Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-17


Matthewson, for this is not story this
is a fact, won in the Ninth" by the
Nationals This phrase, plagiarized oooliy
from the title Of a recent contribution 10
contemporary literature, epitomizes inc
ge-lorious finish to the game in the local
ball yard yesterday afternoon, in which
the Nationals went to bat in the last half
of the ninth inning. and then pulled all
OF their chestnuts and the game out or
the fire by collecting three singles, one
double and two bases on balls-and
bringing home the pickles and cheese
with a total of four runs, while Connie
Macks Athletics had to be satisfied with
three.
Incidentally this victory gave the Ma
tionals the long end of the opening series
of the season, and by beating the Phila-
delphia White Elephants, runners-up In
the American League pennant chase last
year the locals pushed their stock up
ward about seventy-siX points in the
fandon barometer. Cornelius McGilli-
cuddy's young men from Quakerville I'M
doubtedly are one of the most dangerous
punches of pellet tossers and club swing
ers on the whole eastern end of the cir
cult, and by getting two games out of
three ShamuS McAleers combination OF
veterans and youngsters earned full right
and title to all OF the praise which can
be handed to them.
More than anything else the victory of
yesterday demonstrated that the Nation
ais have lost all of that "well-we-can't-
help-it-if-we-do-lose'' spirit, which was
the bane Of the team and the constant in
spiration for cussin' by the fans in sea-
sons past. For the outcome of the con-
test was not the sole result of fiawless
pitching, and therefore almost wholly
the work of one man, but it was due en-
trnfx -
the spectators out of their seats bodily
and set them to yelling like a choice as
sortment of bugs from DIR. Whites
battiest ward in the Lizzie house just be-
yond the Eastern branch. Coon1bs, who
had held the local willow swingers al
most hitless for inning after inning, was
pounded to pulp. rolled in the dust, and
hnally sent on balloon excursion which
FOUND its termination only when he served
-FOUR wide ones to Wade killifer, and
forced the run across the plate which de-
cided the contest against his team.
All in One Inning.
In fact. the whole story of the game
might we'll be written around that last
half of the last inning-and this is the
way it happened:
AS has been related. Philadelphia was
two runs to the good. and the bleacherites
were pushing toward the exits with an
'I-told-you-so" expression mussing up
an otherwise pleasant bunch of counte-
nances, when Lelivelt, first man up,
cracked a liner toward third which was
too hot for Baker to handle, and it went
for a hit. Perking up and grabbing at
hope like drowning man seizing straw,
the faithful gave howl of appreciation.
which, a moment later. swelled into
chorus of praise as Elberfeld ticlled the
pellet just over Barrys head. Gessler al
ready had a three-bagger to his credit,
and the crowd lost count of time. forgot
the dust clouds and cold wind, and Joined
In chorus of JOY when he made the OPP
portunest sort of an opportune single
into right field-Lelivelt scoring.
Coombs took a temporary brace-just
long enough to cause Cnglaub to give
life-size imitation Of the once mighty
Casey-but there were men on first and
second and only one out when Our Own
George Mcbride stepped to the pam 1t
just happened that the young man had q
two-bagger concealed in his system,
which percolated to the surface when he
biffed one of Mr.. Coombs' outshoots
along the left field foul line-and Elber-
field scampered across the pan with
the tying run. The swan song Of bliss
thereupon assembled from the assembled
throng.
Lieut. Col Charley Street looked entire
II too dangerous to the Mackmen. and he
was passed on four pitched balls, filing
the bsses-the fieiders falling back in the
chance of getting double play. But
MGR (which stands for mansger) NcAleer
proved equal TO the emergency by sub
shutting Splinter Conroy to run for
Street and by sending kiIlifer to bat for
Walker. Can you beat it? Three men
on bases, one ont and one run needed to
win.
KiIIifer took one called strike. drew two
balls, made a healthy swing at another
ball. which produced foul strike, waited
for third wide one-and il was UP to
Coombs TO send the ball over the plate or
else force in the winning run. The pan
might have been three feet WIDE and still
Pitcher Coombs would not have gotten
that last strike over He heaved the ball
go wide Of the mark that Umpire Evans
ala not even need to give the decision.
The crowd knew 1t at a glance. Kilnfer
trotted to first, Conroy to second. NC
Bride to third and Gessier homeland the
victory was won. Was It ball game?-
well, rather.
Kept Hits Scattered.
In summing Up the victory due credit
yn,st he 1jvan IN "TiYie' Walker for he