WORCESTER (Interstat) — John LaFleur drove in three runs and the Holy Cross Crusaders overcame an early deficit to defeat the Harvard Crimson 12-9 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Fitton Field.

Holy Cross improved to 19-25 overall, while Harvard fell to 8-26.

LaFleur, the Crusaders’ left fielder, finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a pair of doubles that keyed a five-run fifth inning. He also scored twice. Nick Spaner, the designated hitter, went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. CJ Egrie, the center fielder, was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a triple.

Harvard third baseman Jordan Kang led the Crimson offense, going 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Max Lane, the center fielder, was 3-for-6 with three RBIs. Shortstop Jack Rickheim hit a solo home run and drove in two runs, and right fielder G. Smith had two hits and an RBI.

The game began quietly. Harvard scored first in the third inning when Rickheim homered to left field. The Crimson added an unearned run later in the frame on Lane’s single, making it 2-0.

Holy Cross answered in the bottom of the third. After a fielder’s choice, Alex Sandell tripled to drive in Egrie. Ryan Grundy followed with a two-run homer to left center, giving Holy Cross a 3-2 lead. The Crusaders kept going. Nick Spaner singled to shortstop, and a throwing error allowed two runs to score, making it 5-2. LaFleur doubled to bring home unearned run, stretching the lead to 6-2.

Harvard cut the deficit to 6-3 in the top of the fourth but could not score again until the seventh.

The turning point came in the bottom of the fifth. With two runners on, LaFleur doubled to left center, scoring Spaner and Simon Landry to make it 8-3. After a pitching change, an error by the first baseman put runners at the corners. Egrie then tripled down the left-field line, clearing the bases and pushing the Holy Cross lead to 10-3.

Harvard refused to fold. In the top of the seventh, Rickheim reached on an error, and Kang homered to left field, scoring two unearned runs. Lane doubled to drive in another, and Smith singled to bring home Lane, trimming the deficit to 10-8. But the Crimson could not complete the rally, leaving the bases loaded.

Holy Cross answered in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, an error by third baseman Kang allowed a run to score, making it 11-8. Later, a wild pitch plated another unearned run, extending the lead to 12-8.

Harvard mounted one last charge in the ninth. A sacrifice fly by Rickheim and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded brought two runs across, cutting the score to 12-10. Lane then singled to center, scoring another and making it 12-11. But with runners on second and third, Smith struck out swinging to end the game.

Marco Citro earned the win for Holy Cross, tossing three innings of relief with two hits allowed, no earned runs and one strikeout. Ryan McHugh threw a scoreless inning for Harvard with two strikeouts. Jack Smith pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for the Crimson.

Harvard next plays a three-game series at Princeton beginning Saturday, May 2. Holy Cross hosts Bryant on Wednesday, April 29, before traveling to Lafayette for a three-game set starting Saturday, May 2.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Holy Cross 3, Harvard 2, and its ELO system gave Holy Cross a 50.10 percent probability to win.