Baseball Reaches NCAAs

It's on the road to Regionals once again for the Harvard baseball team.

The Crimson swept a play-in series with Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion LeMoyne on Friday at O'Donnell field to advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament for the second consecutive season. LEMOYNE  6 HARVARD  7 HARVARD  5 LEMOYNE  3

Behind timely hitting and solid pitching, the Crimson (34-10) used a complete team effort to defeat the pesky Dolphins (26-15) by the scores 7-6 and 15-0 record at home for Harvard.

"You're only as strong as your one-through-nine," captain David Forst said. "Every guy needs to come to play everyday. And if we are going to play as a team, it's going to be a different guy stepping up everyday."

Stepping up for Harvard on this day was sophomore first baseman Erik Binkowski, the number nine hitter. His two-run single in the fourth inning of the first game gave the Crimson the lead, and his two-run home run in the second game tied the ballgame at two, as he led the way for Harvard.

"It was tough out there, and [Binkowski] got us going there with a big drive," coach Joe Walsh said. "It's great getting that out of your nine-hole hitter."

Seniors Brian Ralph and Forst also had strong games on Friday for Harvard. Ralph finished the afternoon with his team-leading ninth home run, a triple and three RBI.

Forst, meanwhile, continued his sensational season, hitting a home run and two doubles on 4-of-7 hitting, as the Crimson captain improved his team-leading batting average to .409.

Freshman pitcher John Birtwell (4-0) also impressed with a strong performance in game two of the twin-bill as he picked up the win. Sophomore hurler Mike Madden (3-1) earned the victory in the first game of the afternoon.

Harvard 7, LeMoyne 6

In the series opener against LeMoyne the Crimson sent its number-one starter, junior Andrew Duffell (3-2, 2.82 ERA), to the mound against Dolphins star Scott Cassidy (7-5, 3.06 ERA), in a match-up that had all the looks of a great pitching duel.

That pitching duel, however, never materialized, as both hurlers had some trouble.

Cassidy--who is rumored to be heading out toToronto for a workout with the Blue Jays--wasuncharacteristically wild. He had walked only 11batters in 75 innings on the season, but on Fridayhe gave up four to the Crimson. The hard throwingrighthander did, however, strike out nine Harvardhitters in seven and one-third innings, giving him83 on the year.

"That kid on the bump for them today is legit,"Walsh said. "He's big-time, no doubt about it."

Ralph started the scoring in the bottom of thethird inning, as he tripled to rightfield, scoringsenior leftfielder Aaron Kessler. Kessler hadreached on Cassidy's third walk of the afternoon,and Ralph's drive gave the Crimson a 1-0 lead.

Duffell, in his first action since injuring hiselbow against Dartmouth two weeks ago, started thegame strong, retiring the first nine batters thathe faced. The righthander, however suffered atwo-out rally in the fourth.

After walking the lead-off batter and allowinga single to the second, Duffell retired the nexttwo hitters, and it looked as if he would get outof the inning unscathed. Two consecutive singles,however, gave the Dolphins a 2-1 lead, promptingWalsh to bring in long relief specialist sophomoreDerek Lennon, who got Harvard out of the jam.

The Crimson came right back in the bottom halfof the fourth to sting Cassidy and reclaim thelead.

Forst led of the inning with a line drive doubleto rightfield, and junior third baseman Hal Careyfollowed with an infield single to put runners atthe corners. A fielder's choice by junior secondbaseman Peter Woodfork and Cassidy's sixthstrikeout of the game left runners at second andthird with two out for Binkowski.

The Crimson first baseman answered the call, ashe laced a single into rightfield, driving in bothrunners, giving Harvard a 2-1 lead.

On the mound Lennon was solid, as he set downthe first six batters he faced, and 10 of thefirst 12. And after a monster home run toleft-centerfield in the sixth by Forst off ofCassidy, Lennon entered the top of the eighth witha 4-2 lead.

Lennon gave up an infield single to lead offthe eighth inning, but then retired the next twoDolphins on popups. After a two-out single tocenter, however, Walsh had seen enough, as hecalled upon senior submariner Mike Marcucci (7-0,3.53 ERA) in relief. Marcucci faced only LeMoynecatcher Bill Kerry and the senior came throughwith an RBI single to leftfield, cutting the leadto 4-3.

Walsh then switched to the hard throwing Maddento shut the door on the Dolphins. Madden, however,served up a three-run blast to designated hitterFred Tillinghaust--only his second home run on theyear--to give LeMoyne a 6-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, Harvardmounted a furious comeback against Cassidy. Juniorcatcher Jason Keck led off the inning with asingle to left, and advanced to second on a wildpitch. After advancing to third on a Forstfly-out, Keck scored on a Carey single to center,cutting the lead to one.

