The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-04-24
"PLAY BALL"

The bugs were out in big force
Sunday afternoon, gladdening their
eyes after long winter rest with a
sight of the horsehide covered spheroid
doing tricks in the hands of eighteen
active young athletes, who were bend
ing energy to either swat it out of
sight, or freeze on to it at the proper
moment. 1t was not very auspicious
opening of the season as regards
weather, for the wind was high and
the dust was handicap to good play
ing. But weather and poor playing
did not materially affect the ardor of
the fans, and they roared just as loud
and guyed his jumps just as uncharit-
ably as though it was perfect day
and the boys were playing perfect
ball. 1t was the old, old program with
very few variations, showing that the
popularity of the national game is
losing none of its hold on the public.
Both teams showed lack of practice,
and many were the errors of omission
and commission. The errors only
added excitement to the occasion, and
when at last in the sixth innings both
sides commenced swatting the ball
excitment reached the limit. 1t was
Tonasket VS.. Oroville, and the two
teams were very evenly balanced as
to playing ability. 1t was almost like
two home teams playing against each
other as the players are all neighbors
and old acquaintances. Lee Fruit who
caught for Tonasket, formerly played
with Oroville. He has lost none of
his old skill, and he kept his former
associates hugging bases pretty close
with that old pegging arm.
ofo tnI lvrt
promised to be close and exciting.
Bugs Gardiner was in the box and
Red Prince at the receiving end for
the locals, and Hanlon and Fruit play
ed the points for the visitors. Up to
the sixth innings the score was three
all, but Oroville had scored four safe
hits while Tonasket had not been able
to land on Gardiner for single safe
swat, running in scores on errors.
With the opening of the sixth Bugs
weakened, and Tonasket landed on
him for four hits, one three-bagger.
This bOnbardment, aided by a string
of errors, gave TOnasket six runs, and
1t looked as though the visitors had
the game in cold storage. But Han
Ion let down in the same stanza and
the locals commenced pounding the
ball all over the lot, two hits being
for three bases. Aided by several bad
slips eight runs were chased over the
plate. Tonasket changed pitchers,
Darwin going into the box. Gardiner
tightened up with the result that the
final score was IA to 10 in favor of
OrOville.
These same teams will give better
account of themselves in future con-
tests, as there are number of good
players on both sides, and with prac-
tice will make formidable competitors
The Sunday game was slow and with
out features. The most sensational
play of the game was pulled off in the
sixth, and it set the crowd going. l..
Runnels was on third and Pine at bat.
Pine bunted a slow one down the
third base line. Runnels flew for
home and Powell ran in to field the
ball. Powell saw at glance that it
was impossible to head Runnels off
at the plate, and as he scoped the ball
with the same movement shot it down
to first with a speed and accuracy
that was almost wizardry, heading off
Pine by only few inches. No profess
sional could have done better.
The following is the score by in
nings:
Oroville-
Runs-0 0 1 1 8 0 0 ia
Hits-o ! 1 2 5 0 "-12
Runs-40 0 l. 6 0 1-10
n