(DUCK TRACKS By Tom King Emerald Sports Editor After an extensive pre-season exhibition series that saw them peel off seven victories in eleven starts, Oregon's baseballing Ducks look pretty chipper as they take a last quick breathing spell before tying into Idaho here tomorrow afternoon in the Northern Division opener. The deeds of Don Kirsch’s boys in their warm up duels don’t inspire anyone to storm the dramatic heights as did Granny Rice when he waxed so eloquently that the “Four Horsemen” soon became a household byword, but no one could be moved to write a sob-story either. Leave the crying towel on the rack. This Duck Dali club did show plenty of rough spots on its own little grapefruit tour, and chances are that the second place spot that they landed in during the '48 season won't be theirs this time—nor the top one either. Beavers, Washington State Rate For, while Kirsch had it figured that the defensive side of the team was virtually the only thing about which he wouldn't have to spend restless nights, such was not the case. The boys simply went into a tailspin, defensively speaking, but showed some signs of snapping out of it last Saturday when they slap ped down the Salem Senators. Too, the catching situation is still a question mark, and this gives the Webfoots an unknown quan tity down that important “middle" namely, the battery. On top of this, Oregon State has come up with a cracker jack ball club that, paired with a veteran Washington State outfit, gives these two schools top crystal ball billing. But these little devices are as often wrong as not. On the brighter side of the ledger, Mel Krause, and Sil Mills have served up some pretty fancy pitching this Spring, and have certainly done a lot to ease a rather tense pitching predicament. Krause has made the switch from shortstop (which he played as a freshman) to the mound, (when he played in high school and the service) in grand fashion. Krause Ready for Opening Pitch He is what some people prefer to call a nugget, and his work has been good enough to earn the opening day hill assignment against the Vandals. ♦..As for Mills, he seems to have developed since he last did a spot of pitching, which was for the junior varsity. The experienced Homer Bropst, a mainstay on the staff, has come through with what was expected of him and, all in all, things pitching seem to be on the upgrade. The inner cordon, sometimes known as an infield, and the outer pasture, whose other identity we do not at the present re call. are pretty much set. Which means that Oregon is going to have an out-of-the ordinary baseball team, on that could go all the way if the Fates are kind. When Kirsch ordered a squeeze bunt Saturday and won a game with it for the second time this spring, it recalled memories of Howard Hobson and the tricks he used to pull back in the days when the present Duck chieftain was playing a lot of second base. 'Hobby' Squeezed 'Em for All They Were Worth It seems that one time Ralph Coleman of OSC brought his crew around for an important series with the Ducks, and “Hobby" decided to have a little fun—at Coleman’s expense. At a crucial point in one of the games, with the bases clut tered with Ducks, Hobson ordered the squeeze*—a whole mess of ’em in fact. The next two Lemon-and-Green batsmen laid ’em down, and, as Coleman stood by and unsilently tied him self into slip-knots, an equal number of runs rumbled over the plate. “Hobby” was all for trying a third one in a row, but a Beaver misplay let in another run and forestalled his taxing the play any further. A second of Hobson’s pet schemes was getting the opposing pitcher rattled. In this same year (’46) against OSC. the Ducks managed two runs when they were needed most, and they did it the Hobson wav. / When Runner Broke, Pitcher Pulled a Skull The big moment shaped lip when the Ducks got runners on first and third. As the pitcher, already a bit shaky, paused in his windup, the man on first broke for second. Now, the poor chap on the mound, his hands cupped against his chest, got all tang led up and (1 either bluffed a throw to the base or 2) started stumbling around, his arms flopping, and his mind in a state of glorious confusion. The inevitable result was a balk that sent the Duck on third jogging home without working up a sweat. As we were saying, “Hobby” pulled this stunt twice against Oregon State that year, and it worked both times. Coleman, too, did some working himself—into a lather. Needless to add, Oregon fared rather well against the Beavers, winning three out of four. IM Winners Rout Opponents In Second Week of Softball Today’s Schedule 3:50 North field—Sigma Alpha Ep silon vs. Sederstrom hall. South field—Phi Kappa Psi vs. McChesney hall. Upper field—Pi Kappa Alpha vs. Campbell. 