With the Ivy League title there for the taking and the Crimson struggling to score runs, Harvard looked, as it did all year, to its pitching staff.

Sheffield (3-1) pitched five innings of three-hit ball before yielding the mound to sophomore Kenon Ronz with a 2-1 lead. Ronz and Wahlberg combined to allow just two hits while striking out seven Tigers in four innings of scoreless relief.

Sheffield, who has emerged in his final season as a reliable weekend starter, took the crown-clinching victory.

“I have been a bullpen pitcher for the last three years,” Sheffield said. “Who would think that I’d be starting an Ivy championship game? Wow.”

With the score tied at 1-1 after three innings, the Crimson plated the eventual game-winner in the top of the fourth.

Freshman catcher Schuyler Mann led off the inning with a double off of the wall in left-center field and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by San Salvador. After Carter flied out, freshman right fielder Ian Wallace singled up the middle to drive in Mann with the winning run.

The Tigers tried to answer in the bottom of the inning. Freshman centerfielder Adam Balkan stroked a base hit to center, but was thrown out at second when Miller grounded into a fielder’s choice. Miller advanced to second on a wild pitch by Sheffield, putting the tying run in scoring position with only one out.

Eldridge then lined a shot to left field, but Lopez charged in to make the tough catch, saving a run. After Sheffield walked Lahey, he got sophomore right fielder Ryan Riech to fly out to left to end the threat.

Sheffield retired the side in order in the fifth before being relieved.

“Chaney did a good job,” said Harvard Coach Joe Walsh. “The kid’s a battler, and he wanted to stay in there. I thought taking him out with a three-hitter after five might have been a little early, but [it all worked out].”

Ronz retired the side in order in both the sixth and seventh innings. Five of the six outs came by strikeout. After giving up a lead off single to junior second baseman Mike Chernoff and a fielder’s choice to sophomore third baseman Steve Young, Walsh called for his closer.

Wahlberg allowed one hit in the eighth before setting the Tigers down in order in the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season.

“They’ve been phenomenal the past three weeks,” said Sheffield. “I never like to get the ball taken away from me, but great job. Great call by the coach.”

Harvard scored its first run in the top of the first inning. After freshman Rob Wheeler and senior second baseman Faiz Shakir both flied out, senior shortstop Mark Mager singled to left field—one of his six hits on the day—and stole second base.

Sophomore Trey Hendricks, who leads the team in batting average and RBI, singled up the middle to drive in Mager and put the Crimson ahead 1-0. Harvard never trailed in the two games.