Crimson Pins Loss on UMass; Minutemen Outgrappled, 22-16

Freshman grappler Sal D'Agostino, fighting off extensively bruised ribs, reversed what looked to be a certain UMass decision into a Crimson pin to give Harvard the necessary margin for its 22-16 wresting victory on Saturday.

The match was a close affair throughout, as the first four weights seesawed back and forth. Dave Albert dropped a 9-6 decision at 118. But Mr. Consistency, Milt Yasunaga, scored a decisive 8-0 victory to tie the score.

After a Harvard loss at 134, captain Carl Biello look to the mat to help fill in the injury hampered middle weight divisions. Biello, competing despite a neck injury that has kept him a spectatoe for over a month turned in a surprising 9-3 victory to even the match at six.

UMass eked out decisions in the 150 and 158-pound classes but Bruce Johnson swung the tide back to Harvard by rolling his opponent for a quick six-point pin.

Johnson's pin seemed to be the needed catalyst for the Crimson as the heavier weights look over. Jim Strathmeyer (11-2-1 for the season) scored a major decision 2 winning a match by more than ten points) over his man to give Harvard a 4-point lead with only two contests remaining in the match.

However UMass held an ace up its sleeve as last year's New England champion Dennis Fenton was waiting in the wings in the heavyweight slot.

"Fenton is pretty clearly the top wrestler in New England, so the match realistically edde on Sal's event," said Lee.

D'Agostino's Pin

D'Agostino did not disappoint as the fended off an 18.11 deficit, badly bruised ribs and a highly partisan UMass crowd. D'Agostino capitalized on his opponent's error in the last thirty seconds to flip him over for the pin.

Kip Smith, who eventually lost to Fenton, said yesterday, "We pretty much figured on beating them, but what with all the injuries it was a lot closer than expected." The equal's final record winds up at 6 and 9.