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Baseball Two Games Up in Rolfe
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--So much for the upstarts from Providence.
The Harvard baseball team took three giant steps toward its fourth straight Red Rolfe Division title this weekend, grabbing three of a four-game set with second-place Brown (19-15, 11-5 Ivy).
The Crimson (21-13, 13-3) got bulldog wins from yesterday's starters, freshman Ben Crockett and senior Donny Jamieson, plus a monster weekend from junior designated hitter Jeff Bridich, who was 9-for-16 with eight RBI and five runs scored. Bridich improved his average to a cool .400. HARVARD 15 BROWN 12 Harvard also moved into sole possession of first place in the Rolfe and reduced its magic number to three. Harvard plays a home-and-home series with Dartmouth next weekend, while Brown does the same with Yale. "Anytime we're in a weekend series with the guys on the bump we've got, we feel we have the advantage," said Harvard Coach Joe Walsh. "We got great performances from Crockett and Jamieson, we had Garett Vail coming back with a nice outing after X'ing out early on Saturday." Harvard 6, Brown 2 In an anticlimactic finish, Harvard touched Bear starter Graeme Brown (2-3) for three runs in the third and never looked back, riding Jamieson's strong start and senior righthander Garett Vail's redemptive relief outing to a 6-2 win in yesterday's nightcap. In the third, freshman second baseman Faiz Shakir reached on an error and moved over on a groundout and an infield single from captain Hal Carey before a walk to senior center fielder Andrew Huling loaded the bases. HARVARD 10 BROWN 5 Brown then caught junior first baseman Erik Binkowski with a fastball in the ribcage to force in the game's first run. A fielder's choice by senior catcher Jason Keck and an RBI single into left by Bridich quickly made it 3-0. Brown got two gift-wrapped runs back in the third, packaging three Harvard errors--two by Carey and one by Bridich, who was playing left--with an RBI single by second baseman Jeff Lawler to close to 3-2. But the Crimson extended its lead to 5-2 in the fifth on Bridich's sacrifice fly and sophomore right fielder Scott Carmack's run-scoring single up the middle. "This was a big weekend for us, and I was lucky enough to be in situations where I was up with men on base," Bridich said. "I've been seeing the ball real well and I've had a lot of confidence at the plate." Jamieson (4-0) notched his third straight Sunday afternoon win, with an assist from Saturday starter Vail, who spelled him during a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth. Jamieson worked 4.2 innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits and four walks. He helped his own cause by picking off second baseman Jeff Lawler in the first and starting a slick 1-4-3 double play in the fourth. Vail came on with two outs and the sacks stacked in the fifth, and got left fielder Darren Merten, the hero of Saturday's nightcap, to ground out to second. "I came in with a different mindset today," Vail said. "I didn't have to worry about pacing myself so much, since I knew I was only throwing at most three innings." Vail shut out the Bears for 2.1 to pick up his staff-best second save to the season. Harvard got bulk production from the 4-5-6 hitters in its lineup: Binkowski was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Bridich 3-for-3 with three RBI. Harvard 10, Brown 5 The Crimson roughed up Brown ace John Sunderdick for five runs in the top of the first then rode out two late Bear rallies to post a 10-5 win in yesterday's opener. Sunderdick (6-1) entered yesterday's action at 6-0 with a 2.32 ERA but didn't "We knew Sunderdick would be tough, but wedidn't think he was over powering," Walsh said."We stayed disciplined and didn't chase badpitches and we were fine." Huling started the barrage with an RBI singlethat scored Mager, who had led off the ballgamewith a double. After a single by Binkowski and awalk to Keck, Bridich sliced a two-run single tocenter field for a 3-0 lead. Carmack and sophomore left fielder John Portmanfollowed with back-to-back RBI hits to make it5-0. Harvard added three more in the third, asPortman delivered a two-run single and Shakir'sdouble-play