NORMAN, Okla.--The Harvard softball team watched its season come to a slightly premature conclusion Friday against Northwestern on the second day of the NCAA Regionals.

With leads of 4-0 in the third inning and 6-4 in the fifth, the Crimson (19-21, 11-1 Ivy) appeared to be destined for a third day of regional play, but an ugly combination of questionable officiating, runners left on base and defensive lapses down the stretch proved to be the team's undoing in a 9-6 loss to the Wildcats (29-25).

"It was a great game," said Harvard coach Jenny Allard. "Both teams battled hard. We just came up short towards the end."

Having lost 11-0 to Oklahoma the night before, Harvard was knocked out of the double-elimination NCAA Regional Tournament. The softball players--who had been forced to take scheduled finals and study for upcoming finals throughout the course of the tournament--returned home Saturday evening.

The major turning point of the game came in the bottom of the fifth at the hands of the umpiring crew.

With runners at first and third and one out, Northwestern's Tami Jones hit a shallow fly ball to left. Freshman Tiffany Whitton made a great catch, running in, scooping the ball up just inches off the ground.

Erin Jancic, the Wildcat baserunner at third, had jumped off third base before the ball was caught. She ran home anyway, beating Whitton's throw to the plate. Senior third baseman Crystal Springer, who had been standing right on third base at the time, was certain that Jancic never tagged. Junior pitcher Chelsea Thoke tossed the ball to Springer who tagged third, and the umpire flashed the out sign. The Crimson defense walked off of the field, apparently out of the inning.

But the accuracy of the umpires was no match for the intimidation of the Northwestern bench. The Wildcat players and coaches were positive that Jancic had tagged, and a lengthy discussion ensued. After a 15-minute delay, play resumed, but with the Crimson defense back on the field, a Wildcat runner at second and an undeserved Wildcat run across the plate.