B.C., Darkness Beat Batsmen

For those of you who adhere to the philosophy that "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game," yesterday's Harvard-Boston College baseball doubleheader at Soldiers field is for you.

It is known that B.C. came charging from behind to knock off the Crimson in the first game, 10-8, which was marred by Harvard errors. It is not known, however, who won the nightcap. Neither the players, nor managers or even fans.

The uncertainty began on a day that seemed perfectly tailored for baseball-sunny skies and seventy-degree temperatures--and came to an end under a setting sun at 6 p.m.

Blame this one on nature.

As the sun was descending, Harvard southpaw Tom Hurley took a 4-2 lead to the mound to start the seventh inning. He needed to retire only the Eagles ninth, leadoff and second batters to avenge the Crimson's loss in the day's opener.

Hurley caught B.C. catcher Jerry Varnum, the ninth hitter, looking at a called third strike to open the inning. He then worked the count full before issuing a walk to Mike Martin.

With the sun rapidly dimming, the Eagles Dave Fraser knocked a Hurley offering over the right field fence to tie the game. Or so it seemed.

After Hurley struck out Brian Kelley, first baseman Chris Taylor doubled, which brought out Harvard Coach Leigh Hogan to the mound.

Hogan's twilight trip did not end with a pitching change, but with the umpires' decision to call the game on account of darkness.

Dark Rule

Under official NCAA regulations, when games are called on account of darkness, the score reverts back to that of the end of the previous inning. According to the NCAA, Harvard would have won a six-inning contest, 4-2.

That is the NCAA rule, which will hold unless the league to which the Crimson and Eagles belong has its own regulation. In that event, it would become unclear who won, because Harvard and B.C. play under the auspices of the Greater Boston League--which has never had any "clear policy" concerning games called on account of darkness, according to Hogan.

The coaches of the GBL--which also includes Boston University, Northeastern, Tufts, Brandeis and MIT--would have to vote to make the teams finish the game, according to Hogan. But for now, the outcome is "not conclusive," he said.

But this much is known: Harvard starter Tom Hurley gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning, before settling into a groove that lasted until the ill-fated seventh. From the second to the sixth inning, Hurley shut out the Eagles, allowing only three hits while striking out two.

Offensively, the Crimson did its job, scraping together one run each in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. But then the sun started its descent.

Opening Miscues

Four errors in the first game enabled the Eagles to rally from a two-run deficit in the sixth inning and overtake the Crimson, spoiling a fine pitching performance by freshman Mike Giardi.

"Mike Giardi should have won that game 8-2," Hogan said.

But that possibility was shot by the second inning, when three singles and an error led to four Boston College runs that erased an early 1-0 Harvard lead.

The Crimson rallied for two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Harvard eventually took a 7-5 lead after four innings on the strength of its four-run fourth.

Shortstop Eric Weissman was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Jim Mrowka singled to put runners on first and second. Mike Hill then sacrificed both runners along, which set the stage for Marcel Durand's base-hit that scored two runs. The Crimson knocked home two more runs on Dan Scanlan's triple and Nick DelVecchio's double.

Both teams picked up a run in the fifth. But for the Crimson, that was all the runs it could muster.

The Eagles, however, were not through. B.C. scored twice in the sixth to tie the game, and went ahead, 9-8, on a wind-aided Andrew Brown home run to left center. Harvard reliever Chris Kenaszchuk, who came on in the sixth inning, picked up the loss.