Sunny Skies Yield Good Results for Harvard

In a trying season for the Harvard baseball team, the weather has often mimicked the team’s play at O’Donnell Field, as the Crimson has contended with frigid temperatures and heavy downpours along with its competition during home games.

But that all changed Saturday when suddenly hot Harvard (6-26, 5-9 Ivy) won twice against Brown (14-20, 5-9 Ivy) under clear, sunny skies in an afternoon doubleheader that gave the Crimson its first sweep of the year.

Senior starter Max Warren overcame a rocky start to give Harvard a solid outing on the mound, and freshman third baseman Sean O’Hara ripped a clutch three-run double in a 6-4 victory in game one of the twinbill.

The Crimson then took the nightcap thanks to another timely hit, a go-ahead double by senior Matt Kramer in the bottom of the seventh inning, and a scoreless relief appearance by freshman Daniel Berardo.

“That’s the kind of baseball we knew we could play,” Harvard captain Matt Vance said. “It’s too bad we started playing it this late. We’ll just carry it out for the rest of the season and pick up as many wins as we can.”

HARVARD 7, BROWN 3

After falling into a 3-0 hole early in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Bears battled back to force a tie in the top of the sixth inning.

But the Crimson shifted the momentum back in its favor in the bottom of the seventh when Kramer came to the plate with runners on first and second. Kramer ripped a Peter Moskal offering down the right field line, plating senior second baseman Taylor Meehan to give Harvard a 4-3 lead.

With cleanup hitter Tom Stack-Babich sidelined with an injury, Kramer has excelled as of late and provided Harvard with a big bat in the middle of its lineup.

“Kramer’s stepped up real big for us,” Vance said. “When we lost Stack we needed someone to come up and fill that four hole, and [Kramer has] definitely stepped up and filled that role for us.”

Freshman catcher Tyler Albright followed with an RBI single of his own, scoring Vance from third before Kramer was gunned down at the plate to end the inning.

The Crimson would add a pair of runs in the eighth on a two-run single by junior Jon Roberts, who replaced freshman right fielder Dillon O’Neill after O’Neill was hit in the face by a pitch on a bunt attempt.

Brown erased Harvard’s 3-0 advantage in the sixth, chasing Crimson sophomore Dan Zailskas off the mound after he pieced together five scoreless innings to start off the game. But Berardo came in to stop the bleeding, shutting down the Bears with 3.1 stellar innings of relief work and picking up the second win of his young career.

“Berardo’s real solid,” Vance said. “He did what he’s supposed to do. He went out there and threw strikes. If he can do that here it will get the job done.”

HARVARD 6, BROWN 4

After an inauspicious beginning from Warren, who gave up four runs in the first inning of game one on Saturday, the Crimson seemed poised to continue its season-long struggles.

“All of the sudden that sinking feeling that seems to settle in all the time hits,” Harvard coach Joe Walsh said. “I didn’t think Max had much.”

But a mound visit from Walsh settled Warren down, and the senior hurler did not allow another run in 5.2 innings of work to keep the Crimson in the game.

“I don’t know what Coach said to him, but it helped,” Vance said. “Max has a tendency to get pretty jacked up for games, so I think he just settled down and got into his groove.”

With Warren back in control of the game, the Harvard offense took over.

After the Crimson chipped away at the Bears’ lead with runs in the first and fourth innings, O’Hara came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth.

The rookie smashed a hard line drive to the gap in right center field, driving in all three baserunners to put Harvard ahead, much to the delight of Walsh.

“Didn’t he have a nice rocket out there to right field?” Walsh asked. “His bat’s coming along. I’m starting to see some balls that are hard hit from the freshmen, and that’s a good sign.”

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