PRINCETON, N.J. (Interstat) — Gio Colasante homered twice and drove in four runs as Harvard defeated Princeton 7-5 on Saturday in the first game of an Ivy League doubleheader at Bill Clarke Field.

Colasante, the Crimson designated hitter, went 2 for 3 with two home runs and four RBIs. He put Harvard ahead for good with a two-run shot in the first inning and added a solo homer in the fifth. Jordan Kang and Gavin Smith each had three hits for Harvard, which improved to 10-26 overall. Kang was 3 for 5 with an RBI, and Smith went 3 for 5 with an RBI.

Harvard starter Andrew Abler worked six innings, allowing three earned runs on no hits with four strikeouts. The no-hit line through six innings was a statistical anomaly because Princeton collected five hits during a three-run fifth inning, but Abler’s official line remained 0 hits allowed. Brett Gable earned the save with 1⅓ scoreless innings, striking out one.

Princeton fell to 14-26. Ryan Penney took the loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits over 4⅓ innings. The Tigers managed eight hits, with Bennett Crerar going 2 for 4 and Isaac Lamson driving in a run.

Harvard jumped out early. In the first inning, Kang singled and scored on Colasante’s homer to left. The Crimson added a run in the second after Smith doubled and scored on a single by Tim Shulman.

Colasante’s second homer came in the fifth, a solo shot to center. Later in the inning, Smith doubled to drive in another run, giving Harvard a 7-0 lead.

Princeton mounted a comeback in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Brendan Kaufman singled and Bennett Crerar singled. A wild pitch and an error allowed Kaufman to score and Crerar to advance to third. Tyler Googins singled to drive in Crerar, and Lamson doubled to right-center to score Googins, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

The Tigers threatened again in the eighth. After a bunt single by Andrew Werdesheim and a groundout, Jake Kernodle doubled down the right-field line to score Werdesheim. Gable then relieved Ryan McHugh, but pinch-hitter Daniel Zdunek singled to right to drive in Kernodle, making it 7-5. Gable struck out Kaufman to end the inning.

Harvard’s defense held in the ninth. Gable retired the side in order on two groundouts and a flyout, sealing the win.

The most critical sequence occurred in the bottom of the fifth, when Princeton scored three runs to trim a seven-run deficit to four. After being held hitless through four innings, the Tigers strung together three consecutive hits and capitalized on a wild pitch and an error. The rally brought the home team back into the game, but Harvard’s bullpen and a ninth-inning shutdown prevented any further damage.

Colasante’s performance marked his third multi-hit game in his last five outings. He had gone 2 for 5 the previous day against Holy Cross and 2 for 4 against Penn on April 25.

Harvard next faces Princeton in the second game of the doubleheader Saturday. The Crimson then visit Princeton again Sunday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Princeton 6, Harvard 2, and its ELO system gave Princeton a 50.70 percent probability to win.