Rightfielder Andrew Huling '99 falls to the turf while making a valiant effort to field a sinking fly ball in an earlier game. Photo by Jon Chase.

It was a tough one. Harvard had the tying run just 90 feet away but Massachusetts sophomore Nick Skirkanich got Harvard junior first baseman Erik Binkowski to ground into a double play to end the game as the Minutemen held off the Crimson's ninth-inning rally for a 13-12 victory in the semifinals of the 10th Annual Beanpot at Fenway Park on Tuesday afternoon, April 27.

Massachusetts remains perfect in Beanpot play at 6-0 all-time while improving its record to 22-12. Harvard falls to 21-14 despite pounding out a season-high 18 hits. The match-up was a rematch of last year's Beanpot co-champions.

After each team scored two runs in the first inning, Harvard sent four runs home in both the bottom of the third and fourth innings to build a 10-4 lead. However, UMass rallied to take a 13-10 lead by scoring the next nine runs of the game, capped by a two-run homer over the Green Monster in the top of the ninth inning by sophomore outfielder Nick Gorneault that proved to be the difference in the contest. Harvard narrowed the lead to one by scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth but Binkowski was unable to deliver with runners at the corners and one out.

Gorneault had a game-high 5 RBI while going 4-for-4 with a triple and that clutch home run in the ninth. Senior outfielder Aaron Braunstein also homered for UMass, as part of his 3-for-4, 3 RBI day.

The top seven hitters in the Harvard lineup each had at least two hits, led by senior captain Hal Carey who was 4-for-5. Junior Jeff Bridich drove in three runs as he smacked a two-run shot over the Green Monster in the third inning, while Binkowski was 2-for-5 with three runs driven in.

Freshman Jesse Santos improved to 2-0 with the win for UMass, as he pitched 4.1 relief innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Freshman Justin Nyweide received the loss in relief for Harvard and is now 0-3, as he allowed five runs on three hits in two innings of work.