groundout scored Carmack. That early 8-0 advantage was more than enoughfor freshman righthander Ben Crockett (3-1), whowas opportunistic without his best stuff until heran into problems in the sixth. Crockett faced just two over the minimumthrough five and did not allow a Brown batter toreach second base until catcher Greg Metzgerdoubled to lead off the sixth. A three-run home run by Lawler three batterslater broke up Crockett's shutout and made it10-3. Crockett's surrendered a second long ball,this one to center fielder Todd Iarussi, to leadoff the seventh. "[Lawler]'s home run, that was a fastballinside, and I guess he must have been looking forit because he just turned on it," Crockett said."[To Iarussi], I left a curve up high over theplate." Crockett worked 6.1 innings and allowed fourearned runs on six hits, striking out just two. "I don't think the deuce was quite as strongtoday, and that's my strikeout pitch," Crockettsaid. "That forced me to use more two-seamers,which is what got me all those ground ball outs." Crockett recorded 13 ground ball outs, in sharpcontrast to his last two starts. He fanned sevenagainst Yale and eight against Cornell. Portman led the Crimson with three RBI,finishing 2-for-4, while Bridich was 2-for-4 withtwo RBI and two runs scored. Brown 4, Harvard 3 (8 innings) Harvard starter John Birtwell had struck outDarren Merten swinging in each of his first threeat-bats in Saturday's nightcap. Merten waiteduntil extra innings to take his revenge. After a leadoff triple by DeYoung in the bottomof the eighth, Merten punched a game-winningsingle through the right side of a drawn-ininfield, breaking a 3-3 tie that had lasted sincethe top of the third and giving Brown a 4-3 win. Birtwell (3-3) sustained his first Ivy loss ofthe season and only the second of his career,surrendering three earned runs on 10 hits in acomplete-game effort. He struck out six andretired 10 men in a row leading up to the eighth. Harvard threatened, putting the go-ahead run onsecond base with one out in both the seventh andthe eighth, but could not convert on eitheropportunity. Brown starter Jim Johnson (5-0) squashed heseventh-inning rally when he stabbed a come-backerby Carey and induced Woodfork to pop up, strandingpinch runner Joe Llanes on second. In the eighth, Johnson worked out of afirst-and-second, one-out predicament by pickingBinkowski off second and striking out Carmack. Johnson finished with three earned runs oneight innings. The Crimson trailed 2-0 after a sloppy first inwhich a booted ground ball by Mager and asacrifice fly by DeYoung allowed the Bears a pairof cheap runs. But Mager atoned for his fielding miscue bylashing a two-out, two-run single into left in thesecond. It was his only hit of the day, to goalong with three sacrifices. After a Kantrovitz sacrifice fly in the secondmade it 3-2, Keck lined an RBI single up themiddle to score Woodfork with the tying run in thethird. Harvard 15, Brown 12 In a game that seemed at times like a repriseof its 18-16 win over Penn in its Ivy opener, theCrimson used a 10-run fifth inning to take thelead then rode out Brown's five-spot in theseventh to take Saturday's opener 15-12. Huling delivered a two-run single, Binkowski athree-run double and Bridich a three-run home runduring the binge, which lasted 45 minutes and saw13 Harvard batters step in against three Bearpitchers. "Bridich got a couple of big hits for us",Walsh said. "He's given us some spark with the batand great wheels on the basepath. He's gone from aguy who wasn't expected to be an everyday playerto a guy who, every time up, is in an RBIsituation, and we feel confident with him there." Brown starter Jamie Grillo (3-3) entered thefifth with a comfortable 5-1 lead, supplied by anearly ambush of senior righthander Garett Vail. But Grillo ran out of gas and got grilled,allowing the only five batters he faced in theframe to reach base safely. The Crimson put itsfirst seven on base in the inning, and they allscored. Singles by San Salvador and Carey sandwichedaround a walk to Bridich loaded the bases forHuling, who slapped a two-run single to right. Awalk to Woodfork ended Grillo's day, as hefinished with five earned runs on five hitsthrough four. Keck then blooped an RBI single to right togreet reliever Brian