The warm spring weather that the Harvard men's baseball team has been waiting for finally arrived yesterday at Soldiers Field.
Unfortunately, the Crimson bats were still hibernating.
Harvard (4-15 overall, 0-6 EIBL) continued to struggle through a dismal team slump as it dropped a doubleheader to Penn (19-9 overall, 11-3 EIBL), 1-0 and 3-2, in a makeup for Saturday's rainout.
"It was a fun day to play baseball-playing a first place team like Penn," senior pitcher Bob Baxter said. "We played hard-two of the best games we've played all year. But when you get into one of these ruts, its tough to break out."
Baxter, who entered yesterday's contest with a 1.93 ERA, started for Harvard in the opener and pitched a complete game. He was touched for only one run, when Penn outfielder Doug Glanville lined a single to leftfield to score shortstop Brad Meier in the fifth inning.
Harvard, however, could manage only five singles off Penn starter Craig Connolly, who did not yield a walk while striking out nine en route to a complete game shutout.
"Penn's pitchers are tough," Harvard Captain Tom Konjoyan said. "We knew that coming in."
The second game proved to be another nail biter. Harvard got on the board in the bottom of the first on leftfielder Marcel Durand's single to center that drove home Konjoyan. Penn tied the score in the third when sophomore catcher Brian Hoehn reached on Durand's three-base error and scored on outfielder Doug Salaway's RBI single.
The Quakers took a one-run lead in the top in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded walk to Hoehn that brought in senior outfielder Jason Psirogianes. But Harvard rebounded in the bottom half of the inning when senior shortstop Dave O'Connell singled to left to score junior catcher Jay Jakimczyk and tie the game, 2-2.
Harvard blew a chance to send its fans home happy in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and men on first and second, Jakimczyk lined a single to left. But junior rightfielder Ted Decareau rounded third base too far, and was caught in a rundown that killed the rally and sent the game into extra innings.
Harvard's defense has been improving steadily throughout the season, but it was an error that led to the third, and deciding, unearned run of the game. Penn outfielder Todd Mascena reached on an O'Connell error to open up the tenth, and he came around to score when Decareau's attempt at a diving grab in right failed. Penn hurler Jud Damon, who went all ten innings for the Quakers, shut down the Crimson in the final frame to secure a doubleheader sweep.
"We just couldn't get the clutch hit when we needed it," Konjoyan said.
On the mound for Harvard in the second game, freshman Tony Lancette pitched six and one third innings in relief and gave up only one unearned run. But while good pitching can carry a team a long way, scoring runs is the name of the game. For now, the Crimson is waiting for its bats to wake up.
"We just have to keep our heads up," Konjoyan said. "The victories will come." Quakers, 1-0 Quakers 1-0 at Soldiers Field
Penn Name AB R H BI Meier,ss 3 1 1 0 Feld,3b 3 0 1 0 Gln'vllep 3 0 1 0 Hoffman,lb 4 0 1 0 P'Gianes,of 3 0 1 0 Edwards,of 2 0 0 0 Hoehn,c 3 0 0 0 Mascena,of 3 0 1 0 Salaway,of 3 0 0 0 DePeppo,of 0 0 0 0 Mc'frey,ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 27 1 6 0
HARVARD Name AB R H BI K'yan,3b 3 0 0 0 Hill, cf 3 0 1 0 Durand of 3 0 1 0 D'reau,rf 2 0 0 0 Seanlan,lf 3 0 0 0 Jak'cyzk,c 3 0 1 0 Mwroka,2b 3 0 1 0 O'Con'l,ss 1 0 0 0 Totals 24 0 5 1 Home Runs--None. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R Penn Name AB R H BI Meier,ss 5 0 2 0 Feld,3b 3 0 0 0 Gln'vlleP 5 0 1 0 Hoffman,lb 5 0 3 0 P'gianes,of 5 1 0 0 Edwards,of 4 0 0 0 Mascena,of 3 0 0 0 Hoehn,c 4 1 0 0 Salaway,of 5 0 2 0 Totals 39 3 8 1 HARVARD Name AB R H BI K'yan,3b 4 1 2 0 Hill,cf 3 0 1 0 D'chio,lb 5 0 0 0 Durand of 5 0 1 0 D'reau,rf 2 0 0 0 Scanlan,lf 5 0 2 0 Jak'cyzk,c 5 1 1 0 Mwroka,2b 4 0 2 0 O'Con'l,ss 4 0 1 0 Totals 37 210 3 Home Runs--Penn, none; Harvard, none 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R
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