Bruins Foil Brownie, 7-4, As Batsmen Split Twinbill

The shifting fortunes of the Harvard baseball team changed as dramatically as the weather did Saturday, as the Crimson batsmen split a crucial doubleheader with Brown at Soldier's field, losing the first game, 7-4, and coming back to win the nightcap, 6-0.

Things seemed rosey in the first game as Harvard's faint playoff hopes were brightened by the presence of pitching ace Larry Brown. With "Brownie" retiring the Bruin batters in 1-2-3 fashion for the better part of the game (he faced only fifteen batters in a five inning stretch), Harvard overcame an early two-run Brown edge to lead, 4-2, going into the final inning.

And then Brown (the University) suddenly stunned Brown (the pitcher) and Harvard with a five-run seventh inning to come from behind and take the first game, effectively shorting out the already dimmed Crimson playoff hopes.

"Brown has a strong offensive team and you just can't afford to make mistakes against them," (Larry) Brown said yesterday. "I lost my concentration there in the seventh inning. That was my mistake."

The game had started ominously enough as the usually untouchable Brown (5-0 before the game) was touched for five hits and two runs in the first inning.

Harvard fought back after Charlie Santos-Buch scored on a passed ball in the second inning and Jim Peccerillo doubled home two runs in the fifth to give Harvard a 3-2 lead. Santos-Buch scored on a wild pitch, after reaching third base on a triple, to give the Crimson an insurance run in the sixth.

And then all hell broke loose in the seventh. After tossing out Rod Hibner for the second out. Brown (the pitcher) seemed ready to end the game despite the Bruin runners at the corners. But an intentional walk to load the bases and Larry Carbone's triple undid the afternoon's work. John King added insult to injury by kissing a Brown pitch goodbye over the left center field fence for the last run and the final, 7-4 score.

In the almost anticlimactic second game, junior righthander Ron Stewart pitched his best ball of the season, giving up only four hits and going the distance in the 6-0 shutout.

The big bats of both teams fell silent until late in the contest when Harvard managed the only tally of the first five innings as Bobby Kelley scored from second base after Mark Bingham's topper was mishandled by the first baseman in the third.

The Crimson's slim lead was never threatened as good fielding and a seventh inning double play thwarted any of Brown's scoring threats.

Stewart got more insurance than he needed in the sixth inning, as Harvard exploded for five runs. After a Santos-Buch triple (his second of the day) and a walk to DH Steve Tilles, the Crimson got singles from Kelley. Burke St. John, and a double from Bingham to round out the scoring.