Harvard Nine Pins an 8-7 Defeat on Holy Cross

Divine intervention in the form of a ninth-inning miracle almost saved the day for Holy Cross yesterday but luckily for Harvard the Lord was looking the other way, and the Crimson escaped with an 8-7 victory over the Crusaders.

Harvard entered the last inning with a seemingly safe 8-4 lead, but the Crusaders scored three quick runs before relievers Mark Linehan and then Frank LeBlanc retired the side.

It was another field day for the Crimson batters as they pounded out 13 hits. Second baseman Jimmy Thomas opened the game with a walk and advanced to second as Ed Durso hit into a fielder's choice. Leigh Hogan singled and took second on a stolen base. With a man on second and third, Crimson right fielder Joe Sciolla stroked a single scoring two runs.

Holy Cross struck back with three runs in the top of the second, Crimson starter Bob Larsen walked Crusaders Phil Suse and Rick Luciano. Bruce Sabatini lashed a double which scored Suse. Luciano and Sabatini came home on a single by left-fielder Joe Sinkewicz.

Durso, who had a big day with three hits and four RBIs, scored in the third as he singled, went to second on a single by Hogan and scored on another single by Leon Goetz.

With the score 5-4 in the sixth, Harvard added three runs which seemed to put the game out of reach. Don Driscoll, batting as the designated hitter, stroked a single and took second on an error by the Holy Cross shortstop Bob Bigda. The same error allowed Crimson third baseman Fran Cronin to reach first.

Harvard captain Danny Williams got to first at the expense of Driscoll as Driscoll was tagged at third on a fielder's choice. Thomas singled to load the bases, and two runs scored on a single by Durso, Durso came home on a shot by Hogan.

An indication that the ninth inning would be a lively one came when Crusader coach Jack Whalen tried to pinch hit his pitcher Rick Jasinski for his center fielder. This brought a storm of protest from Harvard coach Loyal Park who said that the pitcher could only bat in the DH spot. "I don't know the rule," the ump said when he overruled Park's objections, "and neither does he [pointing to his fellow official in the field]."

True to form, Jasinski reached base on a walk by Larsen. He got to second on a single by Sabatini and came home on Sinkewicz's shot. Linehan came in to face Sinkewicz and got Burt Bornstein to ground out. Bigda cracked a double which scored Sabatini and Sinkewicz.

When DH John Gibadlo came up with the score 8-7 this prompted another argument by Park, who lost again, Luckily for Harvard, Gibadlo flew out. Park brought in LeBlane who got Morton to ground out to second baseman Thomas to end the game.