Baseball Falls to Vermont, 3-2

The Harvard baseball team has faced a powerful and relentless enemy this season-Mother Nature. She and her dastardly cohorts of rain, clouds and cold wind, have prevented the Crimson from playing six games in the past couple weeks.

Yesterday, despite forecasts of continued bad weather, Mother Nature gave Harvard a break and blessed O'Donnell Field with a cloudless sky, radiant sun, and a refreshing breeze. Harvard (16-24, 9-9 Ivy), though, was not treated with similar benevolence on the field as it was beaten, 3-2, by the Vermont Catamounts (21-16, 10-6 America East).

In pitcher-friendly O'Donnell Field (410' to straight-away center and wind in batters' faces), the two pitchers rightfully had impressive outings

For Harvard, sophomore Justin Nyweide (2-4) was solid, striking out ten Catamounts and only giving up three runs on 10 hits. Vermont freshman Jeff Dixon (1-2) also threw well, striking out two while scattering six hits and allowing two runs. Both young, up-and-coming pitchers managed complete game efforts.

Unfortunately for Nyweide, his Crimson teammates were unable to put up runs to back his pitching prowess.

"I'm disappointed in the hitting performances we've had recently," said Harvard coach Joe Walsh. "We're just not swinging the sticks and don't have enough power in the lineup."

The Crimson bats were effectively silenced by the 6'7 Dixon, who had five one-two-three innings, retired 16 of the last 17 batters and only faced 33 en route to his first collegiate win.

"Dixon threw strikes and we just weren't swinging well," said junior John Franey. "When we did hit balls hard, they just made good plays."

Franey, tied for the team lead in homeruns and hitting .234 on the season in the clean-up slot, provided a bright spot for Harvard's anemic offense with a fourth-inning rocket over the right field fence. Junior center fielder Scott Carmack followed Franey's homerun with a single and then scored on a double by sophomore catcher Brian Lentz.

The fourth inning run production was Harvard's only sustained attack in the game and would prove to be its last offensive gasp. The Crimson only had one hit for the final five innings.

Even when Crimson players managed to get on base, Harvard had trouble moving runners into scoring position.

"I don't know if we can't bunt, don't want to bunt, or forgot how to bunt, but we just weren't bunting out there," Walsh said.

On three bunt attempts, Harvard only effectively moved a runner over once. In addition, Crimson batters confused two bunt signals for other hitting signals.

"We weren't doing a good job moving runners over," Franey said. "And not being able to move runners is a problem in Coach's bump-and-run offensive strategy."

Harvard was also unable to take advantage of prime scoring opportunities. In the second inning the Crimson couldn't capitalize on a golden opportunity with runners on first and third.

After Carmack had stolen third and Lentz was hit by a pitch and awarded first, sophomore Nick Carter flew out and sophomore Josh San Salvador hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Unlike Harvard's sluggish start, the Catamounts were able to score in each of the first three innings.

Vermont senior center fielder Wade Rikert, who had advanced to third on a wild pitch, scored on Michael Cole's RBI groundout to short in the first inning to get the Catamounts out to a quick 1-0 lead.

In the next inning, Wade's twin brother Kyle drove in designated hitter Jeff Barry with a single to right. Vermont's scored again in the third inning when Wade Rikert scored on a RBI single by senior first baseman Josh Tehonica to give the Catamounts a 3-0 lead.

After the third inning however, Nyweide cranked up the intensity and struck out seven over the last six innings while retiring the side in order for the last four.

The Crimson now turns its attention to finishing the season strong against UMass tomorrow on the road and against Brown at home on Friday.

Coach Walsh explained his strategy heading into the final games of the season.

"All we have to do is score a run in every inning. If we have nine runs and can hold the other team to eight, then we'll win the game. That's my coaching philosophy," Walsh said.