The Crimson baseball team, which has been squeaking by on one-run victories all season, ran out of luck yesterday. Leading Yale 4 to 3 going into the ninth inning, the varsity suddenly fell victim to a six-run Eli rally and went down to a 9-4 defeat.

The loss made little difference, however, to the crowd of revelling alumni and their families--about 3,000 strong--whose attention was only intermittently focused on the diamond. A full corps of bagpipers, a combo of '33 dixielanders, and an unidentified group of reuners fitted out in sack dresses and burlap bags shared the spotlight with the players in the afternoon's gay proceedings at fogbound Soldiers Field.

Good Eighth for Emmet

Crimson pitcher Gerry Emmet had a rather easy time with the Blue opposition for the first eight innings, allowing only six hits and three runs, all unearned. But he seemed shaky with men on base throughout the game, and in the ninth, when there were always men on base, this weakness caught up with him.

Mike Schumann and pinch-hitter Ron Cheney led off with scratch singles. Then Dick Morrison, attempting to sacrifice, bunted a low, twisting pop-up down the third base line. Emmet made a head-first dive for the ball, knocking it into foul territory, and the bases were loaded. Clearly rattled by the play, the tall lefthander walked the next two batters, forcing in two Eli runs, before he was finally replaced by Byron Johnson.

Johnson Walks

Johnson walked in another run, and two more tallies crossed the plate when Allan Pond lined a bases-loaded single to center. The Crimson finally managed to get two outs without further damage, but with Schumann at bat for he second time in the inning, Len Hassler raced one of Johnson's pitches to the plate and scored the final Eli run on a steal of home.

Earlier, the Crimson had taken a second-inning lead when Mo Balboni hit a hard line drive down the left field line and past the reach of fielder Dave Olson for a home run. Just before the hit, a small group of '33 zealots prophetically launched a cluster of helium-filled red balloons which soared proudly over the field as Balboni scored.

Balloons Go Up

More balloons sailed skywards in the sixth inning as the home team rallied for three runs to take a 4-3 lead. After Tom Bergantino walked, captain Bob Cleary, Frank Saia, Jim Shue, and John Davis rapped out successive singles to rout Eli starter Bruce Irving.

By the ninth, however, the red balloons had faded into the foggy distance.