Chase, and Binkowski followedby driving a bases-clearing double to straightawaycenter field for a 6-5 lead. Carmack's RBI single two batters later wasevidently more than Chase could stomach, as heplunked freshman Josh San Salvador, the lastbatter he faced. Bridich then drilled a three-run home run tocenter off Bryant Romo, and the Crimson's lead wasintact at 11-5. "I love it!" Bridich said. "It's definitelysomething to take pride in when you can come up inthat situation and greet a pitcher like that. It'snot something I was consciously thinking about,but it's nice to do." The double-digit explosion took some of thesting out of rough outing for two of the Crimson'susual aces, Vail and junior reliever Derek Lennon,both of whom got roughed up. Vail surrendered fiveearned runs in a short 2.1-inning stint, whileLennon was stuck with seven earned runs on sixhits through 2.1. Sophomore Mike Dryden (1-1), who relieved Vailin the third, earned the vulture win, going 1.2shutout innings while allowing just two hits andstriking out two. Brown would threaten again in the seventh,scoring five off Lennon and bringing DeYoung tothe plate representing the tying run, but Jamiesoncoaxed him into a lazy fly-out for his firstsave--only Harvard's second--of the season. Binkowski had a strong series opener, going3-for-5 with five RBI after knocking in two with abloop single in the sixth. Huling was 3-for-4 withthree RBI and two runs scored, and Keck was3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.
Harvard also moved into sole possession of first place in the Rolfe and reduced its magic number to three. Harvard plays a home-and-home series with Dartmouth next weekend, while Brown does the same with Yale.
"Anytime we're in a weekend series with the guys on the bump we've got, we feel we have the advantage," said Harvard Coach Joe Walsh. "We got great performances from Crockett and Jamieson, we had Garett Vail coming back with a nice outing after X'ing out early on Saturday."
Harvard 6, Brown 2
In an anticlimactic finish, Harvard touched Bear starter Graeme Brown (2-3) for three runs in the third and never looked back, riding Jamieson's strong start and senior righthander Garett Vail's redemptive relief outing to a 6-2 win in yesterday's nightcap.
In the third, freshman second baseman Faiz Shakir reached on an error and moved over on a groundout and an infield single from captain Hal Carey before a walk to senior center fielder Andrew Huling loaded the bases. HARVARD 10 BROWN 5 Brown then caught junior first baseman Erik Binkowski with a fastball in the ribcage to force in the game's first run. A fielder's choice by senior catcher Jason Keck and an RBI single into left by Bridich quickly made it 3-0. Brown got two gift-wrapped runs back in the third, packaging three Harvard errors--two by Carey and one by Bridich, who was playing left--with an RBI single by second baseman Jeff Lawler to close to 3-2. But the Crimson extended its lead to 5-2 in the fifth on Bridich's sacrifice fly and sophomore right fielder Scott Carmack's run-scoring single up the middle. "This was a big weekend for us, and I was lucky enough to be in situations where I was up with men on base," Bridich said. "I've been seeing the ball real well and I've had a lot of confidence at the plate." Jamieson (4-0) notched his third straight Sunday afternoon win, with an assist from Saturday starter Vail, who spelled him during a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth. Jamieson worked 4.2 innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits and four walks. He helped his own cause by picking off second baseman Jeff Lawler in the first and starting a slick 1-4-3 double play in the fourth. Vail came on with two outs and the sacks stacked in the fifth, and got left fielder Darren Merten, the hero of Saturday's nightcap, to ground out to second. "I came in with a different mindset today," Vail said. "I didn't have to worry about pacing myself so much, since I knew I was only throwing at most three innings." Vail shut out the Bears for 2.1 to pick up his staff-best second save to the season. Harvard got bulk production from the 4-5-6 hitters in its lineup: Binkowski was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Bridich 3-for-3 with three RBI. Harvard 10, Brown 