Baseball's Offense Key in Ivy Wins

Consider second base settled, for the time being.

As junior Zak Farkes continued to battle shoulder soreness, that’s where sophomore Brendan Byrne, hoping to fend off a cadre of worthy challengers for the fill-in role, hoisted the Harvard baseball team (11-6, 4-0 Ivy) to dual victories in Philadelphia yesterday. With twin two-RBI doubles—the second giving the Crimson the eventual victory in Game 2—Byrne paced a balanced offense from the nine hole in a 6-4, 11-5 doubleheader sweep of Penn (8-13, 5-3 Ivy).

It was the second makeup doubleheader in as many days for the Crimson, which extended its winning streak to five games.

“I don’t think I solidified anything with the type of team we have,” Byrne said. “Every game we have sort of a showcase.”

Five players—Byrne, Farkes, senior Ian Wallace, and freshmen Taylor Meehan and Griff Jenkins—have received time at the keystone this season. With Farkes getting his at-bats at DH—he went 0-for-3 with an RBI yesterday—and Wallace splitting time in the outfield, Byrne has the most experience of the remaining competitors.

“It’s sort of a merry-go-round at certain points,” Byrne said. “You try to make the most of it.”

In addition to extending the team’s undefeated streak, Harvard’s sweep put a damper on Penn’s early season success. Having started the league schedule at 5-1, the Quakers entered the day fresh from a Monday sweep of Red Rolfe divisional powerhouse Dartmouth in Hanover, NH.

Today, the Crimson welcomes Holy Cross at 3 p.m. for its home opener.

HARVARD 11, PENN 5

By scoring all 11 runs in the fifth inning and beyond, the Crimson’s comeback victory in Game 2 little resembled the lopsided score on the books.

Penn spotted Quaker starter Brian Cirri with an early 3-0 lead, and took that margin into the top of the fifth.

Thanks to the continued hot-hitting of freshman slugger Steffan Wilson, who knocked a 2-1 pitch into left field for the team’s first RBI single, Harvard rallied for two in the fifth.

But it was Byrne’s sixth-inning, two-RBI double, scoring Wallace and junior shortstop Morgan Brown, which gave the Crimson a 4-3 lead that it wouldn’t surrender.

“You never know who’s going to come up big,” captain Schuyler Mann said, adding that production from the nine spot of the order “makes us a really dangerous team.”

“It’s probably frustrating for the other team to give up runs there,” Byrne said. “That’s where you’re looking to get outs.”

Harvard wasn’t done. With two more in the sixth, three in the eighth, and two in the ninth, the Crimson poured the runs on the Quakers’ relief. Klimkiewicz’ big home run to left center in the eighth inning sealed the victory.

“His home run,” Byrne said, “put the exclamation point on the weekend.”

Meehan started the game for the Crimson and gave up three runs in two and two thirds innings. Brad Unger (1-0) got the win in relief.

HARVARD 6, PENN 4

Wilson continued to compile monster offensive numbers as the Crimson beat Penn starter Josh Appell and the Quakers, 6-4.

His fifth home run of the season—not yet playing the meat of the Ivy schedule, Wilson is on pace for 12—was Harvard’s first hit off of Penn starter Josh Appell.

“It sparked us pretty good,” freshman leadoff hitter Matt Vance said. “He’s really starting to be one of the leaders on the team.”

Vance went one-for-one with three walks and two stolen bases. His walk in the top of the first after a 10-pitch at-bat—followed by a stolen base, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly—led to a Harvard run before the team’s first hit.

Vance created havoc all day at the leadoff position.

“That’s what he is,” Byrne said, “a true leadoff hitter. He puts the ball in play, takes a lot of pitches. He’s getting down the line so quick.”

“He’s just been excellent,” he added.

Harvard never trailed.

Junior Matt Brunnig (1-0) pitched 5.1 innings and earned his first victory of the season.

—Staff writer Alex McPhillips can be reached at rmcphill@fas.harvard.edu.