Bulldogs Bang Out 11 Hits In Second Game

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Photo Gallery

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale softball team got to see first hand why Harvard's Rachel Brown is considered one of the Ivy League's top pitchers. Brown tossed a one-hit shutout and struck out 16 to lead the Crimson to a 6-0 victory in the first game and then came on in relief in the seventh inning of the second game and struck out the side in Harvard's 10-3 win.

Brown was magnificent in the opener. She took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but Allie Canulli spoiled it with a single into left-center field that was just out of the reach of shortstop Jane Alexander. The only other base runners for the Bulldogs were Canulli, Christy Nelson and Kelsey Warkentine, who each walked.

Whitney Shaw and Jessica Ferri homered for the Crimson, who improved to 11-3 in Ivy play with the two wins.

The final score of the second game was deceiving. Yale (9-24, 4-10 Ivy) managed 11 hits and took a 3-0 lead into the seventh inning, but Harvard erupted for 10 runs.

Nelson, Ashley Sloan, Meg Johnson and Lexi Peacock all had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Yale grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third. Sloan led off with a single and moved to second on Canulli's sacrifice bunt. Nelson then delivered an RBI single to right. Mariclaire Rebman followed with a single, but Harvard relief pitcher Margaux Black worked out of further trouble.

The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the fourth. Lauren Huddleston led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Chelsey Locarno. Locarno was erased when Peacock reached on a fielder's choice. Sloan then doubled home Peacock and Canulli followed with a double that scored Sloan.

Sloan's two hits give her 186 for her career, four shy of Kathy Ching's school record.

NOTES: Because of the forecast for heavy rain in New Haven, Sunday's doubleheader between the two teams was postponed. Yale and Harvard will now play a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 2:30 p.m… It was Alumni Day at Dewitt Family Field, and a number of former players were on hand… There was a brief power outage late in the second game. It knocked out the scoreboard and all power in the press box, but play was unaffected.

Report filed by Tim Bennett, Yale Sports Publicity