Forgive the Harvard softball team if they sound a bit like Charles Dickens. After sweeping Ivy-leading Yale on Saturday, then dropping a pair of games to Brown and eliminating itself from contention for the Ivy title, the Crimson was definitely feeling the best of times and the worst of times.

Heading into the weekend, Harvard (19-17-1, 7-5 Ivy) trailed the Bulldogs (27-19, 7-5) by one game in the league standings, before the pair of wins over Yale gave the Crimson a one-game lead.

Losing yesterday’s first contest to the Bears (15-18, 8-4) was a setback for the Crimson, but the erosion of a 5-0 lead and a two-out, bottom-of-the-seventh grand slam from Brown’s Courtney Jenkins in game two hammered home the proverbial nail in the coffin.

BROWN 9, SOFTBALL 5

A must-win for both teams turned into a must-forget for Harvard.

The Crimson broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of yesterday’s second game, powering its way to a 5-0 lead. Freshman third baseman Virginia Fritsch and junior pitcher Lauren Bettinelli launched back-to-back dingers, and sophomore designated hitter Rachel Murray joined the fun, blasting a two-run shot of her own three batters later.

Bettinelli held the Bears scoreless into the sixth, when Brown put a dent into the cushion on the strength of a three-run round-tripper from Jaimie Wirkowski.

Still, the Crimson went into the bottom of the seventh staked to a two-run lead one of its most reliable hurlers toeing the rubber.

The Bears managed to cut into the lead with an RBI single from Mary Seid, and then knotted the game at fives when Laura Leonetti ripped a single to center, driving in another run.

Brown managed to load the bases, while Harvard managed to record two outs, and the stage was set for Jenkins.

The freshman first baseman sent Bettinelli’s offering over the fence for a game-ending, heart-breaking grand slam.

“We didn’t lose the game because of a grand slam, we lost the game because when it came down to it, they got the job done,” co-captain second baseman Sara Williamson said. “We thought we had done it both games, but the Ivies are fickle and if you don’t play seven hard innings, any game can slip right between your fingers.”

Still, that extra base hit had extraordinary implications for the Crimson.

With the loss, Harvard suffered its fifth setback of the year. Yesterday, Cornell swept Penn and finished its Ivy schedule with a 10-4 mark, thereby knocking out all teams with five losses. Brown also has only four losses, and will host a doubleheader against Yale next weekend.

Fritsch went 2-for-4 on the day with a home run, her fifth of the year, and drove in two runs. Bettinelli and Murray batted 1-for-3, each with a home run, and knocking in one and two runs, respectively.