Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-16

joe Berger threw away Yesterdays
game with Peoria. when he heaved the
bah into the bleachers in the eleventh
inning and allowed man TO encircie
the bases. Not only did he give Peoria
The winning score, but he also failed
when he had two excellent chances to
win the game with a single nit and on
another occasion he killed the Island.
ers chance of scoring by getting caught
OF second base when there was a man
on third waiting for some thing to
come home on. Joe is without doubt
the best shortstop in the league and
we have to give it TO him, but his worl;
yesterday was decidedly off color.
The score of the Thinning contest was
, to l. Billy Neal did the twirling
for the islanders and by all the signs
of the zodiac he ought 10 have been
accredited with victory. He held
the Distillers to four measley hits, but
even at that he lost the game. 'Mer-
Ger, who did the twirling for the visit
tors was in good form also and was an
enigma to the Islanders when they had
men on bases. which was no unusual
| sight yesterday for II of them were
left 10 perish on the bags while the
batter failed to hit the ball
Alright Until Seventh.
Neal pitched phenomenal ball until
| the seventh inning and did not allow
single hit or issue pass of any kind.
| 1t began to look as though Billy was
going to pull off a no hit game when
| the chance was lost in the seventh.
Cuthbcrt. despairing of getting a real
hit off Billy. laid down bunt when
no one was expecting it and he reached
| first safely while Stark and Neal both
tried TO field the ball This play seem
| ed TO break the spell which Billy held
over the Distillers and Moore followed
! Cuthbert with a pretty sacrifice hit,
/ which moved Cuthbert TO second He
came the rest of the way when Bilt2
lifted high fly back of short which
was just out of reach of both Mcbride
| and Murphy. The Islanders tied the
: score in their half of the eighth inning
and it began to look as though they
ought TO win out regardless OF the fact
that Mercer had held them down bear
tifully SO far. Mclean opened the
eighth with a hit over shortstop AMI
Reynolds allowed him to go clear
around 10 third base when he allowed
the ball slip past him long enough fov
| Paul 10 so TO second on, and then
threw wild in Il vain attempt to eaten
him there. Mcbride followed with &
long fly to center field on which Paul
made by the home club From then On
luntil the eleventh the game continued
alright and had it not been for Der
gers wild heave. they might have been
playing yet. as neither pitcher hari
shown any signs of letting up.
The Islanders had many chances to
pickle the game. but failure TO hit the
ball at opportune times caused all tn"
chances to be lost In the very frs
inning a hit by either Mclean or Nc
Bride would have scored run as
Murphy was already to come home on
! a bingle or a bungle. Neither oC-
icurrGd however. In the fifth innin1
with two men down, Berger ran off
lsecCnd too far while the ball was Ill
lpoSSc ssiou of Moore after the latte!
had. erred on McBride's grounder. The
result was that Lal<aff. who was run
ming for Neal. was forced third an /
caught between the bases and the sid
was retired in easy manner In The
Ininth Berger could have scored run
with hit and again in the eleventh
but on both occasions the binSle was
not forthcoming and the game went
by the boards with the score as FOL;
lows: