Baseball, always a deferential and unobtrusive sport, bowed politely to Mother Nature yesterday.

A steady afternoon drizzle postponed yesterday's doubleheader against Pennsylvania, and sent the Harvard baseball team home wet.

Today's scheduled twinbill against Navy has also been cancelled.

Harvard will make up its games on the ninth and tenth of May. Tomorrow, the Crimson will play a doubleheader against Dartmouth at Soldiers Field. Seniors Tom Hurley (2-2) and Sean Johnston (3-1) will likely get the starts.

Of late, it seems that weather is the only obstacle the Crimson has not been able to surmount. Now halfway through the season, Harvard (11-9 overall, 3-1 EIBL) has won seven of its last eight games, and has climbed to second place in the EIBL behind Yale (16-6, 8-2).

As usual, fine hitting has been a huge factor in the Crimson's recent surge.

Four Harvard players are currently among the EIBL's leading hitters: sophomore shortstop Mike Giardi (.400), senior first baseman Dan Scanlan (.437), junior centerfielder Juan Zarate (.500), and junior rightfielder Mike Hill who leads the league with an impressive .667 average.

Hill was named EIBL player of the week for his outstanding play last weekend. In case you missed it, Hill went 10-15 with 10 RBIs against army and Brown.

"It's just a great honor to be rewarded after having a great weekend," Hill said. "I was lucky to get it. There were so many big contributions on the weekend."

Prior to leaving, Hill made a few adjustments in his swing that paid off. "I was pulling across the ball and pulling balls foul," Hill said. "I just concentrated on driving the pitches where they were pitched."

Harvard's bats ought to punish Dartmouth pitching tomorrow.

At risk of jinxing the Crimson, only an awful letdown (1978 Red Sox, anyone?) can stop Harvard.

The Big Green (2-18, 1-3 is showing all the symptoms of a feeble tea::

No hitting

In marked contrast to the Crimson, Dartmouth has only one player hitting over .300 and the team is batting. 226.

No pitching

Despite the heroic efforts of Dartmouth ace Bob Bennett (2-3), the staff sports a dreadful 6.01 ERA. Bennett is the Big Green's only hope to salvage a game.

No nothing.