The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-05
BY BILL AK.

BY BILL AK.
 Had luck broken with the Barons yes- terday afternoon the Volunteers would have gone down in grewsome defeat in spite of the one bad inning of Pitcher McNeal, and the costly errors of the locals For three doubles, seven singles and five bases on balls are enough to win any ordinary game of baseball
 But Bill Bernhard's Nashville aggrega- ton drew the smiles of Dame Fortune, and having profited from timely swatting and miserable miseues in the third, there was no chance of Baron victory
 Unsteady work on the bases, at critical moments, is another charge that might, with propriety, be filed against the Barons.
 The final score of the first of the Nash ville- Birmingham series was to l. and the Barons were on the losing end of the sheet.
 The game was long drawn out, without a particle of ginger displayed by either competitor, and before an audience Of spectators which complained from begin ming to end.
 In spite of these facts there have been fewer games of more interest played in Birmingham in recent years.
 It is an absolute certainty that had the fans been able to eliminate the personal element, no one would have departed from the park with anything but sweet taste in his mouth.
 The game abounded with those fea- lures essential to the life of the sport. The fans were kept guessing whether the Barons, in spite of numerous failures, would eventually win out over the handi- cap of luck. In addition, there were sev- eral brilliant plays during the game, and several incidents evoking merriest laugh ter
 But with the personal element supreme the great majority of incidents were more properly the portion of tears, and galling tears at that
 With the exception of the fatal third McNeal kept his hits excellently seat- tered.
 In the second, when McElveen, first up, was safe on his inficld hit, and was sacrificed to second, failed to tally, the fans hoped that all danger was over.
 But in the third these fair hopes were dashed to earth and while they did rise again, they never materialized.
 In the fatal third Butler led off with double over first. Duggan, attempting to sacrifice bunted safely between first and second, Butler taking third, from where, moment later, he scored on Hun ters hy-out to Reagan. Wiseman was safe on Downey's error and Duggan went to third. Mccormick followed with d single scoring Duggan and Wiseman went to third on Reagan's error. On an im- perfect return to the plate on the part of Reagan, McElveen having flied to right, Wiseman scored. Hardys fly to Reagan retired the side.
 In this inning there were three errors, three hits and three runs.
 After the third there were numerous oc- casions on which a safe hit would have increased the lead of the Volunteers, but this hit was always missing.
 After the third, in fact the Volunteers rested and the Barons made preparations to win the game in spite of the big hand icap As soon as these preparations were compounded, Dame Fortune took seat around the table and dealt the Barons near hushes for the remainder of the afternoon.
 Hard luck! Everything broke badly for the Barons In the fifth, for instance, Houtz stung one to right that chased itself out of the park, making its exist through a hole in the fence hardly larger than the ball On the outside the sphere struck a post full in the face and rolled back again through the identical hole in the fence, hardly larger than the ball.
 If the sphere had remained on the out side enough runners would have scored to have evened things up little. It's return to the park, however, resulted in the downfall of Molesworth at the plate.
 This was a fair sample of how kind Dame Fortune was on yesterday after noon.
 If was in the fifth that the Barons goi busy After Reagan had flied to second and Walters struck out, McNeal hil safely to left Molesworth drew pass Houtz then smashed that near-home. TUT to right, on which McNeal scored, and Molesworth went out at the plate. Hao the ball, as stated above, remained, as it should have done, on the "outside look ing in" three runs would have beer chalked up.
 In the seventh, with one down, Walters hit safely to short and went to second on McNeals second single of the after noon Then Molesworth labeled one witt the triple sign to deep right. Walters started home, and the fans opened theil throats to cheer. But Segle caught tht drive and Walters was doubled out at tht Keystone.
 In the eighth. again. the Barons wer' 1lp against it. Houtz led off with a single Before Douglass walked. however, Houti was caught off first just as he attempted to steal the keystone chase followed and Houtz went out. Douglass Wal walked, and Raub followed with double .+ar from Rutler to Daubert, but Douglass didn1 score from third, although the secont 7 sacker fumbled the ball Demont drew pass and the bases were full.
 Meek was sent to the stick to clear the bases. Steve Reagan being retained or the bench.
 '.Nudville." with Casey at the bat wal