Runs, hits and errors: that's what makes baseball. And out at Splinter Stadium yesterday. Tufts and Harvard got together and collectively produced 19 of the first, 19 of the second, and (gasp!) 11 of the third.
Theoretically, it was a thrill-packed, down-to-the-wire contest, with the Crimson's Tom Bilodeau breaking up a 9-9 tie with a clutch single in the bottom of the ninth. But the few faithful fans who stuck it out for the full three-and-a-half hours were too weary, too jaded, to be thrilled at Harvard's victory. One of them did manage a tight, ironic smile.
The Crimson made only five of the eleven errors, but the five were devastatingly timed. All but one of the nine Tufts scorers who got on base, advanced or tallied because of Harvard errors--and the ninth advanced into scoring position when a teammate was hit by a pitched ball.
Harvard's first run was as honest as the game was long, a huge homer to left center by Dan Hootstein in the second inning. One inning later, a hit and an error put Crimson runners on first and third.
Dockery Scores
Bilodeau grounded to Jumbo third baseman Wally Rogers, who tagged out the runner on third, then threw the ball into the dirt somewhere near first base. John Dockery scored on the error.
The Crimson collected another two runs in the fourth. Skip Falcone got to second when the Tufts center fielder dropped his pop-up, went to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a balk. Gary Miller walked, advanced on the balk and Jim McLandish's single, and scored when the Jumbos' shortstop foolishly threw the ball to second base with two out.
In the sixth inning McLandish, walked, John Dockery singled, and Bilodeau batted them in with a single. Then Neil Houston's easy fly to center some now didn't get caught, Bilodeau came in, and Houston ended up on third. He scored a pitch later on Joe O'Donnell's single.
Harvard's ninth run came in the seventh on a double steal. Miller doubled, tagged up and went to third on McLandish's fly to center. Dockery walked, and Miller scored when Tuft's catcher tried (unsuccessfully) to throw Dockery out stealing second.
The Crimson came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied, 9-9. Miller walked, McLandish bunted him to second and then Bilodeau came through with his line single. Batteries--McRobbie, Russell (6), Osofsky (9) and Karp; Melfa, McLandish and Miller.
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