Harvard Baseball Earns Saturday Sweep Over Saint Peter’s, Wake Forest

Harvard's pitchers struck out 21 batters over the two games (Gil Talbot).

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Playing in the second day of the Wake Forest tournament, Harvard baseball picked up a pair of victories over Saint Peter's, 7-1, and the host Demon Deacons, 6-3. The Crimson moved to 2-1 on the season with the victories, which were the first matchups in program history with both schools.

Game One vs. Saint Peter's - W, 7-1
Sophomore John Fallon and senior Mitch Klug led the Crimson offense against Saint Peter's, teeing off for home runs against the Peacocks' John Leiter. The homer from Fallon was his second of the season in as many games, while Klug's shot was the first of his career. Senior DJ Link and freshman Devan Peterson also drove in a run during the game.

Senior Sean Poppen took the hill for the first time this season, striking out 10 batters while scattering four hits over seven innings to earn the victory. Senior Matt Sanders came on in relief to pitch two scoreless innings.

The Crimson got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Fallon's home run sailed over the left field fence to plate freshman Patrick McColl. The lead was extended to 4-0 after a Peacock error allowed McColl and Klug to score.

Saint Peter's got on the board for its only run of the day in the sixth inning, but the solo home run from Klug in the bottom of the seventh immediately got the run back for Harvard. Peterson's sacrifice fly in the eighth frame put an exclamation point on the victory.

Game Two at Wake Forest- W, 6-3
McColl drove in a pair of runs to lead Harvard in game two of the day against Wake Forest, driving in a career-best two runs while Klug, senior Drew Reid and freshmen Trent Bryan and Ben Skinner also tallied an RBI. Bryan scored a team-high two runs in the contest.

Junior Nick Gruener picked up the victory on the mound, throwing six innings with five strikeouts against two earned runs. Senior Nick Scahill picked up his first-career save after holding Wake Forest without a hit over the final three frames. Scahill fanned six batters in the contest.

Wake Forest held a 2-0 lead following the first inning, but three straight RBI doubles from Reid, Bryan and Skinner gave Harvard a 3-2 lead in the top of the second. McColl punctuated the inning with a sacrifice fly to extend Harvard's advantage to 4-2.

The Demon Deacons pulled within one in the latter half of the third after an RBI double, but the Crimson pulled away with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh after an RBI single from Klug and a sacrifice fly from McColl.

Harvard baseball finishes the Wake Forest tournament against Towson on today, March 6 at 10 a.m.