Crimson Nine Defeats Brandeis In Loosely Played 20-8 Contest

A hefty barrage of 18 hits, coupled with nine errors by a sadly outclassed Brandeis team, carried the Crimson nine to a 20-8 victory over the Judges at Soldiers Field yesterday.

For a team that had produced only six hits in tying Tufts the day before, it was a morale-boosting afternoon. First baseman Frank Saia rapped out five safeties in as many at bats, Tom Bergantino blasted a homer in the varsity's eight-run eighth, and perhaps most encouraging of all, Kent Hathaway connected for three timely singles to knock in five Crimson runs.

Mo Balboni also collected three hits, putting in a strong bid for the starting right field assignment.

Starting pitcher Byron Johnson was never in real trouble. He gained the win, pitching eight innings and allowing eight Brandeis hits.

The contest started shakily, as Johnson balked in a run from third in the first frame, and the Judges took a 2-1 lead with a single tally in the third. It was not until the fourth that the home forces took complete control, unleashing a four-run outburst.

Varsity Piles Up Lead

From that time on, the boy operating the scoreboard could hardly keep track. The Crimson added a run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and four in the seventh. The eighth frame saw 11 varsity batters walk to the plate to bat, and eight of them paid it another trip as they scored.

Balboni led off with a looping single to right, and moved along on infield hits by Captain Bob Clearly and Saia. Short-stop Mouse Kasarjian then brought him home with a sharp blow to center, and Hathaway obliged with another hit, scoring two more.

Then followed the most bizarre play of the game. Pinch-hitter Dave Borken-hagen tapped a grounder to short. The shortstop threw high to second, missing the force play; the second baseman over-threw first trying to make the out there; and finally the pitcher, who retrieved the ball, threw wide to the plate trying to catch Hathaway, and even Borken-hagen scored on this final error.

Bergantino smashed his line drive homer to center for two runs a moment later, but by that time it was all anti-climax.