The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-19
By REUBEN A. LEWIS

By REUBEN A. LEWIS
 New Orleans. August 1S-tSpecial) Reg istering sixth straight triumph, Birming- ham forced the leading Pelicans from the ranking position of the Southern league and supplemented the crestfallen Pelicans
 traversity provided the means of as cending, for, after Q series of telling
 blows had secured a Baron victory the
 Pels adopted the most extreme and far cical measures to prevent completion of the contest, but failed and were over come, to o.
 Lanky Buck Weaver yielded a one run lead in the opening round. but was
 sugged for a single. double and two home runs in the third and hopelessly crushed In hopes that the leaden skies would cast it's torrents upon the soggy field, New Orleans essayed every dilatory
 tactic known to baseball, but the Barons offset the maneuvers with emergency
 means of speed and contested five full innings.
 Hardgrove opened the encounter with vast amount of speed and curves, and did not yield a hit in the first two sessions. But when the Barons drove out five addi- tional runs in the third he slackened his pace and allowed four hits in the last three innings.
 Weaver wobbled from the outset. He lacked control and was solved easily. In an effort to secure postponement Dobbs yanked Weaver in the fifth, substituting Benn. The efforts of Weaver and his compatriots to forestall a defeat were ludicrous.
 Carroll reached first on an intentional wild peg and walked around the bases, being credited with a steal of second, third and home. Mcdonald and Ellam drove out home runs in the third before the movement begun and cinched the game The stands roared with glee at the burlesque of baseball and the slap-stick comedy of the Pels in the fifth. The second game was prevented by the continuance of the rain that stopped the
 first game after five innings.
 | The battle for the foremost position was inaugurated nearly 30 minutes late, but Johnny Dobbs dispatched his right handler, Buck Weaver, to prevent the | loss of rank. Omar Hardgrove, who | pitched Birmingham into second place, drew the assignment to oppose the Pels and his clever hinging sent the Barons | into the lead of the circuit.
 WEAVER STARTS
 OUT ERRATICALLY
 l Weaver started wild Marcan pried open the contest by hosting q high foul l fly to Bluhm. Mcdonald drew a pass | Three consecutive balls ;nterspersed by a called strike, were followed by fourth erring slant and Carroll walked The 1 first ball pitched to speedy Red Stew l art was hit on the handle of the bat and rolled slowly towards Barbare, who made Ia speedy recovery but could not over | haul the Baron at first. McBride, after gaining three balls and one strike, lar ruped a line drive to center field. Hen- l dryx made neat capture of the drive, but Mcdonald jogged home from third with the first run. Big Tex Covington l smote the fourth offering on a line to | Sylvester and retired the side. l Hardgrove was possessed with vast repertoire of baff1ers at the outset and banked the Pels without a hit in the | first two sessions. In the third after Baron second, the mighty cudgels of Bir- mingham batsmen rent the hearts of the faltering Pelicans and gained an irretriev- able lead. Marcan slashed Weaver's first offering to right field for two bases. Mo- | Donald, after two futile attempts to sac- rifice, implanted his might behind a l fourth toss and lifted 1t over right field l fence for a home run.
 l The ball scared over the high border | with 10 feet to spare. The wallop un- | nerved Weaver who issued four consecu- tive balls to Carroll. Stewart caught a | curved ball on the end If his bat and drove a sizzling grounder to Starr. who tossed Carroll out at second and doubled the fleet-footed Stewart at first Covington fouled the first offering to xuha | sive balls, trotted to first Ellam missed I Viewers first strike, but met the second suuarely and sent it soaring over right | field fence, within 10 feet of the position of McDonalds circuit clout. The eventful session closed when Tragesser grounded out, Barbare to Bluhm.
 PELICANS ADOPT
 DILATORY TACTICS
 After the eventful session, dark, lead-colored squall cloud appeared in the south It seemed as If it would prevent a close of the battle and the Pelicans began to labor in hope of postponement.
 In the third. the Pels were forced to l swing at Hardgrove's offerings, for the l little right-hander tossed them across the middle. Bluhm flew out to Mcbride. after 1 tieing his shoestrings, dusting his uni form, combing his hair and adjusting his cap. Bob Higgins singled to center, but Weaver whiffed. Starr drew a pass to first and Pel hopes scared as Barbare swatted the first ball pitched to deep left
 field. but Mcbride, by chasing against the fence, recovered the blow.
 1 In the fourth, Hardgrove grounded out | quickly and did not run the hit out. Mar can popped up to Starr. but Mcdonald l was walked. He was caught off first | base. Intentionally. The New Orleans