A pin by Captain Bob Claflin and a decision by Howie Houston saved the Harvard wrestling team from a shutout as Yale kept its long winning streak alive with a 20 to 8 victory Saturday on the Payne Whitney mats.

Claflin, behind on points, pinned Jack Downey late in the second period and managed to evade Downey's pin hold for two minutes and 52 seconds of the third period. Houston was unable to fathom Duncan Waterman's unique style of wrestling and had to be satisfied with a decision, thus breaking a string of four straight pins.

Yale's Superiority Evident

Otherwise, the Crimson was helpless before the better prepared Eli wrestlers. The Blue faced more severe competition than Harvard this season and the Elis, a "rough, tough bunch of boys," according to Butch Jordan, seemed to have benefited from it.

Jordan explained that Dave Smith is only 50 percent his normal self because of an arm injury, which has limited his practice time as well as hampering his match performances.

The freshmen ended their season with a 24 to 6 loss to their Yale counterparts. Chip Carter and Neil Hastie gained the Yardlings' two decisions, at 136 and 175 pounds respectively.

The varsity summaries:

121-pound class--Long (Y) decisioned Kozol (H), 7-2; 128-pound class--De Bono (Y), decisioned Smith (H), 7-3; 136-pound class--Anderson (Y) decisioned Abboud (H), 4-0; 145-pound class--Clinch (Y) decisioned King (H), 9-2; 155-pound class--Mansell (Y) decisioned Skinner (H), 6-0; 165-pound class--Naffziger (Y) pinned Thompson (H) at 8:27 with a half nelson and crotch; 175-pound class--Claflin (H) pinned Downey (Y) with a half nelson and crotch at 5:52; heavyweight class--Houston (H) decisioned Waterman (Y), 5-2.