The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-11
NO EASY THING.
Tufts KeepHoIy Cross
on the Jump for
Nine Innings.
FIRST Rate GAME.
Purple Wins BY Timely
Batting in tie
Fifth.

ball seen this season at Mount ST.
James was that of yesterday afternoon
between Holy Cross and Tufts. The
score, 4 to 2, in favor of the local team,
would indicate that it was an interest
ing contest, and it was, although not
of the hair-raising variety. There
were gilt edge plays all through the
nine innings and one or two might have
been placed in the exceptional category.
Holy Cross didn't have the easiest
kind of an argument with the visitors
yesterday afternoon, simply because
they played ball every second or the
time. There was no loaHng, no kick
ing. no boys play. Then again Will
liams proved somewhat of a stumbling
block to the local batters. But once,
that being in the fifth were they able
to bunch their hits. The young man
had an in drop that fooled the boys
more or less, and besides, he used
change of speed which proved to be
rather an enigma
Clancy was in the points for Holy
Cross and he kept up the reputation
gained last week. Instead Of nine bases
on balls yesterday he gave only three
which shows that he takes kindly to
good coaching. When the visitors had
men on bases the sturdy young man
came out in his best form, and time
and again runs were prevented by his
steadiness on the rubber.
Holy Cross had lots of luck yesterday
and perhaps this should be given a pro-
minent place when the final score is
figured out Luck" sometimes proves
to be a great figure in contests, and
none more than in the national game.
Yesterday this element was at its best
But Holy Cross is putting up an all to-
gether different kind of ball than 1t
was last week. There Is an improve
ment in every position. Steadiness in
playing was noted yesterday and at
critical times all the men pulled togeth-
er and acted as a unit. McTigue's alb
sence was keenly felt especially with
the stick. Holy Cross made no home
runs and in fact not man made more
than a single. This is rather unusual
for such an aggregation of heavy hit
ters as those wearing the purple.
One of the prettiest plays of the con-
test was that of Kenney in the third.
Lucas was on first and Fiske sent a
ball out toward centre that looked like
an easy hit. Kenny thought differently
and he came in on the dead run, taking
the sphere near the ground. Without
stopping to get his balance he let the
ball drive to first, completing neat
double play
Dyer, Linnehan and Gaffney made
double in the fourth, and in the eighth
Dyer got q double all by his lonesome.
They were all A No. l plays. For
fielding game, Williams was way ahead
of his associates, and he took about
everything that came his way. Fiske
at third made one very pretty stop.
Kelly, who by the way was a sub
catcher on Holy Cross in '96 and '97
was weak in throwing at bases, and
the local boys had an easy thing in
stealing the second base in the circuit,
The game started at $50, owing to
the late arrival Of the visitors. Holy
Cross was in the field But three men
stepped to the plate, the third, Corr
ridon, being retired on three strikes.
Kenney flied out to Williams and Fox
went to first on an almost excusable
error of Fiske. But 1t was no use, the
next two men went out in order. The
second inning was about the same,
both sides getting a hit but not a
man was knocked around the circuit
In the third after Linnehan and Fox
had each made an error, the visitors
were unable to get man to the plate.
This was due to the fact that Kenney
made his magnificent running catch
and throw to first. Holy Cross was
also blanked in this inning.
In the fourth just three men for the
visitors stepped to the plate, while the
home team managed to get one man
home, Linnehan scoring on Gaffney's
hit. The visitors met the same fate in
the fifth, and it was in this very same
inning that Holy Cross got into their
batting clothes and succeeded in crack
ing out the sphere for three hits, one
after another. The game was clinched
by the making of three runs, and Holy
Cross never saw the shadow of the
plate again in the game. 1t was in the
sixth that Fiske, a most unassuming
ball player, knocked the sphere over
the wire for home run. The lad was
very much surprised, as he saw the
ball sailing away beyond the reach of
O'Reilly. I.awton also scored on KEEL
ley's hit for two bases over on the
bank This ended all the run getting,
although the visitors came mighty
near seeing the homo plate in the
eighth. The scores