Harvard Batsmen Stun No. 11 Miami to Cap Off Spring Trip

The Harvard baseball team traveled to sunny South Florida for its spring break last week. Unfortunately, the Crimson did not spend much of its time basking in the warmth and sunshine.

Harvard (5-6) was handling a little business on the baseball diamond.

The Crimson kicked off its 1997 season with an eight-day, 11-game trip that included contests against several nationally ranked programs. The highlight was a stunning 9-6 victory over the defending College World Series runners-up, the University of Miami Hurricanes, on Saturday.

"[The victory over Miami] was a big win, without a doubt," said Harvard captain Peter Albers. "We showed that we could play baseball at the national level."

The Crimson started the week off slowly, however, dropping its first three games in heartbreaking fashion. Harvard suffered two one-run losses to Stetson University on the final at-bat.

On March 22, the Crimson tied the game at four in the eighth inning only to have a lead-off single by Stetson in the bottom of the ninth turn into the eventual winning run in the 5-4 loss.

The next day lightning struck again as Harvard knotted the score at 1-1 in the top of the ninth before Stetson scored the game winner in the bottom of the inning.

Harvard's next contest against Rollins proved to be a strange affair as the Crimson outhit the Tars 10 to six, watched Rollins commit four errors, but still came up short. The difference proved to be the eight walks given up by the Harvard pitchers as the team fell to the Tars, 11-6.

"We lost some tough games early in the week," Albers said. "We didn't get the breaks, but that's the way baseball goes. You just can't let it affect you."

The Crimson rebounded the next day with a victory over a strong Florida International University squad in the first game of a double-header. Harvard was paced by the stellar pitching performance of sophomore James Kalyvas, who struck out seven batters and scattered five hits over six innings.

Harvard and FIU combined for only eight hits in the contest, but the Crimson was able to capitalize on a couple of costly mistakes by the Golden Panthers in the sixth inning to record the win.

Junior Aaron Kessler led off the frame with a single up the middle and then stole second. After a line out to left field and a strikeout, freshman first baseman Erik Binkowski had an infield single to put runners at the corners with two outs.

Binkowski moved to second on a wild pitch, and two consecutive wild pitches then allowed Kessler and Binkowski to score the only two runs of the game.

Offensively, FIU was held in check by Kalyvas and some excellent defensive plays by third baseman Mike Hochanadel and center fielder Brian Ralph.

The nightcap did not go as well for Harvard as seven Crimson pitchers gave up 17 hits. The Golden Panthers scored 16 runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 17-3 victory.

Harvard responded by winning its next three games in dominating fashion. On Wednesday the Crimson took both games of a doubleheader against Slippery Rock University, 10-4 and 11-1. The next day Harvard posted its second shutout of the young season with an 8-0 drubbing of C.W. Post.

Albers and sophomore Andrew Huling led the way for the Crimson during this stretch as they did all week. In the doubleheader alone, Huling went four-for-six with four RBIs, four runs scored, a home run, a double and two stolen bases. As if that were not enough, he also picked up the win on the mound.

Albers was a perfect three-for-three in game one of the twin billing with a double, a home run and five RBI. The senior captain has started off the season "en fuego" at the plate batting .448 (including three doubles, a triple and a round tripper) while driving in nine runs and scoring seven more.

Sophomore pitcher Andrew Duffell picked up the victory in the first game against Slippery Rock. He gave up six hits and did not allow an earned run in five innings of work. Sophomore Don Jamieson threw a complete game shutout, giving up six hits and only one walk to earn the win over C.W. Post.

Harvard capped off its Florida visit with a three game series against the University of Miami. The Hurricanes are currently ranked eleventh in the nation and the Crimson knew it had a tall order.

After dropping the first two games 10-2 and 22-4, Harvard called on its ace, senior southpaw Frank Hogan, to lead the program to its biggest victory in recent history. The Crimson's lone First Team All-Ivy selection last season would not disappoint his teammates.

Hogan gave up five runs and struck out six batters through eight innings. In the bottom of the seventh inning with his team leading 9-3 and the bases loaded, Hogan struck out Miami's Mark Walker to end the inning and preserve the lead.

Offensively, the Crimson was helped by six Miami errors. But Harvard did not need the assistance as it pummeled All-American pitcher J.D. Arteaga for nine hits and sent him to the showers early in the sixth inning.

Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, the Harvard bats came alive and the Crimson took control. Kessler reached base on an error, and sophomore Hal Carey (3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs) followed with a single up the middle.

Huling then drove in Kessler, and Albers drove in Carey to give Harvard the lead. Albers stole second and scored on a tough hit down the third base line by sophomore Todd Harris.

Harris had a sensational week at the plate, primarily as a pinch-hitter. He is batting .615 with four RBI.

Harvard padded its lead in the sixth. After a leadoff walk by sophomore Peter Woodfork and a single by sophomore catcher Jason Keck (2-for-4, 2 runs), Kessler had an RBI single and stole second.

Carey then continued his fine hitting performance. Last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year singled to center driving in Keck and Kessler and ending Arteaga's evening a bit early.

The Hurricanes cut the Harvard lead in half in the bottom of the ninth inning to add some drama to the contest. But Kalyvas came on in relief of Hogan and struck out Walker to end the game and start the celebration.

"We knew we had a tough schedule [for the week]," Albers said, "but we showed we can execute. We're definitely a better ball club now."

The Crimson continues its season on Wednesday with a home game against the University of New Hampshire at 3 p.m. and starts the Ivy season this weekend with doubleheaders at Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.

After winning the Red Rolfe Division last year, but coming up shy of the Ivy League title to Princeton, Harvard is determined to finish atop the Ancient Eight standings this season.

After strong performances and key victories over top opponents in Florida, the Crimson seems well on its way to postseason play.

"We'd like to make ourselves known nationally," Albers said. "Our goal is the Ivy League Championship. We'd like to make a statement in postseason play, and we can't do that without winning the Ivies."