Throughout its history, Harvard University has always been known as more of a scholastic school than an athletic one. It looks like its softball team is trying to change all that.
The Crimson (18-18, 9-3 Ivy League) will host the Terriers (28-11, 15-3 America East) this afternoon in non-conference action as Boston University puts its record-breaking 18-game winning streak on the line.
The 18 consecutive wins top BU’s previous winning streak of 16 games set last year. The Terriers will look to continue their torrid hitting and stellar pitching performances as they make a run at the America East playoffs. Sophomores Tiffany Finateri and Nichole Kurker have been BU’s version of the Bash Brothers of late, combining for eight of the Terriers’ 14 home runs — three coming this past weekend during the four-game sweep of Towson University — and a third of the team’s runs batted in (33) this season.
Harvard will have its own secret batting weapon in junior outfielder Sarah Koppel. Koppel was one of three Crimson players to earn Ivy League Player of the Week honors this year. During the week she earned the award, Koppel helped the Crimson to a 6-1 record, hitting .631 (12-for-19) with three home runs and eight RBI.
On the mound, BU has come together during its win streak to handily defeat its opponents behind the pitching of sophomore Robyn Horrick and senior Robyn King. Resembling the Atlanta Braves pitching duo of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, the two have compiled 24 of the 28 wins for the Terriers this season and 16 of 18 wins during the win streak.
The Crimson will counter with its own version of King in senior pitcher Chelsea Thoke. Thoke was named Ivy League Player of the Week last week after posting a 0.64 ERA in 11 innings of work and 14 strikeouts, including the 500th of her career. For the season, she leads the team with a 1.84 ERA and 84 strikeouts.
BU has already had a taste of what Harvard has to offer. The two teams met during the fall in preseason play, splitting the two games they played against each other. Finateri, who was the tough-luck loser in that game, will look to redeem herself as she takes to the hill this afternoon.
“She will definitely have revenge on her mind,” said BU coach Amy Hayes.
So it’s a good thing the Terriers have shaken off any of the cobwebs they might have had earlier in the season. Because despite its .500 overall record, the Crimson will come into today’s action still fighting for a chance at their second straight Ivy League championship. Thus, Hayes believes her team can not enter the game with any overconfidence or take Harvard lightly.
“We just need to continue hitting and putting it all together,” Hayes said. “We can’t rely on a Nichole Kurker shot every game.”
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