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Baseball Wins Rolfe, Draws Tigers
Fourth time's charm.
A Saturday doubleheader sweep of traveling partner Dartmouth, coupled with Friday's Brown-Yale split, made the Harvard baseball team Red Rolfe Division champions for the fourth straight season last weekend.
The Crimson (25-15, 16-4 Ivy) took two in Hanover, N.H., 5-3 and 13-7, behind a complete-game win from freshman righthander Ben Crockett and multi-RBI efforts from senior catcher Jason Keck and senior center fielder Andrew Huling.
That sweep mathematically eliminated the second-place Bears and ensured that Harvard would meet Lou Gehrig Division champions Princeton (24-17, 15-5) in a best-of-three series next weekend in Cambridge for the right to advance to the 64-team field of the NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson and the Tigers have matched up in the last four Ivy Championship Series.
"It's definitely big," said Harvard Assistant Coach Gary Donovan, who assumed managing duties for Coach Joe Walsh yesterday. "It's the first step in the series of goals we set at the beginning of the season, but now winning the Ivy League is next."
Harvard split yesterday's doubleheader at O'Donnell Field, dropping the opener, 4-1, before bouncing back with John Birtwell's 9-0 win in the nightcap.
Harvard 9, Dartmouth 0
Dartmouth was lucky to catch John Birtwell on an off day. Off, that is, because he managed to walk somebody.
The sophomore righthander, who has 48 strikeouts against eight walks this season, threw six shutout innings, scattering three singles while striking out seven and walking one, en route to a 9-0 win.
"I didn't have my best stuff today, and I haven't been feeling like myself all week," Birtwell said. "I didn't feel like I had any pop in my ball. Last week at Brown, I had to rely on junk, and today I threw a lot of changeups and tried to take something off my breaking ball."
Harvard broke open a 3-0 game with five runs in the bottom of the fifth, one off starter Damien Roomets (2-2) and four off reliever Jon Miller.
After a one-out double by captain Hal Carey chased Roomets, Huling drove an RBI single to right for a 4-0 lead. Senior catcher Jason Keck singled and stole second, putting runners at second and third for senior second baseman Peter Woodfork.
Woodfork got fooled and hit a number back to the mound, but Miller slipped as he fielded it, and instead of going to first, fired wildly to the plate. As the ball trickled toward the Big Green dugout, Huling and Keck scored, making it 6-0.
Junior Jeff Bridich and freshman Josh San Salvador followed with back-to-back RBIhits, ending Miller's afternoon. He surrenderedbase hits to all five batters he faced and allowedfour earned runs. Senior righthander Andrew Duffell, who had notpitched since sustaining an elbow sprain April 3at Columbia, threw the seventh inning. He workedwithout incident, collecting three groundball outsand walking one. "I though DUffell had surprisingly good pop forsomebody who hasn't pitched in a month", Donovansaid. "I wish I could have gotten him two inningstoday. He's a senior who's been around, and he'sgoing to help us out". Birtwell was originally intended to pitch onlyfive innings but worked the sixth because hispitch count was low, Donovan said. "Duffell looked great", Keck said. "He wasthrowing hard, he had command of all three pitchesand we don't expect him to have any more problems. Dartmouth 4, Harvard 1 A rare middle-relief lapse cost the Crimsonyesterday's opener, as Harvard surrendered fourruns on a pair of home runs by Dartmouth centerfielder James Little in the sixth and seventhinnings. Senior starter Garett Vail worked five shutoutinnings, striking out seven and walking just one.Vail battled especially hard in the fifth,Striking out the side after allowing a leadoffdouble. But Vail felt a twinges in his right elbowafter closing out the frame and did not take themound for the sixth. "That was primarily a precautionary measure",Donovan said. "We didn't want to lose Vail, sincehe's our No. 1 starter, and he was only slated togo five innings anyway". Vail exited with a 1-0 lead. But Little took sophomore reliever JohnFraney's first pitch in the sixth inning over theleft-center field wall for a 1-1 tie and struckback again in the seventh, this time