Army Slams 2 Homers in First Inning; Coasts to Easy 11-2 Win Over Crimson

WEST POINT, N.Y., April 26--Army exploded in the bottom half of the first inning for two home runs and a triple off starter J. C. Nickens and then easily handled three relief pitchers as it trounced the Crimson nine, 11-2, Saturday at Doubleday Field.

The loss dropped Harvard's record in the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League to a mediocre 2-2 mark. Doug Rodgers went the distance for the Cadets to bring Army its first EIBL victory in four attempts.

If there were any bright spots for Harvard, they came few and far between. Captain John Ignacio hit three solid singles to left an now has batted 666 in the Crimson's last four games. Senior Bob Kalinowski was the least ineffective, allowing just two hits and one run in three innings.

After a lead-off single by shortstop Bob Merkle, Nickens appeared to be in complete control in the first as he easily retired the next two hitters. But lefty Pete McCall drilled the ball into right-center for a triple and the Cadets's Fred Zillian followed with a homer over the left field fence.

To the Bullpen

While Harvard's relief staff ran out to the bullpen, southpaw Nickens hit Jim Murray with a wild pitch and left fielder Tom Peterson added a second 358-foot home run to left. Kalinowski came in and struck out Denny Hayden to hold Army to a 5-0 lead.

Harvard was listless until the fifth when Curt Tucker singled and Pete Bernhard walked to start the inning. Infield outs by Neil Hurley and Dan DeMichele sent Tucker home with the first Crimson tally. Keeping hopes alive. Pete Varney and Ignacio singled to left to score and give Harvard its slimmest deficit at 6-2. But with two runners in scoring position, shortstop Bill Kelly fouled out to third to end the threat.

Army struck once again with two outs to put the game out of reach in their half of the inning. Following two consecutive singles, third baseman Tom Pyrz lined a double to the left field fence and scored on a single by McCall through the middle.