When the afternoon was over and two wins over Columbia secured, the Harvard softball team huddled together in the outfield. Suddenly the group broke apart and the team’s seniors, having completed their final home games as members of the Crimson, were being doused with water balloons by their jubilant teammates.

The more meaningful spraying, however, took place during the doubleheader against the Lions (23-25, 6-6 Ivy), when Harvard (17-19, 8-4) dished out 18 total runs and 26 hits in its sweep.

“It was great for the team to step up,” Crimson coach Jenny Allard said, “and let the seniors end on that note on their field.”

HARVARD 12, COLUMBIA 4

In an offensive explosion unparalleled this season, the Crimson overcame a slow start with a seven-run third inning and went on to win Game 2 decisively in five innings.

Facing a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the third, Harvard promptly banged out eight of its season-high 16 hits to seize the lead.

“It was our last home game so we really wanted to come out strong,” senior Beth Sabin said. “It was just a lot of people coming together and not letting our season die.”

With one out, consecutive singles by shortstop Lauren Brown and seniors Lauren Stefanchik and Lauren Bettinelli loaded the bases. Flat-out hustle evened the score, as the next two batters hit ground balls in the infield, but the runners on third beat the throws home.

“We were trying to put a lot of pressure on them defensively to make plays,” Allard said. “But I kept sending the runners and they made it home so it worked.”

Senior Cecily Gordon then stroked a two-run single to right field and sophomore Susie Winkeller followed with a run-scoring double. After an RBI groundout by senior Annie Dell’Aria, junior Rachel Murray, Brown, and Stefanchik strung together three more base hits but Murray was gunned down at the plate.

Columbia and the Crimson traded a pair of runs in the fourth inning, before Harvard sealed the win—via the mercy rule—in the fifth.

“We were just really aggressive,” Stefanchik said. “They only had two pitchers so they had nothing to do. In the second game, we were up by five runs and we said if we can get to eight that would be awesome.”

Pinch-hitter Pilar Adams led off the frame with a sharp double to right field. Adams came around to score when the right fielder mishandled Brown’s lazy fly into the corner. Stefanchik followed with a single to center—bringing her to a perfect 4-for-4 in the game and 6-for-7 on the day—before another error brought Brown home to make it 11-4.

Freshman Danielle Kerper picked up her fourth RBI of the game and iced the win with a double down the right-field line that plated Stefanchik. Kerper also drove in the two Crimson runs in the fourth with a double.

“We just hit the crap out of the ball today,” Stefanchik said.