Seward daily gateway., 1925-12-22
MERCHANTS WIN FROM CABLEMEN
 SCORE n TO 6
ONE OF THE CLOSEST GAMES OF SEASON PLAYED OFF AT
 GYM LAST NIGHT

keenly sought, the Merchants took a crucial game from the peppery Cable Office nine last night which cost the Operators not only the lead of the lea que, which position they had been en. toying jointly with the Nile Parks, but left them in third place; the Mer- chants jumping into second. The game last night which ended with the Merchants on the long end of an II to 6 score was by far the fastest and best played of the con- tests staged thus far. Every man on his toes and fighting the opposition throughout the entire nine innings. Tight pitching, smart base running, lightning plays on batted balls and seemingly impossible catches of line drives made the competition the keenest and hardest fought of the previous struggles
 The pitching laurels again went to Valade, Merchant ace, whose six runs allowed the Operators to make the lowest number of tallies scored against any one pitcher. Aside from the sixth inning, however, Snyder, hurling for the Signal Corps, turned in every bit as good a game as his ad- Versary. Both men demonstrated al most perfect control and kept the hits exceptionally we'll scattered. Val was called upon though to do some star defense work and do it quick. Three line smashes by Mclaughlin shot bull let like thru the pitchers territory, but Valade grabbed and hung on to every one of them.
 The Merchants, first to bat, stole a run in the first inning when lessen raced across the plate from third base as Mclaughlin, catching for the Cable OHlce, turned to engage in conversa- tion with the umpire. It was then one, two, three order for both sides until RObisOn'S run in the third tied the score. The Merchants scored two in the fourth when Shellhorn, after singling, advanced on Gus Mantheys sacrifice and came home on Painters drive to left. Painter then scored on a bingle by Urbach
 Shellhorn demonstrated that he "knew his stuff" when he borrowed McEwan from the Bankers to fill the absence of Selby. Mac socked the apple for ringing double after Valade had been put out in the fifth. then the fleet footed basket ball coach made home on Pops" one base tap thru short. Dyer sent Pop across with two base hit, bringing the in- ning's runs to two and increasing the Merchants score to five runs.
 The Operators gained their second tally in the fourth when Bowly; after getting on, was brought home by Jerry Protzmans neat wallop to the outfield. Valade and his assistants then retired the wire tappers in the order in which they appeared in the fifth, sixth and seventh
 In the sixth inning the Merchants broke loose. McEwan, first up, led with a single down the third base line. Shelly duplicated and took second as Mas made third, and Gus Manthey registered both runners with blow to the back of the hall Bud Dyer had broken the little finger of his left hand in the fifth inning but played on. Sheldon camped under Dyer's fly mak- ing it an out, but Painter scored Man. thy with hit to right and Bob Man they singled and Painter scored Bob Manthey scored on Jessen's hit and worked around the bases on errors by the Signal Corps infielders then SCOT ed from third on wide pitch. Va lade's out retired the side.
 Snyder blanked the slugging counter jumpers in the eighth and ninth while his charges earned four more runs to make their total for the game six. Nc Laughlin and Snyder scoring in the eighth, and Thinker and Lien making markers in the Operators ninth. Liens smash to the gallery in the ninth was the longest blow of the evening" The drive netted him only two bases, however, as the ball hoped right out again.
 The batting order:
 Cable office, Robison lib; Lein If Snyder p, Mclaughlin c, Bowley If Protzman 3b, Sheldon of, Thinker Is McNally 2b.
 Merchants, lessen 3b, Valade p McEwan 2b, Shellhorn c, G. Manthey