Eli Nine Invades Cambridge

When Yale and Harvard last met on the baseball diamond, April 20 of last year for a doubleheader in New Haven, it was like an episode of the Twilight Zone. The Eli's Don Gallagher played Rod Serling, walking the leadoff Crimson batter in each of the seven innings of the first game (ending with a grand total of twelve walks) and pitching a no-hitter, Yale won the game 2-1.

"It was weirder than you could imagine," Harvard coach Loyal Park commented yesterday, thinking back to the bizarre loss.

Occult Twist

Gallagher has departed, so today's contest on Soldiers Field at 3 p.m. between the ancient rivals--who first played each other in hardball in 1868--should not have such an occult twist.

In place of Gallagher, coach Ken MacKenzie (so relation to the beleagured Bulldog goaltender) has a pair of top starters in Greg Daniels and Steve Niemczyk. Daniels is one of the more versatile players on the squad; he played third base last season and second the year before.

Shortstop Jim Neil is another of Yale's men of many hats. The junior also pitches and swings a pretty mean bat for the Elis. Neil earned EIBL Player of the Week honors earlier this season as he led his team to a double killing of Columbia going four-for-six at the plate and pitching three innings of relief in the first game to earn a win.

"They're a pretty good ball club," Park said yesterday, "Certainly a much better ball club than they've had in the past three years. They have good team speed, they run a lot and use the hit and run well."

Never Hummed

In addition to the flest feet on the basepaths, Yale also has some power in the line up in first baseman Gary Brewsaugh and catcher Andy Walker.

Park is expected to counter with ace Milt Holt, whose only loss this year came against a tough Penn squad last Friday. The only time Holt has faced Yale he was hurling footballs last November in The Game. The senior from Hawali has never hummed a hardball past Eli batsmen.