Despite jumping out to an early lead, the Crimson could not sustain its offensive production, ultimately suffering a 3-1 defeat to Western Michigan (4-7) early Saturday afternoon.

Alexander’s RBI single in the third inning put Harvard ahead, 1-0, but the Crimson was unable to hold its advantage for long. The Broncos scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and added another in the fifth, assuming a lead they never relinquished. Western Michigan pitcher Meredith Whitney then quieted the Crimson’s bats, allowing just two hits the rest of the game.

HARVARD 2, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 0

Keyed by a strong pitching performance from Ricciardone, Harvard continued its early success Friday with a 2-0 win over Loyola Marymount (13-8).

A pair of two-out singles from sophomore third baseman Kasey Lange and sophomore catcher Allison Scott put the Crimson on the scoreboard in the fourth inning before sophomore right fielder Shelbi Olson singled in Alexander in the seventh to put Harvard up two runs.

It was all the cushion Ricciardone needed on her way to recording the team’s first shutout of the season.

HARVARD 2, TOLEDO 1

In its opening game of the year, the Crimson secured a 2-1 victory over Toledo (4-10) behind timely hitting and a solid outing from Brown.

The Rockets’ Lindsey Tobias tied the game up in the fourth inning with an RBI single, but Olson mustered an immediate response with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning. Brown was able to protect the lead on the mound and earned her first win of the season.