The Harvard softball team seems to have hit its stride, going 3-1 this weekend against Brown and Yale after opening the season 1-3 in Ivy play.
The Crimson (11-21-0, 4-4-0 Ivy) bested the Bulldogs (16-20-0, 4-4-0) easily on Friday and split with the Bears (13-15-1, 4-3-1) on Saturday.
Freshman third baseman Rachel Murray set the offensive tone for the weekend, going 7-for-10 at the plate and driving in seven runs.
Harvard 6, Yale 0
Sophomore Lauren Tanner and freshman Michele McAteer teamed up to hold the Bulldogs to two hits as the Crimson scored in the first and third innings to secure the win.
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In the opening frame, the familiar run-producing trio at the top of the order got the scoring underway.
Sophomore left fielder Lauren Stefanchik led off with a double and was promptly bunted over by junior shortstop Rachel Goldberg. With the speedy lead-off hitter on third, tri-captain Tiffany Whitton smoked a single to center for the eventual game-winner.
As Tanner kept the Bulldogs in check from the mound, Harvard was able to tack on four more runs in the third. Again, small ball worked well for the Crimson, as a series of base hits produced the scores.
The biggest hit in the inning was a two-out, two-RBI single by Murray that kept the rally going and provided insurance for Tanner’s lead.
“We came together as a team over this week,” Murray said. “I’m glad I was able to help the team out as much as I could.”
Harvard added a run in the sixth, with freshman Pilar Adams recording the RBI.
Harvard 10, Yale 2
In a game shortened to four and a half innings because of the eight-run mercy rule, junior tri-captain Kara Brotemarkle masterfully controlled the Bulldogs’ bats.
Brotemarkle relied less on her curve ball during the game than she usually does, going to her screw ball and rise ball to compensate for trouble with the curve.
The junior ace had thrown a no-hitter against Columbia last Monday.
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