Another wild pitch moved Carey to second, andWoodfork followed with a run-scoring single toknot the game at four. Cassidy was then removedfor sophomore Josh Pokracki, and after a Woodforksteal, Kessler singled him home for the go aheadrun, and the Crimson went into the ninth with a7-6 lead.

Madden settled down in the ninth, retiring theDolphins in order with two strikeouts, to hold onfor the 7-6 win. Cassidy received the loss forLeMoyne.

Harvard 5, LeMoyne 3

In somewhat of a surprising move, coach Walshsent freshman John Birtwell to the mound to faceLeMoyne's junior righthander Steve Bechard (7-4,2.95 ERA). Birtwell, although undefeated on theseason, missed several weeks with an illness, andwas ineffective in his first outing back againstDartmouth, giving up five earned runs in one andone-third innings.

And after one inning, it looked as if theHarvard coach had made a mistake. Birtwell allowedtwo quick runs off of three singles in the bottomof the first, as Harvard quickly found itselftrailing 2-0.

After the rough first, however, Birtwellsettled down, setting down 13 of the next 15Dolphin hitters, keeping the Crimson withinstriking distance, proving that Walsh's decisionwas pure genius.

"Birtwell hadn't touched the ball in the while,so you might say it was a shot in the dark," Walshsaid. "But if you know John Birtwell, you knowhe's a bulldog, and he wants the ball."

Finding itself down by two runs early in thecontest, the Crimson had its work cut out foragainst the solid Dolphins starter. Bechardbreezed through the first two innings, allowingonly one Harvard runner to reach base.

In the top of the third, however, Binkowskicontinued his heroics. The sophomore belted hissecond home run of the season--a line drive toleft-center-field--to score senior Brett Vankoskiand tie the contest at two.

Bechard recovered from Binkowski's blast tocoast into the sixth, but the Crimson bats wereready to strike once again.

Junior rightfielder Andrew Huling led of theinning with a bunt single, and reached second on athrowing error. Then Ralph--the defending IvyLeague Player of the Year--went to the oppositefield with his ninth home run on the season givingthe Crimson a 4-2 lead.

The Crimson wasn't finished there. Forstreached on a one-out infield single, and went tosecond on a wild pitch. Carey then followed withan RBI single to rightfield to increase theHarvard lead to 5-2.

Meanwhile, Birtwell continued to dominate. Inthe bottom half of the sixth, however, he wastouched for a one-out home run by junior CamPelton--his first on the year--cutting the lead to5-3. Birtwell nonetheless remained poised, andretired five of the next six batters to finishseven strong innings.

"In the first inning I was just getting used topitching again," Birtwell said. "I didn't makemany mistakes after that, and my teammates pickedme up like I knew they would."

Bechard went the rest of the way for LeMoynewithout allowing a hit in the final three innings,but it was not enough, as the Crimson bullpen wasstellar.

Walsh brought in junior Donny Jamieson (3-1,4.23 ERA) in the top of the eighth to close outthe ballgame for Harvard, and the righthanderdidn't disappoint.

Allowing only one runner on the final twoinnings, Jamieson shut down the Dolphins, as heearned his first save on the season, and cementedthe Crimson's second consecutive invitation to theNCAA Tournament Regionals with a 5-3 victory.

Next up for Harvard

Harvard will learn its destination andopponents for the NCAA Tournament Regionals thisafternoon at 3 P.M. on ESPN's selection show.

Last season the Crimson travelled to OklahomaSt. for the Midwest Regional and upset top-seedUCLA as well as Stetson--coming within two wins ofa College World Series invitation--before bowingout. Now Harvard is anxious to give it anothertry.

"We are real excited to go back [toregionals]," Ralph said. "We are going to go outthere and have some fun see what happens. Lastyear we got a few wins, so we're a little moreready now."

Without question the Crimson are looking for awin this year, and are confident in its chances.

"We are going out there to win the damn thingthis year, that's all I'm going to tell you,"Walsh said.HARVARD, 5-3 at O'Donnell Field

  R  H  EHarvard  002  003  000  --  5  9  1LeMoyne  200  001  000  --  3  6  2

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler lf  4  0  0  0  0  0Huling rf  4  1  2  0  0  0Ralph cf  4  1  1  2  0  0Keck c  4  0  1  0  0  0Forst ss  4  1  2  0  0  0Carey 3b  4  0  1  1  0  1Woodfork 2b  4  0  0  0  0  2Vankoski dh  4  1  1  0  0  1Binkowski 1b  4  1  1  2  0  1TOTALS  36  5  9  5  0  5

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  1  1  0  0  1Boccarosa ss  4  1  1  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  2  0  0Kerry c  3  0  1  1  1  2Tillinghast dh  3  0  1  0  0  0Saucke lf  2  0  0  0  0  2Diaz ph/lf  2  0  0  0  0  0Davis cf  4  0  0  0  0  1Walsh 2b  3  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  33  3  6  3  1  6

E: Forst, Kennedy 2. DP: LeMoyne1. LOB: Harvard 4, LeMoyne 5. 2B:Forst, Vankoski, Pelton, Tillinghast. HR:Ralph, Binkowski, Pelton. SAC: Tillinghast.

