San Salvation! Walk-Off Homer Caps Harvard Comeback Win

It took four days, but Harvard and Brown finally finished their series yesterday at O’Donnell Field.

For the Crimson and senior first baseman Josh San Salvador, the 13-12 victory was worth the wait.

San Salvador smashed his second home run of the afternoon to break a 12-12 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning, capping a monster comeback and putting the Crimson (15-21, 11-5 Ivy) one game ahead of the Bears in the Red Rolfe division.

San Salvador was playing in just his second game since partially tearing his ACL in the second week of the season.

“He got the pitch up and I was able to get it up and out of here,” San Salvador said. “I’m just lucky it stayed fair.”a

The victory kept the Crimson in control of its own playoff destiny. With a sweep over Dartmouth next weekend, Harvard will clinch a spot in the three-game Ivy championship series. The winner advances to the NCAA Regionals.

San Salvador’s heroics were set up minutes earlier, when Harvard ace Ben Crockett struck out both Brown batters he faced in a rare relief appearance. Harvard Coach Joe Walsh called for the much-used Crockett with one out and the go-ahead run on second.

Crockett (4-3) threw 140 pitches in a 6-5 loss to Brown on Saturday, but still earned the victory.

“Anytime I can do anything to help the team, I’m going to do it,” Crockett said. “When you get a little adrenaline in your system, you feel pretty good.”

Crockett’s adrenaline may have come from watching his offense complete tie the game in the bottom of the eighth.

With Harvard down 12-10, senior left fielder Javy Lopez stepped to the plate and drove the ball over the left field fence to cut the lead in half. It was Lopez’s first career home run.

After freshman second baseman Ian Wallace grounded out, senior shortstop Mark Mager singled and advanced to third on a base hit by sophomore designated hitter Trey Hendricks. Freshman catcher Schuyler Mann drove Mager home on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 12-12.

“Even when we were down 12-10, there was a good feeling,” Walsh said. “When Javy hit that home run, I looked in our dugout, and I looked in theirs, and it looked like we were the team that was up.”

Down 11-4 after six and a half innings, the Crimson used a seventh inning rally to close to within one.

Lopez walked on four straight pitches to lead off the inning, and Mager was hit by a pitch to put men on first and second.

Hendricks, who is swinging Harvard’s hottest bat, then grounded a double down the third base line to score Lopez.

Mann and senior third baseman Nick Carter followed with consecutive RBI singles to cut the lead to 11-7.

With men on first and second, Brown reliever Sam Jennings fell behind 3-0 to San Salvador before working the count full.

San Salvador then picked up his second hit of the season in dramatic fashion, sending the 3-2 pitch over the fence in right-center field to pull Harvard to 11-10.

“With all that was riding on it, that was the biggest comeback that I have ever been a part of,” Walsh said. “I was really proud of everybody.”

The game was a low-scoring affair entering the fifth inning, when the Bears exploded for seven runs in the top half of the frame to take a 9-2 lead.

After a bunt single, a hit batsman and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out, Harvard starter Barry Wahlberg intentionally walked the Bears’ top hitter, Matt Kutler, in hopes of a double play.

Instead, Brown pitcher John Capello lined a two-RBI single into right field to give Brown a 4-2 lead.

Wahlberg was then relieved by senior Justin Nyweide, who struggled with his control as soon as he stepped on the mound.

Nyweide walked the first two Bears he faced before giving up a sacrifice fly to first baseman James Lowe and a three-run home run to catcher Greg Metzger.

Brown scored one more run in the sixth when second baseman Rob Deeb homered off of Crimson reliever Madhu Satyanarayana to raise the score to 10-2.

Harvard cut the lead to 10-4 in the bottom of the inning. Mann doubled off of the wall in right field and then scored on Carter’s second home run of the year.

Harvard will host Dartmouth in a doubleheader on Saturday before travelling to Hannover for a two-game set Sunday. A four game sweep of the Big Green will clinch the division title for the Crimson. If the teams end up tied, a one-game playoff will determine the Red Rolfe champion.

“We are going to have our work cut out for us next weekend,” Walsh said. “I’m sure Brown is thinking of taking four against Yale, and I don’t want to play them in a playoff. They are too good of a team.”

Brown next hosts the Bulldogs for one doubleheader and play the other in New Haven. Harvard will travel to UMass Thursday in its final non-league game.