After a double-header split with Sacred Heart yesterday, Yale softball (13-17, 2-6 Ivy) returns to Ivy League play this weekend by hosting two double-headers against the Harvard Crimson (12-15, 5-3).

Last weekend, Yale struggled defensively against Princeton’s and Cornell’s strong hitters, and the Bulldogs will have their work cut out for them again this weekend. Harvard boasts a deep lineup of consistent hitters with half their hitters batting above .300, and none batting below .220.

Yale has strong hitters too, and racked up three homers in a single game against Cornell last weekend. But just one Bulldog — Ashley Sloan ’10, who bats a team-high .400 — has a higher average than any of the Crimson’s top three players.

But Yale may find an advantage in its pitching strength over the Crimson. Kayla Kuretich ’10 leads Bulldog pitching with a 1.76 ERA and KR Ling ’10 is close behind with a 1.81 ERA. Kuretich kept her ERA below 1.00 for two weeks before last weekend’s losses against Princeton and Cornell. On the other side, leading Crimson pitcher Dana Roberts has only a 2.05 ERA, while Harvard’s second pitcher comes in with a 3.13.

After playing the four Ivies in the South Division, the Bulldogs now begin competition within their own North Division. The teams with the best overall Ivy record within each division at the end of the season will face each other to vie for the Ivy League title.

—Della Fok