Slump Continues Against Princeton

Harvard baseball had a disappointing non-conference and the team’s struggles continued yesterday in the Ivy League opener. Against Princeton (10-11, 2-2 Ivy), the Crimson (1-16, 0-2) dropped two contests and extended its losing streak to 11 games.

“Today was really disappointing,” captain Matt Vance said. “We struggled for most of the day and we never really got anything done that we wanted to.”

The story of the doubleheader was an inability to bring runners home in big situations. Harvard dropped the first game 3-2 after a complete game from senior Shawn Haviland and then suffered a 6-5 defeat in the nightcap. In the second game, the squad relinquished a late-inning lead and could not manufacture enough runs.

“3-2 and 6-5 are stinging losses to open the Ivy League season,” Harvard coach Joe Walsh said. “I feel bad for the guys. We came out with enthusiasm and fight and went up against two pretty good pitchers. They got the clutch hits and we didn’t.”

The Crimson, Baseball America’s pick to win the Ivy League, looks to get its Ancient Eight season rolling this weekend against Columbia and Penn.

“I’m not concerned; things can turn around,” Walsh said. “We’ve got a good ball club. We’ve just got to show it and we haven’t.”

PRINCETON 6, HARVARD 5

In the second game of the doubleheader, Harvard burst out to a 5-2 lead after a four-run fifth inning. Following that offensive outburst, however, the Crimson couldn’t generate anything offensively.

“In the late innings we just couldn’t manufacture runs when we wanted to,” senior Matt Kramer said. “We couldn’t close the game when we were up.”

Princeton gradually eased its way back into the contest and took the lead in the eighth inning when Micah Kaplan plated Spencer Lucian with an RBI single.

Harvard put two men on with one out in the ninth, but couldn’t find a way onto the scoreboard.

“Our offense never really came alive,” Vance said. “The second game they out-played us and basically just out-hit us.”

Senior Brad Unger took the loss after pitching seven innings, giving up 10 hits, and letting in six earned runs.

Senior Taylor Meehan led the Crimson offensively with two RBI from the leadoff spot. The second baseman recorded two hits, including a homer in the fourth inning.

PRINCETON 3, HARVARD 2

The first inning didn’t go as planned for Haviland. The ace hit the second batter of the game, relinquished an infield single, and gave up two extra-base hits while allowing three runs in the inning. That, however, was the only offense the Tigers would generate all game.

Haviland surrendered six hits and three runs, while fanning eight in six innings of work.

“He’s a gamer,” Vance said. “Every time he goes out we expect to get the win.”

In the third, Harvard looked poised for a big inning. Freshman Dillon O’Neill led off with a single, Vance drew a walk, and junior Matt Rogers reached on another single. With the bases loaded, three Crimson mashers approached the plate, but nobody could drive in any runs. The inning ended after a strikeout and two fielder’s choices.

“The biggest disappointment was in the first game when we had the bases loaded with no outs,” Vance said. “That can’t happen. You have to score right away and take advantage of every chance you get.”

Harvard went down easily in the next three innings but threatened in seventh. Vance laced a single with two outs and then came home after a double from Rogers. The junior was then left stranded on second when junior Harry Douglas grounded out to end the game.

“That first game we missed some opportunities, but we should have won,” Vance said.

The Crimson had trouble finding ways on base against Princeton starter David Hale. The ace pitched a complete game, gave up seven hits, and struck out nine batters.

“We had a tough time with Hale,” Walsh said. “He threw harder than anybody we saw in California. I think the kid was 94, 95 on the mound today. You don’t see that too much in college baseball.”

—Staff writer Jake I. Fisher can be reached at jifisher@fas.harvard.edu.