Errors Help J.V. Nine Top Curry, 9-5

The J.V. nine took advantage of three wild pitches and a passed ball to score two runs in the first inning yesterday en route to a 9-5 win against Curry College at Soldier's Field.

The Crimson didn't get a hit until the third inning when third baseman Rick Harris slashed a single during a four-run spurt which put the J.V. ahead to stay, 6-2, after a 2-2 tie in the second inning.

Winning pitcher Steve Kitchen hurled five innings, striking out seven and walking three, while scattering five hits. Nils Nilsen struck out five and gave up only three hits in relief to preserve Kitchen's victory.

"They looked good today," coach Buddy Mahar said of his team's fourth victory in five outings. "We lost our opener to Northeastern, but now we've avenged that loss and we are looking better and better each time we play," Maher said.

The team's other victories were against Wentworth, the victim of a three-hit, 9-0 shut-out, at the hands of pitchers Keith Butler and Frank Leblanc, and against Boston College.

Curry's pitchers held seven Harvard batters to only one hit each in yesterday's game, the longest being a double by Phil Allen during the third-inning rally. But poor control and six fielding miscues let the Harvard squad grab the lead early and hold on despite a three-run late inning Curry rally.

"There were a lot of errors," Mahar said, "but we're doing pretty well, and despite the errors, anytime you're winning it's great. Our pitching is strong and our hitters are starting to improve."

Mahar is optimistic about the remaining 11 games on the schedule. "There is good team spirit, the whole team's out for practice everyday and everybody's working hard," he said. "We should have a pretty good year."