Down on Maine St.

It was a season much too good to be ended by a popped blister.

This was the team of destiny, the one with seven seniors who weren't satisfied with their second Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League title. Here was a team that had conquered bad breaks much of the year and felt sure it could do what was necessary to win a Northeastern crown and a trip to the College World Series in Omaha Neb.

The pattern started early Rains stretched the Crimson's league-opening road trip to Princeton and Navy into a nightmarish marathon busride from Cambridge to Princeton to Annapolis to Princeton and finally back home. The result sixteen hours on a bus, a rain-forced tie with Navy and a loss to a rested Princeton squad.

That tie came back to haunt Harvard, which ended the regular season a game ahead of the Midshipmen. But league rules dictated that a tie couldn't help determine a league champion, so the batsmen flew to Cornell the weekend between finals to play off the tie. Harvard overcame that obstacle, 10-1.

Then came the Northeast Regional of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, where Maine had more going for it than just the top seeding. The 4500 faithful at Orono, Maine's Mahaney Diamond certainly didn't hurt the Black Bears' cause. But once again, it looked like Harvard might overcome the disadvantage.

Even before the batmen got to play Maine, they had to knock off second seed Temple. A Charlie Marches seven-hitter and a timely RBI single by second-team. All American Vinnie Martelli helped push Harvard over the top, 2-1.

Then came the showdown with the host team Maine jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the-first, and shortstop Fred Staples threw three Crimson runners out at the plate. But sophomore Jeff Musselman held Maine scoreless for five innings, and Harvard scraped together a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game.

Then it happened With one out and one on, a blister on Musselman's pitching hand popped and with it popped the Crimson's chances. Maine tallied five runs in the final three innings. Harvard managed just one and the Black Bears celebrated a 6-2 victory.

The following day Harvard had to down Temple for the second time to earn the right to challenge Maine again. With two down in the top of the ninth and Harvard trailing 2-0, sophomore Scott Vierra homered in Don Allard to knot the score. Junior Bruce Weller walked and third baseman Elliott Rivera doubled him home to give Bill Larson all the runs he would need for his eighth victory of the year.

And then came Maine, again. The Black Bears got a run in the top half of the first; the Crimson came back with a score in the bottom half. Maine tallied once in the second; Harvard again tied the score. It was 3-3 after seven, and it looked like the Crimson might survive another day. But Black Bear third baseman Bill Reynolds' solo shot in the eighth was just too much. Harvard went hitless the final two innings.

The 4-3 setback sent the Crimson home disappointed. But though the seven seniors who led the squad graduate tomorrow without a trip to Omaha under their belts, they will have two Eastern League titles in four years. And the knowledge that they played on a team that wouldn't quit.