Imperial Valley press., 1909-01-09
VALLEY TEAMS ARE
 CLOSELY PUNCHED CaIexicO Still Leads, But Fl Centro Has Now Forged
 Ahead Two Victories

The race for the Desert League pennant was made more exciting the past week because of two victories for Fl Centro, two defeats for Imper- ial and one defeat for Calexico, the league leaders. The feature of the week was the improvement in the Fl Centro team, which in it's two games demonstrated that it is as. fast if not faster than any other team in the val ley
 At Calexico on New Years day Fl Centro won by score of five to two. Jones, who was in the box for the home team, was hit freely at all times, while Trippet was effective in every inning. Fl Centro had the hardest kind of luck in the early part of the game. A mishandled ball in right field gave Calexico its only two runs and for five innings Fl Centro was unable to score. In the eighth with thre men on bases Mcclellan 1 came to bat with two men out. He hit grounder so hard that it couldn't even be handled by the outfield. The bases were cleared and Mcclellan was able to make third base in spite of a crippled ankle. Harkins followed with another smashing drive, scoring Me Clellan. In the ninth two more good clean hits by Mcclellan and Harkins brought in another run, the final score being five to two in. favor of Fl Cen 1 tro. Fl Centros entire team played with snap and clearly outclassed Cal eXico. McClellans work on third was of the big league class. Two of his stops followed by accurate and fast throws were remarkably good.
 Took BrawIey in Too.
 The local team kept up it's good work Sunday by defeating Brawley five to four. Griffin was in the box for Brawley and pitched good game. His support was not first class how. ever, and the Fl Centro hitters landed on him at critical times. Trippet went in the box for Fl Centro but was hit freely in the first three in nings, Brawley getting four runs. This was because of a sore arm, and the plucky little pitcher retired to right field, Terry going to second and Harkins into the pitchers box. Trip pet was very much in evidence in the game later, catching two different flies and shutting off runs. One of the flies was far out toward the fence. A runner on second went to third on the play but was almost out on a magnificent throw on a line to Me Clellan on third base. It was one of the best outfield throws seen here this season.
 Harkins went in to win the game In he fourth and made good. Not a score was made off him for the seven innings he pitched, although he was against the heaviest hitting team in SAAO '"iOy' AI WdS d llifS SAHlDlJlOn and deserved the victory which came in the ninth inning. It deyolved on Stanley and Trippet to put the fin. ishing touch on the game. Trippet opened up with a clean two base hit to left field and went to third on a put out. Goldwaite tried hard to bring him in but was put out at first. Stan ley hit the first ball pitched for a smashing drive between third and short, one of the cleanest hits of the game, and Trippet came home with the winning run.
 Imperial Loses Two.
 Nagle and Scott had a splendid pitchers battle at Imperial Saturday. No run was made until the last half of the ninth when Berry made clean hit and went to second on a sacraflce. The next Calexico batter hit hot grounder which the Imperial short stop failed to handle and Calexico won.
 At HoltvilIe Sunday Browning had