The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-08
Games Today.
Shreveport in New Orleans. Little Rock In Memphis.

Little Rock In Memphis.
 Matthews three sacker, Molesworth's miss of an easy fly to center and a very erroneous ruling by Umpire Rudderham' all of which occurred in the eighth, were the features of yesterday afternoons eX- tra inning tle-game, in which Roaring Rip Ragan, on the one hand, and Baxter Sparks on the other, fought for honors in most brilliant and determined man. her.
 Yesterdays game, like that of Friday, was one of divided honors, in which neither Atlanta nor Birmingham could score victory. The game yesterday, diff fering from that of Friday, went for thirteen Innings, and of the two was de- cidedly the more brilliant. In the first place. the final score was one and one, while that of Friday was four and four. In the second place, the hitting was less strenuous, both Ragan and Sparks being exceptionally brilliant. Then again, as both scores came suddenly, and unex- pectedly, the interest of the fans was never allowed to lag.
 Bfilllant FitCnlH9'
 Ragan and Sparks were nearly evenly matched yesterday afternoon. The oppos- ing teams made the same number of runs' II, and the same number of hits, o-5-. In the matter of bases on balls, strike outs, and batters hit by pitched balls Ragan looms up ahead of the brilliant young Sparks of yesterday.
 The clouds, hanging low and threaten ing, aided the pitchers wonderfully, ana the speedy balls of each passed uhtouch- ed while the treacherous curves were seldom in danger. Only two hits for extra bags were made. Matthews hit one to right center for three bases, and Sparks caught an easy one that Rip let slip, and went to second. These extra hlts resulted in the sole runs of the interesting game.
 Even as the pitching, the fielding or the two teams was well mgh pfilhant. Morse was particularly bright in ms heio work and his error towards the end ol the game, when Jordan attempted to re- tire Garvin at second. was an on-sprlng of the error in judgment of the second baseman He should not have attempted to down Garvin, but should have helded to first AIcock immediately after having been switched from third to snort, threw one badly to first, which was propaoiy due to the difference in the distance pe- tween third and first, and short and the initial sack Molesworth, too, stepped into the error column He caught an easy ny off the bat of Captain Jordan, ana then dropped it to the ground again.
 PiIiv Smith was the star of the fielders, three of his catches being of the phenom- inal order. His fast work in the setefeffs in which inning he pulled down hies OH >be hats of Meeks and Walters, undonbt- edly saved the day for the Visltors Morse fielded his position brilliantly, and one of Walters stops, at least, was most spectacular.
 All. in all, from every standpoint, the game was a brilliant one, one to which the tied struggle of the afternoon previous cannot be compared.
 OyIer Injured.
 In the eighth inning, with the score 1 to 0 against the locals there came a blow which will have certain erect on the Barons' chances in the pennant race. OvIer was seriously injured, his thumb being crushed and split on either side as a result of it's being driven against the bat that he held by fast one rom Pitcher Sparks The fast shortstop hinched after the blow and dropped ms stick He calmly walked to the players bench. and in doing this unintentonaily gave the audience view of the crusneo thumb and the stream of blood foWlng therefrom. This injury to Oyler neces- sitated the change of the infield. Alcock was switched to short Matthews was placed behind the stick and Garvin sent to third. As luck would have it, this weak ened infield did not cause the loss Of the game. Ragan was pitching some hundred miles a minute, and the fielders, in fact had very little to do
 As a result of Oyler's injury there came one of the most erroneous decisions of the season, as well as the opportunity that re- snlted in the score being tied. Rudderham, in spite of the fact that he had seen the crushed thumb of Shortstop Oyler. did not allow him to take a base. He claimed that the ball was really foul, that 1t struck the bat and the thumb at the same tune. This decision, which was clearly and de- cidedly off-color. called down upon Rud- derham's head the righteous anger of the audience. The spectators forgot their man. ners for a few moments, and several strenuous and scathing misses were sent in the direction of his umps.
 Matthews Hit.
 The shortstop was the first up in the eighth. When he was injured Matthews was sent to first to run for him, and later was called to the stick, when Rud- derham decided the Oyler case
 At this time the score was against the Barons. The locals, however, maddened by the decision of the umpire, and the in- jury of Oyler, and keyed up by the hisses of disapproval from the audience, deter mined to win. The first ball that Sparks hurled across the plate to the Baron catcher was to his liking. It was just Of the right speed and came at the proper height. Matthews fell against 1t. There was a crashi The sphere took wings to right center, and when all out of breath, it fell against the fence. Matthews was stopped at third. Then Garvin approached the stick, and he, too, found the nose of the first ball His hit was simply Texas leaguer beyond short. but 1t resulted in Matthews scoring the run that made the tallies even.
 The run of the Bremen came in their half of the eighth. Sparks, with one down, hit an easy one that Ragan sailed across the plate and 1t went to left field for two bags. Ragan settled down then and Crozier died out to right. Jordan. next up. flied easily and slowly to center field, and the sphere fell into the waiting hands of "Gladys" Molesworth, who never misses them" The ball, after being caught, it seems, rolled from the fielders hand and fell to the ground. The thud of the fall was heard in the grandstand, so