Good Late-Inning Hurling Defeats Brown Squad, 4-3

The varsity baseball team scored its second straight victory in Eastern League play yesterday afternoon, defeating Brown, 4-3.

The crucial factor in determining the outcome of the game was a sudden reversal of form on the part of the Crimson pitcher, Dave Brigham. The big right-hander had all kinds of trouble in the early innings, and during the fourth he seemed on the verge of being knocked out.

But even as Coach Norm Shepard was transmitting distress signals to the Crimson relief-staff, Brigham began to find himself. Over the last five innings he pitched in masterful style, retiring all but one of the last 16 Brown batters.

Brown starter Don Nelson pitched fully as well as Brigham, allowing the varsity only four hits all told, and none after the third. In fact, he might have won the game except for a bizarre and very damaging error by one of his outfielders.

This play--or rather, misplay--occurred in the home half of the third inning. The Crimson's Kent Hathaway had dropped a fly-ball double into left field and Mouse Kesarjian had walked, when catcher John Davis came to bat. Davis knocked a bounding ball through the middle of the infield, that seemed certain to score one run.

But out in centerfield, Russ Prouty of the Bruins got his feet tangled up and fell on his face while trying to field the hit. And all three men came around to score while the ball bouncd merrily on into the nether reaches of the field.

The Crimson added a fourth run in the next inning, when Bobby Cleary whacked a long triple to left-center and came home on Kent Hathaway's sacrifice fly. As it turned out, this was a very important tally, for Brigham gave the visitors three runs in the top of the fourth.

This inning began with three straight bases-on-balls, as Brigham temporarily lost all contact with home-plate. He zeroed in again in time to strike out the next two Bruin hitters. But Nelson and Prouty followed with singles to bring home the three men who had walked.

At this point, however, Brigham's rejuvenation occurred. His control troubles vanished and he began to mow the Bruins down in seemingly invincible fashion. He relied heavily on his fast-ball, using his curve only occasionally, when ahead of the opposing batters.

Brigham ended the game with a really overpowering ninth inning. He struck out two pinch-hitters on a total of six pitches, then threw two more strikes before inducing Nelson to pop up for the final out.