Transcription: Hoosiers Can Cop Conference Title By Winning Today
Indiana bolted into the top spot in the Big Nine baseball standings as it trounced a host Purdue nine, 8-5, while Iowa lost to Northwestern. A victory over the Boilermakers at West Lafayette today at 2 p.m. would give the Hoosiers their first undisputed baseball crown since 1932.
As a result of yesterday’s happenings, Indiana can do no worse than tie for first place, with one exception. If Purdue should win today’s game and two games with Ohio State next weekend, it could deprive Indiana of any share of top honors.
Tosheff Pitches Today.
Bill Tosheff, who has the best Conference pitching mark since Purdue’s Bob Hartman and Iowa’s Jack Bruner lost yesterday, is expected to handle the mound duties in the finale. Mel Henson, a right-hander with a 2-1 Big Nine mark, probably will start for Purdue.
A big first inning netted the Hoosiers and Jim McGee an early lead as they hopped on Bob Hartman, the Boilermakers’ ace right-hander, for four runs and five hits before he could retire the side. Woody Litz hit the first pitch over third base for a single. After Harry Moore sacrificed, Gene Ring singled to center moving Litz to third. Tex Ritter followed with a bunt single down the third base line before Bob Moore unloaded a two-baser, scoring Ring and Ritter. Bill Stearman sent Moore home with another single.
Hoosiers Lead, 8-0.
The Hoosiers mounted their lead to 8-0 by scoring one in the fourth and another pair in the sixth. Triples by Stearman and Del Russell, plus an error on John Gonkis’ grounder added the two in the sixth.
Indiana added an insurance run in the seventh on singles by Ritter and Bob Moore and a neat double steal.
McGee blanked the Purdue men for six innings before they ganged up on him for four in the seventh. He fanned seven, walked only two in going the distance. The Boilermakers cut the Hoosier lead in half in the seventh as John Chinewicz started things with a single to left. Norb Adams singled and Bob Rasmussen walked, filling the bases. McGee then uncorked a wild pitch and the runners advanced. He walked the next batter, Hal Graves, and the bases were ‘full again.
McGee Retires Side.
Bob Becker came through for the Riveters with a Texas League single and the second run scored. Pitching deliberately, McGee retired the next two batters on infield balls but Purdue runners managed to tally on both ground-era.
The Boilermakers tried to get a rally going in the ninth as Stan Aders doubled to center. Bob Whitmer, the Purdue reliefer, scored Aders on a single with one down. McGee forced the next two batters to pop up, however, to end the game.
A capacity crowd of more than 3,000 persons lined the field. More than ninety Indiana fans witnessed the fray.
Every man in the Hoosier line-up got at least one hit, except McGee. Ritter set a new Big Nine total-hits record with his two singles. He now has twenty-three hits, bettering the old Conference mark of twenty-two. The Indiana first-sacker needs more total bases to tie that set at forty-two by Dick Wakefield, of Michigan, in 1942.
