FRESHMAN NINE SUFFERED SLUMP

After winning six out of its first seven games, the 1918 baseball team struck a disastrous slump, losing four out of five contests, one of them to the Yale freshmen, thus spoiling what was expected to be one of the best of first year records. The Freshmen played brilliant ball at the start of the season, several men batting around the 400 mark, while the fielding and pitching were excellent.

Perhaps the most pleasing feature of the season is that several men were developed into excellent possibilities for the University nine next year. The two twirlers, Loring and Hitchcock, performed well in the early season and deserved better support from their team in the later games. Hitchcock's best showing was made against Worcester Academy, when they held that hard-hitting aggregation to two hits and broke the string of consecutive victories which had reached 39 games.

In the infield, Captain Murray at third base not only fielded his position well, but batted for nearly .400. Wiswall, at second base, and Harrison in the few games he played as short stop, showed up well.

Season Reviewed by Games.

Brookline High School was the first opponent of the 1918 team, and was defeated by a 5 to 2 score, Loring twirling for 1918. Lynn Classical was the next victim the score of this game being 8 to 5.

The third straight victory was gained at the expense of Manchester High School, the result being 5 to 3. St. Marks then received the Freshmen at Southboro and although they made six runs off Hitchcock's delivery, the 1918 players went them three better, pounding out nine runs. Another private school, Groton, was next defeated by the close score of 6 to 5, Loring pitching for 1918.

Then came the first defeat of the season, at the hands of Huntington, whose players had no difficulty in pounding out a 9 to 3 victory. The high water mark of the 1918 season was reached in the next game, when Hitchcock shut out the strong Worcester Academy nine. The slump began after this contest, and three games in succession were dropped to Exeter, Andover, and Dean Academy by scores of 3 to 0, 6 to 4, and 4 to 1, respectively. A temporary brace was taken in the Pilgrim's game, the 1918 team winning 12 to 10, but in the final contest of the year against Yale 1918, the Freshmen went to pieces, making eight errors, and losing 7 to 3.