1950 College World Series

Standing (L-R): Ted McDonough, Charlie Ruddock, Jim Clark, Allen Willenbrock, George Ruddy, Tom Foster, Hardy Peterson, Hal Tindall, George Kaye, Bob Suba, Tex Maskelevich, Herm Hering, George Case Front (L-R): Don Biehn, Jim Monahan, Dudley Eppel, Julie Lebott, Ray Van Cleef, Alan Stull, Steve Kalapos

RUTGERS 1950 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES GAME-BY-GAME RECAP

The Scarlet Knights opened play on Thursday, June 15 in the opening game of the tournament against defending national champion Texas (22-5)... Texas took a 2-0 lead in the second on Frank Womack’s two-run homer, and Murray Wall pitched six shutout innings before giving up a run in the seventh... Trailing 2-1, Rutgers rallied to take the lead in the eighth, scoring three runs off Wall on three walks, two singles and an error... Wall walked home a run, and Rutgers first baseman Bob Suba stole home for another... Suba finished the game with three stolen bases, as Rutgers set a College World Series record with a total of seven for the game... Herman Hering steadied after giving up the early home run, and although he walked seven and struck out only one, he also allowed only three hits in going the distance for the win... Ray Van Cleef paced the attack, going three for four, as Rutgers won, 4-2. Saturday, June 17, Rutgers faced Wisconsin in a second-round winner’s bracket matchup before only 955 fans in steady drizzle... Tom Forster pitched a complete-game six-hitter, and Van Cleef went four-for-five with a double and a run scored to pace the Scarlet 5-3 win, and a 2-and-0 record in the tournament.. On Monday, June 19, Rutgers met Washington State in the winner’s bracket final... The game was a terrific pitcher’s duel between Al Willenbrock for Rutgers and Rod Keogh for the Cougars... Willenbrock gave up an early home run to Ted Tappe of the Cougars, but the Scarlet tied it in the fourth on a triple by Jim Monahan and an infield out... That would prove to be the only hit off Keogh, but he walked eight and was frequently in trouble... In the seventh, Rutgers loaded the bases, with Willenbrock up... without warning, (Rutgers later said it was not a called play), the runner on third tried to steal home and was tagged out... As he broke, the runner on second started toward third, then hesitated, and was eventually run down and tagged out to complete an unusual double play, killing the potential rally... In the top of the ninth, Washington State loaded the bases with no outs... Don Paul grounded sharply to third baseman Steve Kalapos, who threw home for the force there... catcher Hardy Peterson then threw to first to double Paul, and Suba, the first baseman, then spotted Gordon Brunswick, the runner at second, trying to make a surprise dash to home... Suba threw back to Peterson, who tagged Brunswick to complete the triple play... It was the second of three triple plays in the CWS... In the top of the 10th, Washington State finally broke through on an outfield error, hit batter and a two-run double by Terry Carroll to take a 3-1 lead, and Keogh completed his one hitter by retiring the side in the bottom of the 10th... Washington State improved to 3-0, and Rutgers fell to 2-1... Van Cleef, after going seven-for-nine in the first two games was held to 0-for-5...

On Wednesday, June 21, Rutgers came back from its one-hit outing to blow out Wisconsin 16-2...The Scarlet collected 11 hits, including two apiece by four different players, and the Badgers unraveled, committing seven errors... (Van Cleef was 1-for-6)... Herman Hering turned in his second complete game win of the tournament, scattering eight hits, and also contributed a triple and a single to the 11-hit attack... Wisconsin was eliminated at 2-2, and Rutgers joined Texas and Washington State at 3-1 (Texas had beaten the Cougars, 12-1, on Tuesday). Washington State drew the bye into the championship game, and Rutgers faced Texas for the second time, on Thursday, June 22... The Scarlet went with second-round winner Tom Foster, but Texas knocked him out early, scoring three in the second, and five in the fourth on their way to a 15-9 win... Charlie Gorin went the distance for Texas, despite allowing 12 hits and nine runs, as the Longhorns out-hit Rutgers, 15-12...Texas went on to win the title over Washington State the next night, 3-0, while Rutgers finished third at 3-2... finishing the season at 17-4-1...Van Cleef was 2-for-4 in the final game to finish the CWS at .417 on 10-for-24, and was named the Most Outstanding Player.