Pat’s
Peckings
By NEALE PATRICK
Pro Baseball In N. C. At Low Ebb
Professional baseball, once the pride of sports fans in
the Ole North State, has been a slumbering giant-of-the
past for the past few seasons.
There used to be a gag that you could drive across the
state on any bight during the summer months without ev
en turning on your car-lights. The reference, of course,
was to the fact that every town and hamlet in the state
was the site of a pro baseball game, and that the lights
from the park would illuminate the highways.
It’s true that in the early years after World War n
when everyone seemed to be hungry for baseball and be
fore the big tube became a household by-word that base
ball was in abundance in North Carolina.
At one tlttie, the Ole North State had some 40-odd Or
ganized Baseball teams in eight leagues, stretched from
Manteo to Murphy. North Carolina led the nation in those
departments in several seasons, the league and club fig
ure topping Texas, and 'giving Tar Heel citizens something
to crow about against the normally crowing Texans.
This section of North Carolina was particularly well
stocked with pro teams In three D leagues (Western Car
olina, Tar Heel, and North State) and to the Class B Tri
State. Down East, the Class B Carolina and the Class D
Tobacco State and Coastal Plain circuits were busy, and
up to the northwest comer, the Blue Ridge League lapped
over to N. C.
Gastonia And New Loop Brighten Hopes
Now things have changed. If you are out driving at
night, you best turn on your car lights. The baseball parks,
for the most part, are darkened.
The 40-odd clubs and eight leagues have dwindled to
nine teams and two leagues. The Carolina League is an all
Carolina circuit for the first time in its history, all six
teams being Tar Heel cities. The Sally League claims the
other three N. C. teams, and that number increased, as you
know, within the past couple of weeks with the addition of
Gastonia to the fold, joining Charlotte and Asheville.
Gastonia’s return to Organized Baseball with its four
th team, with its fourth different nickname, in its fourth
league in the past 20 years, is one of the items which lends
to the thought that perhaps pro baseball is on its way
back in the Ole North State.
The other is the efforts of Kings Mountain native John
Moss to organize a new Class D league in this section for
the 1960 season. Wel'l-schooled tin baseball as league presi
dent, Club general manager, and farm club operator, Moss
iis taking -planned steps toward getting the state back on
the Class D diamond roster next summer.
He has Six teams set And willing to go in ‘60, and a
couple of other communities in Piedmont North Carolina
also are more than mildly interested 'in the league.
It has been written that parks are not available or
satisfactory in several of the towns talking about enter
ing the Circuit. True, the parks are not in the same well
groomed shape they were a few years ago when they were
used and -repaired regularly.
There’s a tendency to allow unsued parks to Stand.
And that’s not good. But the parks can be repaired, and
the people have time to accomplish such tasks.
Buddy Lewis Asks For 'Check List'
GaStonia has experienced a little of that “dirty park”
slap in the face recently, with the outspoken president of
the Sally League Sam Smith making some uncalled-for
remarks about the cleanliness and class of Sims Legion
Park.
The Gastonia folks who raised $8,300 and hastily put
Sims Park in playing shape on four days notice feel that
Smith should have aired his thoughts about the park with
them in private, instead of hanging the dirty wash out for
all baseball to see.
“Many of the things that Smith said are true,” admit
ted Buddy Lewis, the ram-rod in landing the club for Gas
tonia in mid-season, told me the Other day, “We dispute
little that he said. We just think that he shouldn’t have
said all that for public print. We were given only four days
to get ready for the team’s arrival and that certainly isn’t
time t)o remodel dressing rooms and repaint the entire
stands.”
Columbus and Pittsburgh Pirate Officials, of course, i
inspected and approved Gastonia before requesting the
right to shift the franchise for the remainder of the sea
son. '
Lewis said that Smith did mention the “short-com
ings” when he Visited Gastonia the first week after the
switch, and the Gastonia ex-major leaguer said of the dis
cussion:
“We told Smith then that if the league directors, in
their annual October meeting, give us assurance that we
will have the franchise again in 1960, we will make the
changes in our dressing room facilities as needed ... We
only askthey give up a check list of things to do, and we
will cross them off as they are completed!
That’s fair enough. And that should make Sammy
run to retain the town which has averaged 2,000 per game
for its first seven home appearances. No other Sally lea- -
gue team matches that for the year.
