Harvard University’s softball team played a doubleheader against Fordham University at the FIU Classic in Miami, Florida, finishing the day with one win and one loss.
In the first game, Harvard secured a 4-0 victory over Fordham. Junior pitcher Nicolette Hunter delivered a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out three batters. Hunter also contributed offensively by driving in two runs. Payne opened the scoring for Harvard with her second home run of the season. Additional runs were brought in by Hunter and senior outfielder Lael Ayala through consecutive RBI doubles. The final run came in the sixth inning after Alexa Muller led off with a single and was driven home by another double from Hunter.
The second game saw Fordham take an early lead by scoring three runs in the first three innings. Harvard responded in the fourth inning as Muller drove in a run on a bunt single and Ayala added another with a sacrifice fly. In the fifth inning, Payne hit a two-run single to tie the score, followed by a sacrifice fly from first-year infielder Hannah Ziecik that gave Harvard its first lead at 4-3.
Fordham tied the game at 4-4 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, sending it into extra innings. Sophomore catcher Quinn Salazar-Stewart put Harvard ahead again with an RBI single in the eighth, but Fordham responded with a home run to claim a 6-5 win.
Harvard recorded 12 hits in their second game against Fordham, marking their fourth double-digit hit performance this season. Four players had multiple hits during this contest. Senior pitcher and team captain Ryan Grace pitched two shutout innings out of the bullpen.
Head Coach Jenny Rohn commented on Hunter’s performance: “Hunter leads the Crimson in strikeouts with 33 this season.” Rohn also noted that “Hunter drove in a career-high two runs in the first game against Fordham” and “Hunter has two complete game shutouts this season.”
Looking ahead, Harvard will finish its participation at the FIU Classic tomorrow morning against either FIU or South Dakota.
