If anything, the 1994 campaign has been a season of frustration for the Harvard baseball team (11-17-1 overall, 6-10 Ivy).
If you are wondering how, just take a journey through the past two weeks.
First, Harvard went into New Haven, Conn., two weekends ago to face Red Rolfe Division leading Yale, needing to win three of the four games to pull even in the standings. Game one was a Yale blowout, game two saw Harvard strand the tying run at second in the final inning, and the two teams split the final two games. Instead of gaining two games on the Elis, the Crimson dropped two more behind them.
Take a look at this past weekend--four games against Brown with Harvard still having a shot at the division title.
Two promising wins on Saturday were followed by two demoralizing losses on Sunday--the first of which saw the Bears score four runs in the seventh to put away a one-run game. The result--Harvard was mathematically eliminated from the Ivy race with four games to go.
OK, so Harvard still had a chance to win the Beanpot this week. But Northeastern knocked it out in the first game, 4-1, even though the Crimson outhit and outplayed the Huskies.
"A good team like Northeastern finds a way to win," junior Bo Bernhard said. "We have to learn how to do that."
No consolation was in store for Harvard on Wednesday, especially after the first-base umpire invoked a seldom-used runner's interference call on freshman Mike Hochanadel in the bottom of the seventh inning to nullify Harvard's game-winning run. The result--a 7-7 tie with Boston College in the Beanpot third-place game.
"It was a weird feeling," Bernhard said. "A tie is like kissing your sister. But we have to be proud of our comeback against BC."
Harvard did rally from five- and two-run deficits to knot the game, and it will have to use that momentum to propel it into this weekend's double doubleheader against Dartmouth (11-18, 6-10).
The games mean nothing in terms of winning the division, but there is a matter of pride on the line come Saturday at Soldiers Field and Sunday at Hanover, N.H.
"Dartmouth has always been a big rivalry," Bernhard said. "It is a pride thing--we want to finish out the year strong."
Further motivation is that the Crimson can still finish above .500 if it wins its final seven games. Harvard hasn't hit the .500 mark since April 1 and has not been over the .500 mark this year.
It Hurts:Speaking of frustration, captain Mike Giardi has to watch the remainder of his senior season due to a broken hand.
Giardi was the top hitter of all Ivy League players, batting at a .435 clip.
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