Baseball Falls in North Carolina Over Break

The Harvard baseball team tuned up for its Ivy opening weekend with six games in seven days over spring break, going 2-3-1, including 0-2-1 in four games in a trip to North Carolina.

DAVIDSON 6, HARVARD 5

Sam Navarro drove in Michael Muniz in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Wildcats (10-15) a 6-5 win over Harvard in the Crimson’s final game of its road trip to North Carolina last Thursday.

Harvard had entered the ninth trailing 5-3, but sent the game into extra innings with an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Chris Mackey and a pinch-hit, game-tying double from freshman David Bach.

Harvard jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first in an inning highlighted by an RBI double by senior first baseman Trey Hendricks and an RBI single from sophomore right fielder Lance Salsgiver.

Salsgiver led the Crimson with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Junior Rob Wheeler started the game, allowing 1 earned run in 4 2/3 innings, but earned a no-decision. Jason Brown (0-1) took the loss.

HARVARD 4, UNC-GREEN. 4

Harvard took advantage of four Spartan errors to battle No. 26 Greesnboro (19-5-1) to a 4-4 tie before rain ended game after nine innings of play in Greensboro, N.C. last Wednesday.

Freshman Jake Bruton pitched the first three innings of the game, allowing only one earned run while striking out three.

Senior centerfielder Bryan Hale and Wheeler both doubled for the Crimson, which managed only five hits on the afternoon.

CAMPBELL 8, HARVARD 4

Six unearned runs off of sophomore starter Matt Brunnig propelled Campbell (11-15) to an 8-4 victory over the Crimson in Buies Creek, N.C. last Monday.

After a two-out infield error led to a Campbell run in the bottom of the first, the Camels plated five more runs in the second after a Brunnig error and a balk catalyzed their offense.

Trailing 5-0, the Crimson offense couldn’t muster a comeback, posting only seven hits with no player collecting more than one.

Sophomore Morgan Brown—who started at shortstop—had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and an RBI single in the seventh to drive in two of Harvard’s four runs.

HARVARD 2, NORTHEASTERN 1

Hendricks tossed a complete game four-hitter and scored the game-winning run to lead the Crimson to a 2-1 win over the Huskies (7-6) in the second game of a doubleheader at Friedman Field on March 26. The senior struck out six batters in seven innings to earn his second win of the season.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the ninth, sophomore second baseman Zak Farkes and Hendricks singled to lead off the inning, advancing on a sacrifice bunt by junior catcher Schuyler Mann. Northeastern starting pitcher Justin Thomson then struck out both sophomore third baseman Josh Klimkiewicz and Wheeler, but wild pitch third strikes to both scored Harvard runs.

Thomson (2-1) took the loss despite allowing only four hits and striking out eight in seven innings.

NORTHEASTERN 3, HARVARD 1

Husky starting pitcher Justin Hedrick outdueled sophomore pitcher Matt Brunnig to lead Northeastern to a 3-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader March 26.

Hedrick (2-1) allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out 14 in 7 2/3 innings to earn the victory.

With the score knotted at 0-0 through six, Farkes grabbed Harvard the lead by leading off the seventh inning with a solo home run, his fifth of the season.

But the Huskies answered right back, scoring two runs in the bottom of the frame before adding an insurance run in the eighth.

Brunnig took the loss for Harvard, allowing three earned runs while striking out eight in eight innings.

Hendricks—who finished the day 1-for-1 with three walks—and Salsgiver had the Crimson’s only other hits.

HARVARD 16, VERMONT 6

Fourteen hits more than made up for three errors as the Crimson dominated the Catamounts 16-6 in Harvard’s home opener at O’Donnell Field March 25.

Hendricks homered twice and drove in four runs while Farkes went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBI to lead Harvard past Vermont (4-11).

The Crimson did the majority of its damage in a seven-run eighth inning that was highlighted by a three-run double by Morgan Brown and an RBI double by Bach.

Freshman Jake Bruton (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings of work. Bruton was relieved by Jason Brown, who allowed no runs over the final 1 2/3 innings.

Morgan Brown and junior shortsop Ian Wallace both finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with four and three RBI, respectively.

SHORT HOPS

The Crimson’s March 30 game at Wake Forest was canceled due to weather, and will not be made up. Its March 28 matchup with Northeastern has been postponed, but a makeup date is not yet set.

—Staff writer Lande A. Spottswood can be reached at spottsw@fas.harvard.edu.