The Crimson nine got a taste of what its competition in this year's NCAA District I playoffs will be like as they took on Yankee Conference champ UMass yesterday at Soldiers Field. It wasn't exactly a feast, but UMass dished up enough hits, walks and errors to satisfy Harvard's appetite, serving the Crimson a 5-4 victory.

Both teams came up with six hits in the game, spread out among four pitchers, two per team. The difference was a throwing error by Minuteman shortstop Ed McMahon that allowed Jim Thomas to score the winning run.

Harvard struck for runs in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings, making use of five of their six hits. There were only three RBIs, however, as Dan Williams, Bernie McGregor and Joe Sciolla each had one.

Racin' Home

Williams picked up the first RBI in the second, as he singled in Hal Smith. Smith had reached on a walk by UMass starter Craig Aleganza, took second on a grounder by McGregor and raced home on the single. Sciolla knocked in Harvard's second run in the fourth on a single into right that brought in Stoeckel. Stoeckel had tripled to lead off the inning.

Milt "The Pineapple" Holt gave up a pair of hits in the first but no damage resulted. Holt pulled himself together and proceeded to throw fire at the Minutemen, striking out the side in the second and getting them in order in the third and fourth. UMass managed to get a run off him in the fifth as Alegraza singled in third baseman Mark Palua.

Holt struck out seven in five complete innings and gave up one run on four hits, before being pulled to give reliever Tom O'Neill some work. O'Neill ran into trouble right away, giving up two runs in the sixth that put the Minutemen ahead for the first, and last, time.

O'Neill walked the first batter Steve Newell, who advanced to third on Ron Beaurivage's base hit. A sacrifice fly by Palua scored Newell to tie the game at two each. Beaurivage put his team ahead as he crossed the plate following another base hit by Dan Kelly.

The Crimson responded to the situation with one of their patented rallies, scoring two runs on only one hit. Stoeckel led it off with a walk but was forced at second on Sciolla's attempted sacrifice bunt. Sciolla then stole second. Or at least he and the umpire thought he did.

It was one of those close calls, as Sciolla slid in just as the throw came in from the red-masked catcher Bill Ryan. The umpire called him safe and the Minuteman infield called the ump blind. Obviously, Sciolla remained right there at the bag. Have you ever seen an umpire change his call?

Needless to say, Sciolla scored as right fielder Kelly committed an unpardonable error, letting Smith's fly ball slip past his glove to give Hal two bases and Harvard the tying run. Smith followed Sciolla shortly thereafter as McGregor singled him home.

The Crimson picked up what seemed to be an insurance run in the seventh, but it turned out to be the game winner. Thomas, who had led off three earlier innings grounding to third short and second, started the seventh with Harvard's sixth and final hit. Alegraza, who seemed to have Thomas's number before, had clearly lost it, and was promptly lifted for Tom White.

White moved Thomas to second as he walked Ed Durso. Jim went to third on a fielder's choice, attempted sacrifice bunt by Joe Mackey and came home on the infamous error by McMahon after Stoeckel's grounder. UMass made a weak attempt at a rally in the eighth with a run on no hits, but O'Neill hung on for the win.