Entering its Ivy-opening weekend at Penn and Columbia, the biggest question mark for the Harvard baseball team was its starting pitching. As it turned out, the Crimson rotation was its greatest asset.

Senior lefthander Kenon Ronz threw a complete, seven-inning game to beat the Lions yesterday, while sophomore Mike Morgalis, junior Trey Hendricks and senior spot starter Matt Self all lasted into the sixth inning and left with leads.

But the bullpen couldn’t hold on in either day’s nightcap. Harvard split on the road with the Quakers Saturday, winning 11-6 and losing 6-4, before splitting again at Columbia yesterday, taking the opener 8-4 before falling 3-1.

Despite the encouraging performances from its starting staff, the Harvard team saw this weekend as one of missed opportunities.

“The Ivy’s such a short season that every loss hurts and every loss comes back to bite you in the final stretch,” Ronz said. “I think these two losses may come back to hurt us because we are a better team than those two teams and we should beat them.”

Columbia 3, Harvard 1

With freshman Matt Brunnig remaining in Cambridge this weekend to pitch in a junior varsity game to rehabilitate a sore shoulder, the Crimson (7-12, 2-2 Ivy) didn’t even know who would start yesterday’s second game until Harvard coach Joe Walsh tapped Self the night before.

Still, Walsh was prepared to trot out arm after arm, having limited senior Brendan Reed and freshman Wes Cosgriff in Wednesday’s rain-shortened 3-0 loss to Rhode Island to keep each fresh for possible use yesterday. Walsh also notified Cosgriff he would be the first to relieve Self.

As it turned out, Walsh needn’t have worried. Self went 7.1 innings and was virtually untouchable over the first seven, giving up only three hits—all singles—and not walking anyone.

Columbia’s Ray Waters led off the last of the eighth with a single but got caught in a rundown and tagged out trying to steal second. Michael Anderson followed by drawing the only walk Self gave up all day, and Andrew Hooker singled him to third, chasing Self in favor of Cosgriff with Harvard ahead 1-0.

Cosgriff couldn’t hold the lead, as the Lions (12-14, 4-4) plated three runs before the rookie lefty shut the door with a strikeout.

Jessen Grant, who befuddled the Crimson hitters all afternoon with his sidearm delivery, closed out his complete game by sending Harvard down 1-2-3 in the ninth.

Hendricks accounted for the entire Crimson offensive production with a solo home run to lead off the fifth.

Harvard 8, Columbia 4

When Columbia sent seven batters to the plate in the first, scoring three on four hits, it looked like Ronz was in for a long afternoon. He was—just not the kind the Lions would have hoped for.