ITHACA, N.Y. -- A three-run fifth inning lifted the Harvard Crimson (24-15, 14-7 Ivy League) to a 4-2 victory over the Cornell Big Red (7-26, 4-14 Ivy) on Sunday afternoon at Niemand-Robison Field. The Crimson, which won two of the three games in the series, clinched a spot in the Ivy League tournament with the win. 

Anna Reed pitched all seven innings for Harvard and struck out eight Big Red batters. Kyrie Denny allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out two batters while pitching seven innings for the Big Red.

Savannah Fitzpatrick, who went 2-for-4 at the plate, drove in all four Crimson runs. After Maddi Mays walked with outs in the first inning, Fitzpatrick snuck a double inside the left field line to give Harvard a 1-0 lead. 

Denny worked out of a jam in the second, striking out Ivy League slugger Sophie Sun with runners on second and third to end the inning. She set Harvard down in order in the third before facing trouble again in the fourth, as the Crimson's first two batters reached. Denny escaped, getting Priyanka Kaul to roll into a 6-4-3 double play and Allison O'Heany to pop out to Emma Antich at second. 

Fitzpatrick delivered the decisive blow in the top of the fifth after Harvard's first three batters reached. Fitzpatrick cleared the bases with a double to center to put the Crimson ahead 4-0. 

The Big Red loaded the bases in the seventh inning but only pushed across two runs. Senior Lilly Travieso and Emma Anitch each had two hits for the Big Red. 

Up Next

The Big Red travels to Syracuse on Wednesday, May 1, for its penultimate series of the season. The doubleheader begins at 3 p.m.