Softball Team Tops North Essex, 6-5

Returning from yesterday's game against North Essex Community College, the Harvard softball team got lost and circled through North Essex County twice before finding the route home.

And the Crimson had good reason to like the area after its tight 6-5 victory over north Essex, which stretched Harvard's winning streak to six games. The squad arrived home with another well-played game under its belt and a glittering overall record of 11-6.

Particularly impressive was the Crimson's ever-improving, fielding. For the first time this year. Harvard played errorless ball, despite tremendously humid and muddy field conditions.

"There was a swamp in left-center," said center fielder Ellen Jakovic. "If a ball had landed there it-would have been difficult to pick up." Third baseman Pat Home agreed, noting that although the infield was fine, "they were catching polywogs out in the outfield."

Harvard's slick fielding proved invaluable in the early innings, for the team met severe frustration at the plate. The Crimson put eight runners on base in the first three frames but could deliver only two runs.

In the fourth, with the score 3-2, Jakovic finally put Harvard in the lead with a clutch, two out, two run triple. "That felt good," she said, afterwards.

Still, Harvard needed help from North Essex's right fielder to seal the game, getting the benefit of a comedy of errors and over-throws.

When lefty Landya Boyer batted for Harvard in the third. North Essex moved the right fielder "out of the way," to left field. But it didn't do any good--on the very next pitch. Boyer guided the ball straight to left for a baschit.

Thus the softballers entered the seventh inning confidently with a comfortable 6-3 lead. They nearly gave the game away.

Three solid North Essex hits led to two runs, cutting the lead to 6-5. But with one out and the tying run on base, pitcher Val Romero squelched the comeback by inducing an easy pop-up for the game-ending out.