Crimson Pounds Dartmouth, 8-4, 10-4

Freshman shortstop Brad Bauer belted a grandslam home run and a three-run double to propel the Harvard baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Eastern League rival Dartmouth at Soldiers Field Saturday.

Trailing early in each contest, the Crimson proved it can come from behind, pounding out 8-4 and 10-4 victories to zoom atop the Eastern League standings with a 5-0 record.

The Big Green reached Ron Stewart for three second-inning runs in the opener, picking up two on the first of Roberto Baleguer's two triples.

Barry Ryan plated Baleguer moments later with a sacrifice fly to left, and Harvard trailed, 3-0.

Quick Reflexes

The Crimson knotted the contest an inning later, when it scratched out a trio of tallies on two hits, a walk and an error. Joe Wark continued his hot hitting by rapping in a run with a line single, and Bauer did likewise, picking up the first of his eight runs batted in on the day.

The Yardling notched three more RBIs during Harvard's four-run sixth. With the score tied at four, Mark Bingham led off the bottom of the inning with a double off Dartmouth starter Matt Stewart, then beat the throw to third when Charlie Santos-Buch tapped out a fielder's choice ground ball to second baseman Brent Cole.

After walking pinch-hitter Paul Scheper, Dartmouth's Stewart departed and Steve D'Antonio came on with the bases loaded and nobody out.

D'Antonio fanned Chuck Marshall, but walked Don Allard on four pitches to force the eventual winning run home. Wark then skied to left, but Bauer cleared the bases with a line shot up the alley in right field, ending up on second with a three-run double.

Reliever Rob Alevizos, who had come on after five, set down the Big Green without a hit to nail down the 8-4 victory.

In the nightcap, three hits and a walk sent Crimson hurler Billy Doyle to the showers early, as he departed in favor of Bill Larson without retiring a batter.

But Dartmouth's 4-0 lead was not enough. Larson twirled a magnificent three-hit shutout the rest of the way, and eight second-inning Harvard tallies sent most of the chilly spectators off to post-game parties early.

The festivities began when Santos-Buch worked out a walk to lead off the frame, and continued when Scheper moved him to second with a one-out single. Allard flied to center, but Wark took a free pass to load the bases for Bauer with two out.

The Columbus, Ohio, native tied the score, rocketing a four-run blast over the left field fence for the Crimson's first grand slam of the campaign.

The fun was only half over, however. Rick Pearce walked, stole second, and came around to score on Bobby Kelley's double. Kelley scored seconds later when centerfielder Paul Mourning misplayed the ball for a two-base error. Bingham then singled, Santos-Buch tripled and Marshall singled, giving Harvard an 8-4 lead it never lost. At Cambridge--First Game Dartmouth (1-7)  0  3  0  0  1  0  0-4  8  2 Harvard (6-4)  0  0  3  1  0  4  0-8  6  1

WP--Alevizos (1-0), LP--Stewart (0-3) At Cambridge--Second Game Dartmouth (1-8)  4  0  0  0  0  0  0-4  9  4 Harvard (7-4)  0  8  0  0  1  1  0-10  9  2

WP--Larson (3-2), LP--Croteau (0-3), HR--Bauer (2)

WP--Alevizos (1-0), LP--Stewart (0-3) At Cambridge--Second Game Dartmouth (1-8)  4  0  0  0  0  0  0-4  9  4 Harvard (7-4)  0  8  0  0  1  1  0-10  9  2

WP--Larson (3-2), LP--Croteau (0-3), HR--Bauer (2)

WP--Larson (3-2), LP--Croteau (0-3), HR--Bauer (2)