Disjointed Spring Season Provided Little Action or Success; Baseball Team Likely to Have Intersession Schedule
After a successful winter season in all sports, Big Green teams suffered a serious relapse this spring, with only the baseball nine and Dartmouth's one-man track team, Don Burnham, being able to report a single victory. However, the accelerated schedule and decreased enrollment has largely ruled out athletics "as usual," and Dartmouth is rapidly adjusting itself to a war diet of athletic activities.
The lacrosse and tennis schedules were cancelled by the Athletic Council, but baseball, golf, yachting and track continued on a greatly modified basis. Plans for some athletics during the intersession are now under way, but it is evident that vars ity sports will be on a very restricted basis. William H. McCarter, graduate director of Dartmouth athletics, has announced that arrangements are being made to have a regular baseball nine during the abbreviated term.
To date no plans have been announced regarding an intersession schedule for the baseball team, but Mr. McCarter has revealed that a schedule of five or six Saturday afternoon games is now being arranged. These games will all be against semi-pro clubs and high-caliber town teams, and the intersession season will be conducted in much the same manner as last summer.
During the spring season the Big Green baseball nine concluded an abbreviated diamond schedule in the cellar of the Eastern Intercollegiate League for the second consecutive year with only a single win in four starts. A pair of Hanover doubleheaders, one with Columbia and the second with Cornell, were both cancelled because of rain.
After a surprise opening-game win against the Princeton Tigers, defending league champions, the Big Green went on to lose the nightcap of the Princeton twin bill, and both ends of doubleheaders with Pennsylvania and Navy.
In the league opener senior Ralph Bowman set the Tigers down with only three safeties to give the Indians their first and only victory of the season. Ray Wolfe hurled the second contest for Dartmouth, and allowed the Orange and Black only six hits, but the Big Green offense lagged behind and the Indians finished up on the short end of a 4-3 count.
In a twin bill at Philadelphia on May 1 the Indians dropped a brace of decisions to Pennsylvania, 8-5 and 9-6. In the opener Captain Bert Kuczynski of the Quakers held Dartmouth to four hits, all of which came in a fifth inning rally when the Indians scored all five runs. Pennsylvania scored two in the first and two in the third, and four in the fifth to top the Big Green. Both teams got off to a fast start in the second contest, tallving four times each in the opening inning. Dartmouth added two more in the third to go into the lead, but the Quakers came back again in the fifth to stage a five-run rally and put the game on ice.
The Indians continued on to Annapolis to meet the Navy twice on successive days, but for the second time the Big Green was on the losing end in both games. Four errors, three hits, and a walk in the sixth inning, when the Midshipmen pushed across four runs, proved to be Dartmouth's undoing in the first game. Previously Dartmouth had gone out in front in the fourth frame, but they were unable to hold their lead and the Navy came through, 6-2. In the second game of the series Burdett, top ranking Navy hurler, allowed the Big Green one lone hit over the nine-inning route, and the Midshipmen easily scored their second win over the Indians, 8-0. Outfielder Joe Vancisin was the only Dartmouth athlete to get a hit off Burdett, while Navy racked the Dartmouth hurlers for eight.
GREEN DIAMOND SQUAD WHICH CARRIED ON DESPITE WAR DIFFICULTIES Front Row (left to right)-Ray Wolfe, George Pulliam, Buzz Beattie, Stan Zarod, Captain Al Barrett, Coach Jeff Tesreauand Team Mascot Billy Orcutt, Joe Donahue, Bob Grunditz, Joe Vancisin, Joe Quig. Back Row—Manager West Shell,Walt Snickenberger, Bob Hawkins, Newt Rutter, Ralph Bowman, Fred Campbell, Phil Fessenden.