Harvard once again faced an early deficit in Tuesday’s day game against Bucknell, but the ensuing offensive shootout turned out in the Crimson’s favor in a 9-8 win over the Bison.
The catcher position once again played a pivotal role for the offense, as Ellis’s bat came alive to a resounding effect. The team captain went 3-for-4 with two RBI’s and a run scored. Ellis also punched in an RBI single in the top of the ninth that drove in two important insurance runs.
“It’s always frustrating when you can’t really contribute to the offense,” Ellis said, speaking on the start to his season. “It was good seeing the ball, swing felt good, putting two and two together, and find some gaps.”
Ellis’s RBIs would become important in a wild ninth inning, as Harvard scored thrice in the top half to extend its lead to 9-4, but Bucknell made a bid for a comeback with four runs in the bottom half.
After junior Garrett Rupp left after 2.2 innings of relief work, freshman Kieran Shaw put an end to things by getting the last two outs of the game. However, it wasn’t the cleanest, as the Bison got four singles, two walks, and two wild pitches in the final frame, accounting for their four runs. Only a two-out flyout ended the game.
Freshman righty Grant Stone was the beneficiary of the Crimson’s 15-hit outburst, as he pitched 5.2 innings of four-run ball, with one run being unearned. Though Stone has made appearances out of the bullpen this season, Wednesday marked his first start and first win.
Harvard got contributions across the lineup, as freshman Chad Minato and Bryan, in addition to Ellis, picked up three hits apiece. Senior Drew Reid, after a similarly trying start to the season, drove in a game-high three runs, and sophomore first baseman Patrick McColl drove in two more.
The Bison’s early 1-0 and 3-2 leads did little to throw the Crimson off.
“Our innings have been tricky; we’ll hit the ball hard, but it’ll go right at someone,” Ellis explained. “On paper, that’s an out, but our hitters are still seeing the ball well, and it’s just a matter of finding those holes—which, if you’re hitting the ball, is going to happen. For us, it’s just focusing on playing our game, competing, and trusting in what we’ve done. It’s relaxing and playing our game.”
Sophomore Patrick Robinson, Bryan, and Minato jumpstarted Harvard’s four-run sixth that took the lead for good by getting on base, and Reid did most of the damage with a bases-clearing double through the left side.
—Staff writer Bryan Hu can be reached at bryan.hu@thecrimson.com.