Walsh Gets Tossed, Unger Gets Outdueled in Columbia Split

NEW YORK—The Harvard baseball team’s bats started off hot in yesterday’s doubleheader against Columbia, but cooled down along with the weather as the Crimson was forced to settle for a split of the twinbill.

“I’m very disappointed,” head coach Joe Walsh said. “We came down here to win two games.”

The Crimson (6-10, 2-2 Ivy) lost the second game to the Lions (10-13-1, 5-3 Ivy), 5-1, after easily defeating them, 9-4, in the first contest in sub-50 degree temperatures at Coakley Field in New York City.

The nightcap saw a solid outing by junior Brad Unger wasted by a complete-game, five-hit gem by Columbia’s John Baumann.

In the opening game, the top of the Crimson lineup caught fire and was backed by an outstanding relief appearance by senior Jake Bruton.

COLUMBIA 5, HARVARD 1

While Baumann’s dazzling performance on the mound captivated the crowd, it was the ejections of Walsh and assistant coach Gary Donovan in the bottom of the first inning that generated the most excitement among the 178 in attendance.

Donovan was ejected by first base umpire John Libke after disputing a safe call on a pickoff attempt by Unger.

Walsh left the dugout to speak with Libke, and was tossed before he could say a word.

According to Walsh, Libke then made some comments about Donovan that Walsh took exception to.

“He was very demeaning in the way he described my assistant coach, and that’s when I went off,” Walsh said.

When play resumed, Unger found himself struggling in the early going. He gave up three runs on six hits in the first two frames.

But Unger settled down and found his rhythm, pitching five consecutive scoreless innings to give his team a chance to come back.

“You take away those two innings and we’re right there,” junior Matt Vance said. “He’ll probably be our guy for the rest of the year who will be in there to throw strikes.”

But despite the gutsy effort by Unger, he was no match for Baumann, an opponent who Unger has become familiar with in his years at Harvard, albeit in a different sport.

Like Unger, Baumann doubles as a power forward on his school’s basketball team.

The Crimson could barely muster any offense against the 6’8 Baumann, scoring its lone run on a solo home run by junior outfielder Tom Stack-Babich, his first of the season.

HARVARD 9, COLUMBIA 4

The top four batters in the Crimson lineup led the way in the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader, going a combined 9-for-14 with eight runs scored and three RBI.

Vance was the catalyst for Harvard, hitting a perfect 3-for-3 and scoring twice while also making some nice plays at third base despite making only his fifth appearance of the season at the position.

“He’s played outstanding at third base in that short time,” Walsh said of Vance, a natural shortstop who has normally manned center field in his collegiate career.

The Crimson built a 7-4 lead by the seventh inning, and then put the game out of reach on a double scorched down the right-field line by captain Brendan Byrne.

But while the score turned out somewhat lopsided, Harvard might have been in store for a shootout had Bruton not stymied Columbia’s offensive momentum.

After the Lions tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth, Bruton replaced freshman Eric Eadington.

Bruton slammed the door with 3 2/3 dominant innings of one-hit ball.

“He shut them down completely and didn’t give them a chance at all to come back in that game,” Vance said. “We could have used him in the second game. We wish we had another Jake Bruton out there.”

—Staff writer Loren Amor can be reached at lamor@fas.harvard.edu.