Defending Champions Top-Seeded
In Tennis Meet; Pairings Posted
Mending champions Rudy
Frazier in the singles and Fred
Plonk and John Warliek in the
doubles have been top-seeded in
the Kings Mountain tennis tour
nament which was scheduled to
get underway this week at the
Deal Street recreation courts.
Pairings for the men’s singles
and doubles tournaments have
been posted at the Deal Street
pool and all entries are urged to
check the pairings and arrange
playing times with itheir oppon
ent. Results also must be turned
in to Recreation Director Jake
Early at the pool.
A total of 16 entries were re
ceived for the singles event and
eight for the doubles tourna
ment, thus affording a perfect
pairings, with no byes, for the
first round of play.
Frazier, a former High Point
College tennis star, and now em
ployed by the Phenix plant of
Burmil here, has won the local
tennis title for the past two
years. He defeated John Warliek,
6-1, 6-1, in the finals last year.
Warliek and Fred Plonk team
ed-up to cop the doubles crown
last season, defeating Frazier
and his Burmil associate Roger
Stowe, 6-4, 9-7 in the ‘title match.
The firsit-round pairings for
the tournament follow: :
SINGLES TOURNAMENT
Upper Bracket
Rudy Frazier vs Allen Jervey.
Bill Childers vs Charles Brid
ges'.
Harold Jackson vs Dwight
Ware.
Joe Austin vs Jimmy White.
Lower Bracket
John Warlick vs John Macom
son.
R. G. Plonk vs Kanny Huffste
tler.
Steve Kesler vs John McGin
nis.
Ed Ledford vs Jerry McCarter.
DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
Upper Bracket
John Warlick and Fred Plonk
vs Charles Bridges and Ken
Huffstatler.
R. G. Plonk and Joe Austin vs
Dwight Ware and John McGin
nis.
Rudy Frazier and Roger Stowe
vs Jim Macomson and Julian
Wray.
Steve Kesler and Harold Jack,
son vs Ed Ledford and Bill Chil
ders.
Juniors Lose Early Lead Twice In 5-2 Defeat
(Continued From Front Page)
ings.
After falling behind in the
fourth inning, Kings Mt. coujd
not manage a hit oft the ever
improving Stowe over the final
five innings.
Except for the one big inning,
Bobby Biddix matched Stowe.
The Bethware right-hander per
mitted three at the seven hits in
the four-inning fourth, and he
allowed only 1 knock after that
a harmless single in the fifth.
He turned back the victors with
out a blow for the last four
turns.
Kings Mlt. grabbed two early
leads in the game, but couldn’t
hold them in the game played
on a very wet and slippery field.
Jerry Morris unloaded one of his
typical long blows to give our
side its first lead in the opening
inning. After Sid Franklin sin
gled with one away, and was
forced at second toy Biddix, Mor
ris pounded a ground-rule dou
ble into the left-center field
bleachers, scoring his battery
maite.
Mt. Holly matched that on a
double by Bobby Herons and sin
gle by Mack Lingerfelt in the
third.
Kings Mt. regained the advan
tage in the fourth, with Morris
starting the frame with a single.
Bonnie Pearson walked and Ja
mes Robbs laid-down a bunt
which Stowe heaved into right
field permitting Morris to score.
Pearson went to third and
Robbs wound-up at second and
K. M. appeared ready to pull one
of (their big frames. Here the first
of two base-running “errors"
took the life out of the theat.
As Punch Parker fanned for
the first outt, Pearson broke for
home on a missed signal and
was easily tagged out by the
waittinig catcher Wayne Bolick to
complete a double-play.
Another bad base-running epi
sode, killed-off a threat in the
top of the fifth after K. M. fell
behind, 5*2.
With one away, Don Horn
KINGS MT. LITTLE LEAGUE STARS — The
Kings Mountain Little League all-stars make
their bid for state honors in the area tourna
ment starting in Shelby this afternoon. The
local lads will meet the Shelby American Lea
gue in their opener at 5 o'clock at the Shelby
City Park Little League field. The K. M. all
star squad, lists left to right. FRONT ROW —
Tommy Black and Billy Stone; SECOND ROW
—Richard White. Bubbles Pearson. Chip Mc
Ginnis, Mike Ballard, George Plonk, and Ron
nie Rhea; BACK ROW—Coach Bob Wilson, Pat
Murphy, Pat Hord, Richard Pack, Eddie Robbs.