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBirtwell, W(4-0)  7.0  5  3  3  1  5Jamieson  2.0  1  0  0  0  1

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBechard, L(7-4)  9.0  9  5  5  0  5

WP: Jamieson, Bechard. PB: None.BK: None. HBP: None.

HARVARD, 7-6 at O'Donnell Field

  R  H  EBU  000  200  040  --  6  10  0Harvard  001  201  03  --  7  12  1

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  2  1  0  1  1Boccarosa ss  5  1  2  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  0  0  0Kerry c  4  1  2  2  0  0Tillinghast dh  4  1  2  3  0  0Saucke If  4  0  0  0  0  2Davis cf  4  0  1  0  0  0Walsh 2b  4  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  37  6  10  5  1  4

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler If  4  1  2  1  1  0Huling rf  4  0  0  0  1  2Ralph cf  4  0  1  1  0  1Keck c  3  1  1  0  1  2Forst ss  3  1  2  1  0  0Carey 3b  4  2  3  1  0  0Woodfork 2b  3  2  1  1  1  0Vankoski dh  3  0  1  0  0  2Harris ph/dh  1  0  0  0  0  0Binkowski 1b  3  0  1  2  1  2TOTALS  32  7  12  7  5  9

E: Forst. DP: Harvard 1.LOB: LeMoyne 5, Harvard 7. 2B:Forst. 3B: Ralph. HR: Tillinghast,Forst. SB: Kessler, Woodfork. CS:Kessler, Carey, Binkowski.

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOCassidy, L(7-5)  7.1  11  7  7  4  9Pokracki  0.1  0  0  0  0  0Chudacik  0.1  1  0  0  1  0

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SODuffell  3.2  4  2  2  1  0Lennon  4.0  4  2  2  0  2Marcucci  0.0  1  1  1  0  0Madden, W(3-1)  1.1  1  1  1  0  2

WP: Cassidy 2, Duffell. PB: None.

BK: None. HBP: None.CrimsonEmily J. KeefeFRESHMAN PHENOM-ENAL: Freshman JOHNBIRTWELL pitched seven strong innings in Friday'sfinale.

Behind timely hitting and solid pitching, the Crimson (34-10) used a complete team effort to defeat the pesky Dolphins (26-15) by the scores 7-6 and 15-0 record at home for Harvard.

"You're only as strong as your one-through-nine," captain David Forst said. "Every guy needs to come to play everyday. And if we are going to play as a team, it's going to be a different guy stepping up everyday."

Stepping up for Harvard on this day was sophomore first baseman Erik Binkowski, the number nine hitter. His two-run single in the fourth inning of the first game gave the Crimson the lead, and his two-run home run in the second game tied the ballgame at two, as he led the way for Harvard.

"It was tough out there, and [Binkowski] got us going there with a big drive," coach Joe Walsh said. "It's great getting that out of your nine-hole hitter."

Seniors Brian Ralph and Forst also had strong games on Friday for Harvard. Ralph finished the afternoon with his team-leading ninth home run, a triple and three RBI.

Forst, meanwhile, continued his sensational season, hitting a home run and two doubles on 4-of-7 hitting, as the Crimson captain improved his team-leading batting average to .409.

Freshman pitcher John Birtwell (4-0) also impressed with a strong performance in game two of the twin-bill as he picked up the win. Sophomore hurler Mike Madden (3-1) earned the victory in the first game of the afternoon.

Harvard 7, LeMoyne 6

In the series opener against LeMoyne the Crimson sent its number-one starter, junior Andrew Duffell (3-2, 2.82 ERA), to the mound against Dolphins star Scott Cassidy (7-5, 3.06 ERA), in a match-up that had all the looks of a great pitching duel.

That pitching duel, however, never materialized, as both hurlers had some trouble.

Cassidy--who is rumored to be heading out toToronto for a workout with the Blue Jays--wasuncharacteristically wild. He had walked only 11batters in 75 innings on the season, but on Fridayhe gave up four to the Crimson. The hard throwingrighthander did, however, strike out nine Harvardhitters in seven and one-third innings, giving him83 on the year.

"That kid on the bump for them today is legit,"Walsh said. "He's big-time, no doubt about it."

Ralph started the scoring in the bottom of thethird inning, as he tripled to rightfield, scoringsenior leftfielder Aaron Kessler. Kessler hadreached on Cassidy's third walk of the afternoon,and Ralph's drive gave the Crimson a 1-0 lead.

Duffell, in his first action since injuring hiselbow against Dartmouth two weeks ago, started thegame strong, retiring the first nine batters thathe faced. The righthander, however suffered atwo-out rally in the fourth.

