Baseball Wins Beanpot Consolation

BOSTON--In the bottom of the third inning of yesterday's 7-1 win over Northeastern in the Beanpot consolation game, Erik Binkowski scored the most adventurous run of the afternoon.

After senior catcher Jason Keck lined a single to straightaway center, Binkowski, who had bolted from second on contact, came thundering down the third-base line and attempted a headfirst slide at home plate.

Fully laid out, the junior first baseman came to a screeching stop in the Fenway Park dirt--a full three feet from the dish.

While the throw wended its way from center to the cutoff man, Binkowski, belly to the ground, inched forward and, after two lunges, slapped the plate safely, much to the delight of the rest of the Harvard baseball team, which was watching and chuckling from the dugout steps.

It was a play typical of a relaxed, successful afternoon in which the Crimson (22-14, 13-3 Ivy) strolled around Fenway like it owned the place, dispatching the Huskies (17-14) for the second straight year in Beanpot play.

Harvard used seven pitchers through seven innings, limiting Northeastern to three hits and one unearned run in the first, while striking out eight and walking one.

Senior designated hitter Peter Woodfork lashed three singles in three at-bats, twice delivering two-out RBI. Woodfork had not started since last Saturday's doubleheader against Brown because of a chipped bone in his elbow.

"It's something I've been working through," Woodfork said. "It's definitely affecting me. Sometimes it feels like I'm swinging with one arm. Some at-bats it doesn't bother me, but then I'll get that one swing where it does."

Freshman righthander Ben Crockett (4-1) stumbled upon the win by striking out the side in the second. He became the pitcher of record when Woodfork's RBI single in the bottom of the inning scored junior left fielder Jeff Bridich to give the Crimson a 2-1 lead.

Harvard then used a massive two-out rally in the third to score five more runs, saddling Husky starter Tim Bonehill (0-3) with the loss.

Senior center fielder Andrew Huling started the rally by singling to left and moving over on Bonehill's wild pitch. Binkowski, who finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, powered a double to the left-center field gap to plate Huling, then scored himself on Keck's single to make it 4-1.

With a little help from their friends, the Crimson tacked on three more, as Bridich reached on an infield single and stole second to put runners on second and third.

Sophomore right fielder Scott Carmack drove a routine grounder to short, but as he ranged to his left, shortstop Kevin Kim booted it into the outfield, scoring two.

Woodfork then dropped a run-scoring single into center for the final margin.

"It's really no consolation to take third place," Woodfork said. "This is one of the goals we set at the beginning of every year--win the division, win the Beanpot, win the Ivy League."

Harvard Coach Joe Walsh elected to give everyone in his bullpen a workout, throwing one pitcher in each inning. All worked uneventful frames, and only starter Mike Giampaolo allowed an unearned run in the first, after an error by freshman second baseman Faiz Shakir allowed Kim to score after a two-out triple.

Crockett and sophomore John Franey each struck out the side, while junior Mike Madden and senior Garett Vail breezed through one-two-three frames.

Harvard pitching allowed just Kim's triple and two singles, not allowing a runner to reach second base after the first inning.

The Crimson now turns to more pressing business, namely capturing its fourth straight Red Rolfe Division title. Harvard winds up its league slate with a four-game set against traveling partner Dartmouth (15-20, 8-8). The home-and-home series begins with a doubleheader tomorrow in Hanover and concludes with another twin bill Sunday at O'Donnell Field.

With a two-game lead over second-place Brown (19-15, 11-5), the Crimson's magic number is three. The Bears start a home-and home versus last-place Yale (13-27, 5-11) this afternoon in Providence.

The Big Green, as per usual, sport a hard-hitting, poor-pitching squad with a .314 team batting average and 27 home runs, plus 44 stolen bases in 62 attempts.

Mike Levy paces the squad with a .412 batting average and 28 RBI, while Mike Conway is hitting .346 with 45 hits. Slugger Aaron Meyer, who challenged for the Ivy League Triple Crown last year, is hitting .342 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI.

For once, the Green has sported some success on the hill. Starter Jeff Dutremble is the reigning Ivy League Pitcher of the Week, after tossing a two-hit shutout in last weekend's 5-0 win over Yale in the series opener. Dutremble is 4-2 on the year with a 4.24 ERA, but has issued 27 walks in 46.2 innings.

Other likely Dartmouth starters include John Velosky (1-5, 4.11), Mark Swan (2-3, 5.31) and Conor Brooks (3-3, 6.46). The staff lugs around a 6.00 ERA on the season, and opponents bat a healthy .323 against it.

"Our goal is to clinch as quickly as possible," Woodfork said. "Like any Ivy weekend, it's huge and we want to come out with our best game."

Notes

Senior righthander Andrew Duffell, who has not pitched since an April 3 date at Columbia, threw lightly yesterday and could be available out of the bullpen in this weekend's action.

Binkowski is swinging the hottest stick in the Crimson lineup. He has hit safely in 11 straight games, and over the last six, has gone 10-for-22 with eight RBI and seven runs scored. He has upped his batting average to .339 with three home runs and 29 RBI.

"I'm not a big stats guy, but I know I've hit in a bunch of games," Binkowski said. "I'm seeing the ball really well, seeing it deep and having good at-bats."

Huling is quietly going about his business, leading the squad with a .417 average, five home runs and 44 RBI. He also made a neat snag of a sinking line drive in center field yesterday.

The Huskies' Kim, a senior, broke the school mark for career hits with his triple in the first. He finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.