”His pitch count was high going into the last inning,” Walsh said. “I didn’t know if I was going to take him out ... When he said he wanted the ball, I said, ‘Great, let’s go with it.’”

With the win, Harvard evened the series, 1-1, heading into the final two contests of the weekend.

YALE 3, HARVARD 0

Three early runs on a walk and Harvard error put the Crimson in a deep hole, as the team dropped the opening game of this year’s Harvard/Yale series.

Senior pitcher Eric Eadington walked the first batter home after loading the bases in the first, and a fielding error allowed two more runs to score before the initial frame expired.

Though Yale senior pitcher Vinny Lally got off to a slow start, walking two Harvard batters to start the game, the Crimson was unable to capitalize.

Lally caught a Harvard runner leading on second base and struck out two batters to close the inning without a Crimson score.

“It was one of our worst first innings,” Walsh said. “Things got better after that.”

Despite the sluggish start, pitching was impressive on both sides, as Lally—who has yet to lose a game this year—struck out nine Harvard batters and Eadington earned seven strikeouts of his own. Both starters pitched for seven innings.

“In the first game, [there was] outstanding pitching,” Walsh said. “Eadington] lost the first game, 3-0, but a couple missed plays in the first inning [gave Yale the early lead].”

Though no runs were scored after the top of the first inning, Yale earned four hits on in the opening game of the series. Harvard earned its only hit in the fourth inning, as junior designated hitter Marcus Way singled up the middle.

“We only had one hit,” Walsh said. “It’s so discouraging for our bats at this time of year. I won’t take anything away from their pitcher ... He was tough, and we knew that but we had him on the ropes in the first inning [and didn’t capitalize].”

—Staff writer Catherine E. Coppinger can be reached at ccoppinger@college.harvard.edu.