It was supposed to be easy. Like playing the Los Angeles Clippers, or the Florida Marlins. For the Harvard baseball team, four games against Ivy League cellar-dweller Yale was supposed to be a walk in the park.

Instead, the Elis won their first Ivy league games, shutting out the Crimson twice, 8-0 and 4-0. Then Harvard rallied behind junior pitcher John Birtwell to take out Yale on Sunday, 6-1.

Not only did Yale boost its abysmal winning percentage, it also turned things topsy-turvy in the Red Rolfe division of the Ivy League (Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown and Yale). The Big Green swept Brown to move into first place in the Ivy League.

Dartmouth-Brown

Dartmouth was a game behind Harvard going into the opening round of Red Rolfe division play. A stellar effort on both offense and defense gave the Big Green four wins last weekend in Providence against Brown.

In Game 1, the teams went into extra innings before Dartmouth scored three in the top half of the eighth to win 7-4. Freshman Mike Mileusnic hit a single and ran all the way around to score on a defensive error by the Bears' infield. Dartmouth then creamed Brown in the nightcap, 14-0.

On Day 2, Dartmouth continued the rout. After a relatively easy 6-3 win, the Big Green once again used late-inning heroics in the second game. Brian Nickerson hit a single with two out and men on first and third to drive in the winning run. Dartmouth then held on for the win and the sweep.

The Big Green now stand at 10-2 in the Ivies, with an 18-11 record overall. Brown drops to 4-8 in league play and 13-23 overall.