In last weekend’s twinbill against Bryant, the Harvard softball team grabbed a 7-0 lead in its second matchup of the day before officials called the game due to a lack of light. Unable to avenge its 6-3 loss from its earlier game, the Crimson left Rhode Island angry and frustrated.

Harvard took that frustration and unleashed it on the Quinnipiac Bobcats (16-13) and the Iona College Gaels (7-11) in consecutive doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Crimson (12-10) went 3-1 over the weekend with a sweep against Quinnipiac—including a shutout—and a split series against the Iona. Harvard outscored its opponents, 22-13, highlighted by junior Mari Zumbro’s grand slam against Iona.

In its final weekend before Ivy League conference matchups, all of which are two back-to-back doubleheaders, the Crimson understood the importance of using Quinnipiac and Iona to get into a proper rhythm before starting conference play.

“This is one of the most important weekends for us as a team,” co-captain Ellen Macadam said. “The teams we play here are much more similar in caliber to the teams we’ll be playing in the Ivies. So it’s good to be able to get everything firing and working before we open conference [play].”

IONA 8, HARVARD 3

In Harvard’s last game of the weekend, the Crimson kept things close by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to tie the game at three by the end of the third inning. But the Gaels scored five unanswered runs over the next three innings to take the 8-3 victory.

“The fourth game is always the toughest,” junior pitcher Rachel Brown said. “To play four games in a weekend is not easy. We didn’t quite have our usual energy.”

Harvard struck first with freshman infielder Kasey Lange hitting a double to bring home Macadam and give the Crimson a 1-0 lead. But Iona responded, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second, as Harvard struggled with the Gaels’ pitching.

“We needed to attack their pitcher a little more,” Macadam said. “We were a little slow in adjusting to their pitcher.”

The Crimson faced one of the toughest pitching staffs of the year as Iona senior pitcher Alyssa Maiese struck out nine batters in Harvard’s loss.

“We faced one of the best pitching teams we’ve seen all season,” Brown said. “For our offense to score seven runs in two games was great.”

HARVARD 4, IONA 1

Earlier in the day, both teams remained scoreless until the top of the seventh inning, when Harvard pitcher Zumbro pounded the ball out of Iona’s Rice Oval Park for a grand slam to put the Crimson up, 4-0.

“It was a really close game,” Macadam said. “Kind of a pitcher’s duel. With two outs, we loaded the bases, and then Mari came in and hit a grand slam for us. It was unbelievably great.”

Brown struck out 15 of the 26 batters she faced, allowing only one run at the bottom of the seventh.