Conlon's Pitching Checks Harvard For Holy Cross

Southpaw Jim Conlon's four-hitter and Bill Crowley's three RBI's led Holy Cross to a 5-2 victory over the Crimson yesterday at Soldiers' Field.

The non-league loss was the Crimson's first at home this year and dropped their season record to 5-4.

The Crusaders tagged southpaw J. C. Nickens for all five runs in the first two innings. Although Harvard relief pitchers shut out the Worcester team after that, the Crimson nine could never start a rally.

Getting Holy Cross off to a fast start, lead-off hitter Ed Petrazzole smashed a deep fly ball to left field. Captain John Ignacio raced for the ball but could not make an over-the-shoulder catch, and the ball dropped for a triple. Crowley's sacrifice fly to left scored Petrazzole.

In Harvard's half on the inning, center-fielder Neil Hurley beat out a bunt down the third base line, and tried to steal second. The Junior's head-first slide into second caused shortstop Crowley to let the ball get by him, and Hurley advanced to third. Dan DeMichele looped a hit over the third baseman to drive in Hurley and tie the score at 1-1.

Free Pass

Nickens walked lead-off batter Phil O'Neill in the second on four straight pitches. Jack Noll hit a hard bunt past first baseman Pete Bernhard and out-raced Nickens to the bag. A second perfectly placed bunt between DeMichele and Nickens allowed catcher Dan Capen to load the bases.

With no one out, the Crusaders' Bruce Corrigan singled to left to bring the score to 3-1. After Corrigan stole second, Nickens safely retired the next two batters. But, with two men on, Crowley tripled between Ignacio and Hurley for the final Holy Cross runs.

Harvard never mounted a threat until the eighth inning. DeMichele started the attack with a walk and was advanced to second on Pete Varney's single through short. The rally seemed ended when Ignacio struck out and John Ballantyne forced Varney at second, but a wild pitch sent DeMichele home with Harvard's last run.

One Relief

One bright spot in the game was the Crimson's relief pitching, which faced only twenty-two batters in seven innings. Bob Kalinowski pitched five innings and allowed only three hits, all in the sixth; Curt Tucker struck out three and never let ball out of the infield in facing six hitters.

This afternoon at 2 p.m., Harvard begins its defense of the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball title against Penn on Soldiers' Field. Coach Loyal park will start right-hander Bob Dorwart, 2-0, against the Quakers.