Baseball Suffers Sweep By No. 4 Rice

Despite strong performances from seniors Ben Crockett and Mark Mager, the Harvard baseball team was swept by No. 4 Rice in a three-game series to open its season this weekend.

Crockett, who returns to Harvard (0-3) after another stellar summer in the Cape Cod League, pitched eight innings in a 2-1 loss on Saturday, holding the Owls (18-4) to their lowest offensive output of the season.

Mager led the Crimson offense, picking up two hits in each of the three games and going 6-for-13 on the weekend.

Rice 13, Harvard 3

After being shut out by Crimson starter Barry Wahlberg (0-1) in the first two innings, the Owls broke out with six runs in the third.

The inning was highlighted by a two-run triple by first baseman Vincent Sinisi that knocked Wahlberg out of the game. Wahlberg was charged with five earned runs on four hits in the loss.

Rice stretched the lead to 10-0 before Harvard broke onto the scoreboard.

With two outs and senior third baseman Nick Carter on first after being hit by a pitch, sophomore catcher Mickey Kropf and sophomore first baseman March Hordon rapped consecutive singles to load the bases.

Senior center fielder Andrew Brunswick was then hit by a pitch from Bubba Gentry to force Carter home.

Freshman catcher Schuyler Mann then grounded a ball to third baseman Hunter Brown, who threw the ball away, allowing both Kropf and Hordon to score.

Rice hurler Phillip Humber held the Crimson scoreless on just five hits over the first six innings to earn the victory.

Kropf, Mager and senior left fielder Javy Lopez each registered two hits.

Rice 2, Harvard 1

The Crimson stayed close behind a solid eight-inning performance from Crockett (0-1), a preseason third-team All American, before falling to the Owls in the second game of Saturday’s double header.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, designated hitter Chris Kolkhast doubled to right field to drive in Mike Lorbasch and give Rice the eventual winning run.

Crockett allowed just seven hits while walking two batters. The Crimson, though, failed to convert with runners in scoring position.

Trailing 1-0, Harvard loaded the bases in the second inning on consecutive walks by sophomore first baseman Trey Hendricks and Mann, followed by a single by Kropf. But the Crimson couldn’t score.

Lopez chopped a grounder back to pitcher David Aardsma, who threw home to force out Hendricks. Senior second baseman Faiz Shakir popped up to end the threat.

The Crimson stranded 10 runners in the game as Aardsma picked up the win.

Harvard’s lone run came in the sixth. Mager reached on an error and junior center fielder Bryan Hale doubled to right field to put men on second and third. Carter singled to drive in Mager and tie the game at 1-1.

With runners on the corners and no outs, Hordon lined out to third baseman Paul Janish, who doubled up Carter at first. Kropf flied out to end the inning.

Rice 8, Harvard 3

Playing in its season opener, Harvard jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but struggled at the plate through the middle innings as winning pitcher Justin Crowder recovered to hold the Crimson to just four hits in six innings of work.

But down 8-2 with one out and little hope of a comeback, Hendricks gave Harvard something to cheer about in the ninth.

Playing in his hometown of Houston, Hendricks drove a line shot off of the scoreboard, giving the Crimson its only homerun of the weekend.

Senior Justin Nyweide (0-1) took the loss for Harvard.

With one out in the first, Mager picked up Harvard’s first hit of the season with a base hit to the right side. He advanced to second on a throwing error and scored on a single to left by Carter.

Harvard scored its second run on a sacrifice fly by Kropf in the seventh that plated Hendricks.

Over spring break, the Crimson will travel to Homestead, Fla. to play 13 games in nine days.