5 The Crimson roughed up Brown ace John Sunderdick for five runs in the top of the first then rode out two late Bear rallies to post a 10-5 win in yesterday's opener. Sunderdick (6-1) entered yesterday's action at 6-0 with a 2.32 ERA but didn't "We knew Sunderdick would be tough, but wedidn't think he was over powering," Walsh said."We stayed disciplined and didn't chase badpitches and we were fine." Huling started the barrage with an RBI singlethat scored Mager, who had led off the ballgamewith a double. After a single by Binkowski and awalk to Keck, Bridich sliced a two-run single tocenter field for a 3-0 lead. Carmack and sophomore left fielder John Portmanfollowed with back-to-back RBI hits to make it5-0. Harvard added three more in the third, asPortman delivered a two-run single and Shakir'sdouble-play groundout scored Carmack. That early 8-0 advantage was more than enoughfor freshman righthander Ben Crockett (3-1), whowas opportunistic without his best stuff until heran into problems in the sixth. Crockett faced just two over the minimumthrough five and did not allow a Brown batter toreach second base until catcher Greg Metzgerdoubled to lead off the sixth. A three-run home run by Lawler three batterslater broke up Crockett's shutout and made it10-3. Crockett's surrendered a second long ball,this one to center fielder Todd Iarussi, to leadoff the seventh. "[Lawler]'s home run, that was a fastballinside, and I guess he must have been looking forit because he just turned on it," Crockett said."[To Iarussi], I left a curve up high over theplate." Crockett worked 6.1 innings and allowed fourearned runs on six hits, striking out just two. "I don't think the deuce was quite as strongtoday, and that's my strikeout pitch," Crockettsaid. "That forced me to use more two-seamers,which is what got me all those ground ball outs." Crockett recorded 13 ground ball outs, in sharpcontrast to his last two starts. He fanned sevenagainst Yale and eight against Cornell. Portman led the Crimson with three RBI,finishing 2-for-4, while Bridich was 2-for-4 withtwo RBI and two runs scored. Brown 4, Harvard 3 (8 innings) Harvard starter John Birtwell had struck outDarren Merten swinging in each of his first threeat-bats in Saturday's nightcap. Merten waiteduntil extra innings to take his revenge. After a leadoff triple by DeYoung in the bottomof the eighth, Merten punched a game-winningsingle through the right side of a drawn-ininfield, breaking a 3-3 tie that had lasted sincethe top of the third and giving Brown a 4-3 win. Birtwell (3-3) sustained his first Ivy loss ofthe season and only the second of his career,surrendering three earned runs on 10 hits in acomplete-game effort. He struck out six andretired 10 men in a row leading up to the eighth. Harvard threatened, putting the go-ahead run onsecond base with one out in both the seventh andthe eighth, but could not convert on eitheropportunity. Brown starter Jim Johnson (5-0) squashed heseventh-inning rally when he stabbed a come-backerby Carey and induced Woodfork to pop up, strandingpinch runner Joe Llanes on second. In the eighth, Johnson worked out of afirst-and-second, one-out predicament by pickingBinkowski off second and striking out Carmack. Johnson finished with three earned runs oneight innings. The Crimson trailed 2-0 after a sloppy first inwhich a booted ground ball by Mager and asacrifice fly by DeYoung allowed the Bears a pairof cheap runs. But Mager atoned for his fielding miscue bylashing a two-out, two-run single into left in thesecond. It was his only hit of the day, to goalong with three sacrifices. After a Kantrovitz sacrifice fly in the secondmade it 3-2, Keck lined an RBI single up themiddle to score Woodfork with the tying run in thethird. Harvard 15, Brown 12 In a game that seemed at times like a repriseof its 18-16 win over Penn in its Ivy opener, theCrimson used a 10-run fifth inning to take thelead then rode out Brown's five-spot in theseventh to take Saturday's opener 15-12. Huling delivered a two-run single, Binkowski athree-run double and Bridich a three-run home runduring the binge, which lasted 45 minutes and saw13 Harvard batters step in against three Bearpitchers. "Bridich got a couple of big hits for us",Walsh said. "He's given us some spark with the