Jimmy Cloninger, and Richard Bolin. Bill Mull,
max was missing when the picture was taken.
(Herald Photo by David Baity)
K. M. Little League Stars Play
Shelby In Area Tourney Today
Kings Mountain’s Little Le&gu'e
nil-stars begin their quest for
state honors in the area, tourna
ment opening in Shelby’s City
Park Thursday afternoon.
The local small-fry basefballbrs
meet the Shelby American League
stars In their opening game this
afternoon ait 5 o’clock, fallowing
a game at 3:30 between Oherry
ville and the Shelby National
League team.
This afternoon's winners will
dash Friday at 4:30 p. m. for the
area championship and the right
to advnoe into the district Little
League tournament to be held
next week, also in Shelby.
Coach Bob Wilson of the Kings
Mt. Little Leagub champion Ki
Wanis team and Gene Medford of
the runner-up Burmil club will
guide the local stars who were
picked from the six -teams which
participated in the program here.
Billy Stone, one of 'the undefeat
ed hurlers for the title-winning
Kiwanis club, is expected to be
the starting hurler for Kings
Mountain Thursday afternoon.
Phe little tosser won two games
this ybar and was brllUiiant in re
lief hr many other contests.
Coaches Wilson and Medford
rlso have five other young fire
tailers at their call.
Tommy Black and Mike Bal
lard are two Other pitchers from
he Kiwands dub. Burmil furnish
es two strong moundsmen in Fat
Chip's .684 Tops
Kiwanis Champs
Chip McGinnis hit a fabulous
684 to lead the Kiwanis cham
pions of the Kings Mt. Little
League in batting this season. «
The young catcher rapped 26
pits in 38 trips to the plate, ae
ording to averages compiled by
tiwanis Coach Bob Wilson. Mike
ialiard was second in hitting
or the championship team, with
i .571 mark. Neal McCarter was
lext with an even .500 average,
’hip and Mike are both mem
>ers of the K. M. all-stars who
>pen play Thursday in the area
ournament at Shelby.
Tommy Black won four
rtralght on the mound for Ki
vanis, with Billy Stone notching
wo wins, and Mike Ballard pos
ing a 3-1 (mound mark. Billy al
owed only nine hits and struck
>ut 53 in 23 innings pitched for
he city champs.
The Kiwanis averages:
BATTING
Player AB H
?hip McGinnis 38 26
Vlike Ballard 35 20
Neal McCarter 22 11
iVte Hambright 23 8
Hubert McGinnis 29 9
Nelson Conner 27 9
George Plonk 30 10
rommy Gerberding 3 1
Billy Stone 28 8
Ronnie Rhea 28 7
rommy Black 12 3
Neal Cooper 7 0
rommy Dean 5 0
Robert Phifer 0 f
Dennis Bridges 0 0
PITCHING
Player W L So Bb
Pommy Black 4 0 19 7
Billy Stone 2 0 53 10
Mike Ballard , 3 1 22 14
Pet.
.684
.571
.500
.348
.345!
.333!
.3331
.333
.286
.274
.250
.000
.000
.000
.000
Murphy and Richard Pack. The
other pitcher is Bubbles Pearson
of the Piedmont Raiders team.
Chip McGinnis, ithte local Little
League’s most outstanding player
of the season, is due to be the
catcher for the Kings Mt. dub in
the area tournament. JPat Hord
Of Burmil also is a catcher, but
probably will play thfe outfield at
Shelby.
Eddie Robbs otf the Burmil club
is the first-baseman and Jimmy
Oloninger of Farkgrame the sec
ond sacker.
Several boys are available for
the left side of the infield, includ
ing a couple of pitchers who dou
ble as infielders, Murphy and
Pack. Other in fielders are George
Plonk from the Kiwanis team,
and Richard White of Burmil.
Thle outfield probably will have
Roninlie Rhea of Kiwanis, Bill
Mufllirtax of Farkgrace and Pat
Hord of Burmil, with several of
the pitchers also being available
for duty in the fly-chasing depart
merit.
