Harvard Splits Behind Streaky Pitching

The Harvard baseball team began its 2007 season on Saturday, splitting four games in three days. The Crimson (2-2) took on opponents Tampa, Notre Dame, Duquesne, and Quinnipiac.

Harvard fell to the Spartans (21-4) 11-5 yesterday at Tampa, Fla., in a back-and-forth game in which Tampa pulled away with five runs in the seventh and eight innings to take a six-run lead and put the game out of reach for the Crimson.

Harvard shut out the Fighting Irish (4-7) 4-0 on Sunday in its last of three games at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. The squad received stellar performances from two freshmen pitchers, Eric Eadington and Max Perlman, who only allowed a combined five hits on the day.

In its second game of a double header Saturday, the Crimson lost to the Dukes (3-7) by a score of 6-4, as defensive woes plagued both teams. Harvard committed five errors and gave up four unearned runs.

The Crimson won its season opener on Saturday, edging the Bobcats (2-2) 4-3 in extra innings.

TAMPA 11, HARVARD 5

Up 8-5 in the bottom of the eighth, the Spartans blew the game open with a three-run rally off sophomore pitcher Hampton Foushee. Tampa, ranked third in Division II baseball, received RBI singles from Charlie Raley and Noah Brannon and also scored a run on a wild pitch in the inning.

Junior Brad Unger, Harvard’s starter, dug himself into a hole, committing three errors and walking three batters on top of giving up six hits. Unger allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings, only one of which was earned. The Crimson was sloppy on defense as a unit, making six errors in total.

“As a team we were sluggish and we didn’t come out with the intensity we did against Notre Dame,” captain Brendan Byrne said.

The Crimson was able to keep pace with the Spartans for much of the game, tying it twice after being down 3-2 and 5-3. But the 11-5 deficit proved insurmountable.

Senior catcher Justin Roth slugged Harvard’s first home run of the season down the left field line in the fourth.

HARVARD 4, NOTRE DAME 0

The Crimson cruised to victory against the Fighting Irish on the backs of its standout rookie pitchers, Eadington and Perlman.

Eadington started the game, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out three batters. But due to a high pitch count—caused in large part by the six walks he issued—Eadington was replaced by Perlman in the fifth.

Perlman did not disappoint, allowing only four baserunners in 4 2/3 innings on the way to his first career victory.

Junior third baseman Steffan Wilson provided the bulk of the offense for Harvard, driving in three runs, including two on a double ripped down the left field line.

“He’s going to be our go-to guy all year in the middle of the lineup,” Byrne said. “He’s a premier hitter in this league.”

DUQUESNE 6, HARVARD 4

The Crimson made more mistakes than it could afford against the Dukes, committing five errors in its first loss of the season.

“All we can do is get on the field with dirt and grass and hit some ground balls. “ said Harvard manager Joe Walsh of mending the teams defensive lapses. “It’s everybody’s first time out...It will improve.”

Dukes starter Jeff Naughton made Harvard pay for its defensive follies, striking out 11 batters in 7 2/3 innings of work while only allowing three runs.

HARVARD 4, QUINNIPIAC 3

The Crimson started off its season with a thriller, beating the Bobcats on a walk-off single by junior outfielder Tom Stack-Babich in the bottom of the 10th that scored sophomore outfielder Matt Rogers.

Harvard jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second, but Quinnipiac chipped away to send the game into extra innings.

The Crimson ace, junior Shawn Haviland, only gave up one run in 3 2/3 innings but experienced control problems, allowing six walks.

“I think he came out overthrowing a little bit,” Walsh said. “He’s going to be fine.”

Harvard continues it’s nine-city, 17-game Florida trip on Saturday in Fort Myers at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational. The Crimson will face recent foe Notre Dame along with Dayton.

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