Eagles Shot Down, 13-7, By Two Allard Homers

Donnie Allard couldn't remember ever getting the game ball before.

"Maybe in high school once or twice, but certainly not here," Allard said after yesterday's 13-7 victory over Boston College at Soldiers Field. "We don't do that kind of thing very much."

The sophomore rightfielder earned his orb by belting five hits in five trips, including a pair of two-run homers and a double. That's four homers in three days for a total of six on the year, and five runs batted in to give him 29--both team highs.

"It's the confidence thing really, you just can't wait to get up to the plate," he said. "And Tuesday, even the outs I made were line drives. It feels good."

Allard's second blast came with one out in the seventh inning and Harvard losing, 6-5. With Brad Bauer perched on second. Allard waited for a fastball from B.C.'s starter Dave Prokopchak. It came, and it went--over the right-center field fence for a 7-6 Crimson lead.

"When I'm hitting the ball well. I hit them to center like today. That last ball I hit was the hardest, that's the funny thing."

That came an inning later, in the midst of Harvard's six-run eighth inning that broke a 7-7 deadlock. Joe (3-for-5, two "It's fun to hit against B.C.," said Allard, who is eight for ten off of Eagle pitching this year. "My dad went there, and a lot of people over there always ask me how come I didn't go, too. I enjoy playing against them."

Other people who enjoyed the outcome of Allard vs. Boston College included Mike Smerczynski, who came on in relief of Bill Larson and John Sorich to notch his third win. Smuzz put out the fire in the eighth, walking Paul DePalma to load the bases but forcing Brian Landry to ground to Bauer to douse B.C.'s threat.

THE NOTEBOOK: What manager John Fenton called "the first wacky rundown play of the year" was an odd little exercise with runners on first and third in the seventh. As Sorich went into his stretch, he spied Scott, the runner on first, leaning to second, and threw to first baseman Martelli. At the same time, Landry inched toward home, and Martelli quickly relayed the ball to third baseman Dan Skaff, who rifled it home to catcher Wark. As Scott rounded second and headed for third. Landry backed up the baseline, and Wark threw to shortstop Bauer, who ran Landry down the line toward home and flipped to Martelli for the putout. Scott meanwhile advancing to third. Scorich forced the batter, Don McGuirk, to pop up on the next pitch. BOSTON COLLEGE (7)  AB  R  H  Bl Follen, df  4  1  1  1 DeDonato, 2b  4  1  1  1 Mayock, 1b  4  1  3  0 Smith, rf  4  0  1  1 Casey, dh  2  2  1  1 Depalma, ph  0  0  0  0 Landry, 3b  4  0  1  1 Scott, ss  3  1  1  1 McGulrk, c  5  1  1  0 Murphy, 1f  5  0  1  1   35  7  11  7 HARVARD (13)  AB  R  H  Bl Chicarello, dh  3  0  0  0 Weller, cf  4  1  1  0 Bauer, ss  3  2  1  0 Martelli, 1b  4  2  3  1 Allard, rf  5  3  5  5 Scheper, 1f  3  2  2  0 Skaff, 3b  3  2  0  0 Lyman, 2b  3  0  1  1 Wark, c  5  1  3  3   33  13  16  10

B.C.  000  300  310-7 HARVARD  022  001  26x-13

  IP  R  ER  H  BB  K Prokopchak  7  7  4  11  4  0 Pramek, L  1  6  1  4  2  0 Larson  6.1  6  6  8  6  6 Sorich  1  1  1  3  0  0 Smerczynakl, W  1.2  0  0  0  1  0

HR-Allard 2 (6), 2B-Allard

Other people who enjoyed the outcome of Allard vs. Boston College included Mike Smerczynski, who came on in relief of Bill Larson and John Sorich to notch his third win. Smuzz put out the fire in the eighth, walking Paul DePalma to load the bases but forcing Brian Landry to ground to Bauer to douse B.C.'s threat.

THE NOTEBOOK: What manager John Fenton called "the first wacky rundown play of the year" was an odd little exercise with runners on first and third in the seventh. As Sorich went into his stretch, he spied Scott, the runner on first, leaning to second, and threw to first baseman Martelli. At the same time, Landry inched toward home, and Martelli quickly relayed the ball to third baseman Dan Skaff, who rifled it home to catcher Wark. As Scott rounded second and headed for third. Landry backed up the baseline, and Wark threw to shortstop Bauer, who ran Landry down the line toward home and flipped to Martelli for the putout. Scott meanwhile advancing to third. Scorich forced the batter, Don McGuirk, to pop up on the next pitch. BOSTON COLLEGE (7)  AB  R  H  Bl Follen, df  4  1  1  1 DeDonato, 2b  4  1  1  1 Mayock, 1b  4  1  3  0 Smith, rf  4  0  1  1 Casey, dh  2  2  1  1 Depalma, ph  0  0  0  0 Landry, 3b  4  0  1  1 Scott, ss  3  1  1  1 McGulrk, c  5  1  1  0 Murphy, 1f  5  0  1  1   35  7  11  7 HARVARD (13)  AB  R  H  Bl Chicarello, dh  3  0  0  0 Weller, cf  4  1  1  0 Bauer, ss  3  2  1  0 Martelli, 1b  4  2  3  1 Allard, rf  5  3  5  5 Scheper, 1f  3  2  2  0 Skaff, 3b  3  2  0  0 Lyman, 2b  3  0  1  1 Wark, c  5  1  3  3   33  13  16  10

B.C.  000  300  310-7 HARVARD  022  001  26x-13

  IP  R  ER  H  BB  K Prokopchak  7  7  4  11  4  0 Pramek, L  1  6  1  4  2  0 Larson  6.1  6  6  8  6  6 Sorich  1  1  1  3  0  0 Smerczynakl, W  1.2  0  0  0  1  0

HR-Allard 2 (6), 2B-Allard

B.C.  000  300  310-7 HARVARD  022  001  26x-13

  IP  R  ER  H  BB  K Prokopchak  7  7  4  11  4  0 Pramek, L  1  6  1  4  2  0 Larson  6.1  6  6  8  6  6 Sorich  1  1  1  3  0  0 Smerczynakl, W  1.2  0  0  0  1  0

HR-Allard 2 (6), 2B-Allard

  IP  R  ER  H  BB  K Prokopchak  7  7  4  11  4  0 Pramek, L  1  6  1  4  2  0 Larson  6.1  6  6  8  6  6 Sorich  1  1  1  3  0  0 Smerczynakl, W  1.2  0  0  0  1  0

HR-Allard 2 (6), 2B-Allard

HR-Allard 2 (6), 2B-Allard