Baseball Sweeps Local Rival UMass in Doubleheader

The Harvard baseball team ended its four-game losing streak with a two-game series sweep against Massachusetts at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, the former spring training home of the Phillies, in Clearwater, Fla. On Tuesday, dominant pitching led the Crimson (4-5) to the victory while the next day the team’s offense took charge in outpacing the Minutemen (1-7). Sophomore utilityman Matt Rothenberg led Harvard with four RBIs over the two days.

“It was great to get back on the winning track,” captain Matt Sanders said. “It was really fun to go down to Gainesville and compete there but it was nice to play against UMass and get a couple wins.”

HARVARD, 9, MASSACHUSETTS, 5

The Crimson scattered its nine runs over three big rallies against UMass pitching. Harvard set the tone with a three-run first inning, headlined by a Mitch Klug triple to start the frame and two RBIs from Rothenberg. The Minutemen got two back in the bottom half and tied the game at three in the third, but the Crimson broke the game open in its four-run fourth inning.

“Guys are getting on base and I’m working myself into some favorable counts and not really trying to do a whole lot,” Rothenberg said. “I’m just trying to get the bat on the ball and go gap to gap, and I’ve been finding some holes.”

Sophomore third baseman John Fallon and freshman first baseman Patrick McColl each drove in two runs in the frame. The corners in Harvard’s infield have combined to drive in 17 of the team’s 37 runs this season. The Crimson tacked on two more in the seventh after a Rothenberg triple and Josh Ellis single.

“It gives all your pitchers confidence going out there on the mound,” Sanders said. “It allows you to send a young guy out there and let him work through four or five innings knowing your offense is going to continue to score runs.”

Freshman Simon Rosenblum-Larsen gave Harvard five innings in his first collegiate start. The righty struck out five and surrendered three runs (one earned). Sophomore Dylan Combs threw a one-two-three sixth inning and has yet to allow an earned run this season.

HARVARD, 5, MASSACHUSETTS, 1

A Crimson freshman pitcher shut down UMass through the first five innings of Tuesday’s game while three seniors were equally effective in closing out the victory. First-year Kevin Stone earned his first collegiate victory after throwing five innings of scoreless ball. The Stamford, Conn. native struck out two and surrendered just four hits. With Stone in the game, no UMass player got past second base.

Harvard manufactured a run in the first after a Minuteman error and doubled its lead in the fifth on a Fallon four-bagger. It was the fourth of the season for the sophomore, who leads the team in home runs, RBIs, and runs scored. The two runs would prove to be all that the Harvard pitching staff would need.

“It’s been fun, [Conor, John, and I] hitting in the middle of the order,” Rothenberg said. “It’s been good to work some good at-bats and drive in some runs. We’re all just trying to do what we can to put some runs on the board, play some good defense, and go from there.”

Sanders relieved Stone in the sixth and surrendered UMass’ only run on a Cooper Mrowka sac fly. However, sophomore rightfielder Conor Quinn answered with a homer to start the sixth and freshman Devan Peterson drove in Rothenberg later in the frame. Sanders responded with an eventful top of the seventh as the captain hit UMass’ John Avallone with a pitch but was able to avoid any damage.

Rothenberg grew the Crimson’s lead to four with an RBI single in the eighth. Senior T.J. Laurisch allowed only one hit in the eighth while classmate Sean O’Neill threw a perfect ninth to complete the sweep.

“It really is a great mix,” Sanders said. “We have younger guys on the front end and it’s great to have them go out there. In terms of closing games out and pitching out some of those later innings, we have plenty of experience coming out of the bullpen which is great.”

–Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at stephen.gleason@thecrimson.com.