4:55 North field—Delta Tau Delta vs. Sigma hall. South field—Theta Chi vs. Sher ry Ross hall. Upper field—Phi Kappa Sigma vs. Yeomen. By John Barton Spring term intramural softball rolled into its second week yester day with five games and one for feit resulting from the afternoon of action. Sigma Chi squeaked past Tau Kappa Epsilon, 4-3, Phi Gamma Delta toppled Merrick hall, 10jl with what would usually be a one sided score, but Alpha Tau Ome ga conquered Stitzer hall 21-2 in the real one-sided fray of the day. Delta Upsilon rode over Cherney hall with an 8-2 verdict. The Legal Eagles from Fenton hail failed to find enough loop holes to keep from a 12-4 whipping at the hands of Beta Theta Pi. In the tight game of the day, Sigma Chi showed a superiority in hitting to prove the difference in their score with the TKEs. Both Bevos Open in Portland Today PORTLAND, April 11—(AP) — The traditional opener—“play ball” —will echo in Vaughn Street Park today as the Portland Beavers start their home play against the San Diego Padres. All regular seats and boxes have been sold out and officials said the additions and extensions for the first game of the 1949 season could handle a crowd between 14,000 to 15,000 fans. Manager Bill Sweeney will put Tommy Bridges on the mound for the Beavers. Starting for the Pad res will be 25-year-old southpaw hurler Tom Kipp, who was with the Western International League team at Tacoma last year. The game is billed to start at 4:00 p. m., after ceremonies by club officials and civic leaders and boosters. The Beavers start off their home play in the cellar with Oakland. San Diego is in fourth place, behind Los Angeles and Seattle—on top, and Hollywood. If you want a Really Good Milkshake that's thick and full of flavor Try THE DUCK ICE CREAM 780 E. 11th squads jumped off early in the game, with the Sigma Chis grab bing three runs, and the TKEs taking two in the initial inning. THE TKEs HIT the ball with the bat several times, but too often blooped it into the infield for an easy peg to first. The fourth inning saw both teams take one run, to finish with a 4-3 count, Sigma Chi leading. Perry Holman for the Sigs and Roy Griffin for the TKEs worked on the mound. Dave Hemstead delivered a two hit game for the Fijis in their game with Merrick hall, as against Hallman Darrell Belts seven hit performance, to lead his mates to a 10-1 victory. The Fijis got on base more often that the score or hits would indi cate, but had trouble staying alive on base. in me dox, uamma Delta collected four runs in the second inning, three in the third, and three in the fifth. Merrick had trouble with their pegs in the in field and outfield, but managed to hold the score down from higher score by catching a few Fijis on the third sack. THE AFTERNOON’S TRACK meet featured Alpha Tau Omega against Stitzer hall. The ATOs, who did most of the running, came out on top with a 21-2 count. The boys from Stitzer never game up and played trying game, collecting their two runs in the third frame. The Taus ran up their count as follows: seven in the first, two in the third, nine in the fourth, and three in the fifth. DELTA UPSILON saw a happy second inning in their game with Cherney hall, to see seven men cross the plate in that one inning, and ended with an 8-2 victory. Frank Johnson, Cherney pitcher, chucked a steady game, but his support fell out from under him in the second frame, as errors mount ed on errors, and the Hallmen in the infield had trouble hanging on to the ball. Cherney collected their runs in the first and last innings. Delta Upsilon has produced good hitting so far in the season, but in the Cherney game, massed it all in one inning. DU chucker Lee Bamber gave the hall batmen trouble most of the timee. Beta Theta Pi pulled a near track meet on the Legal Eagles in the last game of the afternoon, but the Eagles collected four runs ta: the Beta’s 12. A good time was had by all, as the Eagles laughed their way through the game. Both teams ran through two pitchers in the course of the contest, but the Millracers had a slightly better supply than did the men from Fenton. Beta Theta Pi had a big inning in the in the second, when they collected five runs. Duck Courtmen Trounce ETC Oregon’s varsity tennis team de< feated the highly favored Eugene Tennis Club on the local courts Sat* urday afternoon by a score of 4-3 to successfully open the new sea* son. The Webfoots pounced on the Clubmen to sweep four of the five singles matches, before they fell in both doubles sets. 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