off juniorMike Madden (2-3). Madden entered with one out in the seventh andstruck out pinch hitter Derek Draper. But heallowed left fielder Dan Becker to reach on anerror then walked third basenam Mike Conway. Little then connected for his second long ballof the afternoon, tagging Madden to the left-fieldpower alley for a 4-1 Dartmouth lead. Big Green starter Conor Brooks (4-3) finishedwhat he started in an uneventful seventh, becomingonly the third Ivy League pitcher to beat theBrown's Jim Johnson and Princeton's Chris Youngare the others. Brooks sported good location on his fastballall game and got ahead in virtually every count.He scattered six hits while striking out eight andwalking one. "Brooks painted the corners, he threw strikesand he got ahead", said sophomore right fielderJohn Portman, who drove in the Crimson's only runof the game on a double in the second. "I don'tremember his being behind to anybody in the lastcouple of innings". The Crimson squandered at least two goodrun-scoring opportunities. It had runners onsecond and third with no outs in the first butcame up empty after a lineout and two strikeouts. In the fourth, Bridich tripled to right withone out but did not score. Harvard left seven onbase, including five in scoring position, for thegame. "Give Brooks credit", Donovan said. "He hadgreat location and good pop on his fastball, butwe left guys on base, and that ended up pinchingis in the butt". Harvard 13, Dartmouth 7 In a 20-run, 24-hit slugfest, Huling and Keckcombined for six hits and seven RBI as Harvardclinched its fourth straight Rolfe crown. Huling, who leads the squad with a .422 battingaverage, five home runs and 50 RBI, went 3-for-4with three runs scored and three RBI, including athree-run double during a four-run fifth inning. "Huling's been doing the job all year" Kecksaid. "In our lineup, it's somebody differentevery day". Keck, who has struggled at the plate, was3-for-4 with four RBI and pulled his average up to.305 by the weekend's conclusion. Harvard trailed 7-6 entering the sixth butstrung together five runs off Dartmouth relieversNick Ratliff (2-1)and Bernard Mauricia. Back-to-back extra-base hits--a triple fromsophomore right fielder Scott Carmack and an RBIdouble from freshman shortstop Mark Mager--led offthe inning and tied the game, 7-7. Carey drove inthe go-ahead run on a fielder's choice. Twobatters later, freshman second baseman Faiz Shakirsingled him in for a 9-7 lead. Shakir, who is batting .368 in limited duty,was 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored. A fielder's choice by junior first baseman ErikBinkowski and an RBI single by Keck closed thescoring. "It's been a long time since I've driven insome runs", Keck said. "It was a situation wherewe needed to pick up some runs, and I was up intwo-out situations and up with runners in scoringposition. I was happy to be up then and happy todrive those runs in". The Crimson tacked on two more in the seventh,getting RBI singles from Carey and Shakir. Freshman shortstop MarkMager, who dropped downto eighth in the order for both games ofSaturday's doubleheader, was 3-for-3 with threeruns scored. Madden worked the fifth to get the win inrelief. Harvard 5, Dartmouth 3 Fab freshman Ben Crockett earned his second winin three days in Saturday's opener, only he had towork a little harder for this one. After picking up a one-inning vulture win inThursday's Beanpot consolation game, Crocket (5-1)went the distance in Saturday's opener. allowingthree earned runs on nine hits, striking out eightand walking none. Crockett's ERA improved to 4.91, and he has 40stikeouts against five walks on the season. "Crockett was all fastballs and curveballs atthe knees", Keck said. "And he was dropping down,too, throwing what we nicknamed 'The Bull.' It's asidearm fastball that starts behind righthanders andends up on the outside corner, so we were having alot of fun with that". As in the nightcap, Keck and Huling did thedamage at the plate. Keck sliced a two-run singlein the first, and Huling HARVARD, 5-3at Red Rolfe Field, Hanover, N.H. R H EHarvard 200 100 2 - 5 8 0Dartmouth 200 000 1 - 3 9 1 HR:Dartmouth--Nickerson(5). 