The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-05-31
MESSENGERS MUFF in
10th GIVES LOCALS Win
Planter Right Gardner
Drops Easy Fly With Two
Men On Base and Loses
Game for Visitors+Fer-
guson Pitches Alright
Ball Score 4 to 8.
BY t. F. WAGNER.

rake GOOD look IOlkS, at LnaJ one |
error charged against Bob Messenger
in the New London box score. 1t doesn't |
look very big but, oh, my, it meant a
bucketful yesterday afternoon at
Newfield park, when Robert dropped |
Ray Grimes easy fly in the tenth inn
ing with Manager Krichell on third
and Billy Lai on second with two
down.
1t meant as much as a defeat or a
victory for the Americans and vic
tory it was when the ex-White Sox
outer gardner pulled the prettiest lit
tie Fred Snodgrass we've seen at the
Eagle street lot in some time. If
the robust Planter had held onto the
ball the first defeat of the season
would have been chalked up against
Krichell IL Co.
But baseball according to Hayle
and everybody else, is peculiar. A
game is often won in the first inning,
lost in the sixth and won again in
the ninth. Yesterdays to 8 victory
over Jack Flynn and his mates from
Z the shores of the Thames was not won
until two men died in the tenth and
Grimes easy skier was carelessly
handled by Messenger. Just why
Messenger presented the locals with
the game is not known and nobody
cares as long as the local gang can
keep winning, either by squeeze plays
or by presentation from the opposi-
ton.
The game was one of the hardest
fought this season at Newfield park.
4 AIeck Ferguson, the lanky ex-Yan-
kee, pitched an elegant brand of ball
for nine straight innings. At times
he had the Millionaires eating from
his hand. In the seventh inning he
retired Cakes, Bates and Wendell
three of the hardest hitters on the
visiting team-on nine pitched balls,
Wendell was sent to New London by
the Giants.
u, Aleck allowed the visitors three free
passes and six blows and struck. out
six while Freddy Reiger gave the To-
Gals ten hits, three of this number
going for extra bases. Reiger pass
ed three and famed the same num-
Der.
The Americans started the attack
in the second inning when Ray
Grimes sent a sharp single to right
and stopped at third on HOWE Bak-
er's double along the right field chalk
line. Andy Vim popped to Wendell
and on the famous old squeeze which
is being worked to perfection by the
locals this season, Grimes scored
when George Braun dropped the
Spalding in front of the plate. Baker
went to third and was trapped on
Skiffs attempt to squeeze fell flat.
-fNv-rV nk06 I1n
operation on Howie, the latter being
credited with the putout. Braun stole
second. Fergy flied out to Rebel
Cakes and ended the scoring for this
session.
skiffs failure at pulling the
squeeze is the first time that the To-
cal team has been caught at the play
this season.
~ Another runner was sent over the
bentagon in the next inning after
Gene Martin skied to Messenger.
Billy Lai, the peppery Oriental, work
ed Reiger for free transportation and
on the next ball pitched pilfered sec
ond Bracket was safe on an in
field hit and Lai reached third. Lai
was nailed at home on an attempted
double steal, Brady to Wendell. Hank
Bracket reached the midway on Lai's
out and scored on Ray Grimes long
triple to the left field fence. Grimes
was held at third when Baker went
out, Brady to Flynn.
The scoring was held up until the
Planters oponed fire in their half OF
the sixth and registered one run
Brady doubled to center and ad
vanced when Baker allowed Messen
gers clout to go through his legs
O'Rourke hit to Grimes and Brad!
was thrown out at the plate. Mes
senger went down the line. Herndo1
flied to Vim and Messenger went t.
third, scoring when Skiff threw wilt
and hit the runner on the back.
The fans were starting on thei
way to the evening meal in the nintl
after Frank O'Rourke had popped t
Bracket, but all hands returne,
when the invaders got busy and tie,
the score. Herndon, followin
O'Rourke, reached the getaway on a.
infield tap. Flynn flied to Lai for tn
second out, Cakes was purposely pass
ed and Bates came through with
timely wallop to center, scorin
Herndon. 1t looked bad for tn
homesters right here when Wende
was passed but Reiger settled mai
ters by grounding out to Grimes.
Bridgeport went in to the last ha
of the ninth with the old fightin
spirit but could do nothing wit
Reiger's offerings. The visitors fors
ed ahead in the tenth when Brad
singled to center and moved up @
Ferguson's wild pitch and registere
when YIN dropped O'Rourke's fly
right.
1t was up to the locals to get bus
right away in their half of the tent
or drop the first game of the seaso
Manager Krichell essayed the ro
es Kid Pinch Hit and with one -
one on him, picked out one of Rel
er's selection of twisters for a sing
to left. Gene Martin sacrificed KriC
to second. A passed ball sent the /
cal pilot to third. Lai walked al
promptly stole second. Bracket ia
ned and it looked like curtains f
the gang from ''Murderers' Roy
when Grimes hit an easy fly to rigf
It was dropped by Messenger, Kric
ell and Lai scoring with the two ru
needed to cop the pastime. Messe
ger was so upset after he lost t
game for his team that he hurled t
ball into the swamp back of the I'll
base bleacherR The score: