Harvard starter Jason Brown pitched two scoreless innings to begin the game, working out of a second-inning jam with runners at the corners and no outs.
Despite the solid start, a series of baserunning mistakes severely curtailed Harvard’s offensive output. In each of the first four innings, a Harvard baserunner was thrown out—twice while attempting to steal a base, once while trying to stretch a single into a double and once in a pick-off at first.
The series of miscues stopped the Crimson from building a large early lead. Nevertheless, Harvard went into the bottom of the fourth ahead 2-0.
UMass stormed back in the fourth, scoring five runs after a potential double-play fell apart. Freshman Zak Farkes couldn’t handle Klimkiewicz’s throw from third, and two runs scores as the ball rolled into right field.
Freshman pitcher Javier Castellanos was charged with five runs in the 1.2 innings he worked, although only one was earned. Freshman Wes Cosgriff relieved Castellanos and worked 2.1 innings, allowing only one run and striking out two. Cosgriff overcame early control problems in that five-run fourth, including consecutive wild pitches that resulted in a run.
Morgan Brown followed Cosgriff in the seventh, allowing one earned run on three hits in his two innings of work to earn the win.
“These were guys who hadn’t seen a whole lot of innings because of a lot of reasons—rainouts, things like that,” Walsh said of yesterday’s pitchers. “We’re into not just winning games but also developing pitchers, and they all took a big step forward today.”
Harvard’s win, however, was due in large part to the team’s offense, which pounded out 18 hits.
Junior center fielder Hale had four hits on the day, including the lead off single to start Harvard’s ninth-inning comeback. Zak Farkes ended the day two-for-three with three runs score, and Lentz added three hits and two RBIs.
“Hale’s been red-hot, and it’s great to see Lance making that good contact,”
Walsh said. “Farkes came back with fire in his eyes after [the error in the fourth]. We really came out swinging the sticks today.”
—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.