3B:Dartmouth-Levy(2).2B: Harvard--Portman (2)Dartmouth--Meyer(10)E:Nickerson (16)WP:Crockett(5-1);LP:Swan (2-4) R H EHarvard 200 045 2 - 13 14 2Dartmouth 220 030 0 - 7 10 2 HR:None.3B:Harvard-Carmack (1).2B:Harvard--Huling (13),Keck (7), Carmack (5),Mager(7);Dartmouth--Conway (10), Little (11),Meyer (11), Nickerson (7)E:Harvard--Keck(3),Carmack (1);Dartmouth--Dieckmann (3),Rockers(9).WP:Madden (2-2); LP:Ratliff (2-1)drove in two insurance runs with a seventh-inningsingle. The Crimson and the Big Green traded two-spotsin the first, with catcher Mike Levy and firstbaseman Aaron Meyer supplying consecutive RBI baseknocks. Harvard scrapped the go-ahead run in thefourth, when Carmack worked a two-out walk offDartmouth starter Mark Swan (2-4). In a typicalexample of aggressive Harvard baserunning, Carmackstole second to move into scoring position, andMager followed by dropping a run-scoring singleinto right field for a 3-2 lead. Swan worked a complete game of his own,allowing three earned runs on eight hits, walkingtwo and fanning three. DARTMOUTH, 4-1at O'DonnellField R H EDartmouth 000 001 3 - 4 8 1Harvard 010 000 0 - 3 6 1 HR:Dartmouth--Little2(5).3B:Harvard--Bridich (2). 2B:Dartmouth--Little (12),Levy(9),Rockers (8); Harvard--Carey(8), Portman(3).E:Dartmouth--Rockers (10);Harvard-Carey(11).WP:Brooks (4-3); LP:Madden (2-3) HARVARD, 9-0at O'Donnel Field R H E Dartmouth 000 000 0 - 0 3 3Harvard 012 051 x - 9 13 1 HR:Harvard-CArey(3).3B:None.2B:Harvard--Carey(9), Huling (14),Bridich (3),SanSalvador (),Prtman(4)E:Dartmouth--Conway, Rockers, Miller;Harvard--Birtwell.WP:Birtwell (4-3)LP: Roomets (2-2)
San Salvador followed with back-to-back RBIhits, ending Miller's afternoon. He surrenderedbase hits to all five batters he faced and allowedfour earned runs.
Senior righthander Andrew Duffell, who had notpitched since sustaining an elbow sprain April 3at Columbia, threw the seventh inning. He workedwithout incident, collecting three groundball outsand walking one.
"I though DUffell had surprisingly good pop forsomebody who hasn't pitched in a month", Donovansaid. "I wish I could have gotten him two inningstoday. He's a senior who's been around, and he'sgoing to help us out".
Birtwell was originally intended to pitch onlyfive innings but worked the sixth because hispitch count was low, Donovan said.
"Duffell looked great", Keck said. "He wasthrowing hard, he had command of all three pitchesand we don't expect him to have any more problems.
Dartmouth 4, Harvard 1
A rare middle-relief lapse cost the Crimsonyesterday's opener, as Harvard surrendered fourruns on a pair of home runs by Dartmouth centerfielder James Little in the sixth and seventhinnings.
Senior starter Garett Vail worked five shutoutinnings, striking out seven and walking just one.Vail battled especially hard in the fifth,Striking out the side after allowing a leadoffdouble.
But Vail felt a twinges in his right elbowafter closing out the frame and did not take themound for the sixth.
"That was primarily a precautionary measure",Donovan said. "We didn't want to lose Vail, sincehe's our No. 1 starter, and he was only slated togo five innings anyway".
Vail exited with a 1-0 lead.
But Little took sophomore reliever JohnFraney's first pitch in the sixth inning over theleft-center field wall for a 1-1 tie and struckback again in the seventh, this time off juniorMike Madden (2-3).
Madden entered with one out in the seventh andstruck out pinch hitter Derek Draper. But heallowed left fielder Dan Becker to reach on anerror then walked third basenam Mike Conway.
Little then connected for his second long ballof the afternoon, tagging Madden to the left-fieldpower alley for a 4-1 Dartmouth lead.
Big Green starter Conor Brooks (4-3) finishedwhat he started in an uneventful seventh, becomingonly the third Ivy League pitcher to beat theBrown's Jim Johnson and Princeton's Chris Youngare the others.
Brooks sported good location on his fastballall game and got ahead in virtually every count.He scattered six hits while striking out eight andwalking one.
"Brooks painted the corners, he threw strikesand he got ahead", said sophomore right fielderJohn Portman, who drove in the Crimson's only runof the game on a double in the second. "I don'tremember his being behind to anybody in the lastcouple of innings".
The Crimson squandered at least two goodrun-scoring opportunities. It had runners onsecond and third with no outs in the first butcame up empty after a lineout and two strikeouts.
