Shen Field shares a parking lot with the Boston College football field, but don't be fooled by physical proximity. B.C.'s football and baseball programs are worlds apart.
The Harvard baseball team shivered to a two-touchdown victory over the Eagles yesterday, and the margin could have been greater. The 15-0. Greater Boston League mismatch was little more than a nine-inning endurance test.
The ever-threatening rain unmercifully never fell, so the two teams and 57 freeze-dried fans had to withstand almost three hours of arctic weather.
Harvard is now 4-4, while Boston College is 2-7. Last year, the Crimson thrashed the Eagles, 10-2 and 13-2 Two years ago, Harvard won 14-3 at Shea Field and eked out a 7-6 aberration at Soldiers Field.
In short, the Crimson hitters routinely have a field day at B.C.'s expense, but the Eagles get a few runs. Yesterday, they didn't even do that.
Sophomore Chris Marchok yielded just three hits in six innings, and first baseman-turned-hurler. Chris Schindler finished up with three innings of one-hit relief.
After lasting only an inning-plus last week against Riverside Tournament champion Oregon State, Marchok returned to the form that earned him a spot in the starting rotation last year. The lanky lefty allowed just one Eagle to reach third base.
"Today's game, all the credit goes to Chris Marchok," said senior Captain Elliott Rivera.
Rivera ought to give himself some credit, too, because he and team batting leader Bob Kay both went three for five. Rivera lifted his average to 423.
"Luck's on my side right now," said Rivera, who picked up two singles on grounders deep into the hole at short. "I'm not hitting the ball with authority."
Meanwhile, Kay has been hitting line drives. Now batting in the leadoff spot vacated by Bruce Weller '84. Kay owns an eight-game hitting streak and a 447 average.
Every Harvard starter hit safely but reserve outfielder Frank Caprio will have the fondest memories of yesterday's game Caprio made the most of his first New England college at-bat, stroking a 2-0 offering over the left-field fence in the ninth.
"I was just waiting for the fastball," said Caprio, whose family drove up from Narragansett, R.I., for the game.
It was Caprio's first chance at a home-run trot. "In high school we didn't have a fence," the freshman explained. "We had to run it out. It felt good just to jog it." Game-winning RBI--Rivera, E--Sliney 2, Flynn DP--Boston College 4 LOB--Boston College 6, Harvard 8 2B--Pakainis 2, Maspons, Furlong HR--Caprio(1) SB--Furiong CS--Key HBP--Rivera by London WP--London T--2:56 A--57
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