Floyd Stahl's Varsity nine, attempting to climb up over the .500 mark, will be playing the dark horse at 3:30 o'clock tomorrow when it takes on a high-flying Yale squad at Soldiers Field. This game will be the first in the historic series since 1943, when the Crimson outslugged its rivals, 11 to 8.
The Harvard-Yale series, dating back to 1868, is one of the oldest in the country, and regularly consists of three games a season. Oddly enough, the Elis have won 95 out of 187 games but trail in the series, 35 to 32; six have been tied.
Ex-Marine Joe Phelan, who has done a large share of the pitching this year, will start on the mound for the Crimson. Although his won and lost total is an unimpressive 2-2, he has often been sabotaged by unearned runs, and his E.R.A. is only 2.97. Southpaw John Knowles will be ready for relief duty if necessary. The lefthauder has won two out of his last three games, the defeat coming at the hands of Dartmouth, when he lost 1 to 0 but allowed only five hits.
The Stahlmen's fielding is still a trifle erratic, but their hitting has come up sharply to provide them with 7 to 2, 11 to 2, and 15 to 9 scores in late-season games. Shortstop-captain Don Swegan is still leading the team batting parade with a lusty .368 average, while his teammates Nick Rodis and Bill Fitz, who have been hitting steadily all season, have healthy percentages of .346 and .342. The nine's only other .300 hitter is left fielder Mal Allen, who has risen sharply after an early season slump to his present .307.
Comparative scores have always been misleading, but the 1946 Yale record shows a powerful team that has steam-rollered most of the Northeast. Its 9 and 2 record includes two victories over West Point and a 17 to 3 thrashing handed to Brown. Only losses have been at the hands of Holy Cross and Kings Point. Dartmouth edged the Cantabs 1 to 0, but the Elis tumbled them twice, 10 to 6 and 3 to 2; Kings Point has beaten both Crimson and Blue, but while the former succumbed, 10 to 2, the latter lost by only 4 to 3; Connecticut beat the Stahlmen by one run and was upset by the same margin by the Elis.
All the evidence points toward a heavily favored Blue nine taking the field tomorrow; luck and Eli over-confidence will be Coach Stahl's strongest assistants.
Probable lineups:
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