By sweeping Dartmouth in two doubleheaders this weekend, the Harvard softball team clinched its second consecutive North Division crown and gained home-field advantage at next weekend’s Ivy League Championship Series.

The Crimson (34-14, 18-2 Ivy) offense was on fire the entire weekend, scoring a total of 37 runs against the Big Green (17-22, 10-10 Ivy) to earn two comfortable victories.

“We knew we needed only one win to host and to clinch the title,” Harvard coach Jenny Allard said. “But the girls just stayed hungry for all four games and continued to play great.”

“We played so well,” freshman third baseman Kasey Lange added. “This is great for us going into Ivy League Championships next weekend, to get this momentum going.”

HARVARD 10, DARTMOUTH 1

In the final contest of the weekend, Harvard junior pitchers Rachel Brown and Mari Zumbro shut down the Dartmouth offense, holding the Big Green to a single run.

The Crimson took an early 5-1 lead in the bottom of the second off of freshman Shelbi Olson’s two-RBI single to center field, sophomore Stephanie Regan’s RBI single, and Lange’s RBI double.

One inning later, Harvard increased its lead to 8-1 on a Zumbro RBI single to right field and co-captain Ellen Macadam’s single to center, which plated in two more.

The game’s scoring concluded with a Lange two-run home run, which extended her RBI count to nine for the weekend and an Ivy League-best 64 for the season.

HARVARD 10, DARTMOUTH 9

The first matchup of yesterday’s doubleheader was the closest of the weekend, with the lead switching hands nearly every inning.

After being tied in the first inning, 1-1, the Crimson took a 2-1 lead in the second on an error by the visitors.

But Dartmouth came back swinging in the third, scoring seven runs to gain an 8-2 lead on Harvard.

The Crimson responded in the fourth by scoring seven runs of its own, taking back the lead, 9-8.

After a scoreless fifth inning, the Big Green tied the game back up in the sixth at 9-9, but ultimately lost, 10-9, in the seventh when Harvard junior Eve Rosenbaum scored off of an Olson single to left center field.