Harvard and Brown Tied at top of Rolfe Division

Harvard (14-15, 9-5 Ivy) and Brown (14-17, 9-5 Ivy) split their weekend doubleheader, with the Bears winning the first game 5-2 and the Crimson taking the nightcap 9-4. The teams remain tied for the Rolfe Division title.

Pitching plagued the Bears in the second game, as junior starter Alex Silverman lasted just four innings. Things finally stabilized for the Bears when senior Ethan Silverstein relieved freshman Rob Wilcox in the fifth, as he and allowed just two hits. Senior Anthony Vita followed with one and one-third hitless innings.

The Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second game with three doubles in the first inning, but the Crimson quickly followed with six runs in the second. Harvard scored three more runs with an RBI single from sophomore Jeff Stoeckel and an errant throw that allowed two more to score.

Harvard would add two more runs in the fourth off a solo homer from junior Griff Jenkins, and Matt Vance would add an RBI in the fifth to give the Crimson their last run and make it 9-2.

Brown was hurt in both games by sloppy play, committing six errors on the day-more than half of Harvard's runs were unearned. Vance was the main catalyst for Harvard's offense, going 11-for-16 with seven RBIs on the day.

Brown closes out its Ivy season this week, heading to Dartmouth on April 25 for a doubleheader and coming home to face Yale for a pair of doubleheaders on April 28 and 29. Harvard has a doubleheader against Yale on April 25 and travels to Dartmouth on April 28.

Bulldogs Sweep Big Green

Yale (14-23, 6-8 Ivy) picked up two wins against Dartmouth (6-21-1, 3-11 Ivy) on April 22, keeping the Big Green in the basement of the Rolfe Division. Yale remains three games behind Harvard and Brown.

In game one, the two teams traded runs until the bottom of the fifth, when Dartmouth freshman starter Robert Young gave up two runs to Yale off a pair of doubles by junior Josh Cox and Marc Sawyer. The runs would be Yale's last, but Dartmouth would be unable to catch up.

Most of Yale's runs in game one came from the lethal combination at the top of the order of Cox, Sawyer and sophomore Ryan Lavarnway, who went 6-for-10 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Game two was a pitcher's duel, as Yale junior Steve Gilman and Dartmouth junior Chase Carpenter had no-hitters going until the fifth. After leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, Yale broke through in the fifth with classic small-ball play. Freshman Stephen Miehls reached on a bunt. Junior Dan Soltman then sacrificed Miehls to second, followed by a walk from Cox. A pair of singles put the Bulldogs on the board, 2-0.

The Big Green was hurt by poor relief in the second game. With the score tied at two in the seventh, freshman Zach Cheaney's pick-off attempt at second base went wide, advancing the runner and leading to an RBI single by Sawyer. Cheaney was replaced by junior Kyle Zeis after a walk and a bunt that advanced the runners. But despite getting senior Pedro Obregon to strike out, Sawyer scored on a fielding error, putting Yale up 4-2.

Dartmouth will next head to Vermont for nonconference action on April 24, while Yale will travel to Cambridge for a doubleheader against Harvard on April 25.

Tigers Still in Contention for Gehrig Division Title With Sweep of Quakers

Princeton (12-21, 8-8 Ivy) pulled off an upset of current division leader Penn (19-16, 11-7), sweeping the Quakers 7-3 and 10-6 on April 22. Both games were won in dramatic fashion, as the Tigers took the opener in 10 innings and came back from a 6-0 deficit in the nightcap.

After taking an early 3-0 lead in game one, Princeton watched Penn even the score with three runs in the sixth, before the Tigers added four runs in the ninth. Spencer Lucian went 4-for-4 in the opener with an RBI and a run, while Adrian Turnham and freshman Brian Berkowitz each had a pair of RBIs.

Penn senior starter Doug Brown pitched into the tenth, allowing only four runs and striking out seven. Princeton freshman starter David Hale worked five innings, allowing three runs, with sophomore Brad Gemberling taking over the final five frames. Gemberling worked out of trouble in the eighth when Penn threatened with bases loaded and one out, getting sophomore Jeff Cellucci to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Princeton senior Aaron Prince helped his team come back from a six-run deficit in the second game, driving in four runs. Penn starter Joe Thornton gave up four runs in six and one-third innings of work, while reliever Will Gordon took the loss by giving up four runs in the ninth.

The Tigers got their first run in the ninth off a fielding error by Penn. Lucian reached on an errant throw, and scored off a double by sophomore Andrew Doupe. Sophomore Dan DeGeorge reached on another error, and Gordon hit freshman Greg Van Horne with a pitch to load the bases with Prince up. Prince walked to score one, and senior Sal Iacono and Turnham singled home the final two runs.

Princeton will face St. John's tonight, while Penn heads to Cornell today for a makeup doubleheader that could decide the Gehrig Division title.