PRINCETON, N.J. – The second-seeded Harvard Crimson captured the inaugural Ivy League softball tournament title on Saturday afternoon after defeating the top-seeded Princeton Tigers in a winner-take-all battle at Strubing Field.
 
Harvard entered the day 2-0, needing just one win to capture the title. Princeton was 2-1 and avoided elimination following the first game, capturing a 6-0 victory over the Crimson to force the deciding game.
 
Harvard scored all three runs that they would need in the second inning as it was Kendall Jean who delivered a two-RBI single putting the Crimson on the board. Jean scored on a Teagan Shaw sacrifice fly giving the Crimson a three-run lead.
 
Princeton made it interesting in the sixth after the Tigers strung together three consecutive hits including a two-run double by Sophia Marsalo. Serena Starks reached base with a two-out bunt single in the seventh to put the tying run on base, but the Harvard defense clamped down and recorded the final out of the game.
 
With the tournament championship, Harvard is set to make its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2019.
 
Following the tournament, 11 student-athletes were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Nicole Conway, Yale
Alex Perren, Yale
Cami Neal, Columbia
Raquel Reyes, Columbia
Alexis Laudenslager, Princeton
Serena Starks, Princeton
Julia Dumais, Princeton
Anna Reed, Harvard
Savannah Fitzpatrick, Harvard
Megan Welsh, Harvard
Riley Flynn, Harvard (Most Outstanding Player)