CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard senior first baseman Patrick McColl posted a go-ahead two-run double to leftfield in the top of the 11th inning to help the Crimson clinch the 2019 Ivy League Playoff Series Sunday afternoon.
Following a three-hour weather delay, Columbia jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning behind a leadoff single by Julian Bury. Joe Engel followed that up with an RBI double to right-center and Josh Nicoloff delivered a sac fly before Ben Porter singled to left for the second and third runs in the frame.
The Lions tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth inning, with AJ DiFillipo scoring as Chandler Bengtson beat out an attempted double play ball fielded by Harvard's starting pitcher Kevin Stone.
Senior Ethan Abrams worked five innings of one-hit baseball, but things changed in the top of the sixth. Harvard plated its first run on a Ben Skinner double down the line in left. Quinn Hoffman then posted a single before McColl sent a bomb over the batter's eye in dead center field to knot the game at 4-4.
In the top of the seventh, Skinner drove in a second run off to bring in Jake Allen on a single to give Harvard its first lead of the contest, 5-4. Later in the inning, Jake Suddleson scored on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth to make it a two-run game.
Columbia rallied in the bottom of the eighth to knot things up. With the based loaded on two walks and an error, Crimson reliever Buddy Hayward turned two on a comebacker, getting the force out at home plate before doubling off Bengtson at first. However, Liam McGill came through for the Lions with a two-RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 6-6.
Harvard's closer Kieran Shaw sent the game to extras, striking out back-to-back batters to close out the ninth after walking Porter and a sacrifice bunt from sophomore second baseman Jack Chernow.
Prior to the Crimson taking the lead, Chernow made two outstanding defensive plays in the 11th. With runners on first and second, Skinner dropped down a bunt for a base-hit to load the bases, however, the throw to the bag was high and backed up by Chernow, who moved from his position at second to keep the game temporarily tied. The next batter hit a sharp line drive that the sophomore made a leaping grab towards second for the first out before McColl's heroics.
The Lions did have one last opportunity in the bottom of the inning after two consecutive walks were issued to start things off. Shaw buckled down to get the next three outs, via pop up, a long fly out to center from Chernow and a ground ball for a force play.
Dan Harrington (1-3) was charged with three runs, just one earned, in three innings of work. Shaw pitched the final three frames to improve to 1-3 on the year.
Engel, McGill and Chernow all had two hits for Columbia. Skinner was 3-for-6, while McColl drove in five of the teams eight runs.
Harvard earns the Ivy League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 27-13 mark, while Columbia concludes its year 19-23.
