Rain, Rams Drown Crimson

"That's the most miserable day of baseball I've seen in four years." --Harvard pitcher Rob Alevizos.

The Harvard baseball team played at home yesterday, so naturally it rained.

While the crowd shared an umbrella, an icy wind swirled the chilling downpour throughout the innermost recesses of Soldiers Field, and not even the Crimson scrubs who huddled in the dugout stayed dry.

For those who had to play, however, it was even worse. Two University of Rhode Island pitchers and the raindrops combined to limit the Crimson to a meager six hits, and when the contest mercifully ended the Rams trotted off the aqua-turf with a 4-1 victory.

If Brad Bauer hadn't singled in an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, both fanatics who braved the elements to the end might have left the Candlestick-of-the-East emptyhanded. Luckily, Chuck Marshall reached base on a miscue by Ram shortstop Steve Galuska, moved to second on a passed ball and trudged home two outs later on a Bauer liner for the only Crimson tally of the day.

For the preceding eight innings, the Harvard bats failed at Jeff Folkins' and David DeStefano's offerings like they were hitting water with a pitchfork. Racking up nine strikeouts between them, the Rhode Island hurlers shut down the offense that pounded out five extra-base hits Tuesday (against Northeastern) by not allowing any.

The Crimson did load the bases in the third frame but failed to push a run across. Billy Blood led off the inning with a clean single to right-center, and Joe Wark and Bauer followed with flyouts.

Rick Pearce kept things alive with a ground single past Galuska, and Bobby Kelley inebriated the bags, reaching base on a bullet which glanced off of Folkins' glove.

When Mark Bingham laced a fastball on a line to center field, Harvard seemed sure of a tally or three, but Brad Beuza resolutely stood his ground and gloved the horsehide to douse the threat.

The Rams were able to produce four runs only because they reached Crimson starter John Sorich early--before the rain. The knuckleballer pitched a scoreless opening frame but was touched for two runs on a walk, sacrifice, single and triple in the second. When Rhode Island added two more in the fourth, Sorich departed and lefty flinger Jim Curtin took over.

"It was just one of those days," Sorich said after the game. "Some days the ball moves more than others."

Curtin hurled scoreless ball the rest of the way, aiding his own cause by picking two slumbering Rams off first base. Add those to the one Sorich nabbed in the fourth, and you can bet URI coach John Norris will hold baserunning drill tomorrow, rain or shine.

THE NOTEBOOK--Rob Alevizos was undeservedly credited with a win over Northeastern in this space yesterday. In fact Billy Doyle earned the decision, and upped his record to 3-1. Sorry, guys...Blood becomes the third leftfielder to start for Harvard this year, as coach Alex Nahigian continues to search for improved hitting from that spot. The senior came up with the play of the day in the fifth, robbing Galuska of extra bases with a sliding grab.

at Soldiers Field RHODE ISLAND (4)  AB  R  H  BI Benza--cf  4  0  1  1 Galuska--ss  5  0  0  0 Carlucci--c  4  0  0  0 Healy--1b  3  1  2  0 Tomer--dh  3  0  0  0 Vitale--rf  4  2  3  1 Halaz--If  4  1  2  1 Coakley--3b  4  0  0  0 Pirrello--2b  2  0  0  0   33  4  8  3 HARVARD (1) Bauer--ss  5  0  1  1 Pearce--3b  4  0  2  0 Kelley--2b  4  0  1  0 Bingham--1b  4  0  0  0 Santos-Buch--cf  4  0  1  0 Farrell--dh  4  0  0  0 Marshall--rf  2  1  0  0 Blood--If  4  0  1  0 Wark--c  34  0  0  0   34  1  6  1

Rhode Island  0  2  0  2  0  0  0  0  0 -- 4 Harvard  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1 -- 1

F--Pirrello, Carlucci, Galuska (2), Bauer, Pearce, Bingham 2B--Halaz 3B--Halaz   IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO Folkins (w)  7  5  0  0  4  6 DiStefano  2  1  1  0  0  3 Sorich (L, 1-1)  3 2/3  4  4  3  3  2 Curtin  5 1/3  3  0  0  1  2 WP--Sorich PB--Carlucci.

Rhode Island  0  2  0  2  0  0  0  0  0 -- 4 Harvard  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1 -- 1

F--Pirrello, Carlucci, Galuska (2), Bauer, Pearce, Bingham 2B--Halaz 3B--Halaz   IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO Folkins (w)  7  5  0  0  4  6 DiStefano  2  1  1  0  0  3 Sorich (L, 1-1)  3 2/3  4  4  3  3  2 Curtin  5 1/3  3  0  0  1  2 WP--Sorich PB--Carlucci.

F--Pirrello, Carlucci, Galuska (2), Bauer, Pearce, Bingham 2B--Halaz 3B--Halaz   IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO Folkins (w)  7  5  0  0  4  6 DiStefano  2  1  1  0  0  3 Sorich (L, 1-1)  3 2/3  4  4  3  3  2 Curtin  5 1/3  3  0  0  1  2 WP--Sorich PB--Carlucci.