After walking the lead-off batter and allowinga single to the second, Duffell retired the nexttwo hitters, and it looked as if he would get outof the inning unscathed. Two consecutive singles,however, gave the Dolphins a 2-1 lead, promptingWalsh to bring in long relief specialist sophomoreDerek Lennon, who got Harvard out of the jam.

The Crimson came right back in the bottom halfof the fourth to sting Cassidy and reclaim thelead.

Forst led of the inning with a line drive doubleto rightfield, and junior third baseman Hal Careyfollowed with an infield single to put runners atthe corners. A fielder's choice by junior secondbaseman Peter Woodfork and Cassidy's sixthstrikeout of the game left runners at second andthird with two out for Binkowski.

The Crimson first baseman answered the call, ashe laced a single into rightfield, driving in bothrunners, giving Harvard a 2-1 lead.

On the mound Lennon was solid, as he set downthe first six batters he faced, and 10 of thefirst 12. And after a monster home run toleft-centerfield in the sixth by Forst off ofCassidy, Lennon entered the top of the eighth witha 4-2 lead.

Lennon gave up an infield single to lead offthe eighth inning, but then retired the next twoDolphins on popups. After a two-out single tocenter, however, Walsh had seen enough, as hecalled upon senior submariner Mike Marcucci (7-0,3.53 ERA) in relief. Marcucci faced only LeMoynecatcher Bill Kerry and the senior came throughwith an RBI single to leftfield, cutting the leadto 4-3.

Walsh then switched to the hard throwing Maddento shut the door on the Dolphins. Madden, however,served up a three-run blast to designated hitterFred Tillinghaust--only his second home run on theyear--to give LeMoyne a 6-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, Harvardmounted a furious comeback against Cassidy. Juniorcatcher Jason Keck led off the inning with asingle to left, and advanced to second on a wildpitch. After advancing to third on a Forstfly-out, Keck scored on a Carey single to center,cutting the lead to one.

Another wild pitch moved Carey to second, andWoodfork followed with a run-scoring single toknot the game at four. Cassidy was then removedfor sophomore Josh Pokracki, and after a Woodforksteal, Kessler singled him home for the go aheadrun, and the Crimson went into the ninth with a7-6 lead.

Madden settled down in the ninth, retiring theDolphins in order with two strikeouts, to hold onfor the 7-6 win. Cassidy received the loss forLeMoyne.

Harvard 5, LeMoyne 3

In somewhat of a surprising move, coach Walshsent freshman John Birtwell to the mound to faceLeMoyne's junior righthander Steve Bechard (7-4,2.95 ERA). Birtwell, although undefeated on theseason, missed several weeks with an illness, andwas ineffective in his first outing back againstDartmouth, giving up five earned runs in one andone-third innings.

And after one inning, it looked as if theHarvard coach had made a mistake. Birtwell allowedtwo quick runs off of three singles in the bottomof the first, as Harvard quickly found itselftrailing 2-0.

After the rough first, however, Birtwellsettled down, setting down 13 of the next 15Dolphin hitters, keeping the Crimson withinstriking distance, proving that Walsh's decisionwas pure genius.

"Birtwell hadn't touched the ball in the while,so you might say it was a shot in the dark," Walshsaid. "But if you know John Birtwell, you knowhe's a bulldog, and he wants the ball."

Finding itself down by two runs early in thecontest, the Crimson had its work cut out foragainst the solid Dolphins starter. Bechardbreezed through the first two innings, allowingonly one Harvard runner to reach base.

In the top of the third, however, Binkowskicontinued his heroics. The sophomore belted hissecond home run of the season--a line drive toleft-center-field--to score senior Brett Vankoskiand tie the contest at two.

Bechard recovered from Binkowski's blast tocoast into the sixth, but the Crimson bats wereready to strike once again.

Junior rightfielder Andrew Huling led of theinning with a bunt single, and reached second on athrowing error. Then Ralph--the defending IvyLeague Player of the Year--went to the oppositefield with his ninth home run on the season givingthe Crimson a 4-2 lead.

The Crimson wasn't finished there. Forstreached on a one-out infield single, and went tosecond on a wild pitch. Carey then followed withan RBI single to rightfield to increase theHarvard lead to 5-2.

Meanwhile, Birtwell continued to dominate. Inthe bottom half of the sixth, however, he wastouched for a one-out home run by junior CamPelton--his first on the year--cutting the lead to5-3. Birtwell nonetheless remained poised, andretired five of the next six batters to finishseven strong innings.

"In the first inning I was just getting used topitching again," Birtwell said. "I didn't makemany mistakes after that, and my teammates pickedme up like I knew they would."

Bechard went the rest of the way for LeMoynewithout allowing a hit in the final three innings,but it was not enough, as the Crimson bullpen wasstellar.

Walsh brought in junior Donny Jamieson (3-1,4.23 ERA) in the top of the eighth to close outthe ballgame for Harvard, and the righthanderdidn't disappoint.

