CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The University of Pennsylvania softball team lost both games of a doubleheader on Saturday falling to Harvard 8-7 in Game 1 and 8-2 in the series finale. The Quakers will be back in action on Wednesday at Penn Park before a three-game Ivy home series against Cornell over the weekend.
 
Inside the Numbers
* Penn's 8-7 loss in game one of the doubleheader is just the second time this season they have lost when scoring seven or more runs.

* The Quakers loss in eight innings was their ninth in extra innings this season.

* The Red and Blue left a combined 17 runners on base in the two games.

* The three losses to Harvard is just the first time the Quakers have been swept in Ivy play this season.

* Abigail Abramson hit her first career home run.

* Abramson led the team in RBI on the day with three.

* Jurie Joyner and Molly Oretsky each had four hits on the day, recording two in each game.
 
How it Happened
After falling in Friday's series opener, the Quakers looked to bounce back on day two of the series against Harvard. Jurie Joyner collected the first of three RBI on the day early, bringing home Jessica England to put the Red and Blue up a quick 1-0.
 
The lead would not last long, however, as Harvard put up three runs in the bottom of the frame. A one-run inning in the second by Penn chipped into the early deficit. The Quakers then re-took the lead in the third when Abigail Abramson hit a two-run homer. Then, with two outs, Oretsky, Katie Petroski, and Sam Pederson loaded the bases and England earned a walk to bring in another run to wrap up the three-score inning and put the Penn up 5-3.
 
Once again, the lead would not last long. Harvard answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame as Penn went down 7-5.

After scoring 12 runs combined in the first three innings, the two teams went three straight without a single run. Abramson took over in the circle  and retired nine straight batters.

In the top of the seventh, still down by two, the Quakers rallied. Oretsky and Clare Sebastianelli got on to put the tying runs on base. Petroski then singled down the left side, and a barrage of Crimson errors allowed Oretsky and Sebastianelli to score and tie the game. Abramson threw a fourth straight scoreless inning in the bottom of the seventh, but would not throw a fifth. After a 1-2-3 inning by the Quakers to start the eighth, the freshman pitcher allowed a single to bring in the final run as Penn went down 8-7 in extra innings.

Game 2 started a lot slower than the opener, with two-straight scoreless innings from both sides. Abramson got the start, making it six scoreless in the first seven innings she pitchedon the day. That run ended in the third, though, as Harvard scored three runs to put Penn down 3-0. The Quakers cut into the lead in the fourth inning, as Oretsky doubled to bring home Joyner. However they left the bases loaded to end the inning down 3-1. 
 
Trailing, 5-1, Sebastianelli brought home Oretsky to make the score 5-2, but it would be the last run the Red and Blue would score. Harvard scored three more runs in the sixth. With Jessica England on base, Joyner struck out to end the game as the Quakers fell 8-2 in the series finale.
 
What's Next
Penn will play Saint Joseph's on Wednesday at Penn Park before playing their final home series of the season against Cornell over the weekend. Sunday will mark Senior Day.