Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-04
BLUEBIRDS AT WORK.
THEY WON THE FIRST GAME PLAY
ED THIS SEASON.
RICHMOND COLLEGE DEFEATED
Our Team Is n Good One, and the
1900 CranLs Who Witnessed the
Manager WeIIs's Selections.

lST. nave played a game. They won il,
of course, and the 1900 cranks who sat
on the bleacheres and in the handsome
new grandstand and witnessed the
| play were well satisfied with the team
that Jake Wells has gotten together this
year.
| The Bluebirds were little slow in their
actions. and did not hit as hard as they
will be expected to do later on, but that
was to be expected. This was the first
game they had played in since last fall
and the first time that many of them had
ever played together They made some
errors. Of course, and in some instances
failed to use their heads as promptly as
might have been desired, but all that will
come right, and the prediction Of all who
saw the contest yesterday, is that in the
race for the Atlantic League pennant
Richmond will be able, by the work Of
the lads who compose her team, to hold
her own against all comers.
PLAYED THE SPIDERS.
Wellss pets tackled the lads from Rich
mond College, who have been playing all
the week. and who had been victorious In
all six of their engagements. The Blue
birds, of course, put stop to the Spiders
winning streak but that was to have been
expected. The Spiders however, played a
hard game, and gave the birdlings all the
work they wanted.
The fact that they were up against old
leaguers didn't rattle the college boys at
all. They played the same strong game
they have put up against the other college
teams that have met them this season.
but the Bluebirds played harder and
stronger, and as a natural consequence
won in a canter.
HAD THE LEAD ALL THE WAY.
The leaguers started off in the lead, and
accumulated runs i'm almost every inning.
until when the game closed, they had
piled up eleven runs, while but three
Spiders had scored. DE Camps went i'm to
pitch for the college, and Wells tried
three of his pitcherf-Schmidt McCord,
and Stimmel All three OF the Bluebird
twirlers showed of TO good advantage,
but Schmidt appeared no. TO have as per-
feet control of the ball as the other two.
He had speed to burn, though and some
Cord also had speed a plenty, and Stim-
nell proved TO be particularly effective in
his delivery
De Camps, though asdiminutive lad, was
rather effective against the Bluebird bats
men. and held them down to five hits in
six innings. They hit him freely enough,
It's true. but some how or other the balls
would take an upward course and land
in a helder's hands. Ellyson was not so
successful He pitched a fast, straight
ball. something an experienced hitter
likes. and the leaguers jumped on IL with
ease. Though "Puss' was In only three
innings four good long drives were raped
out on him. and Mazena tapped him for
double, which he drove out into left field.
ARE GOOD HITTERS.
At the bat the Blueblrds showed off
TO great advantage, and somewhere about
their clothes all of them appeared to
have base-hits I'm abundance concealed.
Wells, Berte. Schabel, and the pitchers
were the only ones on the team who
failed to get hits. They hit the ball.
but were unfortunate I'm placing IT. Elber-
field Mazena. and Elsey carried off the
batting honors. and did good work in the
field Indeed. the new men showed up
remarkably web In their work. while
the old ones have lost none Of their
cunning. Elberfeld made several good
plays. ard is as quick on his feet as
Harry Berte. which is saying a good deal
Of him. Elsey did excellent Work in
centre, and on one occasion, when he
threw in from deep centre TO third base.
he showed the power concealed in his
throwing arm. The bah went as swiftly
and as accurately as though ii had been
released from a catapult. Sholta. in left
field, did some good work and I'm catch
ing Cunningham mapping at second he
showed a great head.
IS A GOOD TEAM.
Taken all in all. the Richmond team
is a good one. and If they continue to
improve with practice as they have done
in the past week, they will be right in
the game when the gong sounds on
the 21st
The score. which - here appended.
will show how the game was played in
detail but in figuring on il the softness
OF the ground on which the playing was
done should be taken into consideration,
as naturally that impeded the men in
their work:
RICHMOND.
ABR. BH. P.O. A. e.
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