NOTEBOOK: Too Many Mistakes Plague The Crimson

Yesterday’s game against non-conference foe Holy Cross gave Harvard baseball a chance to hone its game before a critical weekend slate of Ivy contests.

Unfortunately for the Crimson, the 12-11 loss exposed sloppy play that concerned Harvard coach Joe Walsh.

“We’re not a sound fundamental ball club...We’re not doing the little things that win ballgames,” Walsh said. “We giftwrapped that ballgame and said ‘here you go.’”

Walsh lamented missed opportunties both at the plate and on the basepaths, as well as costly defensive blunders.

The Crimson committed three errors in the field—including a costly overthrow of first base by freshman Jeff Reynolds to yield an extra run in the fourth—but the game’s most painful moments shone on offense.

In both the fifth and ninth innings, Harvard wasted two outs attempting to advance leadoff runners from second base to third, nullifying potential big rallies and eliminating sacrifice fly opportunities.

To add to the squad’s frustration, even with a runner on third and first with no outs, the Crimson ran itself into the ground.

Senior Tom Stack-Babich and sophomore Sean O’Hara occupied the corners in the second before Crusaders starter Matt Croglio caught O’Hara leaning.

A quick throw to first left O’Hara in a pickle, prompting Stack-Babich to edge off of third in an attempt to help his cornered teammate.

First baseman Eric Oxford alertly fired the ball to third—nailing Stack-Babich—before third baseman Matt Perry relayed the ball to second to complete a double play.

With O’Hara tagged out, a disappointed and self-critical Walsh watched a promising situation yield two outs and empty sacks.

“The fact that we can’t do things—moving runners, throwing strikes, challenging hitters at the right time—that’s a mindset that needs to be changed,” Walsh said.

PITCHING CAROUSEL

With four-game weekends looming during the regular season, Walsh has been forced to get creative with Wednesday pitching.

Against Holy Cross, Harvard trotted out five relievers to the mound after sophomore starter Daniel Berardo logged only two innings.

Although Berardo delivered effectively in his short outing, captain Harry Douglas pointed to the need to keep the Crimson’s injury-riddled pitching staff well-rested.

“[In] these types of games we just try to give the guys a couple innings,” he said. “They can handle that on their arms and bounce back for the w eekend.”

Freshman Connor Hulse, senior Adam Cole, sophomore Anthony Nutter, Stack-Babich, and senior Taylor Meehan finished off the game for Harvard, with Hulse representing the only member of the starting rotation.

Nutter bore the majority of labor on the mound, throwing three solid innings amidst minor control problems.

Meehan (0-1) took the loss after watching a 10-8 lead dissolve into a one-run deficit, but the distribution of innings ensured that the Crimson’s rotation will arrive prepared for a weekend pair of doubleheaders.

STACK'S BACK

After recent struggles at the plate relegated former cleanup hitter Stack-Babich to the seventh spot in the lineup, the senior slugger responded resoundingly to his new role.

An early swinging strikeout left fans wondering if Stack-Babich would ever find the groove to makes him a force in the batter’s box, but the right-fielder dispelled concerns by blasting two hits against the Crusaders, including a mammoth two-run shot over the centerfield fence. Holy Cross pitchers also hit the slugger twice, allowing Stack to reach base in four of his five plate appearences.

“Everyone knows Stack is a great hitter,” Douglas said. “When he gets his pitch he can drive it over the fence on any swing. We’re expecting him to continue to contribute for us. He can explode at any time, really, so it’s good having him in the lineup.”

Stack-Babich added to his resurgence at the plate by flashing the leather in the outfield. The right fielder recorded the first and last outs of the ninth inning in spectacular fashion—chasing down a ball to make a spectacular sliding catch in foul territory, before gunning down a runner at the plate to preserve the deficit at one run.

—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.