Allowing only one runner on the final twoinnings, Jamieson shut down the Dolphins, as heearned his first save on the season, and cementedthe Crimson's second consecutive invitation to theNCAA Tournament Regionals with a 5-3 victory.

Next up for Harvard

Harvard will learn its destination andopponents for the NCAA Tournament Regionals thisafternoon at 3 P.M. on ESPN's selection show.

Last season the Crimson travelled to OklahomaSt. for the Midwest Regional and upset top-seedUCLA as well as Stetson--coming within two wins ofa College World Series invitation--before bowingout. Now Harvard is anxious to give it anothertry.

"We are real excited to go back [toregionals]," Ralph said. "We are going to go outthere and have some fun see what happens. Lastyear we got a few wins, so we're a little moreready now."

Without question the Crimson are looking for awin this year, and are confident in its chances.

"We are going out there to win the damn thingthis year, that's all I'm going to tell you,"Walsh said.HARVARD, 5-3 at O'Donnell Field

  R  H  EHarvard  002  003  000  --  5  9  1LeMoyne  200  001  000  --  3  6  2

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler lf  4  0  0  0  0  0Huling rf  4  1  2  0  0  0Ralph cf  4  1  1  2  0  0Keck c  4  0  1  0  0  0Forst ss  4  1  2  0  0  0Carey 3b  4  0  1  1  0  1Woodfork 2b  4  0  0  0  0  2Vankoski dh  4  1  1  0  0  1Binkowski 1b  4  1  1  2  0  1TOTALS  36  5  9  5  0  5

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  1  1  0  0  1Boccarosa ss  4  1  1  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  2  0  0Kerry c  3  0  1  1  1  2Tillinghast dh  3  0  1  0  0  0Saucke lf  2  0  0  0  0  2Diaz ph/lf  2  0  0  0  0  0Davis cf  4  0  0  0  0  1Walsh 2b  3  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  33  3  6  3  1  6

E: Forst, Kennedy 2. DP: LeMoyne1. LOB: Harvard 4, LeMoyne 5. 2B:Forst, Vankoski, Pelton, Tillinghast. HR:Ralph, Binkowski, Pelton. SAC: Tillinghast.

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBirtwell, W(4-0)  7.0  5  3  3  1  5Jamieson  2.0  1  0  0  0  1

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBechard, L(7-4)  9.0  9  5  5  0  5

WP: Jamieson, Bechard. PB: None.BK: None. HBP: None.

HARVARD, 7-6 at O'Donnell Field

  R  H  EBU  000  200  040  --  6  10  0Harvard  001  201  03  --  7  12  1

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  2  1  0  1  1Boccarosa ss  5  1  2  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  0  0  0Kerry c  4  1  2  2  0  0Tillinghast dh  4  1  2  3  0  0Saucke If  4  0  0  0  0  2Davis cf  4  0  1  0  0  0Walsh 2b  4  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  37  6  10  5  1  4

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler If  4  1  2  1  1  0Huling rf  4  0  0  0  1  2Ralph cf  4  0  1  1  0  1Keck c  3  1  1  0  1  2Forst ss  3  1  2  1  0  0Carey 3b  4  2  3  1  0  0Woodfork 2b  3  2  1  1  1  0Vankoski dh  3  0  1  0  0  2Harris ph/dh  1  0  0  0  0  0Binkowski 1b  3  0  1  2  1  2TOTALS  32  7  12  7  5  9

E: Forst. DP: Harvard 1.LOB: LeMoyne 5, Harvard 7. 2B:Forst. 3B: Ralph. HR: Tillinghast,Forst. SB: Kessler, Woodfork. CS:Kessler, Carey, Binkowski.

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOCassidy, L(7-5)  7.1  11  7  7  4  9Pokracki  0.1  0  0  0  0  0Chudacik  0.1  1  0  0  1  0

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SODuffell  3.2  4  2  2  1  0Lennon  4.0  4  2  2  0  2Marcucci  0.0  1  1  1  0  0Madden, W(3-1)  1.1  1  1  1  0  2

WP: Cassidy 2, Duffell. PB: None.

BK: None. HBP: None.CrimsonEmily J. KeefeFRESHMAN PHENOM-ENAL: Freshman JOHNBIRTWELL pitched seven strong innings in Friday'sfinale.

Cassidy--who is rumored to be heading out toToronto for a workout with the Blue Jays--wasuncharacteristically wild. He had walked only 11batters in 75 innings on the season, but on Fridayhe gave up four to the Crimson. The hard throwingrighthander did, however, strike out nine Harvardhitters in seven and one-third innings, giving him83 on the year.

"That kid on the bump for them today is legit,"Walsh said. "He's big-time, no doubt about it."

Ralph started the scoring in the bottom of thethird inning, as he tripled to rightfield, scoringsenior leftfielder Aaron Kessler. Kessler hadreached on Cassidy's third walk of the afternoon,and Ralph's drive gave the Crimson a 1-0 lead.

