No lightning struck, no thunder rumbled and the earth didn't swallow up the Soldiers Field pitcher's mound. Except for a momentary dazzle, the sky refused to fall Even the second game went on as scheduled.

No, the world didn't end shortly after 3:30 p.m. yesterday, when the Harvard baseball team dropped its first game of the 1984 season, 5-1 to Northeastern. In fact, the Crimson--now 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the Greater Boston League (GBL)--bounced back to take the nightcap, 6-1, in a game shortened to six innings because of darkness.

The Huskies are now 9-5 overall, 1-3 in the GBI.

"You can't expect to win all 35 [games]," said Crimson starter Jeff Musselman, who could have expected a win from his five-hitter in the opener.

Musselman almost did get his second victory of the year, but a throwing error allowed the Huskies to tie the game in the sixth inning and drive the game, which was scheduled for seven, into extra innings.

It was the first time this season that Harvard scored fewer than seven runs in a game. The credit belongs to Husky righthander Bill O'Leary, who allowed just four hits as he stretched his record to 3-0. Harvard had nothing to be ashamed of, because O'Leary is hot. The senior hurler has now yielded just 13 hits and one earned run in 23 innings of work.

But Musselman still should have beaten him, 1-0. Harvard took the lead when center fielder Bruce Weller stroked a two-out single in the fifth, stole second and scored on third baseman Bobby Kay's hit.

Northeastern center fielder Juan Craft retaliated with a single to lead off the next inning. Musselman had him picked off, but first baseman Elliott Rivera's throw to second went wild and Craft wound up on third Sophomore Jim Mealey's suicide squeeze brought Craft home with the tying run.

After the Crimson stranded Kay at second in the bottom of the eighth, Musselman walked O'Leary to lead off the Husky ninth Paul DiPillo sacrificed O'Leary to second, and then Northeastern got the break it needed With one ball and two strikes on first baseman Dan Spotts, Musselman's pitch went into the dirt. Spotts swung and missed, the pitch went wild, O'Leary moved to third and Sports reached first after the wild third strike get by catcher Jim DePalo.

Right fielder Gary Nelson doubled in the go-ahead run, Musselman gave shortstop Mike McGillis, an intentional pass and Spotts scored on third baseman Chris Buras's fly to right. The Crimson tried to catch Nelson taking third on the play, but Chris Schindler's relay sailed over Kay's glove and Nelson scored. Craft's single to left gave Northeastern a four-run margin.

Musselman threw a strike to catcher Terry O'Malley, then left the game with a popped blister. Reliever George Sorbara threw just one pitch--a strike--before DePalo ended the inning by gunning down Craft, who was attempting to steal second.

Harvard went one-two-three in the ninth.

Freshman hurler Mike Presz picked up his second collegiate win in the nightcap. Presz scattered six hits for just one run, while the Crimson bats came back to life. Harvard picked up a run in the first on a Weller single to right, a Kay sacrifice bunt and a Rivera single to left.

Determination

Northeastern tied it in the third. McGillis singled and Craft sacrificed him to second, McGillis moved to third on a grounder to the right side of the infield. Then Presz threw a wild pitch and the score was 1-1.