Rikshard Bolin from the Park
grace club is carried as the 15th
or extra member of the team and
can (be used if one of the other
boys is unable to play.
Next week’s district tourna
ment at Shelby an July 31-August
1 will pit the winners in this
week’s area tournaments in Shel
by, Gastortia, Forest City and
Canton.
The state tournament is sched
uled for the following weekend in
Forest City With four district win
ners from all over the state par
ticipating.
Forest City 1® the defending
state champion.
Hal Dedmon, director of the
Shelby -Boys Club, is director for
the tournaments in Shelby.
Kings Mountain’s Little Lea
guers won their opener in the
tournament last summer, defeat
ing Shelby National League, then
lost to Forest City in the second
game.
K. M. Boys Billy Ware, linuny Falls
Finish Second In Soap Box Derby
Kings Mountain s two-year mo.
nopoly of thle Charlotte district
Soap Box Derby was finally brak
ed Saturday.
After winning the district Der
by for the past two summers and
sending a local lad to the nation
al Soap Box Derby finals in Ak
ron, Ohio, Kings Mountain had
to be content with a couple of
second-plade division winners in
the races held in the Queen City
last Saturday.
Billy Ware finished second in
the A division and Jimmy Palls
was runner-up in the IB division
for the sbcond straight year. Bil
ly is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Brown Ware and Jimmy the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Palls.
The B division is for youths
11-13 years of age and the A divis
ion is for boys 13-15.
Both local youths were compet
ing in the Charlotte Derby for
thle second straight year and both
came within an eyelash of giving
Kings Mountai its third straight
winner.
Local boys Tony Hampton won
in 1957 and Freddie Faster In '58
and Ibotth competed in the gigan
tic national Derby at Akron.
Freddie, in fact, retumfed to
Charlotte last Saturday in the
role <rf a celebrity and participa
ted in the OH Can Derity which
is held in connection with the
Soap Box affair. Thle Oil Can Der
by is a fun race between celebri
ties to outlandish model cars.
The Kings Mountain youngster
won the race competing against
a couple of WSQC-TV personali
ties, Tony Sposa and Jimmy KU
go. Freddie won a huge oil can
as his “prize” for winning the
race.
In the Derby itself, Billy Ware
and Jimmy Falls swept through
early rounds, quarter-finals, and
semi-finals to enter the champion
ship race of their divisions.
Billy was edged out in the
Class A division finals by Boyce
Paries of Charlotte, the eventual
Derby champion.
The Kings Mountain boy’s best
time for -the afternoon was 30.1
seconds in the semi-finals heat.
Parks /posted a timte of 29.78 sec
onds in the finals heat against
Billy. Thus, he Kings Mt youth
was less than four-tenths of a
second back of the winner.
Jimmy also was a division fin
alist, in the iB group for younger
boys, and for the second straight
year the K. M. boy was ruimfer-up,
this time to Ronnie Redd of Char
lotte.
The Derby finals race was be
tween the two Charlotte boys,
| winners in their respective divis
ions, with Parks defeating Reid
far the title and the right to go to
the National event.
'A total of 71 boys from over
the Charlotte district competed in
t’hte Derby Saturday, with 28 en
tered in the B division and 43 in
the A division.
The Soap Bax Derby is spon
sored toy Chevrolet dealrs and
WSOC-TV in Charlotte.
Bobby Biddix Wins Tenth Of Yeai
As K. M. Cops Area Finals Opener
Bobby Biddix became a ten.
game winner on (the season as
the Kings Mt juniors copped the
opening game of the Area Four
title series at Mt. Holly on Fri
day night by a 11-6 count.
The ace right-hander survived
a rocky start and held on until
his mates catme up with one of
their patented big innings to get
the jump in the best-of-five set
for the championship of Area
Four.
(Mt. Holly out hit the Mounties,
but 13 bases on balls, four hit
batsmen, and five errors aided
the Kings Mt cause considera
bly. Our side had numerous
chances, leaving a grand total of
18 runners Stranded on the sacks.
K. M. left the bases loaded in
two innings and left two on in
six other, frames.
The victory was the first of the
season over the Mt Holly-Paw
Creek entry which won both the
league tussles wdlth Kings Mt.
