The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-01
MIDDIES, RID.
OF JINX, BEAT
ARMY TOSSERS
Annapolis Bali Team
Triumphs by 10 to 6 in
II Inning Contest.
GAME IS HARD FOUGHT
Cloughley's Home Run With
Two on Bases Clinches
Victory.
GAME IS HARD FOUGHT
BY DANIEL.
Special DespafcA to TIE sur.

WEST POINT, N. Y. May 31.-The
hoodoo which for eight years had pur-
sued the Navy baseball team In Its
annual battles with the Army nine died
here this evening. 1t took the men from
Annapolis eleven innings to throttle the
jinx to death. but they did It in most
convincing fashion and triumphed by q
score Of 10 to 6.
1t was In 1908 at Annapolis that the
Navy last had defeated the West
Pointers by 16 to s, and Army suprem-
acy on the diamond had become a thing
to be taken for granted. In 1917 and
1918 because Of the war the annual con-
test had to be called Off and the hoodoo
evidently went into a decline for want
Of nourishment. This year the Navy came
here with team that was heralded as
one OF the greatest Annapolis yet had
turned out, while the Army sent into the
field combination that had suffered
numerous setbacks and only a few days
before had been beaten by IL to 0 by
Holy Cross.
Army Team on It's Toes.
But when the service teams went at
each other on the plains this afternoon,
past performances this season went into
the discard. The Army nine found itself
and fought the Navy players to a stand
still. 1t was a game replete with thrills.
Exciting moments crowded each other 30
that even men just from the trenches Of
France wilted. 1t was one OF those con-
tests that make baseball SO fascinating
Every now and then a most inane play
injected Itself into the proceedings, only
to be discounted Immediately by some
startling feat Of fielding or some prodigi-
Gus effort with the bat
The Army jumped into a five run lead
In the fourth inning and It looked as II
tho Cadets had the game packed away
In camphor. The Navy had not yet To-
Gated the scoring column. However. the
sixth saw the midshipmen jump right
into the fight with three runs, and in
the seventh they took the lead with an
other trio OF counters.
But the Army was not to be outdone
and In Its half Of the seventh II put over
u run that tied the score at 8 all. That
marked the end of the West Point tally
ing But the big effort OF the Navy was
yet to come.
Four Home Runs.
II arrived In the eleventh and was
punctured with a home run by Cough
ley. the catcher. 1t was the fourth home
run OF the battle and accounted for
remarkable swat Blakeslee. whose home
run had given the Navy three in the
seventh. had sent a long triple to right
and he scored what proved to be the
winning run when Humphreys slammed
a double to left field.
1t was a rather tense inning, that
eleventh. Time and again both sides had
chances to put over deciding tallles. but
always something interviewed to string
out the game into the shadows.
The eleventh opened with Blakeslee at
bat. II was not long before he poled
out his triple. Then Clark took mighty
sv!pe at the ball, only to lift a fly to
Blaik in left field. The Navy contingent
groaned. Yet there was no despair in
the air. Only one Navy man had been
put out and up came Doyle with fire in
his eye and a menancing bat that had
dealt many a telling blow In previous
contests this year. But. like Clark, Doyle
was too anxious and he too sent up a
high one to Blaik.
Crucial situation.
Two. out and q man on third and one
run needed to win. The Navy stand
went into pandemonium, but the Army
followed suit and for time bedlam in
comparison looked like a nice, quiet re-
sort for ole iaIles.
Then Humphreys came up After a
few futile tries he landed right on the
seam and sent the ball to deep left, scor-
ing Blakeslee. The Navy was ahead. As
matters turned out the Navy had won,
but there was no sense In taking chances
with these obstreperous Army boys. Mil
holland waited long enough to walk, and
trouble was started anew for the Army.
Cloughley then sent his home run smash
to centre field, scoring Humphreys and
MilhollRnd ahead OF him. L. Baker sim
gled. and when Johnson let the ball get
away from him the Navy pitcher raced
all the way to third. But he had failed
to touch second and was out, the ANAL
Navy out OF the inning.
Army's Dying Effort.
In the Army half there was a threat
at the start, but II simmered down to a
faint zephyr and finally to nothing. Hon.
non opened with a single. but johnson
struck out. Blakeslee sent up a fly to
Milholland. and all tho while the Army
was yelling away like mad. I'VE will
get them yet !" Flight. fight. fight r. were
the slogans that reverberated across the
plains,
The Army did fight. but It could do
nothing more with this left handed
Baker. He passed Lystad. but Mccarthy
flied to Blakeslee the last out of the
game. while the shadows heightened and
the sun was saying good-by back of the
highlands.
The fourth was one OF those wild, riot
Gus innings. as an inning will be when
Il features two home runs. It opened
with a single by Honnen. The Army had
got couple OF hits OF Gaines In the
third, but had wasted them. Honnen's
hit showed that once more the Army
meant business johnson came on deck
with a single to centre and Blakeslee got
the third hit to the pitcher. With bases
filled Lystad was presented with a fine
chance to make himself a hero, but he
lifted one to the catcher.
Homer Clears Bases.
Mccarthy then stepped to the platter
and after "a little preliminary club
swinging got the first real swat of the