Late-Inning Magic Lifts Baseball Past BC

Yesterday's 8-7 victory over Boston College marked the seventh straight win for the Harvard men's baseball team, a record the team hopes improves this weekend as it battles Dartmouth for the division title.

In this non-league game, coach Joe Walsh gave his young pitchers a chance to show their stuff. Walsh put in six freshman and two sophomore pitchers before the game's end.

Freshman Donald Jamieson started the game off right by giving up no runs and three hits, as well as striking out five batters in the game's first two innings.

Harvard picked up its first run in the bottom of the second when sophomore Brian Ralph walked, stole second base and, after reaching third on a B.C. error, was singled in by fellow sophomore David Forst.

Freshman Garrett Vail rotated in to pitch the third inning. He also pitched the fourth inning in which B.C. picked up its first run when their first batter hit a home run with a 2-1 count at the plate.

But Harvard came back to match B.C. in the bottom of the fourth, as junior Mike Hochanadel hit a sacrifice fly resulting in Harvard's second run.

There was also a near-repeat of the second inning as Forst once again batted Ralph in, this time with a double.

The top of the fifth saw freshman pitcher James Kalyvas take the mound. He struck out one batter but also gave up one hit and one run to B.C.

The game continued with no runs for either team in the bottom of the fifth or the top of the sixth, with sophomore John Wells pitching for Harvard.

Hochanadel batted in his second run in the bottom of the sixth, bringing Harvard to a 4-2 lead. B.C. retaliated at the top of the seventh with a second home run off yet another Harvard freshman pitcher, Perrin Mosca.

In the bottom of the seventh, senior Dennis Doble batted in junior Peter Albers with a sinking liner past first base. The second run of the inning came when Doble was batted in by freshman Peter Woodfork.

Freshman Andrew Huling pitched the top of the eighth and gave up one run before being relieved by sophomore Michael Marcucci. Harvard again scored in the bottom of the eighth when Albers hit a sacrifice fly to score Forst, giving the home team a 7-4 lead.

Freshman Quinn Schafer, who Walsh calls "our number one kid" where pitchers are concerned, came in at the top of the ninth to finish out the game.

After walking two batters, Schafer struck out the third. The infield umpire called the fourth batter as having been hit in the foot by the ball and sent him to first, loading the bases.

One out later, the sixth batter hit a double resulting in three runs for B.C.

With the score tied, Harvard went in for the kill. After a double by sophomore Brett Vankoski and an intentional walk to Doble, sophomore Aaron Kessler successfully bunted and loaded the bases.

Woodfork then came to the rescue and, after standing through one wild pitch, Harvard won 8-7.

"I was really happy that my pitching staff was aggressive today," said Walsh, continuing "they really were focusing in and coming after the hitters."

Vankoski also stressed the importance of the number of pitchers contributing to the day's win.

"I'm impressed with the amount of good pitching the guys did throughout the game, every one of the guys," said Vankoski. "These guys came out and did an outstanding job."

Following the game, Forst said, "all you can ask for in the last week of the season is to control your own destiny."

Yesterday's win proves Harvard is doing just that. BC  7 Harvard  8

HARVARD, 8-7 at Soldier's Field           R  H  E BC  000  110  113  --  7  12  1 Harvard  010  201  211  --  8  14  0

HR: BC--Olson, S. Curtin; Harvard--None. 3B: None. 2B: BC--Bingham, Sankey; Harvard--Albers, Vankoski, Doble, Forst. E: BC--Waldron; Harvard--None.

WP: Schafer; LP: Wainwright

HARVARD, 8-7 at Soldier's Field           R  H  E BC  000  110  113  --  7  12  1 Harvard  010  201  211  --  8  14  0

HR: BC--Olson, S. Curtin; Harvard--None. 3B: None. 2B: BC--Bingham, Sankey; Harvard--Albers, Vankoski, Doble, Forst. E: BC--Waldron; Harvard--None.

WP: Schafer; LP: Wainwright

HR: BC--Olson, S. Curtin; Harvard--None. 3B: None. 2B: BC--Bingham, Sankey; Harvard--Albers, Vankoski, Doble, Forst. E: BC--Waldron; Harvard--None.

WP: Schafer; LP: Wainwright