The two teams which tied for
the top spot in League A during
the first round swapped the lead
through the first six frames, with
first one then the other holding
the advantage. They headed into
seventh deadlocked at 5-all.
Kings Mt. broke it wide open
in (the “lucky seventh”.
Coach Fred Withers club sent
an even dozen batters to the
plate, and before it was over six
runs crossed the plate without
the aid and benefit of a base hit
Kings Mt drew six walks, had a
hit batsman and gained life on
two errors to account for the
half-dozen tallies.
Punch Parker, who started the
wild stanza, drew two walks in
the course of the inning, and Bud
Sanders also reached first twice,
on an error and a walk.
Five of the runs were forced
in by walks or hit batsmen as
the K. M. batters were driving in
runs without removing their
Louisville Sluggers from their
shouldens.
Biddix just coasted into the
victory after that explosion.
Mt. Holly took a 2-0 lead in
the first inning, but K. M. wiped
that out with three in the sec
ond, with James Robbs, Punch
Parker and Bud Sanders draw
ing consecutive walks. Two rom
Other Areas Also
In Finals Series
Winner of the Kings Moun
tain-Mt. Holly Area Four fin
als will meet the victor in the
Area Three playoffs between
Kannapolis and Salisbury.
The latter two clubs were
due to start a best-of-three set
Tuesday night for the Pied
mont crown.
The Area Three vs Area Four
series for the Western N.- C.
title is scheduled to begin no
later than Saturday night on a
best of seven basis, due to be
completed by August 4. The
Area Four winner will be the
host for (the first game of the
series.
Area finals battles also were
in progress in Eastern North
Carolina this week.
Rocky Mt. held a two-game
lead in a best of rive set with
Snow Camp in Area One.
Cumberland County had a
two-one advantage over Wil
mington in a seven game
playoffs for the Area Two
crown.
Moose Wins Babe Ruth Loop Crown;
Club Fetes Title-Winning Team
The Moose team is the cham
pion of the Rings Mt. Babe Ruth
baseball league for 1959.
Coach Willie Grice’s club was
declared champion of the circuit
for 13-15 year old youths when
the final week of the schedule
was cancelled. Moose headed in
to the final two games of the
i card with a two-and-a-half game
r lead over the second place Mar
1 grace team, and the league eoa -
1 ches agreed to call-off the re
maining games.
Moose posted an 8-1 record on
the season, with Margrace in
second place with a 6-4 mark.
Coach Grice plans to organize
a local Babe Ruth League all
star team and hopes to land
several games with neighboring
Babe Ruth and Pony League
teams.
The local Moose Lodge No.
1748 was supper host to the
members of the Moose BRL team
and other guests at the Lodge
home on the Bessfemer City Road
Tuesday.
Coach Grice and the majority
of his players were on hand for
the hamburger steak supper.
Other guests included Recreation
Director Jake Early and Neale
Patrick.
Gaither Ledbetter, Governor of
the local Lodge, wai the host,
and members of the Moose Lod-j
ge auxiliary cooked and served]
■the supper. The latter included
Mrs. Thelma Carpenter, Mrs.
Mamie Grice, Mrs. Reba Ledbet
ter, and Mrs. John Floyd.
A team trophy has been order
ed and will be presented to the
title-winning Moose club at a
latter date.
BRL FINAL STANDINGS
Tsom W L Pet
Moose 8 I .889
Margrace 6 4 .600
Rebels 4 4 .500
Mauney 0 9 .000
ped home on Sid Franklin s dou
ble. ^
K. M. added another in the
fourth on singles by Franklin,
Biddix, and Ronnie Pearson.
Mt. Holly regained the lead
with three in the fifth, and our
side squared matters again in
the sixth on Biddix’s single fol
lowing an error and Morris get
ting hit by a pitched ball for
one of the three times in the ga
me.
KINGS MT.
Horn, lb
Franklin, cf
Metzger, rf
Mortis, c
Biddix, p
Pearson, If
Robbs, ss
Parker, 3b
Sanders, 2b
TOTALS
MT. HOLLY
Hertns, 2b
Lingerfelt, If
J. Pittman, cf
Broome, 3b
B. Pittman, ss-p
Stowe, rf
Rushing, lb
Bolick, c
Kirksey, p
Webb, 2b
Linberger, ss
lessen, p
Rick, p
A-Cline
TOTALS
AB R H rbi
5 10 0
7 2 3 2
6 10 1
2 10 0
4 12 2
4 11 2
3 10 1
2 10 1
2 2 0 1
35 11 6 10
AB B H rbi
3 10 0
4 11 0
4 11 0
2 2 1 0
4 1 C 0
4 0 0 1
5 0 2 1
5 0 1 2
2 Q 1 0
10 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
10 0 0
10 0 0
36 6 7 4
A-Grounded out for Webb in 9th.
