Yale 4, Harvard 0

In the series opener, Harvard got a rare opportunity to be a part of history, as they witnessed the fall of the McCarthy ERA.

Yale southpaw Matt McCarthy (3-5) pitched a gem, blanking the Crimson for seven innings. He scattered seven hits, struck out six, and gave up only one walk.

Harvard squandered the few offensive opportunities it had. Junior left fielder Joe Llanes led off the third inning with a triple to center field and had a chance to take the lead, but McCarthy got consecutive groundouts out of tri-captain first baseman Erik Binkowski and Mager. Shakir flied out to center in the next at bat, and the threat was over.

With one out in the top of the fifth and Bridich on third, history repeated itself. McCarthy got Binkowski on groundout to the shortstop and Mager on a comebacker that second baseman Brian Ivy handled, and the Crimson once again failed to capitalize. Sophomore Justin Nyweide (2-3) kept the Crimson in it for the first four innings, matching McCarthy frame-for-frame with six strikeouts.

Nyweide began to unravel in the fifth, however, when Yale captain Tony Coyne reached him for a single to center field. Nyweide balked the runner to second, and Eli third baseman Steve Duke advanced him to third on a successful bunt attempt. The next batter, right fielder Keith Reams, singled to left to bring the first run home.

Nyweide would give up two more runs before he was lifted for freshman reliever Kenon Ronz.

Ronz allowed another run to score before pitching a scoreless sixth.