The game of softball, as the Harvard softball team’s encounter with Yale yesterday proved, is a game of inches.

And those inches were all that separated the Crimson from a sweep of the doubleheader and a perfect 4-0 start to its Ivy League campaign. Instead, Harvard (10-10, 3-1 Ivy) earned a split of the twinbill with the Bulldogs (11-7, 2-2) and sits just one game out of first place in the league.

“It was a great start to conference,” Crimson coach Jenny Allard said. “No one is going to go undefeated and we played tough.”

YALE 4, HARVARD 2

One pitch: that was all it took to sink Harvard in the late game versus Yale. With two strikes, two outs, and the bases loaded in the first inning, freshman starter Amanda Watkins hung a curveball to Bulldogs right fielder Niki Haab and turned to watch it sail over the fence in right center for a demoralizing grand slam.

“You can lose a game on one pitch,” Allard said.

Although the Elis would threaten on a number of other occasions as the game wore on, the home run was all the offense they would generate—and all they would need.

The Crimson, as if dazed by the big blast, delayed in putting pressure on Yale starter Peggy Hunt, and by the time it had built offensive momentum, the comeback bid was short on time.

“You always need a strong start,” freshman Danielle Kerper said. “It was hard to adjust to the second pitcher. Later in the game, our bats got better and we had more energy. Timing was the big issue.”

Hunt went the distance for Yale, holding the Crimson to five hits—none for extra bases—and two earned runs in her seven innings. Four of those knocks, however, came during a two-inning span over the fifth and sixth, during which Harvard got one run apiece and seemed to be honing in on a rattled Hunt.

“She didn’t shut us down by any means,” Kerper said. “We had few strikeouts.”

The Crimson got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Cecily Gordon stroked a single into right field to lead off the frame before being pulled for pinch runner Sarah Shaughnessy. Shortstop Lauren Brown knocked an RBI single into center to plate Shaughnessy, who had moved to second on a sacrifice.

Harvard got another tally in the next stanza thanks to the fleet feet of senior Lauren Stefanchik. Stefanchik put down a perfect bunt for a one-out hit, then stole second and moved to third on a groundout. Sophomore Julia Kidder knocked in Stefanchik with a clutch two-out single.

With the team down by only two runs entering the bottom of the seventh, the expected Crimson rally never materialized.

“Although we didn’t quite get the runs at the end,” Kerper said. “I thought we fought pretty well.”