Harvard Pitching Staff Must Stop Columbia and Army in League Race

Coach Loyal Park will try several experiments with his pitching staff this weekend as the Harvard nine travels to Columbia today and Army tomorrow for two all-important Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League games.

Last season the Crimson won the league championship with an 8-1 record, its only loss a 5-0 shutout by the Cadets. Preseason predictions had cited Harvard and Army as the top contenders once again, but the Crimson showed little titlist form in its season-opening loss to Penn, 6-3 and Army has dropped two one-run decisions.

Fortunately for Harvard. Penn lost to Brown last Friday, 7-6, and Harvard still has an opportunity to beat every other team. "A ball club with two or three losses could win this league," coach Park said, "so two wins this weekend are mighty important."

The major determinant of the Crimson's chances is the strength of its pitching staff. Right-hander Bob Dorwart will get the starting nod against the Lions today. Dorwart appeared in top form at the beginning of the season when he won his first two games, but he was tagged for six runs in five innings against the Quakers last Sunday.

Wandering Elbow

In practice this week, the coaching staff studied Dorwart and told him to keep his elbow closer to his body. Coach Park said this will help the senior throw harder and hopefully help him regain his original form.

The Crimson line-up will undergo other changes against Columbia. Catcher Pete Varney will move back into right field and junior Jack Turco will return behind the plate. Curt Tucker, who played center-field all summer, will replace Neil Hurley at that starting spot.

This year's Columbia squad depends upon pitching strength. The Lions' top hurler, sophomore John Heyel, allowed only four hits in last week's 3-2 victory over Army, and earlier in the season he held Fordham to two singles in six innings.

Supporting Heyel are two other fine starting pitchers. Tom Early and Terry Sweeney shared the duties in a seven-hit, 4-0 whitewash of Bates in Columbia's opener. Also one of the leading hitters on the team, Sweeney starts at third base when not pitching.

Firing at Army

The starting pitcher for the Crimson against Army could be J. C. Nickens, senior Bob Kalinowski, or reliever Curt Tucker. Southpaw Nickens, like Dorwart, started the season strong but has been in a slump recently.

In nine innings of relief, senior Kalinowski has allowed no runs in five appearances. Manager John MacLeod said the right-hander had been the "pearl of the season."

"He has the most potential of all the pitchers," captain John Ignacio added. "He has the best slider, fast ball, and curve; all he really needs is the control and confidence that comes from playing regularly."

Another reliever who may have earned a starting berth is Curt Tucker. The sophomore right-hander has shut out the opposition while limiting them to four hits in eight innings of relief pitching.

Tipton's Cadets

Coach Eric Tipton's Cadets also rely on an outstanding pitching staff. Senior right-hander Doug Rogers suffered his first loss in two years in his three-hit performance against Yale, a game Army dropped 1-0.

Even more incredible has been the performance of southpaw reliever Eric Pedersen. In sixteen innings, Pedersen has won two games, struck out 18 batters, and compiled a 0.56 eraned-run average.

The Cadets's troubles have been at the plate, where they have supported their pitching staff with only nine singles in Army's two EIBL losses.