"They never know when they're licked," declared Ohio Floyed Stahl yesterday, as he discussed the nine's promise this season. "Regardless of how far we were behind during the trip, the boys played as if their next effort were a potential game-winner."
Strongest on the offense, the 1939 team is favored to carry off Eastern League batting honors for the second year in a row. Crimson sluggers Lupien, Johns, Grondahl, Soltz, and Gannett all hung up good averages on the trip.
Lupe Lupien, 1938 League batting champ by almost 100 points, is a finished college batsman. Lupe, heady at the plate, hits well to any field and is a good baserunner.
A fine leadoff man in Captain Art Johns, who hit for 362 in League contesis last season to rank sixth in the circuit. Reine Grondahl, the team's "money hitter," led the League in runs batted in last year. Jojo Soltz is almost as vicious a hitter as Lupien. Batting left handed, Gannett is a good "waiter." He had tough luck on the trip, connecting safely only four times out of 17 trips to the plate. Two or three times, safe landing of his smoky liners might have meant the ball game to Harvard, but each time they were hit directly at the fielders.
Keyee Injured
Regular shortstop Keyes suffered a charley-horse when he crashed into Chief Boston at the plate Thursday before vacation, and played under a handicap in his sole appearance afield. He is expected to be close to top shape by the Columbia game Saturday.
The trip saw much improvement in the work of Bob Fulton, regular back-stop, especially in his throwing, and in his handling of pitchers. However, the fact remains that Keyes and Fulton together accounted for six of the team's 11 errors during the past week.
Before the Duke tilt, the team got wind of the fact that Jack Coombs, Blue Devil coach, was anticipating a pushover, having seen the Crimson's uninspired performance against North Carolina the day before. Harvard rallied that day to overcome a five run Duke lead, and held the crack home outfit on even terms until fielding lapses in the seventh saw Coombs' men forge into the lead to win, 12-10.