Duffell, in his first action since injuring hiselbow against Dartmouth two weeks ago, started thegame strong, retiring the first nine batters thathe faced. The righthander, however suffered atwo-out rally in the fourth.

After walking the lead-off batter and allowinga single to the second, Duffell retired the nexttwo hitters, and it looked as if he would get outof the inning unscathed. Two consecutive singles,however, gave the Dolphins a 2-1 lead, promptingWalsh to bring in long relief specialist sophomoreDerek Lennon, who got Harvard out of the jam.

The Crimson came right back in the bottom halfof the fourth to sting Cassidy and reclaim thelead.

Forst led of the inning with a line drive doubleto rightfield, and junior third baseman Hal Careyfollowed with an infield single to put runners atthe corners. A fielder's choice by junior secondbaseman Peter Woodfork and Cassidy's sixthstrikeout of the game left runners at second andthird with two out for Binkowski.

The Crimson first baseman answered the call, ashe laced a single into rightfield, driving in bothrunners, giving Harvard a 2-1 lead.

On the mound Lennon was solid, as he set downthe first six batters he faced, and 10 of thefirst 12. And after a monster home run toleft-centerfield in the sixth by Forst off ofCassidy, Lennon entered the top of the eighth witha 4-2 lead.

Lennon gave up an infield single to lead offthe eighth inning, but then retired the next twoDolphins on popups. After a two-out single tocenter, however, Walsh had seen enough, as hecalled upon senior submariner Mike Marcucci (7-0,3.53 ERA) in relief. Marcucci faced only LeMoynecatcher Bill Kerry and the senior came throughwith an RBI single to leftfield, cutting the leadto 4-3.

Walsh then switched to the hard throwing Maddento shut the door on the Dolphins. Madden, however,served up a three-run blast to designated hitterFred Tillinghaust--only his second home run on theyear--to give LeMoyne a 6-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, Harvardmounted a furious comeback against Cassidy. Juniorcatcher Jason Keck led off the inning with asingle to left, and advanced to second on a wildpitch. After advancing to third on a Forstfly-out, Keck scored on a Carey single to center,cutting the lead to one.

Another wild pitch moved Carey to second, andWoodfork followed with a run-scoring single toknot the game at four. Cassidy was then removedfor sophomore Josh Pokracki, and after a Woodforksteal, Kessler singled him home for the go aheadrun, and the Crimson went into the ninth with a7-6 lead.

Madden settled down in the ninth, retiring theDolphins in order with two strikeouts, to hold onfor the 7-6 win. Cassidy received the loss forLeMoyne.

Harvard 5, LeMoyne 3

In somewhat of a surprising move, coach Walshsent freshman John Birtwell to the mound to faceLeMoyne's junior righthander Steve Bechard (7-4,2.95 ERA). Birtwell, although undefeated on theseason, missed several weeks with an illness, andwas ineffective in his first outing back againstDartmouth, giving up five earned runs in one andone-third innings.

And after one inning, it looked as if theHarvard coach had made a mistake. Birtwell allowedtwo quick runs off of three singles in the bottomof the first, as Harvard quickly found itselftrailing 2-0.

After the rough first, however, Birtwellsettled down, setting down 13 of the next 15Dolphin hitters, keeping the Crimson withinstriking distance, proving that Walsh's decisionwas pure genius.

"Birtwell hadn't touched the ball in the while,so you might say it was a shot in the dark," Walshsaid. "But if you know John Birtwell, you knowhe's a bulldog, and he wants the ball."

Finding itself down by two runs early in thecontest, the Crimson had its work cut out foragainst the solid Dolphins starter. Bechardbreezed through the first two innings, allowingonly one Harvard runner to reach base.

In the top of the third, however, Binkowskicontinued his heroics. The sophomore belted hissecond home run of the season--a line drive toleft-center-field--to score senior Brett Vankoskiand tie the contest at two.

Bechard recovered from Binkowski's blast tocoast into the sixth, but the Crimson bats wereready to strike once again.

Junior rightfielder Andrew Huling led of theinning with a bunt single, and reached second on athrowing error. Then Ralph--the defending IvyLeague Player of the Year--went to the oppositefield with his ninth home run on the season givingthe Crimson a 4-2 lead.

The Crimson wasn't finished there. Forstreached on a one-out infield single, and went tosecond on a wild pitch. Carey then followed withan RBI single to rightfield to increase theHarvard lead to 5-2.

Meanwhile, Birtwell continued to dominate. Inthe bottom half of the sixth, however, he wastouched for a one-out home run by junior CamPelton--his first on the year--cutting the lead to5-3. Birtwell nonetheless remained poised, andretired five of the next six batters to finishseven strong innings.

"In the first inning I was just getting used topitching again," Birtwell said. "I didn't makemany mistakes after that, and my teammates pickedme up like I knew they would."

