Harvard Softball Goes 4-1 in Second Weekend of the Season

Harvard softball (5-4) traveled down to South Carolina in its second week of its season to participate in the Upstate Classic and Sparkle City Invite in Spartanburg. Following a challenging opening stretch at the GCU Invite, the Crimson delivered statement performances against Holy Cross, USC Upstate, Wofford, and Morgan State this past weekend.

Harvard 8, Holy Cross 3

On Friday, Harvard faced off against its neighboring foe, Holy Cross. Junior shortstop Sophie Sun provided an early spark for the Crimson, stepping to the plate and hitting a massive home run in the first inning – her first of the season and 18th of her collegiate career – to energize the dugout. Moments later, sophomore catcher Quinn Salazar-Stewart assisted the All-Ivy veteran from a different side of the plate than normal, blazing another home run straight through center field. The home run was the first of Salazar-Stewart’s collegiate career, likely the first of many more to come. Harvard’s offense powered in five runs in the bottom of the first.

“South Carolina was a great way to fine-tune our skills,” said Salazar-Stewart. “I watch my teammates grow, and I think the culture and unity of our team is unmatched. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to share something as special as my first collegiate home run with.”

“As a team, it’s so rewarding to see the work from the offseason pay off,” Sun said. “[For me], hitting that first home run helped me find a rhythm, and I was really glad I could contribute to the team’s success.”

The Crusaders attempted to respond, scoring twice in the third inning, but Sun struck again - this time delivering a sacrifice fly that brought home three runners, extending the Crimson’s lead to 6-2. Harvard finished the game with six players recording multiple hits, tallying 14 hits total, including 4 RBIs from Sun. Senior pitchers Riley Flynn and captain Ryan Grace anchored the Crimson’s defense, combining for three strikeouts and three scoreless innings. The Crimson overpowered its intrastate rival, earning an 8-3 win.

Harvard 3, USC Upstate 2

In its second contest on Friday, the Harvard defense shined against a gritty USC Upstate team, which entered the game 7-2. The Crimson and Spartans were deadlocked at zero through the first innings, but Harvard found light in the fourth inning when senior outfielder Lael Ayala used her experience to perfectly place a bunt in the infield to send a Crimson runner home, giving Harvard the first lead of the game, 1-0.

USC Upstate answered in the sixth inning, tying the score, 1-1. Before heading into the seventh, the Spartans ignited the energy of their fans with one more run to take a 2-1 lead.

With the energy electric amongst the stands for the home team, the spotlight returned to the Crimson, which was on a quest for a run. It was only right that Sun emerged to hit a two-run home run to deep center field, notching her second homer of the day and the 19th of her Crimson career. In the end, Flynn added one more insurance run in the second half of the seventh to secure a 3-2 comeback win against USC Upstate.

Harvard 9, Holy Cross 0

Returning to the diamond on Saturday, Harvard opened the contest with authority, earning a 9-0 run-rule victory in its rematch against Holy Cross. The Crimson shot out to an early 2-0 lead with an RBI from senior infielder Finley Payne.

Harvard then doubled its lead to 4-0, only an inning later, through the miraculous playmaking contributions of junior outfielder Audrey Szollosi and Sun, and never looked back. The 9-0 run would not have been possible without junior pitcher Nicolette Hunter’s efforts on the mound. The junior pitched a five-inning complete game shutout, allowed only two hits, marked a career-high in strikeouts with 10, and recorded the ninth complete game of her collegiate career.

The Crimson, meanwhile, scored nine runs on nine hits with four different Harvard players driving in runs.

Harvard 0, Wofford 6

To conclude Saturday evening, Harvard faced its toughest challenge of the weekend against a Wofford team that entered the game with an elite 13-1 record.

The Crimson struggled early, so the Terriers were able to mount a 4-0 lead. Harvard tried to respond in the third inning, almost sending a runner home, but could not add any points to the scoreboard.

After securing a shutout in the third inning, Wofford added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-0.

Despite the setback, Szollosi extended her hitting streak to five games, and sophomore infielder Alexa Muller contributed a hit as well. On the mound, Harvard had a promising uprising from freshman pitcher Serena Gillen, who struck out a career-high four batters in only three innings.

In the end, Wofford, though, was able to nab the 6-0 win.

Harvard 10, Morgan State 1

Harvard closed the weekend on a high note with a dominant 10-1 victory over Morgan State. The Crimson exploded out to an early lead with Payne emerging as the face of the show, a consistent theme of the weekend. The senior, an All-Ivy League Second team selection, hit an RBI single in the first inning before launching a three-run home run—her first home run of the season—in the second. The Lady Bears attempted to respond, but Payne, along with the rest of the Crimson offense, was unstoppable.

Harvard scored double-digit runs in a game for the first time this season, tallying 10 runs on 10 hits. Payne matched her career-high in RBIs with four, earned seven hits in 14 at-bats during the entire weekend, including five-for-seven against Morgan State. On the defensive end, Hunter struck out six batters across four innings.

“I am really proud of how our team competed. Everyone contributed and stayed locked into our approach,” Payne said as she reflected on the weekend. “Our mindset right now is to trust each other and our preparations to build momentum as we finish up a competitive pre-season and head into Ivy League play. Bet on us!”

With a strong 4-1 weekend behind it, the Crimson now turns its attention to another test on the road. Harvard will travel to Miami, Fla., to face off against South Dakota, FIU, and Fordham. The team will hope to build momentum and formulate a strong identity, as the matchups ahead present an opportunity for growth. The team is confident moving forward in hopes of establishing itself as a formidable foe in the Ivy League.

— Staff writer Chandler Piggé can be reached at [email protected].