Softball Takes Four of Five at LSU Tournament

The Harvard softball team played 46 innings in five games at the Louisiana State University Tournament this weekend en route to four wins, three of which came in extra innings.

The highlight of the weekend for the Crimson came on Friday afternoon with a 12-inning, 1-0 upset of No. 23 Louisiana State University (15-5). Harvard (6-4) added a win against Lamar (4-9) on Friday and a pair of wins against Jackson State (5-13) over the weekend, but fell to Iowa State on Saturday afternoon (14-5).

“Harvard softball has some lofty goals that we hope to accomplish this season, and beating a top-25 team, and an SEC team, is definitely right there in the mix,” said junior pitcher Laura Ricciardone, who had nine strikeouts in the win. “It was exciting for us to accomplish one of those goals and prove to ourselves that we have what it takes to be successful outside of the Ivy League.”

HARVARD 5, JACKSON STATE 4

A hit to second base off the bat of junior catcher Katherine Appelbe in the bottom of the 10th inning was all the Crimson needed to score junior designated hitter Andrea Del Conte and finish off the Tigers, 5-4.

After scoring a run in the second and third innings, the Crimson extended its lead to four with a pair of runs in the fourth. But Jackson State took advantage of three consecutive walks by freshman pitcher Taylor Cabe to score three runs without recording a single hit in the inning.

Harvard clung to its one-run lead until the Tigers’ final at-bat. Jackson State sophomore Canessa Swanson stole a pair of bases and then scored from third on a fielder’s choice to send the game into extra innings.

After failing to score with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, the Crimson came through in the 10th. Sophomore Morgan Groom pitched well in relief, striking out seven and holding Jackson State scoreless in the final innings to give Harvard for its third extra-inning win on the weekend.

IOWA STATE 4, HARVARD 2

The Cyclones jumped on the Crimson early as three consecutive singles gave the team a two-run lead before Harvard’s first at-bat.

The Crimson responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning as senior center fielder Shelbi Olson and senior third baseman Kasey Lange crossed the plate to tie the game at two.

Iowa State threatened again in the top of the second with three hits, but stranded all three runners on base. In the fifth, the Cyclones broke through by stringing together four singles to retake a two-run lead. Junior pitcher Katie Johnson, who held the Crimson offense to just three hits after the first, didn’t allow a run in the game’s last six innings.

HARVARD 4, JACKSTON STATE 2

Coming off an upset against LSU, the Crimson fell behind early as junior leftfielder Denisha Knight hit a home run in the first to give the Tigers a one-run lead. Jackson State struck again in the third when senior Tiger shortstop Lauren Aikens hit an RBI single to center.

Harvard responded with a four-run sixth inning that proved the difference in the game. Olson led off the inning with a double to right center, and scored later in the inning on a double from Lange. Junior shortstop Emily Gusse hit her second single of the day to score Lange and tie the game at two. The Crimson then took the lead after Del Conte knocked in a pair of runs with a single up the middle.

HARVARD 1, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY 0

Ricciardone won a 12-inning pitching duel with LSU senior pitcher Ashley Czechner to carry the Crimson to its first win over a ranked opponent since its victory over Texas Tech in 2012. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning, Ricciardone caught A.J. Andrews looking for the final out.

“Laura was on,” coach Jenny Allard said. “All of her pitches were working. She had great command of the zone. She was hitting her spots. She was just a warrior out there. She really stepped up when they had runners in scoring position. It was the best game I’ve seen her pitch in her Harvard career.”

Czechner held the Crimson to no runs through the first eleven innings. Harvard finally broke through in the top of the 12th when Gusse slapped a single up the middle to score Shelbi Olson from third.

HARVARD 3, LAMAR 1

With the score tied at one in the top of the 10th inning and a runner on second, freshman designated hitter Savannah Bradley came to the plate and smacked a homer to left field to power the Crimson to a 3-1 victory over Lamar.

Both teams were held scoreless through the first four innings of the game. The Cardinals struck first with a lone run in the fifth on a fielder’s choice that scored junior third baseman Casey Cromwell.

Harvard pushed the game to extras in its final opportunity. The team strung together three singles in the seventh to draw even and set up Hagberg’s winning hit.