La Junta tribune., 1915-07-24
EIGHrEEN INNING WINNERS.
Greatest Game IN History Of Rassball
In Arkansas Valley Woa By Ii
Junta Over Fort Ly0a.

Greatest Game IN History Of Rase6aN
In Arkansas Valley Woa By Ii
Junta Over Fort Lyoa.
Some ball game was that staged On
the local diamond last Sunday ~
tween La Junta and Fort Lyon. L.
Junta finally copped off the long end
Of the score Of the eighteen inning
contest. but It was the longest and
hardest fought battle ever staged on
diamond In the Arkansas Valley.
After four long hours Of suspense,
and the last ten innings full Of heart
throbs and devoid OF ease. La Junta
finally copped the bacon. winning the
game by score OF s to Z.
The game was rather a one-sided
affair until the last half OF the ninth
inning. Fort Lyon commenced scor-
Ing in the first inning. tackled on two
more in the third. one in the sixth.
and three in the first half OF tho
eighth. making total of seven. and
during all this time La Junta had
only succeeded In piling up two meas
" scores.
Griffin. the southpaw. who was
given decidedly the worst Of It ON
balls and strikes by the umpire, was
retired In the eighth inning. after the
Sailors had accumulated their final
three scores. and was succeeded by
Thrailkill. recent importation from
the Texas league. During the eleven
innings he Officiated ON the mound
the slugstng Sailors were held To sig
hits and only two men reached SEC
ond base. After the eighth inning
the Sailors were retired a. fast q
they came to the plate. II was one.
two three and back to the bench for
the Sailors. after the eighth inning.
In the thirteenth and fourtsenth ian.
ings Thrailkili only pitched five halls
for five Outs-sll Of them easy
grounders or pop flys. The ssaeis.
maa from Texas hurled one Of Tie
best games Of his career. presumably.
esd II Il wasn't The best one. Il vas
|peod eaopsh Tor Any Old career u
y 80 s:si.s =. = =
Wa tort Lvoa vas rselrsd II
Iths ftrst half OF the ainth innins In
ose. two. three order. with five run
lead. Il did not look ~ though L.
Junta had . possible chance 70 win.
Brown WAS the first man up and
when he cracked the first ball pitch
ed for n single Il looked a. though
there was going To be something do
!nE-and there was. Payne followed
with another single. and Merrill did
likewise. With three men on bases
and nobody out. Mr.. Pyle walked up
to the plate with do or die express
sion on hts baseball physignomy. aud
N usual In such cases made aud pro.
vided he made good. He landed on
the sphereOid god and plenty and
had Il had an ounce more Of accsler-
alton behind Il Il would have gone
over the center field fence. but - Il
was the ball cracked one Of tho
boards. and when Il was finally ry-
Isyed back 70 the diamond. Brown,
Payne. and Walker had crossed tho
home plate aud Pyle WAS on second.
Pandcmonium rcigned In the grand.
stand. and with nobody out Il vas ai.
most cinch that Ia Junta would tic
the score and that was what happen
cd. Two more men crossed the homo
plate before tho third man went
dowu. aud tho score was tisd--Iu
the last half Of the ninth innlng with
the Sailors having . five run lead.
They say you can never tell what will
happen In . ball game. and this
proves Il.
After the ninth inning there was
IN exhibition Of alright ball playing
such ~ IL seldom cquaiied even In
the big leagues. Jim Reneli seemed
to have more speed In the second
nine inninss than he had In tho first.
and Thraiikiil was 70 effective dur
ing the eatirs eleven iaainss that
on1y two mea reached second bass.
He also fisided his positioa perfectly.
and wss on the job every miauts.
Neither team scored for eight ianines,
and such perfect hsil was beiag Dlay.
"a Il looked - though the saae
would last uatii The day was doae aal
darkness Felt from the viags q
aisht
II The sixtssatA laains. viii I've
nsa %. Pyle os1e saeeAee leag ~
70 shs ceatss fSeod seoce. aa1 It. .
aiasts u Ieeksd - tAsaGA ~ onno
vas ever. Ms. DusA. heveves. ~
- ~ ~ u dsAt fts1l. 80 y .