BOSTON—Just when it seemed the Harvard baseball team had snatched a victory from UMass in yesterday’s Beanpot opener at Fenway Park, the Minutemen stole it back.

After a five-run rally in the ninth inning gave Harvard an 8-6 lead, Crimson junior Nick Carter failed to nail down the save in the bottom of the inning, giving up three runs as UMass snagged a 9-8 win.

As a result of the loss, the Crimson—which has not won an outright Beanpot title in ten years—will play Northeastern in the consolation game today. The Huskies lost to B.C. 12-1 earlier yesterday.

Harvard (18-25, 11-9 Ivy) suffered its fourth defeat in its last five games. The Crimson was eliminated from the Ivy League playoffs on Sunday.

“I won’t sleep again tonight-that’s four nights in a row,” Harvard Coach Joe Walsh said. “I’ll bet it’s the same with the rest of the guys.”

Carter—whose clutch, two-out single to right field tied the game in the top of the ninth—struggled mightily from the moment he took the mound to start the UMass half of the inning.

After surrendering a leadoff single, Carter hit Minuteman first baseman Jeff Altieri with a pitch to put the tying run on base. UMass third baseman Aaron Senez then laid down a bunt back to the mound that Carter fielded cleanly. But the junior reliever elected to throw to second base instead of taking the sure out at first.

Altieri beat the throw to load the bases with no outs.