For fans of Harvard softball, one thing has become a near-guarantee over the last two years: put sophomore Rachel Brown on the mound, and the Crimson will probably come away with the win.
After a phenomenal freshman season in which the hurler took home Ivy Rookie of the Year honors, Brown’s compiling some serious credentials for another piece of hardware—Ancient Eight Pitcher of the Year.
Over her last 12 appearances, Brown has given up just one earned run—good for a 0.11 ERA in the 63.1-inning stretch.
She’s gone 7-1 in that stretch, which dates back to an Apr. 6 win at Holy Cross. The one loss? A 1-0 decision against the Brown Bears nearly two weeks ago.
The sophomore now has a miniscule 1.21 ERA to go along with her 14-5 record and 206 strikeouts—just five shy of her own single-season program record.
So how does Brown stack up to the all-time Harvard greats?
If the season ended today, the pitcher would own the single-season record for opponent batting average (.171) and strikeouts per seven innings pitched (10.40). She’d also rank second in single-season ERA and strikeouts.
For her career, Brown’s already tops on the all-time list in strikeouts per seven innings pitched (10.10), and she is second in ERA (1.35), fourth in strikeouts (417), and tied for sixth in wins (30)—and she’s still got two years to go.
Brown is unquestionably the Crimson’s ace, and she’s arguably on her way to being the greatest pitcher in Harvard history.
Her primary competition for Ivy Pitcher of the Year is Cornell’s Elizabeth Dalrymple, who took home the prize last year. But as of now, Brown’s leading Dalrymple in ERA, strikeouts, shutouts, and opponent batting average—and she’s won Pitcher of the Week honors three times to Dalrymple’s one.
But there’s one thing Dalrymple already has that Brown is missing—a 2010 division title. Though the Big Red has clinched a share of the South Division with four games to go, the Crimson must earn its trip to the Ivy League Championship Series this weekend in a home-and-home series with Dartmouth.
