Batsmen Hose Down Jumbos, 11-4

Five runs in the first two innings and six in the last two gave Harvard an 11-4 victory over Tufts Wednesday in Medford.

After tallying five runs in the first two frames, the Crimson stranded nine baserunners in five scoreless innings.

But with two on and two outs in the top of the eighth, Crimson first baseman Rich Renninger--who struck out with the bases loaded in the sixth--broke the game open, lifting a fastball from Jumbo pitcher Kerry Callaghan well over the right-field fence.

"I wanted to come through after failing the previous time," Renninger said.

Renninger's second homer of the year gave the visiting Crimson an 8-4 lead over the Jumbos.

Harvard added three runs in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk to Dan McConaghy, an error and a wild pitch.

Crimson senior Chris Marchok, who pitched seven innings before giving way to Bob Baxter, improved his record to 4-2. In his last appearance for Harvard, Marchok gave up five hits while notching a season-high 11 strikeouts.

But Marchok also had control problems, issuing six walks. His two wild pitches brought home Jumbo baserunners in the fourth and seventh innings and trimmed Harvard's 5-2 lead to two.

In his two innings of relief, the freshman Baxter surrendered just one hit and no runs, finishing the season with a phenomenal 0.63 ERA.

While Marchok and Baxter were holding Tufts to six hits on the day, it was McConaghy who highlighted the 12-hit Crimson offense. The sophomore centerfielder, who collected four hits in five at-bats, had an RBI single in the first inning and a two-run single in the second.

THE NOTEBOOK: Tufts's five pitchers issued 14 walks to Harvard batters--including three apiece to Dave O'Connell, Renninger, Frank Morelli, and Jim DePalo...The three walks to DePalo gives him 11 in the last four games...Harvard had 14 runners left on base, while Tufts stranded 12.