in the fifth to keep the pressure on Vermont. The Catamounts did manage a couple of runs in the third, two more in the fifth and one in the bottom of the seventh before Schwab (2-2) shut the door.

The Crimsons' bats were alive as Harvard amassed 12 hits against losing pitch- before Schwab (2-2) shut the door.

The Crimson's bats were alive as Harvardamassed 12 hits against losing pitcher Cheri Toms(9-8). Godfree and freshman Sarah Koppel ledHarvard at the plate. Godfree went 3-for-4 withtwo RBI and Koppel had a 2-for-4 day with threeruns scored and one RBI.

The Catamounts actually outfit theCrimson--Vermont tallied 13 hits in the game--butfour errors did them in.

Schwab went the distance to pick up the win.Harvard co-captain Terri Teller went 2-for-4 withone run scored, and senior Tara LaSovage had thegame's only triple.

Harvard 3, Vermont 1

The first game was knotted, 1-1, when Abelesstepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.As she has done so often in her stellar career,Abeles lifted her team to victory by stroking aJaime Bergin offering over the 230-foot sign indead center field.

The Crimson jumped out to a 1-0 lead onTeller's RBI single in the first. The Catamountsresponded with one in the fourth when sophomoreAmanda Surgen broke up Guy's no-hitter with an RBIsingle that plated Erin Barney.

The score remained tied at 1-1 until Abelesbroke the deadlock.

Guy (4-5) went all seven innings for Harvard and surrendered only four hits while striking out six. Teller went 2-for-4 with one RBI and Godfree finished 2-for-3 in the game.

Harvard scored only three runs despite bangingout 11 hits in the game. The Crimson also overcametwo errors for the victory.

Cornell 3, Harvard 1

The tears streaming down Thoke's face afterSaturday's second game told the story. Thokeburied her head in the shoulder of sophomorecatcher and roommate Mairead McKendry aftersurrendering the game-winning hit to Cornell'sKelli Larsen in the top of the eighth inning.

But Thoke had no reason to hang her head. TheCrimson's workhorse all season, Thoke has loggedover 114 innings and was pitching her 12th inningof the day after a phenomenal performance in theday's opener. Also, she had taken a line drive offher right knee just two batters earlier.

Larsen's blow came with two out and two on inthe eighth. She drove Thoke's full count offeringdeep into center, where centerfielder JessieAmberg had the ball bounce out of her glove. Bothbase runners scored, and Harvard failed to answerin the bottom of the inning.

"It was a good pitch," said Teller of Thoke'soffering to Larsen. "After seeing [Thoke] for 12innings, I think they were starting to time her.She did great out there. She got hit in the kneeand she was probably getting tired, but she foughtthrough it. It was just a good hit."

The game was one of the most bizarre of theseason. Three batters were hit by pitches, andGodfree joined Thoke on the list of players hit inthe field when she cut her nose on a play at firstin the top of the second.

Two balls, including the game-winning hit,landed in Harvard outfielders' gloves and thenfell out as the players stumbled to the turf. Moreimportantly, with a very strong wind blowing infrom right field, two hits--off the bats ofMcKendry and Abeles--caromed off the fence inright, just inches short of being home runs, and abase runner was thrown out on each hit.

"It was not meant to be," Allard said. "Whenthe ball lands in an outfielder's glove and itbounces out, it's not meant to be. Somebody islooking out for somebody else."

The contest was a scoreless pitcher's dueluntil Cornell broke through for one run in the topof the sixth. Junior Jaime Reed led off with atriple to right and scored on a sacrifice fly byfreshman Annette Sheppard.

Harvard came right back in the bottom half ofthe inning. After a one-out single by Abeles,Koppel smashed a towering, two-out double intoleft center to score Abeles and knot the score at1-1.

That is how it stayed into extra innings beforeLarsen's game-winner.

"We knew we had to come in and sweep[Cornell]," Abeles said. "We played well, we justdidn't get the hits when we needed to. We don'tfeel like we beat ourselves. We gave a goodeffort; it just wasn't good enough today."

Abeles finished 2-for-3 with one run scored,and Koppel went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Guy startedthe game for Harvard and gave up four hits inthree innings. Thoke pitched the final five,giving up four hits and striking out four batters.

"It's very disappointing--we let it get away,"Teller said. "A few more timely hits and a coupleof balls fall in, and the game would have been atotally different story. We played hard, so it'shard to go back and second guess ourselves."

Freshman Nicole Zitarelli went the distance andpicked up the win for Cornell. A strong candidatefor Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, Zitarelli gaveup eight hits and struck out five in eightinnings.

Harvard 2, Cornell O

Harvard forced the decisive second game on thestrength of Thoke's arm. Thoke pitched an absolutegem in the opener, surrendering just two hits andstriking out seven in a complete game victory. Shetook a no-hitter into the seventh.

"[Thoke] was on," Allard said. "She had tons ofenergy, she threw a very efficient game, and theydidn't hit her at all."

Harvard scored the only run it needed in thefirst inning. LaSovage led off with a walk andthen stole second. She scored when Cornell pitcherJulie Westbrock threw wildly to first on a balloff the bat of freshman Lisa Watanabe.

The Crimson padded that lead in the third, whenLaSovage crossed the plate again. She led off theinning with a single to left, advanced to secondon a sacrifice bunt by Watanabe and scored on adouble to right center by Abeles.

"I think we thought we could and should havegotten more runs," Abeles said. "We definitelyexpected to get more than three runs on the day."

Meanwhile, the Big Red had no answer for Thoke.Only sophomore Charlotte Brombach and freshmanKristen Hricenak touched Thoke, and both of thosehits came too late for Cornell.

Westbrock (16-5) took the loss for Cornell. Shegave up five hits, struck out three and walkedthree in six innings of work.

Abeles went 2-for-2 with an RBI. LaSovage had a1-for-2 performance and scored twice.

HARVARD, 3-1at Burlington, Vt.  R  H  eHarvard  100  000  2  --  3  11  2 Vermont  000  100  0  --  1  4  0 HR: Vermont--None; Har--Abeles (4). 3B: None. 2B Ver--None; Har--McKendry, Godfree.E: Ver--None; Har--Bagley, Guy.WP: Guy (4-5); LP: Bergin (6-7)

HARVARD, 8-5at Burlington, Vt.  R  H  EHarvard  301  220  0  --  8  12  0Vermont  002  020  1  --  5  13  4HR: None. 3B: Ver--None; Har--LaSovage. 2B:Ver--Surgen 2, Barney, Turner; Har--Koppel. E:Ver--Nocera 2, Surgen, Rice; Har--None.WP: Schwab (2-2); LP:Toms (9-8)

HARVARD, 2-0at Soldiers Field  R  H  ECornell  000  000  0  --  0  2Harvard  101  000  0  --  2  5  0HR:Cor--None; Har--None. 3B:Cor--Brombach; Har--LaSovage. 2B: Cor-None; Har--Abeles. E: Cor--Westbrock (3); Har--None.WP:Thoke (109); LP: Westbrock (15-5)

CORNELL, 3-1at Soldiers Field  R  H  ECornell  000  001  02  --  3  8  1Harvard  000  000  00  --  1  8  3HR: None. 3B: Cor--Reed; Har--None. 2B:Cor--Nahoriak, Larsen; Har--Koppel, McKendry.E: Cor--Keck; Har--Rice, Godfree, Amberg.WP: Zitarelli (16-2); LP: Thoke (10-10)