Baseball Pitchers Stop MIT

Each year the Harvard and MIT baseball teams square off in a battle for Cambridge bragging rights.

Although the Crimson usually wins, it's never easy. MIT  1 Harvard  3

Such was the case yesterday afternoon at Soldiers Field. Harvard (10-18 overall, 6-10 Ivy) pulled out a 3-1 victory, narrowly defeating a determined but over-matched MIT ball club (1-19).

"This is a big game for MIT," coach Leigh Hogan '75 said. "It's their [equivalent of the] World Series."

The game was characterized by superb pitching from both teams.

Engineer ace Aaron Loutsch, a 6'4 230 pound behemoth, was on the hill for MIT, while Harvard countered with seniors Scott Davidson and Tim Vanech.

Loutsch went the distance for MIT, scattering eleven hits over nine innings while striking out four.

A finesse pitcher, Loutsch kept the Crimson hitters off balance, using a variety off-speed and breaking pitches.

"He did an excellent job today," Hogan said. "We'd take him on our club in a second."

Loutsch was especially tough on Harvard left-handed hitters Brain Ralph and Brett Vankoski, using a three-quarter arm delivery to baffle the Crimson freshmen.

But Harvard's hurlers were equally impressive.

Davidson, making a rare start, was unhittable--literally.

In three innings of work, the right-hander held MIT hitless, while striking out five, four of which went down looking.

Although he was cruising through three innings, Davidson was on pitch count and was removed once he had thrown fifty pitches.

"That was a decision that was made before the game," Hogan said. "We didn't want to use him up. He's a very good pitcher and it's been a frustrating year for him."

Relieving Davidson, Vanech pitched effectively, if not brilliantly. The native Rhode Islander yielded only three hits while striking out two in six innings of shutout ball.

Despite making three errors, the Crimson backed-up its pitchers with several spectacular plays in the field.

In the fourth inning, senior second baseman Bo Bernard turned a superb double play. After fielding a sharply hit grounder, he tagged the base-runner going from first to second, wheeled, and fired to first to complete the twin-killing.

Later, in the seventh, sophomore Peter Albers bare-handed a slow grounder to third and fired to first in time to nail Engineer catcher Edward Kohler.

Despite the sensational pitching and fielding by both teams, though, a few runs actually crossed the plate.

Harvard gift-wrapped MIT's only run in the top of the first, walking two Engineer batters and committing a throwing error with two outs to hand MIT a 1-0 lead.

The lead would be short-lived, however, as the Crimson battled back in the bottom the inning.

Following a text-book drag bunt by Brain Ralph, junior first baseman Scott Parrot slugged a 375-foot triple to right center, evening the score at 1-1.

Then, with two out in the bottom of the sixth, Harvard struck again.

Bernhard took first when his third strike eluded MIT catcher Kohler for a passed ball. Then designated hitter Craig Wilke singled up the middle, moving Bernhard to second.

Albers produced in the clutch, lining a single to right to drive in Bernhard, putting the Crimson ahead for good, 2-1.

Harvard furthered distanced itself from MIT in the eight. Left fielder Joe Weidenbach scored from second on a Wilke single to add an insurance run.

"MIT is very well coached team," Hogan said. "And that's the type of pitcher we've lost to in the past when we haven't made the plays."

Yesterday, however, the Crimson made all the plays.

HARVARD, 3-1 at Soldiers Field   R  H  E MIT  100  000  000  --  1  33 Harvard  100  001  00x  --  3  1 1  3

HR:None. 3B: MIT--None; Harvard--Parrot. 2B: MIT--None; Harvard--Wilke, Doble. E: MIT--Kyle (2) Kohler; Harvard--Albers, Parrot, Hochanadel.

WP: Vanech (1-0); LP: Loutsch (1-4)

HR:None. 3B: MIT--None; Harvard--Parrot. 2B: MIT--None; Harvard--Wilke, Doble. E: MIT--Kyle (2) Kohler; Harvard--Albers, Parrot, Hochanadel.

WP: Vanech (1-0); LP: Loutsch (1-4)