Bechard went the rest of the way for LeMoynewithout allowing a hit in the final three innings,but it was not enough, as the Crimson bullpen wasstellar.

Walsh brought in junior Donny Jamieson (3-1,4.23 ERA) in the top of the eighth to close outthe ballgame for Harvard, and the righthanderdidn't disappoint.

Allowing only one runner on the final twoinnings, Jamieson shut down the Dolphins, as heearned his first save on the season, and cementedthe Crimson's second consecutive invitation to theNCAA Tournament Regionals with a 5-3 victory.

Next up for Harvard

Harvard will learn its destination andopponents for the NCAA Tournament Regionals thisafternoon at 3 P.M. on ESPN's selection show.

Last season the Crimson travelled to OklahomaSt. for the Midwest Regional and upset top-seedUCLA as well as Stetson--coming within two wins ofa College World Series invitation--before bowingout. Now Harvard is anxious to give it anothertry.

"We are real excited to go back [toregionals]," Ralph said. "We are going to go outthere and have some fun see what happens. Lastyear we got a few wins, so we're a little moreready now."

Without question the Crimson are looking for awin this year, and are confident in its chances.

"We are going out there to win the damn thingthis year, that's all I'm going to tell you,"Walsh said.HARVARD, 5-3 at O'Donnell Field

R  H  EHarvard  002  003  000  --  5  9  1LeMoyne  200  001  000  --  3  6  2

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler lf  4  0  0  0  0  0Huling rf  4  1  2  0  0  0Ralph cf  4  1  1  2  0  0Keck c  4  0  1  0  0  0Forst ss  4  1  2  0  0  0Carey 3b  4  0  1  1  0  1Woodfork 2b  4  0  0  0  0  2Vankoski dh  4  1  1  0  0  1Binkowski 1b  4  1  1  2  0  1TOTALS  36  5  9  5  0  5

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  1  1  0  0  1Boccarosa ss  4  1  1  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  2  0  0Kerry c  3  0  1  1  1  2Tillinghast dh  3  0  1  0  0  0Saucke lf  2  0  0  0  0  2Diaz ph/lf  2  0  0  0  0  0Davis cf  4  0  0  0  0  1Walsh 2b  3  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  33  3  6  3  1  6

E: Forst, Kennedy 2. DP: LeMoyne1. LOB: Harvard 4, LeMoyne 5. 2B:Forst, Vankoski, Pelton, Tillinghast. HR:Ralph, Binkowski, Pelton. SAC: Tillinghast.

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBirtwell, W(4-0)  7.0  5  3  3  1  5Jamieson  2.0  1  0  0  0  1

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBechard, L(7-4)  9.0  9  5  5  0  5

WP: Jamieson, Bechard. PB: None.BK: None. HBP: None.

HARVARD, 7-6 at O'Donnell Field

  R  H  EBU  000  200  040  --  6  10  0Harvard  001  201  03  --  7  12  1

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  2  1  0  1  1Boccarosa ss  5  1  2  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  0  0  0Kerry c  4  1  2  2  0  0Tillinghast dh  4  1  2  3  0  0Saucke If  4  0  0  0  0  2Davis cf  4  0  1  0  0  0Walsh 2b  4  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  37  6  10  5  1  4

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler If  4  1  2  1  1  0Huling rf  4  0  0  0  1  2Ralph cf  4  0  1  1  0  1Keck c  3  1  1  0  1  2Forst ss  3  1  2  1  0  0Carey 3b  4  2  3  1  0  0Woodfork 2b  3  2  1  1  1  0Vankoski dh  3  0  1  0  0  2Harris ph/dh  1  0  0  0  0  0Binkowski 1b  3  0  1  2  1  2TOTALS  32  7  12  7  5  9

E: Forst. DP: Harvard 1.LOB: LeMoyne 5, Harvard 7. 2B:Forst. 3B: Ralph. HR: Tillinghast,Forst. SB: Kessler, Woodfork. CS:Kessler, Carey, Binkowski.

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOCassidy, L(7-5)  7.1  11  7  7  4  9Pokracki  0.1  0  0  0  0  0Chudacik  0.1  1  0  0  1  0

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SODuffell  3.2  4  2  2  1  0Lennon  4.0  4  2  2  0  2Marcucci  0.0  1  1  1  0  0Madden, W(3-1)  1.1  1  1  1  0  2

WP: Cassidy 2, Duffell. PB: None.

BK: None. HBP: None.CrimsonEmily J. KeefeFRESHMAN PHENOM-ENAL: Freshman JOHNBIRTWELL pitched seven strong innings in Friday'sfinale.