batand great wheels on the basepath. He's gone from aguy who wasn't expected to be an everyday playerto a guy who, every time up, is in an RBIsituation, and we feel confident with him there." Brown starter Jamie Grillo (3-3) entered thefifth with a comfortable 5-1 lead, supplied by anearly ambush of senior righthander Garett Vail. But Grillo ran out of gas and got grilled,allowing the only five batters he faced in theframe to reach base safely. The Crimson put itsfirst seven on base in the inning, and they allscored. Singles by San Salvador and Carey sandwichedaround a walk to Bridich loaded the bases forHuling, who slapped a two-run single to right. Awalk to Woodfork ended Grillo's day, as hefinished with five earned runs on five hitsthrough four. Keck then blooped an RBI single to right togreet reliever Brian Chase, and Binkowski followedby driving a bases-clearing double to straightawaycenter field for a 6-5 lead. Carmack's RBI single two batters later wasevidently more than Chase could stomach, as heplunked freshman Josh San Salvador, the lastbatter he faced. Bridich then drilled a three-run home run tocenter off Bryant Romo, and the Crimson's lead wasintact at 11-5. "I love it!" Bridich said. "It's definitelysomething to take pride in when you can come up inthat situation and greet a pitcher like that. It'snot something I was consciously thinking about,but it's nice to do." The double-digit explosion took some of thesting out of rough outing for two of the Crimson'susual aces, Vail and junior reliever Derek Lennon,both of whom got roughed up. Vail surrendered fiveearned runs in a short 2.1-inning stint, whileLennon was stuck with seven earned runs on sixhits through 2.1. Sophomore Mike Dryden (1-1), who relieved Vailin the third, earned the vulture win, going 1.2shutout innings while allowing just two hits andstriking out two. Brown would threaten again in the seventh,scoring five off Lennon and bringing DeYoung tothe plate representing the tying run, but Jamiesoncoaxed him into a lazy fly-out for his firstsave--only Harvard's second--of the season. Binkowski had a strong series opener, going3-for-5 with five RBI after knocking in two with abloop single in the sixth. Huling was 3-for-4 withthree RBI and two runs scored, and Keck was3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.
Brown then caught junior first baseman Erik Binkowski with a fastball in the ribcage to force in the game's first run.
A fielder's choice by senior catcher Jason Keck and an RBI single into left by Bridich quickly made it 3-0.
Brown got two gift-wrapped runs back in the third, packaging three Harvard errors--two by Carey and one by Bridich, who was playing left--with an RBI single by second baseman Jeff Lawler to close to 3-2.
But the Crimson extended its lead to 5-2 in the fifth on Bridich's sacrifice fly and sophomore right fielder Scott Carmack's run-scoring single up the middle.
"This was a big weekend for us, and I was lucky enough to be in situations where I was up with men on base," Bridich said. "I've been seeing the ball real well and I've had a lot of confidence at the plate."
Jamieson (4-0) notched his third straight Sunday afternoon win, with an assist from Saturday starter Vail, who spelled him during a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth. Jamieson worked 4.2 innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits and four walks.
He helped his own cause by picking off second baseman Jeff Lawler in the first and starting a slick 1-4-3 double play in the fourth.
Vail came on with two outs and the sacks stacked in the fifth, and got left fielder Darren Merten, the hero of Saturday's nightcap, to ground out to second.
"I came in with a different mindset today," Vail said. "I didn't have to worry about pacing myself so much, since I knew I was only throwing at most three innings."
Vail shut out the Bears for 2.1 to pick up his staff-best second save to the season.
Harvard got bulk production from the 4-5-6 hitters in its lineup: Binkowski was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Bridich 3-for-3 with three RBI.
Harvard 10, Brown 5
The Crimson roughed up Brown ace John Sunderdick for five runs in the top of the first then rode out two late Bear rallies to post a 10-5 win in yesterday's opener.
