Batmen Convert Three Hits Into Fifth Straight Victory

STORRS, Conn.--The Harvard baseball team put on its mailman act yesterday, fighting through inclement weather to deliver a 5-1 beating to the University of Connecticut in a rain-shortened, six-inning game at the Huskies' J. O. Christian Field.

Five games into its season, the unbeaten Crimson has always found a way to deliver the goods. Yesterday the batmen made the most of just three hits, two of them for extra bases.

Catcher Vinnie Martelli led off the second with a dribbler down the third base line that will look like the proverbial line drive in the scorebook. Right fielder Don Allard followed with a walk, one of eight free passes given by UConn" pitchers Joe Simonoko and Joe Frager. Then sophomore designated hitter Micky Maspons stepped to the plate, worked Simonoko to a full count and blasted his first college homer, a three-run, 370-ft. line drive over the right field fence.

By the time Maspons got to the plate in the third inning, the rain made it look as though his shot of the previous inning might get stricken from the books.

It had rained the night before, and the grounds crew had worked all morning to get the field ready. "They did a great job getting the field playable." Crimson Coach Alex Nahigian said.

And the field held up. After four innings, driving rain forced home plate umpire Ed Mariano to stop the game. But 10 minutes later, the rain had let up slightly and the Crimson batted in the top of the fifth.

Ed Farrell led off with a walk, and Martelli moved him over to second with one of five harvard sacrifice bunts on the day. Allard followed with the Crimson's third hit, a double down the left field line that scored Farrell. Allard took third on a wild pitch, then came home with Harvard's final tally on a Maspons squeeze.

But it wasn't offense that kept the batmen's record spotless. Righthander Bill Larson picked up his second win of the year with more than a little help from his fielders. With one man on and nobody out in the Husky second. Allard sprinted into right-center to make a diving stab of a Jerry Lapenta line drive, saving at least one run.

The Huskies got their leadoff man aboard again in the third, and Larson once more got some help from his outfield. UConn shortstop Ed McMillan rode the first Larson offering 400 feet into center field, but Bruce Weller came through with a one-handed grab to prevent an extra-base hit.

Harvard's defensive exhibition had yet to strike its tents. Tony DiCesare went deep into the hole twice in the fourth inning to rob Husky batters.

Brown in Relief

Greg Brown came in for Larson as scheduled in the sixth and picked up where he had left off in his last outing. In an inning of relief at MIT, Brown struck out all three betters he faced, yesterday he zapped fastballs past the first two UConn betters, gave up a single, then fanned the next Husky for the final out.