Happy New Year!!

I guess everyone saw the web page this morning as we had quite the turnout for the first games of the New Year in spite of the misty start to the morning.

Field D

The Home Team on field D was mostly Nick Matta's Rangers plus a few, contesting with a mixed team made up of mostly Don Witmer and Larry Powell's teams; so the TigRays? 

Anyway it turned out to be one of those close contests determined by who was up last.  The Rangers were home team and managed to come up with the game winner in the bottom of the ninth with two out when the TigRays walked Brent Alumbaugh to load the bases and paid the price when Jack Benson came through with the game winning single.

As you can imagine it was a defensive struggle with very few errors, good defensive plays, and runs being scored off solid clean hits.  The Rangers only posted one zero (in the first inning) while the TigRays only went down scoreless twice, the 4th and the critical 9th. 

The final score was 18-19 in favor of the Rangers.  This is starting to look like a very competitive season.

Leading Hitters:

• Don Scarborough  4 for 5 double
• Mike Gatto  4 for 5
• Fred Dampier 4 for 5
• Jose Rivera 4 for 5 
• Regis Finnegan 4 for 5 double
• Brent Alumbaugh 3 for 4 walk
• Nick Matta 4 for 4
• Jim Goodhue 3 for 4

-Ron Butler

Field C

 In the final tune-up before the regular season, the Angels, managed by Freddy Gonzales, defeated the Jeff Simon led Red Sox 20-13.  The victors were led by stellar play on defense by Keith Linton and Richie Marino.  Richie also went 4 for 5 and Keith 3 for 4 at the plate.   

It was a close game until the 4^th inning when Les Jacobsen hit a Grand Slam, in the midst of hitting for the cycle.  The Red Sox were led by Tom Hamilton, playing a solid shortstop, with 3 doubles and 2 runs scored.  Ari Harris went 3 for 4 from the dish and did his best to keep the game close with 3 put outs at home.  Bob Zelazny had 3 hits, including a triple, with 5 RBI's in the losing effort.

-Bob Hite

Field B

An exciting game was played on field B, with Moots vs. Taylor with the home team winning in the bottom  
of the ninth inning.  The game started with Moots leading of with a single and later scoring. In the bottom of the
inning, the home team scored five runs with singles by LaMay, Barnes, Kline, Wilson and Evans. 

In the second inning, the visitors scored twice with the big hit from Hill, however the home team scored four runs with hits coming from Fulton, Black, Guspyt, Altemose and Taylor.  The game settled in with each scoring one or two runs each until the sixth inning when the visitors scored seven runs. Moots led off with a dribbler followed by hits from Ayers, Augustine, Wilcox, Sullivan, Lahtenschhlager and Hill.  

In the ninth the with the home leading by one run, the visitors Hill hit a triple down the right field line and scored when Miller drove him in.  In the bottom of the ninth, Evans and Deem singled and Fulton drove home the winning run.  A great defensive play was turned in by Barnes. Great hitting by Ayer, Augustine, Wilcox, Morey, and Hill by the visitors, and Taylor, Wilson, Black and Altemose by the home team.