Santos-Buch Injured as Crimson Cops GBL Title

Without the bad news, yesterday's Harvard-Brandeis baseball game at Soldiers Field would have merely been a rough-and-tumble, wide-open, 14-12 victory for the Crimson. And, oh yes, the triumph gave Harvard its first Greater Boston League title since 1973.

But any high spirits the squad showed leaving the field turned gloomy and sour when the word trickled into the clubhouse captain and leading hitter Charlie Santos Buch will be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a broken hand.

And no matter how many hits you bang our against the redoubtable Judges, who entered the game a well-respected 17-4-1 and 5-2 in the GBL., you still need the senior centerfielder's bat and glove in the lineup for the upcoming all-or-nothing weekend with Cornell and Army.

Its' All Over

Santos-Buch's season came to a crashing close when he stole second with nobody out in the third inning and Brandies leading 4-3. Somewhere between the start of his slide and second base, his hand got caught underneath his body and something had to give. What gave may cost Harvard the EIBL pennant.

It was not a pitcher's day, and none of the seven who toiled on the Soldiers Field mound impressed to any degree, but the pitching hasn't been a problem. What made the Crimson's chances look so good was watching the same hot-and-cold hitters who had struggled to a combined .245 batting average entering the contest hit their peak all at once and pound out 18 hits in their highest output of the seven.

Those who had been hot Bobby Kelly, Eddie Farrell, Brad Bauer--continued to hit, combining for six safeties and five RBIs. And some new faces joined the shooting gallery: four hits for Danny Skaff, two for Joe Wark, two ringing doubles for Vinnie Martelli.

Just about the only man who didn't hit was Mark Bingham, and anyone who doubts that he can (especially when needed) has spent the last four springs watching pigeons in Harvard Yard.

In Eastern baseball, a team's talent is often not as important as when it hits its strike. With four victories in a row under their belts and base hits flying off of just about every bat, the Harvard nine would have to be considered the favorite to emerge from the five-team pileup at the top of the EIBL standings with the championship.

All that, of course, is with Santos-Buch. Now, however, this man who can truly be called on inspiration on the field will spend the season's key weekend in the dugout.

And you have to wonder if the GBL title is worth it. at soldiers Field BRANDIES (12)  AB  R  H  BI DiCarlo, cf  4  2  1  0 Banks, 2b  4  2  2  1 Giardano, If  3  2  2  3 Perdios, rf  4  1  1  1 Carpenter, ss  4  0  0  0 Isaac, dh  5  1  1  1 Russomagno, 1b  5  1  2  3 Klofas, dh  4  1  1  0 Bruci, c  1  1  1  0 Caputo, c  3  1  3  1 Pokony, pr  0  0  0  0 TOTALS  37  12  14  10 HARVARDS(14) Pauer, ss  5  2  2  1 Pearce, 3b  5  2  2  0 Santos-Ruch, cf  1  1  0  0 Powles, cf  1  1  1  2 Marshall, ph  0  0  0  0 Blood, cf  1  0  1  0 Bingham, 1b  4  1  0  2 Farrell, dh  4  0  1  0 Kelley, dh  4  2  3  4 Martelli, If  4  2  2  2 Skaff, rf  5  2  4  2 Wark, c  5  1  2  0 TOTALS  39  14  18  13 Brandeis (5-3 GBL)  2  0  2  2  3  1  0  2  0--12 Harvard (7-1 GBL)  3  0  1  8  0  0  0  2  x--14 P--Almeida, Kelley, Pearce, Skaff; 2B--Klofas; 3B--Giardano, Banks, Russomagno; HR--Russomagno; SB--Banks, Pearce, Santos-Buch, Bowles, Bingham, Kelley     IP  H  R  BR  BB  SO Almeida  3  6  7  7  3  1 French  2/3  4  4  4  0  0 Clouthier  4 2/3  7  3  3  2  2 Seraichud  1/3  1  0  0  0  0 Larson  22/3  4  4  4  4  1 Sorich  2  5  5  3  0  0 Boyle  3 1/3  0  3  2  1  3 WP--Sorich, 2, Almeida A--85