Sunderdick (6-1) entered yesterday's action at 6-0 with a 2.32 ERA but didn't "We knew Sunderdick would be tough, but wedidn't think he was over powering," Walsh said."We stayed disciplined and didn't chase badpitches and we were fine." Huling started the barrage with an RBI singlethat scored Mager, who had led off the ballgamewith a double. After a single by Binkowski and awalk to Keck, Bridich sliced a two-run single tocenter field for a 3-0 lead. Carmack and sophomore left fielder John Portmanfollowed with back-to-back RBI hits to make it5-0. Harvard added three more in the third, asPortman delivered a two-run single and Shakir'sdouble-play groundout scored Carmack. That early 8-0 advantage was more than enoughfor freshman righthander Ben Crockett (3-1), whowas opportunistic without his best stuff until heran into problems in the sixth. Crockett faced just two over the minimumthrough five and did not allow a Brown batter toreach second base until catcher Greg Metzgerdoubled to lead off the sixth. A three-run home run by Lawler three batterslater broke up Crockett's shutout and made it10-3. Crockett's surrendered a second long ball,this one to center fielder Todd Iarussi, to leadoff the seventh. "[Lawler]'s home run, that was a fastballinside, and I guess he must have been looking forit because he just turned on it," Crockett said."[To Iarussi], I left a curve up high over theplate." Crockett worked 6.1 innings and allowed fourearned runs on six hits, striking out just two. "I don't think the deuce was quite as strongtoday, and that's my strikeout pitch," Crockettsaid. "That forced me to use more two-seamers,which is what got me all those ground ball outs." Crockett recorded 13 ground ball outs, in sharpcontrast to his last two starts. He fanned sevenagainst Yale and eight against Cornell. Portman led the Crimson with three RBI,finishing 2-for-4, while Bridich was 2-for-4 withtwo RBI and two runs scored. Brown 4, Harvard 3 (8 innings) Harvard starter John Birtwell had struck outDarren Merten swinging in each of his first threeat-bats in Saturday's nightcap. Merten waiteduntil extra innings to take his revenge. After a leadoff triple by DeYoung in the bottomof the eighth, Merten punched a game-winningsingle through the right side of a drawn-ininfield, breaking a 3-3 tie that had lasted sincethe top of the third and giving Brown a 4-3 win. Birtwell (3-3) sustained his first Ivy loss ofthe season and only the second of his career,surrendering three earned runs on 10 hits in acomplete-game effort. He struck out six andretired 10 men in a row leading up to the eighth. Harvard threatened, putting the go-ahead run onsecond base with one out in both the seventh andthe eighth, but could not convert on eitheropportunity. Brown starter Jim Johnson (5-0) squashed heseventh-inning rally when he stabbed a come-backerby Carey and induced Woodfork to pop up, strandingpinch runner Joe Llanes on second. In the eighth, Johnson worked out of afirst-and-second, one-out predicament by pickingBinkowski off second and striking out Carmack. Johnson finished with three earned runs oneight innings. The Crimson trailed 2-0 after a sloppy first inwhich a booted ground ball by Mager and asacrifice fly by DeYoung allowed the Bears a pairof cheap runs. But Mager atoned for his fielding miscue bylashing a two-out, two-run single into left in thesecond. It was his only hit of the day, to goalong with three sacrifices. After a Kantrovitz sacrifice fly in the secondmade it 3-2, Keck lined an RBI single up themiddle to score Woodfork with the tying run in thethird. Harvard 15, Brown 12 In a game that seemed at times like a repriseof its 18-16 win over Penn in its Ivy opener, theCrimson used a 10-run fifth inning to take thelead then rode out Brown's five-spot in theseventh to take Saturday's opener 15-12. Huling delivered a two-run single, Binkowski athree-run double and Bridich a three-run home runduring the binge, which lasted 45 minutes and saw13 Harvard batters step in against three Bearpitchers. "Bridich got a couple of big hits for us",Walsh said. "He's given us some spark with the batand great wheels on the basepath. He's gone from aguy who wasn't expected to be an everyday playerto a guy who, every time up, is in