New-York tribune., 1920-05-16
Lafayette Nine
Forging Ahead
Among Colleges
Easton Players Have Won
Eight Straight G a m e s.;
Y a G Improves Rapidly
By r. ]. Kelly

Inc college baseball season which
has been replete with surprising de-
feats of teams which were supposedly
we'll nigh invincible, is furnishing one
OF the keenest and most interesting
struggles for the championship of the
East that has taken place in manv
years. Several of the mines which got
on TO a poor start this year, have
shown remarkable reversal of form
and now give promise of ranking
among the leaders when the campaign
comes to an end.
the Yale aggregation. The New Haven
collegians were decsively beaten in
1our out of six games on their annual
southern trip this spring and on their
return home they were also trounced
by Wesleyan Since then, however,
Coach Billy Lauder has wrought a re-
markable Improvement in the Eli
team and 1T has recently won victories
over Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Ca
Ihollc University and West Virginia.
~ also lost close contest to the
strong University of Virginia nine by
the score of l TO 0.
Strong Pitching Staff
The strength of the Yale team seems.
Tor the most part, to lie in it's ptchinp
stah: 1t has splendid arrey of twiri-
ers IN Kelly, Coke, Selleck and several
others In addition, the Blue nine has
one one OF the best college intielders in
sne counrty IN Sawyer, the second
oaseman and captain, who is fast. az
sreslVe player and batter Of more
tnan ordinary ability. He has been
performing in brilliant fashion lhis
season and much of his teams success
mas been due to his star playing.
me rest of the nine is rounded out
WIN rather capable players and, on the
"hole, the combination seems to be a
Weil-balanced one. At the present fine
Yale appears to be the most ljkelv
winner Of the championship of the
Big Three"
Inc Princeton nine also has been i'm.
proving steadily and within the las,
1ortnlght has defeated the University
OF OF pennsylvania, Cornell, University OF
virginia and Harvard The Tigers
seemed to be possessed of great hit.
ting ability and this has been resnonsi.
PIE tor many OF their victories. but or
the other hand, their pitching staff is
not particularly strong.
Inc Nassau collegians have two
players OF exceptional ability in Me
Phee and Trimble. The former is nrob.
ably the best shortstop in the COLLEGE
world at the present time, and the lat
ter, who is an extraordinarily gooc
batter, is playing a splendid game al
second base
Inc Harvard nine appears to be the
weakest of the Big Three" Its pitch
e1s nave not come up to expectations
i, ana none of them have shown more
than ordinary ability. The Crimson
players have recently lost to Amherst
Cornell, Dartm outh and Princeton.
An Unexpected Reverse
Perhaps the most unexpected revers.
OF the past week was the defeat of tn,
HoIy Cross nine at the hands of tn,
Army aggregation. The Worcester col
leglans had previously lost only on,
game and were we'll on their wav t,
repeat their championship performanc,
OF last year. Although this setbacl
does not entirely eliminate Jesse Bur
ketts pupils as contenders for the title
1t nevertheless reduces their chance
! considerably.
Within the past few weeks severa
teams nave displayed remarkable
oursc OF speed, which is fast carrying
them to the fore in the scramble fol
the Leading positions. The most note
worthy of these is the Lafayette nine
Inc Pennsylvanlans lost several con
tests early in the season, but they have
since won eight straight games. Thi.
string includes victories over such for
mldable opponents as West Virginia
Lehlgh, Penn State and Swarthmore.
Meyer, Lafayette's twirling ace. wht
Is probably the best southpaw in the
college ranks, has been a potent facto,
IN many Of his teams triumphs. Re
Gently ne held Swarthmore to two hit:
and registered thirteen strike-o, =.