Baseball
With generally good weather, a somewhat stronger team than last year and plenty of games and practice sessions, the baseball team's southern trip was very successful. The team posted five wins, two of them over the only college teams played- Georgetown and Villanova.
The Norfolk Naval Air Station took the first two games from Dartmouth, winning the opener 8-7 in eight innings and the second game 9-0 in an abbreviated six-inning contest. Cold weather and rain spoiled both contests, but this was the only time the weather interfered. At the Little Creek Naval Receiving Station Dartmouth fared better, winning the first game 4-3 behind the pitching of John Forline and the batting of Bill Beagle, who collected three for four. Little Creek edged the Indians in the second game 7-6.
Dartmouth then went on to post two wins over the Little Creek Amphibious Base, 4-0 and 7-2. Senior Rollie Barker and sophomore John Meier combined for the first shutout, while Captain Bob Feltman was the winning hurler in the second game with relief by Forline. Against the Fleet Service Force the Big Green had a bad day in the field with seven errors and lost 15-9 in seven innings. In a ten-inning contest a day later Dartmouth bowed to the Atlantic Destroyer Forces 2-1, and then lost their final service game to the Quantico Marines by a close 6-5 score.
Rounding out the southern trip, Dartmouth shut out Georgetown 3-0, with Captain Bob Feltman going the distance on the mound. Sophomore hurler Dick Van Riper relieved Rollie Barker to help the Indians win the finale over Villanova 6-3.
Dartmouth's ace hurler, Captain Bob Feltman, was one of the top players on the trip, winning two games, pitching 18½ innings and allowing only five earned runs. The Big Green's hitting, weak in recent seasons, also showed signs of resurgence, with the Indians picking up 52 runs on 95 hits to 73 hits and 55 runs for the opposition. Lou Pfeifle, a junior who plays in right field, was the top hitter on the trip with 13 hits in 31 times at bat for a .419 average. Veteran centerfielder John Mansfield compiled a .354 average and collected four hits in five times at bat in both games at the Amphibious Base. Hitting in the cleanup spot was Bill Beagle, Dartmouth quarterback, who this spring has been switched from the pitching mound to left field. Beagle posted a .264 average and collected a triple and three doubles during his 12 times at the plate.
Dartmouth coach Bob Shawkey, now starting his fourth season in Hanover, was generally pleased with the trip performance and the way the team shaped up. "We posted some good wins," commented Shawkey, "and also lost some good close games. Our pitching is better this year, and I think defensively we are stronger, but we still need more power at the plate, particularly in the clutch. I feel this will come as the season goes along," he concluded.
A good idea of how the team has finally jelled may be had from a glance at the trip roster and batting order which Shawkey posted this week for the trip which will see Dartmouth meeting Holy Cross, Columbia and Penn.
Lead-off hitter for the Indians is veteran centerfielder John Mansfield, followed by George Becker, a junior who took over the shortstop post. Third baseman John Stoughton, another letterman, is third in the batting order with left fielder Bill Beagle, who can double as pitcher if necessary, in the cleanup spot. Junior Lou Pfiefle, who has shown great improvement this spring, hits fifth and plays right field, followed by Dave Conlan at first base. Sophomore Malcolm Brown bats seventh. Brown, the team catcher, has a terrific potential and one of the strongest throwing arms in the league. Rounding out the batting order are sophomore Russ Brigano at second base and the pitchers.
CAPTAIN BOB FELTMAN '55, the Big Green's leading pitcher, working out in thegym, with a pair of former New York Yankees Director of Athletics Red Rolfe '31 andCoach Bob Shawkey - looking on.
