Baseball Splits Doubleheader, But Falls to Yale in Series

Harvard baseball picked up an important win on Saturday, taking the opener of a doubleheader against conference rival Yale, but ultimately dropped the series against the conference-leading Bulldogs (19-10, 9-3 Ivy). This leaves Harvard fourth in the Ivy League standings, three games behind third-place Penn.

The Crimson (6-19, 5-6) leaned on standout performances from captain Gio Colasante, who continued his strong run in conference play, earning the win as the game-one starter and launching a home run in game three. The rest of Harvard’s lineup was also able to generate consistent offense throughout the series, including a 13-hit game two effort highlighted by junior shortstop Jack Rickheim’s three-hit performance, including his fifth home run of the season.

Harvard 5, Yale 3

Behind a steady start from Colasante on the mound and a decisive mid-game rally, the Crimson opened the doubleheader with a 5-3 upset win.

The captain delivered six innings of two-earned-run baseball, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out three batters. The righty pitcher worked through early traffic before settling in, delivering his fourth straight quality start in conference play.

Despite Colasante’s strong showing, the Bulldogs were able to break through in the bottom of the third, manufacturing two runs thanks to timely hitting to take a 2-0 lead.

Harvard responded in the top of the fifth with its most productive inning of the day. Rickheim and junior infielder Tyler Shulman opened the rally with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game, and, with the bases loaded, senior outfielder Max Lane was hit by a pitch before senior infielder Jordan Kang drew a walk. These two disciplined plate appearances forced in runs and gave the Crimson a 4-2 advantage.

Yale, striving to conquer its rival, chipped away with an RBI double in the sixth to make it 4-3, but Colasante limited further damage and exited after six strong innings. In the ninth, he helped his own cause on the offensive end, adding an insurance run at the plate with a ground ball that brought home a run, extending Harvard’s lead to 5-3.

Junior reliever Ryan McHugh was successful in closing the game, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. The junior did not record a strikeout, but his pitch-to-contact approach allowed him to retire all nine batters without giving up a single walk. The only real trouble the pitcher faced was in the ninth inning, when two singles put runners on first and second base. However, McHugh induced a soft grounder on a breaking ball to end the game.

Harvard 6, Yale 9

Despite one of its most productive offensive performances of the season, Harvard could not overcome an early deficit in a 9-6 loss in the second game of the doubleheader. The Crimson’s starter, junior Andrew Abler, struggled to contain the Bulldogs early, forcing Harvard to play from behind for most of the game.

Yale struck quickly, getting revenge for the first game of the series by scoring twice in the first inning on a pair of hits. The Bulldogs then added three more runs in the third, using extra-base hits to build a comfortable 5-0 cushion.

The Crimson’s offense responded in the sixth inning, sparked by Rickheim, who attacked a first-pitch fastball and drove it over the left-field wall for a two-run home run. The junior’s aggressive swing cut the deficit to 5-2 and swung momentum briefly in Harvard’s favor.

That momentum proved short-lived, though, as Yale answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of continued pressure at the plate to extend its lead to 8-2.

Harvard continued to chip away. In the seventh, Rickheim laced an RBI double before Colasante followed with an RBI single to make it 8-4.

After Yale tacked on another run, the Crimson mounted one final push in the eighth.

Freshman Aidan Colasante, the younger brother of the captain, finished his three-for-four performance by driving in a run with a single before Sophomore Catcher Liam Wilson collected another RBI with a triple to left-center, bringing Harvard within three with a score of 9-6.

The rally stalled there, despite the Crimson’s 13-hits, as Yale’s bullpen closed out the game. During the game, Rickheim led the way with three RBIs and two extra-base hits, while five Harvard players recorded multi-hit performances. Unfortunately for the Crimson fans who made the trip to New Haven, Conn., the impressive offensive effort was not enough to secure the second win of the day.

Harvard 2, Yale 5

In Sunday’s rubber match, Yale again built an early lead and controlled the game from the outset, securing the series win with its 5-2 victory.

The Bulldogs tacked on two runs in the first three innings, starting with a sloppy first inning against the Harvard starter, sophomore Luca Alagheband, who lasted just two innings as he struggled with accuracy and reached 44 pitches.

Yale pushed across the opening run despite not recording a hit. Yale’s Garrett Larsen reached first base on a hit-by-pitch and later stole home. The inning featured multiple hit batters, summing up a chaotic frame for Harvard’s defense.

Overall, Harvard pitching issued four hit-by-pitches in the game, repeatedly putting runners on base and allowing Yale to manufacture runs without needing consistent contact. The Bulldogs added another run in the third and tacked on two more in the fifth to stretch their lead to 4-0. Harvard’s starter and bullpen combined to limit further damage, aided by two well-timed double plays that stalled Yale’s momentum.

From a pitching perspective, the highlight of this game was Crimson freshman Brett Gable, who somehow recorded five outs on just eight pitches.

Harvard finally converted in the sixth inning when Rickheim doubled into right-center field and advanced into scoring position. Gio Colasante followed with a double of his own, driving Rickheim to cut the deficit to 4-1.

Yale responded with a run in the seventh, again extending the margin.

The older Colasante brother provided the Crimson’s final run in the ninth, turning on a pitch and sending it over the left-field wall for a solo home run — his sixth of the season — but the late effort was not enough to spark a comeback.

Harvard will face UMass Minutemen tomorrow afternoon in the third-place game of the 2026 Baseball Beanpot. The team will then return to conference play with a home series against Dartmouth this weekend. The Crimson are currently fourth in the Ivy League standings: just inside the cutoff for the Ivy League tournament field. Harvard looks to hold off Columbia, which also has five conference wins but sits one game back in the loss column.

—Staff writer Wren B. O’Looney can be reached at [email protected].