In the fourth, Bridich tripled to right withone out but did not score. Harvard left seven onbase, including five in scoring position, for thegame.
"Give Brooks credit", Donovan said. "He hadgreat location and good pop on his fastball, butwe left guys on base, and that ended up pinchingis in the butt".
Harvard 13, Dartmouth 7
In a 20-run, 24-hit slugfest, Huling and Keckcombined for six hits and seven RBI as Harvardclinched its fourth straight Rolfe crown.
Huling, who leads the squad with a .422 battingaverage, five home runs and 50 RBI, went 3-for-4with three runs scored and three RBI, including athree-run double during a four-run fifth inning.
"Huling's been doing the job all year" Kecksaid. "In our lineup, it's somebody differentevery day".
Keck, who has struggled at the plate, was3-for-4 with four RBI and pulled his average up to.305 by the weekend's conclusion.
Harvard trailed 7-6 entering the sixth butstrung together five runs off Dartmouth relieversNick Ratliff (2-1)and Bernard Mauricia.
Back-to-back extra-base hits--a triple fromsophomore right fielder Scott Carmack and an RBIdouble from freshman shortstop Mark Mager--led offthe inning and tied the game, 7-7. Carey drove inthe go-ahead run on a fielder's choice. Twobatters later, freshman second baseman Faiz Shakirsingled him in for a 9-7 lead.
Shakir, who is batting .368 in limited duty,was 2-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored.
A fielder's choice by junior first baseman ErikBinkowski and an RBI single by Keck closed thescoring.
"It's been a long time since I've driven insome runs", Keck said. "It was a situation wherewe needed to pick up some runs, and I was up intwo-out situations and up with runners in scoringposition. I was happy to be up then and happy todrive those runs in".
The Crimson tacked on two more in the seventh,getting RBI singles from Carey and Shakir.
Freshman shortstop MarkMager, who dropped downto eighth in the order for both games ofSaturday's doubleheader, was 3-for-3 with threeruns scored.
Madden worked the fifth to get the win inrelief.
Harvard 5, Dartmouth 3
Fab freshman Ben Crockett earned his second winin three days in Saturday's opener, only he had towork a little harder for this one.
After picking up a one-inning vulture win inThursday's Beanpot consolation game, Crocket (5-1)went the distance in Saturday's opener. allowingthree earned runs on nine hits, striking out eightand walking none.
Crockett's ERA improved to 4.91, and he has 40stikeouts against five walks on the season.
"Crockett was all fastballs and curveballs atthe knees", Keck said. "And he was dropping down,too, throwing what we nicknamed 'The Bull.' It's asidearm fastball that starts behind righthanders andends up on the outside corner, so we were having alot of fun with that".
As in the nightcap, Keck and Huling did thedamage at the plate. Keck sliced a two-run singlein the first, and Huling
HARVARD, 5-3at Red Rolfe Field, Hanover, N.H. R H EHarvard 200 100 2 - 5 8 0Dartmouth 200 000 1 - 3 9 1