an RBIsituation, and we feel confident with him there." Brown starter Jamie Grillo (3-3) entered thefifth with a comfortable 5-1 lead, supplied by anearly ambush of senior righthander Garett Vail. But Grillo ran out of gas and got grilled,allowing the only five batters he faced in theframe to reach base safely. The Crimson put itsfirst seven on base in the inning, and they allscored. Singles by San Salvador and Carey sandwichedaround a walk to Bridich loaded the bases forHuling, who slapped a two-run single to right. Awalk to Woodfork ended Grillo's day, as hefinished with five earned runs on five hitsthrough four. Keck then blooped an RBI single to right togreet reliever Brian Chase, and Binkowski followedby driving a bases-clearing double to straightawaycenter field for a 6-5 lead. Carmack's RBI single two batters later wasevidently more than Chase could stomach, as heplunked freshman Josh San Salvador, the lastbatter he faced. Bridich then drilled a three-run home run tocenter off Bryant Romo, and the Crimson's lead wasintact at 11-5. "I love it!" Bridich said. "It's definitelysomething to take pride in when you can come up inthat situation and greet a pitcher like that. It'snot something I was consciously thinking about,but it's nice to do." The double-digit explosion took some of thesting out of rough outing for two of the Crimson'susual aces, Vail and junior reliever Derek Lennon,both of whom got roughed up. Vail surrendered fiveearned runs in a short 2.1-inning stint, whileLennon was stuck with seven earned runs on sixhits through 2.1. Sophomore Mike Dryden (1-1), who relieved Vailin the third, earned the vulture win, going 1.2shutout innings while allowing just two hits andstriking out two. Brown would threaten again in the seventh,scoring five off Lennon and bringing DeYoung tothe plate representing the tying run, but Jamiesoncoaxed him into a lazy fly-out for his firstsave--only Harvard's second--of the season. Binkowski had a strong series opener, going3-for-5 with five RBI after knocking in two with abloop single in the sixth. Huling was 3-for-4 withthree RBI and two runs scored, and Keck was3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.
"We knew Sunderdick would be tough, but wedidn't think he was over powering," Walsh said."We stayed disciplined and didn't chase badpitches and we were fine."
Huling started the barrage with an RBI singlethat scored Mager, who had led off the ballgamewith a double. After a single by Binkowski and awalk to Keck, Bridich sliced a two-run single tocenter field for a 3-0 lead.
Carmack and sophomore left fielder John Portmanfollowed with back-to-back RBI hits to make it5-0.
Harvard added three more in the third, asPortman delivered a two-run single and Shakir'sdouble-play groundout scored Carmack.
That early 8-0 advantage was more than enoughfor freshman righthander Ben Crockett (3-1), whowas opportunistic without his best stuff until heran into problems in the sixth.
Crockett faced just two over the minimumthrough five and did not allow a Brown batter toreach second base until catcher Greg Metzgerdoubled to lead off the sixth.
A three-run home run by Lawler three batterslater broke up Crockett's shutout and made it10-3. Crockett's surrendered a second long ball,this one to center fielder Todd Iarussi, to leadoff the seventh.
"[Lawler]'s home run, that was a fastballinside, and I guess he must have been looking forit because he just turned on it," Crockett said."[To Iarussi], I left a curve up high over theplate."
Crockett worked 6.1 innings and allowed fourearned runs on six hits, striking out just two.
"I don't think the deuce was quite as strongtoday, and that's my strikeout pitch," Crockettsaid. "That forced me to use more two-seamers,which is what got me all those ground ball outs."
Crockett recorded 13 ground ball outs, in sharpcontrast to his last two starts. He fanned sevenagainst Yale and eight against Cornell.
Portman led the Crimson with three RBI,finishing 2-for-4, while Bridich was 2-for-4 withtwo RBI and two runs scored.
Brown 4, Harvard 3 (8 innings)
Harvard starter John Birtwell had struck outDarren Merten swinging in each of his first threeat-bats in Saturday's nightcap. Merten waiteduntil extra innings to take his revenge.
