Batsmen's Pitching Executes Judges, 6-3

WALTHAM--Timely hitting by third baseman Dave Jamieson combined with a solid nine-hitter tossed by two Crimson hurlers were enough to lead the Harvard baseball team to a 6-3 triumph over Brandeis here yesterday.

Sophomore starter Greg Ubert went four innings, giving up just three hits and one run, before giving way to freshman Vic McGrady, who went the next five. The Crimson (7-2 overall, 5-1 EIBL) kept intact its eight year winning streak against the Judges (20-3 overall and ranked 20th nationally).

The Crimson, buoyed by the two-RBI performances of Jamieson and designated hitter Jim DePalo, who is hitting .364 on the year, led all the way after jumping to 1-0 lead in the third inning in the Greater Boston League (GBL) matchup. Sophomore first baseman Rich Renniger continued his hot hitting (he is batting .500 for the year) with a single, a sacrifice, and an RBI.

The Judges, trailing 6-1 in the ninth inning, gave the Crimson a minor scare as they tagged releiver McGrady--the winning pitcher (1-0)--for a ground-rule double and a home run with two outs, before the freshman was able to end the threat.

Steady

"We've been getting more and more steady with each game," said Harvard Captain Chris Pakalnis. "The best part is that every day someone else is picking us up at the plate. We've been coming up with a lot of timely hits."

The Crimson scored a solo run in the fourth inning on a double by sophomore Dan McConagy and a single by DePalo. Another Crimson run crossed the plate in the fourth when Pakalnis came around to score on Jamieson's single to right.

Ubert, who has been nursing an ankle injury as well as a sore arm, threw 85 pitches and walked two batters through four innings of work. Despite putting men on base in three out of the first four innings, he left without giving up a run.

The sophomore pitcher who saw mostly relief duty last season, said he kept the Judges off balance with a steady diet of fastballs, sliders and an occasional change-up.

"[Ubert] got off to slow start with injuries, but we've been very pleased with his performance," Coach Alex Nahigian said.

The Judges pulled within a run in the fourth, making the score 2-1. Brandeis scored on a walk and a double off McGrady before the Crimson hurler was able to fan Phil Drogin, Brandeis' number five hitter.

The Crimson bounced back with three more runs in its half of the sixth inning on a double by Renniger, and back-to-back singles by Jamieson and senior outfielder Craig Boulris, making the score 5-1.

"I tried a different bat today," said Jamieson, who has been slumping at the plate in the past two weeks, "and it worked. Actually, I've tried a lot of different bats lately."

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard handed Brandeis starter Phil Stephens (4-1) his first loss of the season...Brandeis Coach Peter Varney (Harvard '71) has yet to defeat his alma mater in five contests; the last Brandeis win against the Crimson was a 7-5 triumph in 1979...The Crimson will meet Penn today in a crucial Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League doubleheader at Soldiers Field...Three Crimson players (Rennier, Pakalnis and McConaghy) are still batting over .400 as the team nears the season's mid-point.