Baseball Rights Ship with Two Wins Over UMass, Climbs Back to .500

The Harvard baseball team bounced back from its 0-4 weekend against Stetson with a pair of victories on Tuesday afternoon over Massachusetts in Winter Haven, Fla. The Crimson offense came alive in the twin bill, posting 20 runs on 27 hits after registering only six runs on thirty hits in the four games last weekend.

“[The doubleheader] was a much-needed response to our Stetson series,” said senior second baseman Jake McGuiggan. “To come out and score 20 runs in two games, that was a response that our offense needed. It was good not only to get the two wins but to also build up confidence.”

Sophomore lefties Greg Coman and Kevin Rex picked up victories on the mound for Harvard (7-7) to keep the Minutemen (0-5) winless on the season.

HARVARD 11, UMASS 8 (7 INNINGS)

UMass took an early lead in game two, knocking Crimson starter Nick Scahill around for four runs in just one and a third innings of work. However, it took Harvard little time to erase the early four-run deficit. The team scored three in the third as McGuiggan and captain Ethan Ferreira each drove in a run.

“It’s always hard playing a seven-inning game, especially when you do have to come from behind because before you know it, the game’s over,” McGuiggan said. “When we fell behind early, we knew that we couldn’t wait until later in the game to start scoring runs. The hitting was extremely contagious. It seemed like as soon as one guy got a hit, all the guys behind him started to step up and get hits as well.”

The Crimson had a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by senior centerfielder Mike Martin’s double and steal of home, to take an 8-4 lead. After the Minutemen added a run in the bottom of the frame, Harvard tacked on three more the next inning to seal the victory. Coman struck out four in his two and two-thirds innings of work to pick up his first win of the year and the second of his Crimson career.

The Harvard offense was paced by senior Tanner Anderson, who had three hits and two RBIs, and McGuiggan, who tallied a single, a double, and two RBIs. Freshman Ian Miller and junior Sean O’Neill each worked a scoreless inning in relief for the Crimson.

HARVARD 9, UMASS 3 (7 INNINGS)

After an offensive explosion by UMass in the first two innings of Tuesday’s early game, the Crimson took a 4-3 lead in the bottom half of the second frame that it would not relinquish. After surrendering three runs (one earned) and five baserunners in the early going, Rex bounced back with scoreless frames in the third and fourth.

“I think the approach stayed the same, I just had to refocus and get the ball down in the zone,” Rex said. “The first time through the lineup, I left some balls over the plate and they hit them. Second time through was stick with the same game plan, just execute pitches a little better.”

Junior T.J. Laurisch slammed the door on the Minutemen, throwing three run-free innings en route to his first save of the season.

While Rex did allow his first earned run of the season, he picked up his second win of the year and his ERA sits at just 0.69, the lowest on the team for pitchers with at least two innings of work.

“Compared to my season last year, I’ve thrown a lot more strikes,” Rex said. “I’ve been more consistent throwing at the strike zone, but I think it’s really been a team effort this season. Our defense has gotten a lot better and so it’s a lot easier to throw with confidence.”

The Crimson offense produced at least one run in each of its six times up. Leadoff hitter and sophomore Drew Reid scored three runs and had two hits while Farreira added a pair of hits and drove in two runs from the cleanup spot.

The senior catcher’s second RBI of the day came on a homerun, his first of the season, to left field in the bottom of the sixth. McGuiggan, Martin, and junior designated hitter DJ Link all had two-hit games for Harvard.

—Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at sgleason@college.harvard.edu.