Harvard Softball Falls to Princeton in Three-Game Sweep

Despite Harvard coming into the weekend with momentum, Princeton put an end to the Crimson softball’s three-series win streak in a dominant 3-0 weekend. While Harvard has shown strong performances across the board all season, it could not take down the reigning conference champion, which clinched its fifth consecutive Ivy League Regular-Season Championship. Needing just two wins to secure the conference title, the Tigers kept the doubleheader short with two run-rule victories before completing the sweep with an 8-2 game to end the weekend.

The weekend sweep continues the Crimson’s struggles against Princeton over the past three seasons. Harvard has now lost eight straight games to the Tigers, including three run-rule defeats, and has had its last two seasons ended at their hands.

Harvard 0, Princeton 8

Princeton set the tone of the series early in the first inning, driving a home run to center field for a 1-0 lead. Two walks put the Tigers in prime position to score again, but senior pitcher Riley Flynn battled her way out of the inning to shut down Princeton’s offense and keep the gap to one.

While freshman outfielder Sheila Forbes got Harvard’s offense started, forcing an error at third to make it on base, the Tigers’ clean fielding kept the Crimson scoreless. Sophomore catcher Quinn Salazar-Stewart gave Harvard another chance to score in the second with a triple to start the inning. However, Princeton again kept the Crimson runless with a strikeout and two foul outs.

With two outs on the board to open the third inning, Harvard’s defense looked strong across the diamond. Even so, Princeton managed to sneak another homer off of Flynn to scratch on another run.

Despite cutting off the offensive momentum with a groundout, the Tigers seemed to have Flynn’s number, coming out strong in the fourth inning with two consecutive home runs to extend their lead to 4-0.

Nevertheless, the Crimson continued to battle, with freshman third baseman Hannah Ziecik making it on base with a fielder’s choice single. Junior pitcher and designated player Nicolette Hunter then got walked, setting Harvard up to score with two runners on base. However, the home team couldn’t break through as Princeton ended the inning with a strikeout.

Back up to bat and now facing Hunter on the mound, the Tigers continued to chip away at Harvard’s defense. While the Crimson made no fielding errors, Princeton found the open gaps across the field, converting deep singles and doubles with smart base running to score four more runs in the fifth inning.

Down 8-0, Harvard attempted to even out the score, with senior second baseman Finley Payne making it on base with a left field single on two outs. Junior shortstop Sophie Sun followed her up with a walk, but the Tigers ended the inning and the game with an out at second base, taking the first win of the series.

Harvard 3, Princeton 12

Looking to tie up the series in the second game of the day, the Crimson swiftly shut down Princeton’s offense in the first inning before stepping up to the plate. While Harvard managed to get hits, the team again struggled to break through Princeton’s stellar defense and round the bases.

Even with captain Ryan Grace stepping into the circle in the second, the Tigers continued to exploit the gaps in the Crimson’s defense. A string of singles and stolen bases allowed Princeton to score three runs in the second inning, before adding a fourth in the third on a homer to left center field.

Despite opening the third with two outs, Forbes restarted the Crimson’s offense with a single to left field. Payne followed suit with a right field double, making it to third base as the Tigers fired a throw to home in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Forbes from scoring. Sun kept the hits coming with a single to right field to bring Payne home, and close up the gap to 4-2.

While Princeton took one back off a triple and an error at first base in the fourth, the game continued evenly matched through the fifth inning. However, the Tigers went on a run in the sixth, driving their sixth homer of the series to left field for two more runs. With the momentum on its side, a three RBI homer followed by a string of deep hits allowed Princeton to extend its lead to 12-2 by the end of the top of the sixth.

Unwilling to go out without a fight, Sun started the lineup with a home run to center field. Nevertheless, the Tigers ended any chance of a Harvard rally swiftly and won the game in six innings, earning the series win and clinching the regular-season Ivy League title.

Harvard 2, Princeton 8

Opening the game at the plate once again, the Tigers continued to come out strong, capitalizing on a fielding error and strong hits to score two early runs. However, a walk from Payne allowed Sun to drive her second homer of the series to deep left center field to tie up the game.

While both teams went scoreless through the second, Princeton struck again in the third. Throwing errors from Forbes and freshman pitcher Serena Gillen allowed the Tigers to score four more runs and retake the lead, 6-2.

Stellar pitching from both teams kept the fourth scoreless as well; however, Princeton sniped another home run off of sophomore pitcher Linden McCarl for two more runs in the fifth. The Tigers continued to make hits, loading up the bases for another prime chance to score, but McCarl got the Crimson out of the jam to hold the score at 8-2.

Even as Harvard managed to clean up its defense to keep Princeton scoreless through the rest of the game, the Crimson could not make it around the bases, giving the Tigers the series sweep to end the weekend.

Despite a tough weekend at home, Sun shone at the plate, logging her eleventh home run of the season, the third most in school history, and moving up to second in career homers in the program’s record books. Even as the Crimson fell to third place in the Ivy League standings, positioned just one win below Columbia, Harvard still managed to clinch its spot in the conference’s postseason tournament for the fourth year in a row.

With second place and second seed still on the line, the Crimson will end its regular season in the Big Apple, facing off against Columbia for a three-game series over the weekend.

—Staff writer Sofia Zhang can be reached at [email protected].