The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-01
ffGEns AAn NECK AND NECK
WITH PETERSBURG TEAM N
GAMES won.
RICHMOND NOW THIRD
EVEN noe AYERS UNABLE TO sroP
sPUnr Or PREssLEY,s MENy
HIT HARD IN BOTH
GAMES.

= What little hope Richmond had for
the Virginia league psnnant In the
year Of grace, 1919, was rudely, ruth
lessiy. even gleefuIly shattered by
Buck Pressly's Roanoke Tigers yes
tsrday afternoon.
Twice did the ferocious beasts from
the West dig their claws deep int.
the poor Colts and twice did The Colts
give up the ghost after brief strug-
81. leaving the Tigers stalking ma
5esticaily across tho fiAid 10 the street
cars. having In their possession Rich
monds cherishes pennAnt hopes.
While Roanoke was trouncing Rich
mUnd. 8 to 4 and 4 to {, for that -
what nj this means. Petersburg was
hreakiIg even with Norfolk. thus
gaining Q full game on the Colts and
putting them three games ahszd.
Roanoke slides into second pla.s by a
margin Of ono and q half games on
the Colts and are just that many be-
hind the leaders.
The First Game.
Both games looked good to the fans
for several iz,nings,, the crowd back
ing its psts loyalty throughout, but
each time they saw Roanoke rally ana
pull ahead just In time to win by q
neck. The FIRST game belonged tn
Richmond with her four run lead and
Doc Ayers pitching his usual game,
which means = sure win whsn his
teammates ara. making runs Easily
the Tigers wers moved DOWN while
the Colts added one rum to tn~ one
secured In the second inning ana two
moro to that while all Of Buck
Pressly.s Aucxtonserfng brought not
even . bid for . run By his players.
In the NTH. however. . couple ct hits
gave them their f1rst and apparent
" their only run Tor Ayers pitched
MI tbs better for hts slip until
Oh. that eighth inning!
II was cruelty unparalleled In al
the history Of bassbaiI Free passes
and hits ala TIN work. and they cAn,e
In such rapid succession that the
fans were ~ dased 40 the players,
waking up to roe Buck doing q
waltz. two-stsp. jig. turkey tros and
other things along the third base line,
while the score boy mourfully hing
up . ngurs -" AZ big a. 4 house
and ~ formidable looking ~ a Twelve
inch gun.
Hare - where the doctor. wAs
taken OF the case ana Charlie strain
called in. He held the enemy In the
ninth and the Colts came to the bat
determined to. overcome the one-run
lad ana win out. Row close they
came to It Bart Gardfn knows. for
Hart wns on the anxious ssat right for
several minutes and had not his good
angel been strictly on the Job he
would NOT have gotten away with his
second victory OF the sss5es over the
locala With one man out second and
third bA1sn 'Wars adorned with Dranc-
ing Colts eager for the dash home.
The si9nil Tor the squeeze play <zs
Hf*en Aaad pretty hunt- ssaS- sna6a,
but Gardin rushed toward the plate
and taking Il or hss shoe tops can
tered over to third to complete the
douhle. Before the yell the crowd
let loose had mora than LEFT the
throats OF the fans the game wax over
and the shouts OF jubilatior we're
siienced ~ II some one had ciApped
his hands over the individual and col
iscttvs mouths Of tbs shnuters.
The Seroaa Game.
Roanoke started our n . sure win
ner in the second game. putting one
run aesosa IN each of the firSt thres
innings. doc" Ayers esaayed TO JOIN
the come back" ciAS and failed
misarAbiy. In the second inning Strain
vas asain called IA to play the rescue
part and did his duty nobiy--for .
while. In her half Of the third Rich
mond showed across two runs and TIED
the score In the fourth. Ono more
rave her . : TO J lead. Tho pesky
Tx~ers were defeated. Tho Coffl
knew and the crowd knew II but
ssBuck. Pressiy did not haye sense
enough 10 SEQ II. Never Nas sucn
ignorance or palpAbls fact displayed