The Lowell baseball team took a half-game lead in the House pennant race yesterday by throwing Eliot for a 5 to 2 loss, while Adams climbed into second place, beating Winthrop, 4 to 1.

Bayard Robb, Lowell pitcher who made his debut in the circuit yesterday, held the losing Elephants down to five hits, and allowed no walks. Eliot's Dick Saul (regularly the first baseman) did a reasonably good job of smoothing over the Mastadon pitcher-lack, but the Bellboys tapped him for eight safeties.

A double by Lowell shortstop Johnny Goldsmith and an Eliot error gave the Bellboys a 1 to 0 lead in the first inning. Then the Lowells racked up two more in the third on four hits. Bob Capaecio drove in the final two tallies in the fourth with a single to center.

Back of a Sudden

Capaecio, incidentally, who is Lowell's best hitter, had expected to be out of town for the rest of the season. His surprise return yesterday bolstered the already substantial odds for a Lowell pennant.

The Elephants scored their two runs in the sixth on two singles and two infield outs. Pitcher Dick Saul was the leading slugger for Eliot with two doubles.

Any team that engages in a pitching duel with Adams is in for a fall, and that's just what happened to Winthrop. Gold Coaster mound ace Roger Davis almost matched his no-hitter of a week ago by allowing his Puritan opponents only one hit. Winthrop hurler Mel Zurier gave up two.

Double by Lukingbeal

In the second inning a single by Shark Sahpiro drove in what was to be the only Winthrop run, but Adams came back in the bottom half to tie the count on two walks and an error. A double by Bob Lukingbeal brought in the two deciding runs for Adams in the fourth.