Batsmen Split Home Opener With NU

The Harvard pitching staff had most of its trouble in the first innings in yesterday's home-opener doubleheader against Northeastern at Soldiers Field.

But trouble is a relative term.

In the first game, in which the Crimson (3-5) edged the Huskies, 2-0, lead-off hitter Jim Caeran singled off Crimson hurler Greg Ubert (1-0). But the righthander recovered to no-hit Northeastern the rest of the way for a complete-game, one-hit victory.

Harvard's staff got into real trouble in the first inning of the nightcap as Rich Renninger (0-1) was tagged for five runs, giving Northeastern (5-8-1) a lead it never relinquished. Four Crimson pitchers allowed 18 base hits and surrendered 12 earned runs as the Huskies won, 13-7.

Ubert, who struck out six batters in seven innings of work, threw a collection of fastballs and sliders to silence the Northeastern bats. After Caeran's single, the junior forced Jim Mulry to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the inning.

The Crimson batsmen were limited to four hits in the first game, but scored the deciding run in the bottom of the first. Designated hitter Tom Konjoyan was hit by Huskie Jim Walker's errant pitch to start the attack. When Walker's pickoff attempt eluded Dan DeVito's stretch at first, Konjoyan advanced to second. Freshman Marcel Durand's single and Co-Captain Frank Caprio's sacrifice fly to deep left field brought Konjoyan home for the only run the Crimson would need.

Caprio's sacrifice was one of the few balls that made it deep against yesterday's strong wind. And while the pitcher's could be confident of keeping the ball in the park, the wind was a mixed blessing to the outfielders who were plagued by elusive pop thes.

Ubert, who walked five in the contest, was threatened only in the second inning, which he opened with a free pass to DeVito. Dan Mahoney struck out and Dave McMullin popped up to left, but Ubert faltered and walked designated hitter Chuck Allard. A throwing error by catcher Frank Morelli moved both runners into scoring position, but Ubert squelched the rally by whiffing Jim Pierce.

"I felt stronger as the game went on," said Ubert. "It was really cold at first, but I started to loosen up."

Firearm

Ubert credited Morelli with calling a great game. In addition to his signal-calling, the Co-Captain also gunned down a pair of runners trying to steal in the same inning.

"I don't have as strong an arm as a lot of other catchers," Morelli said, "but I try to compensate with quickness."

Walker shut down the Crimson over the next two innings, allowing a walk and a couple of pop ups to short right, but Harvard reached the plate again in the third.

Caprio led off with a walk, stole second, and crossed the plate on Freshman Aron Allen's single. Walker stifled the Crimson for the rest of the game, allowing only a bloop single to secondbaseman Bob Bincarousky.

Northeastern 13, Harvard 7

Renninger left first base to make his debut as a starting pitcher for Harvard's depleted staff, but his appearance was abbreviated. The southpaw walked three and gave up three singles without retiring a batter before leaving the game for reliever Jon Biotti.

The freshman fanned Mahoney, but then allowed three singles before getting out of the inning. All told, the Huskies tallied seven runs on five hits in that first half inning.

Huskie hurler Rich Deraney (1-2) manhandled the Crimson for two innings before being pulled for reliever Jamie Doughty. Doughty walked Konjoyan on four pitches to open the third, but escaped the inning unscathed. In the fourth, a shaky Doughty walked five batters, issued a blatant balk, and saw Caeran flub an easy double play. Still, the Crimson could only score two.

Doughty returned for more punishment in the fifth, yielding five more walks and three singles. Allen and Dave O'Connell delivered RBI singles, and Tim Hurley and Casey Cobb both walked with the bases loaded.

Caprio walked and scored in the sixth, but it was not enough to erase the deficit and the five Northeastern runs scored in the last two innings off Freshman Cody Weston and Sophomore sidearmer Vic McGrady.

The Notebook Harvard hosts Boston University at Soldiers Field Sunday at 1 p.m. The Crimson will also hosts Tufts Tuesday.