After a leadoff triple by DeYoung in the bottomof the eighth, Merten punched a game-winningsingle through the right side of a drawn-ininfield, breaking a 3-3 tie that had lasted sincethe top of the third and giving Brown a 4-3 win.
Birtwell (3-3) sustained his first Ivy loss ofthe season and only the second of his career,surrendering three earned runs on 10 hits in acomplete-game effort. He struck out six andretired 10 men in a row leading up to the eighth.
Harvard threatened, putting the go-ahead run onsecond base with one out in both the seventh andthe eighth, but could not convert on eitheropportunity.
Brown starter Jim Johnson (5-0) squashed heseventh-inning rally when he stabbed a come-backerby Carey and induced Woodfork to pop up, strandingpinch runner Joe Llanes on second.
In the eighth, Johnson worked out of afirst-and-second, one-out predicament by pickingBinkowski off second and striking out Carmack.
Johnson finished with three earned runs oneight innings.
The Crimson trailed 2-0 after a sloppy first inwhich a booted ground ball by Mager and asacrifice fly by DeYoung allowed the Bears a pairof cheap runs.
But Mager atoned for his fielding miscue bylashing a two-out, two-run single into left in thesecond. It was his only hit of the day, to goalong with three sacrifices.
After a Kantrovitz sacrifice fly in the secondmade it 3-2, Keck lined an RBI single up themiddle to score Woodfork with the tying run in thethird.
Harvard 15, Brown 12
In a game that seemed at times like a repriseof its 18-16 win over Penn in its Ivy opener, theCrimson used a 10-run fifth inning to take thelead then rode out Brown's five-spot in theseventh to take Saturday's opener 15-12.
Huling delivered a two-run single, Binkowski athree-run double and Bridich a three-run home runduring the binge, which lasted 45 minutes and saw13 Harvard batters step in against three Bearpitchers.
"Bridich got a couple of big hits for us",Walsh said. "He's given us some spark with the batand great wheels on the basepath. He's gone from aguy who wasn't expected to be an everyday playerto a guy who, every time up, is in an RBIsituation, and we feel confident with him there."
Brown starter Jamie Grillo (3-3) entered thefifth with a comfortable 5-1 lead, supplied by anearly ambush of senior righthander Garett Vail.
But Grillo ran out of gas and got grilled,allowing the only five batters he faced in theframe to reach base safely. The Crimson put itsfirst seven on base in the inning, and they allscored.
Singles by San Salvador and Carey sandwichedaround a walk to Bridich loaded the bases forHuling, who slapped a two-run single to right. Awalk to Woodfork ended Grillo's day, as hefinished with five earned runs on five hitsthrough four.
Keck then blooped an RBI single to right togreet reliever Brian Chase, and Binkowski followedby driving a bases-clearing double to straightawaycenter field for a 6-5 lead.
Carmack's RBI single two batters later wasevidently more than Chase could stomach, as heplunked freshman Josh San Salvador, the lastbatter he faced.
Bridich then drilled a three-run home run tocenter off Bryant Romo, and the Crimson's lead wasintact at 11-5.
"I love it!" Bridich said. "It's definitelysomething to take pride in when you can come up inthat situation and greet a pitcher like that. It'snot something I was consciously thinking about,but it's nice to do."
The double-digit explosion took some of thesting out of rough outing for two of the Crimson'susual aces, Vail and junior reliever Derek Lennon,both of whom got roughed up. Vail surrendered fiveearned runs in a short 2.1-inning stint, whileLennon was stuck with seven earned runs on sixhits through 2.1.
Sophomore Mike Dryden (1-1), who relieved Vailin the third, earned the vulture win, going 1.2shutout innings while allowing just two hits andstriking out two.
Brown would threaten again in the seventh,scoring five off Lennon and bringing DeYoung tothe plate representing the tying run, but Jamiesoncoaxed him into a lazy fly-out for his firstsave--only Harvard's second--of the season.
Binkowski had a strong series opener, going3-for-5 with five RBI after knocking in two with abloop single in the sixth. Huling was 3-for-4 withthree RBI and two runs scored, and Keck was3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.
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