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler lf  4  0  0  0  0  0Huling rf  4  1  2  0  0  0Ralph cf  4  1  1  2  0  0Keck c  4  0  1  0  0  0Forst ss  4  1  2  0  0  0Carey 3b  4  0  1  1  0  1Woodfork 2b  4  0  0  0  0  2Vankoski dh  4  1  1  0  0  1Binkowski 1b  4  1  1  2  0  1TOTALS  36  5  9  5  0  5

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  1  1  0  0  1Boccarosa ss  4  1  1  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  2  0  0Kerry c  3  0  1  1  1  2Tillinghast dh  3  0  1  0  0  0Saucke lf  2  0  0  0  0  2Diaz ph/lf  2  0  0  0  0  0Davis cf  4  0  0  0  0  1Walsh 2b  3  0  0  0  0  0TOTALS  33  3  6  3  1  6

E: Forst, Kennedy 2. DP: LeMoyne1. LOB: Harvard 4, LeMoyne 5. 2B:Forst, Vankoski, Pelton, Tillinghast. HR:Ralph, Binkowski, Pelton. SAC: Tillinghast.

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBirtwell, W(4-0)  7.0  5  3  3  1  5Jamieson  2.0  1  0  0  0  1

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOBechard, L(7-4)  9.0  9  5  5  0  5

WP: Jamieson, Bechard. PB: None.BK: None. HBP: None.

HARVARD, 7-6 at O'Donnell Field

R  H  EBU  000  200  040  --  6  10  0Harvard  001  201  03  --  7  12  1

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  2  1  0  1  1Boccarosa ss  5  1  2  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  0  0  0Kerry c  4  1  2  2  0  0Tillinghast dh  4  1  2  3  0  0Saucke If  4  0  0  0  0  2Davis cf  4  0  1  0  0  0Walsh 2b  4  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  37  6  10  5  1  4

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler If  4  1  2  1  1  0Huling rf  4  0  0  0  1  2Ralph cf  4  0  1  1  0  1Keck c  3  1  1  0  1  2Forst ss  3  1  2  1  0  0Carey 3b  4  2  3  1  0  0Woodfork 2b  3  2  1  1  1  0Vankoski dh  3  0  1  0  0  2Harris ph/dh  1  0  0  0  0  0Binkowski 1b  3  0  1  2  1  2TOTALS  32  7  12  7  5  9

E: Forst. DP: Harvard 1.LOB: LeMoyne 5, Harvard 7. 2B:Forst. 3B: Ralph. HR: Tillinghast,Forst. SB: Kessler, Woodfork. CS:Kessler, Carey, Binkowski.

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOCassidy, L(7-5)  7.1  11  7  7  4  9Pokracki  0.1  0  0  0  0  0Chudacik  0.1  1  0  0  1  0

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SODuffell  3.2  4  2  2  1  0Lennon  4.0  4  2  2  0  2Marcucci  0.0  1  1  1  0  0Madden, W(3-1)  1.1  1  1  1  0  2

WP: Cassidy 2, Duffell. PB: None.

BK: None. HBP: None.CrimsonEmily J. KeefeFRESHMAN PHENOM-ENAL: Freshman JOHNBIRTWELL pitched seven strong innings in Friday'sfinale.

LEMOYNE  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOOlson rf  4  2  1  0  1  1Boccarosa ss  5  1  2  0  0  0Kennedy 3b  4  0  0  0  0  0Pelton 1b  4  1  2  0  0  0Kerry c  4  1  2  2  0  0Tillinghast dh  4  1  2  3  0  0Saucke If  4  0  0  0  0  2Davis cf  4  0  1  0  0  0Walsh 2b  4  0  0  0  0  1TOTALS  37  6  10  5  1  4

HARVARD  AB  R  H  BI  BB  SOKessler If  4  1  2  1  1  0Huling rf  4  0  0  0  1  2Ralph cf  4  0  1  1  0  1Keck c  3  1  1  0  1  2Forst ss  3  1  2  1  0  0Carey 3b  4  2  3  1  0  0Woodfork 2b  3  2  1  1  1  0Vankoski dh  3  0  1  0  0  2Harris ph/dh  1  0  0  0  0  0Binkowski 1b  3  0  1  2  1  2TOTALS  32  7  12  7  5  9

E: Forst. DP: Harvard 1.LOB: LeMoyne 5, Harvard 7. 2B:Forst. 3B: Ralph. HR: Tillinghast,Forst. SB: Kessler, Woodfork. CS:Kessler, Carey, Binkowski.

LEMOYNE  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SOCassidy, L(7-5)  7.1  11  7  7  4  9Pokracki  0.1  0  0  0  0  0Chudacik  0.1  1  0  0  1  0

HARVARD  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SODuffell  3.2  4  2  2  1  0Lennon  4.0  4  2  2  0  2Marcucci  0.0  1  1  1  0  0Madden, W(3-1)  1.1  1  1  1  0  2

WP: Cassidy 2, Duffell. PB: None.

BK: None. HBP: None.CrimsonEmily J. KeefeFRESHMAN PHENOM-ENAL: Freshman JOHNBIRTWELL pitched seven strong innings in Friday'sfinale.