HR:Dartmouth--Nickerson(5). 3B:Dartmouth-Levy(2).2B: Harvard--Portman (2)Dartmouth--Meyer(10)E:Nickerson (16)WP:Crockett(5-1);LP:Swan (2-4) R H EHarvard 200 045 2 - 13 14 2Dartmouth 220 030 0 - 7 10 2 HR:None.3B:Harvard-Carmack (1).2B:Harvard--Huling (13),Keck (7), Carmack (5),Mager(7);Dartmouth--Conway (10), Little (11),Meyer (11), Nickerson (7)E:Harvard--Keck(3),Carmack (1);Dartmouth--Dieckmann (3),Rockers(9).WP:Madden (2-2); LP:Ratliff (2-1)drove in two insurance runs with a seventh-inningsingle. The Crimson and the Big Green traded two-spotsin the first, with catcher Mike Levy and firstbaseman Aaron Meyer supplying consecutive RBI baseknocks. Harvard scrapped the go-ahead run in thefourth, when Carmack worked a two-out walk offDartmouth starter Mark Swan (2-4). In a typicalexample of aggressive Harvard baserunning, Carmackstole second to move into scoring position, andMager followed by dropping a run-scoring singleinto right field for a 3-2 lead. Swan worked a complete game of his own,allowing three earned runs on eight hits, walkingtwo and fanning three. DARTMOUTH, 4-1at O'DonnellField R H EDartmouth 000 001 3 - 4 8 1Harvard 010 000 0 - 3 6 1 HR:Dartmouth--Little2(5).3B:Harvard--Bridich (2). 2B:Dartmouth--Little (12),Levy(9),Rockers (8); Harvard--Carey(8), Portman(3).E:Dartmouth--Rockers (10);Harvard-Carey(11).WP:Brooks (4-3); LP:Madden (2-3) HARVARD, 9-0at O'Donnel Field R H E Dartmouth 000 000 0 - 0 3 3Harvard 012 051 x - 9 13 1 HR:Harvard-CArey(3).3B:None.2B:Harvard--Carey(9), Huling (14),Bridich (3),SanSalvador (),Prtman(4)E:Dartmouth--Conway, Rockers, Miller;Harvard--Birtwell.WP:Birtwell (4-3)LP: Roomets (2-2)
R H EHarvard 200 045 2 - 13 14 2Dartmouth 220 030 0 - 7 10 2
HR:None.3B:Harvard-Carmack (1).2B:Harvard--Huling (13),Keck (7), Carmack (5),Mager(7);Dartmouth--Conway (10), Little (11),Meyer (11), Nickerson (7)E:Harvard--Keck(3),Carmack (1);Dartmouth--Dieckmann (3),Rockers(9).WP:Madden (2-2); LP:Ratliff (2-1)drove in two insurance runs with a seventh-inningsingle.
The Crimson and the Big Green traded two-spotsin the first, with catcher Mike Levy and firstbaseman Aaron Meyer supplying consecutive RBI baseknocks.
Harvard scrapped the go-ahead run in thefourth, when Carmack worked a two-out walk offDartmouth starter Mark Swan (2-4). In a typicalexample of aggressive Harvard baserunning, Carmackstole second to move into scoring position, andMager followed by dropping a run-scoring singleinto right field for a 3-2 lead.
Swan worked a complete game of his own,allowing three earned runs on eight hits, walkingtwo and fanning three. DARTMOUTH, 4-1at O'DonnellField R H EDartmouth 000 001 3 - 4 8 1Harvard 010 000 0 - 3 6 1 HR:Dartmouth--Little2(5).3B:Harvard--Bridich (2). 2B:Dartmouth--Little (12),Levy(9),Rockers (8); Harvard--Carey(8), Portman(3).E:Dartmouth--Rockers (10);Harvard-Carey(11).WP:Brooks (4-3); LP:Madden (2-3) HARVARD, 9-0at O'Donnel Field R H E Dartmouth 000 000 0 - 0 3 3Harvard 012 051 x - 9 13 1 HR:Harvard-CArey(3).3B:None.2B:Harvard--Carey(9), Huling (14),Bridich (3),SanSalvador (),Prtman(4)E:Dartmouth--Conway, Rockers, Miller;Harvard--Birtwell.WP:Birtwell (4-3)LP: Roomets (2-2)
DARTMOUTH, 4-1at O'DonnellField R H EDartmouth 000 001 3 - 4 8 1Harvard 010 000 0 - 3 6 1
HR:Dartmouth--Little2(5).3B:Harvard--Bridich (2). 2B:Dartmouth--Little (12),Levy(9),Rockers (8); Harvard--Carey(8), Portman(3).E:Dartmouth--Rockers (10);Harvard-Carey(11).WP:Brooks (4-3); LP:Madden (2-3) HARVARD, 9-0at O'Donnel Field R H E Dartmouth 000 000 0 - 0 3 3Harvard 012 051 x - 9 13 1 HR:Harvard-CArey(3).3B:None.2B:Harvard--Carey(9), Huling (14),Bridich (3),SanSalvador (),Prtman(4)E:Dartmouth--Conway, Rockers, Miller;Harvard--Birtwell.WP:Birtwell (4-3)LP: Roomets (2-2)
HARVARD, 9-0at O'Donnel Field R H E Dartmouth 000 000 0 - 0 3 3Harvard 012 051 x - 9 13 1
HR:Harvard-CArey(3).3B:None.2B:Harvard--Carey(9), Huling (14),Bridich (3),SanSalvador (),Prtman(4)E:Dartmouth--Conway, Rockers, Miller;Harvard--Birtwell.WP:Birtwell (4-3)LP: Roomets (2-2)
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