Kings Mt. 030 101 600—11
Mb Holly 200 030 001— 6
E — Horn, Robbs, Parker 2,
Herms, J. Pittman, Rushing 2,
Bolick; DP—Robhs (unassisted);
Broome (unassisted); LOB —
Kings Mt. 18, Mt. Holly 10; 2B—
J Pittman, Broome, Frainklin; SB
—J. Pittman, Herms, Bolick; S—
Robbs; HPBMMorrfs 3, B. Pitt
man, Robbs; WP — Pittman 2,
Rick 2, Jesson; PB — Morris; U—
Irby, Hawkins, Weaver, Pare; T
— 3:20.
BiddLx (w)
Kirksey (L)
B. Pittman
Jesson
Rick
1PHBBB So
9 7 6 7 6
6 5 7 6 6
% 0 2 3 1
0 0 2 3 1
2% 102 0
drew a walk. Franklin bunted,
and pitcher Stowe’s throw to sec
ond was high, forcing second
baseman Herms to leave the bag
to catch thie heave. Horn slid in
to second, safe, but he didn’t
know it.
Don hopped up out of the mud
and started trotting off the field
to the bench, supposing that he
had been forced out at second
base. Too late, the warning cries
of Ms mates caused him It© rea
lize that he had been called
safe. He broke for third, but
Herms tossed to Ben Broome for
the putout, and the big threat
was stifled.
Mt. Holly pult together three
hits, with two walks, a hit bats
man and an error for the four
runs which clinched the victory
in the fourth.
The Hollies right-hander Stowe
began firing harder after that to
protect his lead. During the late
stages of the game he began re
sembling the hurler who pitched
West Mecklenburg High to the
state Class AA baseball finals
last spring.
Kings Mt. threatened with a
baserunner or two In four of the
last five frames, but couldn’t
muster the punch to stage a
comeback rally.
Biddix worked-over Mt Holly’s
top hitters, Broome, fanning him A
twice and throwing him out at "
first another time. Broome, in
fact, has been stilled by K. M.
pitchers, with only one infield
hit for the first three games. The
low-average batters have been
the ones taking up the slack for
the Hollies.
KINGS MT.
Horn, lb
Franklin, cf
Biddiix, p
Morris, c
Pearson, 11
Hobbs, ss
Parker, 3b
Sanders, 2b
Wright, rf
TOTALS
MT. HOLLY
Herms, 2b
Lingerfelit, If
J. Pittman, cf
Broome, 3b
B. Piittman, ss
! Rushing, lb
Stowe, p
Bolick, c
Lineberger, rf
' TOTALS
Kings Mt. 100 100 000—2
Mt. Holly 001 400 OOx—5
E—Risking, Stowe 2, Broome,
Parker 2, Horn; DP—Bolick (un
assisted); LOB—Kings Mt. 8, Mt. j
Holly 7; 2B—Morris, Herms, SB I
—Lingerfelit, S—Parker, Robbs,
B. Piittman; HBB—Rishing, Bid
dix; WP—Biddix; U—Cannup,
Gosey, Holt, Cornwell; T—2:05;
A—1,067.
Pitchers IP H R EH BB So
Biddix (L) 8 7 5 4 4 8
Stowe (W) 9 4 2 1 4 6
AB R H ibt
2 0 0 0
4 0 1 0
3 10 0
3 12 1
3 0 0 0
3 0 1 0
3 0 0 0
4 0 0 0
4 0 0 0
29 2 4 1
AB R H rbi
3 11 1
4 0 3 2
4 0 0 0
3 10 0
11C 0
3 11 0
4 11 1
4 0 0 0
4 0 1 1
30 5‘ 7 5
Hollies' Jim Cline first Pitcher
To Beat K. M. Twice This Season
Jim Cline, Mt. Holly’s hard
throwing young righlt-hander,
chalked up a “first” for the sea
son as he squared the Area Four
finals series for his club against
the Kings Mt. juniors here Satur
day night. ,
His 3-2 victory here was his
second win of the Legion season
over the local lads, a distinction
that no other pitcher has been
able to accomplish this year.
