Junior starter Matt Timoney kept the game close, giving up two runs in 5.2 solid innings of work. Relief struggles on the mound hurt Harvard in this one, with each of the four Crimson pitchers giving up one or two runs, and none finishing a full inning of work.

While Harvard finished the game with 10 hits, it also left nine runners on base. Yale countered with 12 hits of its own, with the one through four hitters finishing 8-for-15 with five runs batted in.

HARVARD 6, YALE 2

While a shaky first inning on the hill prevented him from earning a shutout, freshman Nick Gruener was dominant for his first win of the season. The hurler gave up just one hit in his final six innings of work, and the Crimson cruised to a 6-2 win to start the series.

“I felt great, my changeup and curveball were working well,” Gruener said. “As soon as the team goes out there and helps you out by getting some runs, you’re really defending for them…. When we’re winning, I can go out there and do my thing, and the boys will back me up.”

After the Bulldogs jumped on Gruener their first time through the order, singling four times and taking advantage of an error to go up, 2-0, the freshman didn’t have much trouble.

And the Harvard bats woke up with a bang in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, scoring two in each frame. By the game’s end, the Crimson had tagged Yale starter David Hickey for six runs on ten hits.

Kregel finished his day with two runs, two hits, and a stolen base out of the cleanup spot, while Larrow had two hits and a stolen base of his own.

—Staff writer Caleb Y. Lee can be reached at caleblee@college.harvard.edu.