Crimson, Middies Divide Key Twinbill

Since the Harvard baseball team wanted to win two of three against Princeton and Navy and did so, why does this weekend seem so bittersweet?

Because the Crimson could have taken all three. After squeaking past the Tigers, 6-5, Friday afternoon, Harvard hosted a rampaging Navy squad Saturday and nearly swept, taking the opener, 4-0, but dropping the nightcap, 5-3.

The split kept the Crimson in first place in the Eastern League with a 7-1 record, but gave the noisy crowd of more than 200 a disappointing end to what started out as a joyous day.

Harvard hurler Ron Stewart was responsible for spreading most of the joy as he two-hit the Middies in the first game.

Indian Giver

Shutting down a potent offense that had carried Navy to a 13-2 overall record, Stewart no-hit the visitors for four and one-third innings before surrendering clean single to .400 hitter Steve Komlo.

Komlo scampered down to second on a passed ball moments later but, like Navy's other five baserunners, never made it to third.

While Stewart twirled his finest effort to date, Brad Bauer, Bobby Kelley and Charlie Santos-Buch each donated a pair of hits toward the Crimson cause. Santos-Buch's offerings proved the most valuable, as his first-inning blow knocked in the game's first (and winning) run, and his one-out single in the third put him in a position to score the second tally shortly afterwards.

That run came on an attempted steal of second by designated hitter Eddie Farrell that turned into a delayed double steal when Navy catcher Jim McKee threw the ball into centerfield. While Santos-Buch trotted home from third base, Farrell took his place on third and scored run number three on a Chuck Marshall sacrifice fly.

Farrell chipped in two more hits in the second game, including the only extrabase hit of the day: a double to lead off the fourth inning. When he came around to score on a passed ball after a Marshall sacrifice, the designated hitter put the Crimson in front, 3-2, a lead it held until the sixth.

The Ensigns-to-be eked out two singles to begin that frame, and coach Alex Nahigian removed Crimson starter Billy Doyle in favor of bullpen ace Rob Alevizos.

A sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out, and Mike Mulliken tapped home the latter with a fielder's choice chopper to first that tied the game.

Unfortunately, the other runner did not expire on third, but instead crossed the plate with the game-winner when Jim Roberts singled moments later. at Cambridge First Game First Game Navy  0  0  0  0  0  0  0--0  2  2 HARVARD  1  0  2  1  0  0  x--4  7  2

WP--Stewart, LP--Kelleher Second Game Navy  1  1  0  0  0  3  0--5  11  1 HARVARD  0  1  1  1  0  0  0--3  6  2

WP--Gibson, LP--Doyle

WP--Stewart, LP--Kelleher Second Game Navy  1  1  0  0  0  3  0--5  11  1 HARVARD  0  1  1  1  0  0  0--3  6  2

WP--Gibson, LP--Doyle

WP--Gibson, LP--Doyle