Going into the weekend, the Harvard softball team had Georgia on its mind.

Having spent the previous week in Columbus, Ga., competing in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic against Top 25 teams with unspectacular results, the Crimson got the opportunity Saturday to tack a win on to its record against Vermont.

It did just that, getting its first win of the season, 8-3, over the overmatched Catamounts (0-1). Harvard (1-5) used timely hitting and solid defense to propel itself to victory in its first home game of the year.

With sophomore righthander Suzanne Guy in the circle, the Crimson held Vermont scoreless in the first two innings. Offensively, Harvard struck quickly in the first, scoring two runs on sophomore utility infielder Cherry Fu's double off Vermont pitcher Cheri Toms. Both runners were given bases on balls.

The Catamounts pulled even in the third inning on left fielder Amanda Surgen's two-run single. That would be Vermont's last productive inning.

After a groundout to lead off the bottom of the third, senior shortstop Deborah Abeles nailed a Toms pitch over the left-center wall for a solo homer to give the Crimson a 3-2 lead. Junior catcher Mairead McKendry then reached on an error. Two minutes later, Fu connected again, this time putting the ball just over the fence. The lead was 5-2 and Harvard was never in trouble again.

"This was just one of those days when you hit the ball and it goes to the right spots," Abeles said.

Guy was equally impressive. In the fourth, Vermont got three singles to load the bases. However, Guy struck out the side to take away Vermont's best chance to score. She finished with a complete game, giving up ten hits and striking out seven.