The Crimson’s 2-0 lead didn’t last long though, as Maryland came right back in the bottom of the fifth. After a double left runners on second and third, another double scored both, knotting the game at 2-2. Brown then ended the inning with one of her 12 strikeouts.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Terrapins looked poised to break the tie as two walks put Brown in a jam. The senior ace was able to avoid season-ending damage though, getting out of the inning on two fielder’s choice outs to take the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Harvard did what Maryland could not, netting what would be the game-winning run.

One out in, junior Ashley Heritage showed off her wheels by getting on with an infield hit and then stealing second.

The hard work paid off when sophomore Kasey Lange drove Heritage in with a double to left. That put the onus on Brown to come out for an eighth inning and get the Crimson a long sought-after tournament win. She did just that.

Despite giving up a single and allowing that runner to move to second on a passed ball, Brown struck out three Terrapin batters to seal the 3-2 win.

“From the get go, we knew we could beat them,” Allard said. “We knew we could be competitive. I think we just really worked on staying zoned in. We pushed two runs across, and we were confident that we just needed to stay the course.”

—Staff writer Jacob D. H. Feldman can be reached at jacobfeldman@college.harvard.edu.