Crimson Clobbered By Bulldogs

The Crimson is ready to put non-league play behind it.

In a make-up game after Tuesday’s postponed game, Harvard baseball (3-21, 0-4 Ivy) lost to Bryant (11-13, 3-5 NEC), 12-1.

The game started slowly, with both teams going three-and-out in the first two innings. But the score quickly changed halfway through the third.

The top of the inning looked promising for Harvard after senior Taylor Halgren led off with a single. But after Halgren’s base hit, Bryant quickly retired the side, forcing a double play to end the inning.

The first two batters for the Bulldogs got on base with a hit by pitch and a walk. Freshman Colin Shepard followed with a single to right field that drove in senior teammate Tim Norton for the first run of the game.

A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, and sophomore Dan Muscatello hit a sacrifice fly to push the score to 2-0. After Bryant’s next two batters drove in a pair, the Crimson went to the bullpen early, calling freshman Sam Dodge into the game.

The Bulldogs manufactured their last run of inning. With one out, Bryant sophomore Kevin Brown made a break for third. After a Crimson overthrow, Brown came around to score the game’s fifth run.

Dodge got out of the inning with a strikeout and a fly out to left.

“[Dodge] was the one bright spot for us,” Crimson coach Joe Walsh said. “I thought he pitched really well.”

Bryant led off the next inning with a double from junior Jamie Skagerlind to right. After advancing to third, three straight outs ended the inning, stranding Skagerlind 90 feet away.

Harvard had more chances in the fifth. After Bryant surrendered a walk to junior Marcus Way, sophomore Danny Moskovits hit an infield single to third base, advancing Way to second. Another hit from sophomore Robert Wineski loaded the bases with no outs.

But the Bulldogs were able to keep Harvard from scoring again, and the Crimson stranded three after a strikeout and a double play.

The Crimson finally made its way onto the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Junior Dillon O’Neill reached first on a hit by pitch, advancing freshman Jack Colton to second. A wild pitch allowed both players to move up, putting both in scoring position.

Sophomore Kyle Larrow—playing shortstop for the first time ever—flied out to center, but recorded an RBI on the sacrifice. This run ended up being Harvard’s only score of the afternoon.

Bryant, on the other hand, was not finished with scoring for the day. In the seventh, the Bulldogs came home four more times and recorded three hits in the inning, all singles.

During the bottom of the eighth, Bryant hit four more singles and scored three more runs.

In the top of the ninth, the Crimson had a man on base but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

“We’re just not able to put the three main components of the game together,” Walsh said. “Pitching, defense, and hitting. Today we didn’t have any of those three, and you’re not going to win too many baseball games when that happens.”

Despite the loss, there were still some positive outcomes from the game.

“It was a good day for the younger guys who don’t get much playing time to go out and get their chances and get more experience on the field,” captain Tyler Albright said.

Even after a rough start to Harvard’s season, it still has a chance to improve, as the team is only a quarter of the way through Ivy League play.

“There are some great kids on the team and everybody is working hard,” Walsh said. “We have a bunch of good ball players. We’re just not getting anything out of it so far this year in terms of winning and being able to play up to our capabilities.”