Cline beat K. M. in the season’s
opener here, back in May, for his
other win against the locals.
No Other pitcher has been able
to win more than one game over
Kings Mt. in this most-success
fui-ever Legion season. Hurlers
who have whipped K. M. in the
first meeting have “suffered the
consequences” the next time out.
Cline had (to stave off a late
bid by Kings Mt. to save his sec
ond win Saturday night.
After his team had staked him
to a 3-0 lead, he had to strug
gle through a couple of threat
ened rallies.
Kings Mt. was able to get only
one runner as far as third base
in the first five innings. But the
local lads improved that situ
ation with one away in the six
th.
Sid Franklin singled to right,
and raced to (third when Bobby
Biddix smashed a ground-rule
double atop the leftfield bank,
the ball barely missing clearing
the fence. Jerry Morris drove
home Franklin with the first tal
ly on a long sacrifice fly to left
field.
Kings Mt. added its Other run
in the seventh, making a big bid
to have one of the typical in
nings.
James Robbs and Punch Par
ker started it, each getting hit
by pitched balls. Bud Sanders
laid down a sacrifice bun and
all hands were safe when Par
ker slid into third under the
throw.
With the bases loaded and
none away, the largest crowd
(1063) of the season was hop
ping, hoping for the big fraone.
But the best the locals could
do was one run, Robbs sewing on
a wild pitch by Cline. The Mt
Holly tosser helped himself out
of the jam with a pair of strike
outs.
That was all the scoring for
the locals, although they tried
hard in the eighth and ninth,
with a hit in each frame. Morris
singled with one away in the
eighth, and Sanders did the
same in the ninth. But that was
all.
Biddix who played right field
in place of an ailing Roy Metz
ger, was the leading K. M. hit
ter with a single in addition to
his double. Metzger had return
ed to the local lineup on Friday
might after a bout with a sore
throat. The big right-fielder be
came ill again Saturday and
missed the game.
Mt. Holly picked up its three
runs Saturday in one-run frames.
An error along with a walk
and Bob Pittman’s hit chalked
the first one in the third.
Two hilts following an inmir.g
opening walk gave the visitors
another in the fifth, Benny
Broome's single driving home
Bobby Heims who had strolled.
Cline, you might say, won his
own game driving in what prov
ed to be the winning run in the
sixth. Wayne Bolick doubled to
left, went to /third on a passed
ball and scored Mt Holly’s third
run on Cline’s single to center.
MT. HOLLY
Henris, 2b
Lingerfeit, if
J. Pittman, cf
Broome, 3b
B. Pittman, ss
Stowe, rf
Rushing, lb
Bolick, c
Cline, p
AB R H rbl
3 11 0
5 11 0
4 0 1 0
5 0 1 0
5 0 2 1
4 0 0 0
4 0 1 0
4 11 0
4 d 1 1
TOTALS
KINGS MT.
Horn, lb
Franklin, cf
Biddix, rt
Morris, c
Pearson, If
Robbs, ss
Parker, 3b
Sanders, 2b
Wright, p
TOTALS
38 3 9 3
AB B H rbl
5 0 0 0
3 11 0
4 0 2 0
3 0 1 1
4 0 0 0
3 11 0
3 0 1 0
4 0 1 0
4 0 0 0
33 2 7 1
Mt Holly 001 011 000—3
Kings Mt 000 001 100—2
E — Parker 2, Wright, Robbs;
DP—Horn and Wright; LOB—Mt.
Holly 11, Kings Mt. 8; 2B — J.
Pittman, Bolick, Biddix; SB —
Rushing; S—J. Pittman, Sanders;
SF — Morris; HPB — Robbs, Par
ker; WP — Cline. PB — Bolick,
Morris; U — Jenkins, Hamrick,
Pye, Robertson; T — 2:15; A —
1,063.
Pitchers VKIEIBISe
Cline (w) 9 7 2 1 1 5
Wright (L) 9 9 3 2 2 6
»