DiCesare, Batmen Best Holy Cross

WORCESTER Last year, Tony DiCesare had the worst batting average of any regular on the Harvard baseball team. This year, DiCesare ranks among the team leaders.

A little change in his pre-swing motion, some batting practice in the Leverett House basement and "a lot of work in the off season" changed the 218 bitter of 1983 into the 333 bitter of 1984.

Yesterday DiCesare stanched two doubles, drove in half the Crimson's runs scored two others and went three for four as Harvard held off Holy Cross 6-5. The victory upped Harvard's record to 9-2 while Holy Cross tell to 29

Aside from DiCesare's performance a two for three outing by team batting leader Ellrott Rivera (357) and a seven pitch George Sorbata save it wasn't much of a day for the Crimson.

Starter Jett Musselman allowed just one run in four innings but he didin't exactly stymie a less than potent Crusader attack Neither freshman Mike Presz nor sophomore Cecil Cox who each yielded two runs in two innings, fared any better.

Harvard set the tone in the first inning, loading the bases with one out only to strand all three runners. Holy Cross displayed its aversion to scoring an inning later, when right fielder Rick Rabideau broke from third on a one-out grounder to second baseman Gaylord Lyman, who threw to catcher Jim DePalo for the fielder's chose Had Rabideau held third he would have scored on Jack O'Keele's ensuing single to left.

Holy Cross took the lead in the third Vin Eruzione, brother of 1980 Olympic hockey star Mike, stroked a lead off double down the right field line. One out later. Eruzione scored from second when Lyman misplayed s Sandy McMurtry grounder Shortstop Brian Reale followed with a hit, but Musselman picked him off first Musselman then issued two walks to load the bases for Anthony Froro who grounded into a fielder's choice. In the inning, seven Crusaders batted, six reached the basepaths, but only one scored.

Harvard knotted the score in the top of the fourth on a Mickey Maspons walk a Scott Vierra sacrifice and a DiCesare this single Lyman singled. McAndrews walked to load them up and DiCesare scored on Bruce Weller's grounder to first

Harvard made it 4-1 with a one out rally in the fifth A Rivera single, a Maspons walk and a Vierra single deep into the hole at short loaded the bases for DiCesare, who sent the ball to deep left field. The ball bounced and rolled, the fielder reached the fence and DiCesare kept running around the bases.

At home plate umpire Bob Dicey informed him that the ball had rolled under the fence for a ground rule double.

"I said, Hey, I already scored Why don't you give me a homer." DiCesare joked later.

Holy Cross tallied two off Presz in the bottom of the inning to cut the margin to one, 4-3 DiCesare doubled again to start off the eighth and advanced to third on a fielding error Lyman's sacrifice fly brought him home. Third baseman Bobby Kay tripled to lead off the ninth, then came home on Rivera's sacrifice fly.

But Harvard saw 2-3 of its 6-3 lead evaporate before getting a single out in the ninth. A walk a triple, a double and a walk put the winning run on first with nobody out. But in came Sorbata. Harvard's runners on specialist and out went the fire.

Designated hitter Gerry Cox bunted into a fielder's choice and Froto hit a 2-1 change up back to the box, where Sorbara started the game ending 1-6-3 double play. Crimson 6, Crusaders 5 HARVARD   ab  r  h  bi Weitet cf  4  0  0  1 Kay 3b  4  1  1  0 Dr-Palo o  5  0  1  0 Rivera lb  3  1  2  1 Maspons dh  3  2  0  0 Vierra lf  2  0  1  0 DiCesare ss  4  2  3  3 Lyman 2b  2  0  1  1 McAndrwsrt lf  3  0  0  0 Vallone prif  1  0  0  0 Total  31  6  9  6 HOLY CROSS   ab  r  h  bi Quinian cf  4  2  1  0 McMurtry lf  3  0  0  0 Reale ss  5  0  2  1 Rabideau rf  2  1  1  0 Pecevich dh  1  0  0  0 Froio 3b  5  0  0  0 O Keele 1b  3  0  2  0 Quinn c  2  0  0  0 Foley pr lf  1  1  1  1 Cox ph dh  2  0  1  1 Webb pr  0  0  0  0 Zmmrlliph 2b  1  0  0  0 Daigneaulf c  0  0  0  0 Total  33  5  10  3

Harvard  000  220  011-4 Holy Cross  001  020  022-5

Game-Winning RBI DiCesare E--Lyman, Foley DP--Harvard 2 Holy Cross LOB--Harvard 8 Holy Cross 9 2B DiCesare 2 Eruzione Reaie 38--Kay Foley SB Kay Weller Rivera CS--Vallone Reale Eruzione S Vierra Quinn SF--Rivera Lyman. Harvard  IP  H  R  ER  SS  SO Musseinian  4  5  2  2  2  1 Presz W 2 o  2  3  2  2  1  1 Coa  2  2  2  2  5  1 Sorbara S 3  1  0  0  0  0  0 Coa faced four batters in ninth Holy Cross J P Zeigier L 2-1  9  9  6  6  7  2

PB--DePalo 3 WP--Musseiman Zeigler

T--2 57 A--63

Harvard  000  220  011-4 Holy Cross  001  020  022-5

Game-Winning RBI DiCesare E--Lyman, Foley DP--Harvard 2 Holy Cross LOB--Harvard 8 Holy Cross 9 2B DiCesare 2 Eruzione Reaie 38--Kay Foley SB Kay Weller Rivera CS--Vallone Reale Eruzione S Vierra Quinn SF--Rivera Lyman. Harvard  IP  H  R  ER  SS  SO Musseinian  4  5  2  2  2  1 Presz W 2 o  2  3  2  2  1  1 Coa  2  2  2  2  5  1 Sorbara S 3  1  0  0  0  0  0 Coa faced four batters in ninth Holy Cross J P Zeigier L 2-1  9  9  6  6  7  2

PB--DePalo 3 WP--Musseiman Zeigler

T--2 57 A--63

Game-Winning RBI DiCesare E--Lyman, Foley DP--Harvard 2 Holy Cross LOB--Harvard 8 Holy Cross 9 2B DiCesare 2 Eruzione Reaie 38--Kay Foley SB Kay Weller Rivera CS--Vallone Reale Eruzione S Vierra Quinn SF--Rivera Lyman. Harvard  IP  H  R  ER  SS  SO Musseinian  4  5  2  2  2  1 Presz W 2 o  2  3  2  2  1  1 Coa  2  2  2  2  5  1 Sorbara S 3  1  0  0  0  0  0 Coa faced four batters in ninth Holy Cross J P Zeigier L 2-1  9  9  6  6  7  2

PB--DePalo 3 WP--Musseiman Zeigler

T--2 57 A--63

PB--DePalo 3 WP--Musseiman Zeigler

T--2 57 A--63