Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-12
SLANT STEPS OUT
AGAINST FAvOR|TE
Closest Big Match of Metro
Tourney Finished in Dark.
Finale Tomorrow.


to win the Metropolitan
District horseshoe cham
pionship, is all washed up as a
contender, and lad still in his
teens, James Slant, today is the
talk of Washington's army of
horseshoe fans as the result of
an amazing battle yesterday on
the Plaza courts in the Semi-final
round of the city tournament.
slant defeated Crane, so to 40, 80 to
60. 50 to As The youngster, south
raw. tossed the winning points in al
most total darkness. 1t was the closest
contest ever played in q major horse
shoe tournament in the metropolitan
area, At no time did either have
long lead. Slant threw So ringers and
Crane To-
The washington final will be played
today at the Plaza. starting at S o'clock.
-Four pitchers will compete, with two
representing the east section and two
the west.
In the west section final are Harry
Fraser Saunders, Iowa Avenue division
champion, and w. Roy wilson, the
GEORGETOWN division title holder.
From the east section will be Slant
and either Hubbard Quantrille or Will
liam Greiner both youngsters. Their
senli-final match was halted by dark
ness after Quantrille had won game,
so to 81, and Greiner taken one, so
to 20.
Darkness overlook Saunders and Will
son after they had played one game in
the west section final, Saunders win
ming it, so to "a.
Saunders previously had met unex-
pected opposition from the Blooming
dale division champion, Vic Riston, who
dropped the first game in the semi
finals, % to 81, but got hot in the
second and threw % ringers. For the
first time since he entered the tourna-
ment, Saunders was on his mettle. Ris-
ton rolled up lead of 81 to 6 and
the many Saunders supporters had
given up hope eff their favorite pulling
out of the hole when Harry suddenly
found the range. Three times when
Vic failed to get close to the peg
Saunders dropped on double-header
ringers. With the score 48 to "a against
him he started a streak Of brilliant
pitching that ended with victory, so
to %.
THE best pitched game of the day
i was Roy wilson's second with r.
Magee, In the West section semi
finals. Out Of "A shoes he had l9
ringers.
slant took Crane completely by sur
prise. The youngster, who was de-
feated by Hubbard Quantrille for the
Virginia avenue division title, was never
reckoned serious contender for the
city championship. On the other hand
Crane was accounted an almost sure
winner of the East section crown. The
star pitchers Of the West section for
weeks had been joshing him about the
s'set-up" he would face in the play offs.
70 was bitter blow to Crane, whose
heart for year had been set on win
ming the metropolitan crown. He lost
out last year IN the final match of the
Southern Maryland section, q victim of
Millard Peake. The veteran accepted
defeat yesterday with q grace that won
him far more admirers than victory
would have brought.
Somebody had to lose" he grinned,
"and it happened to be me. That boy
Is on the way to becoming great
horseshoe pitcher. Fine lad, too."
A summary Of yesterdays play
follows:
West Section.
Il. r, Saunders defeated J. Monk, so
30 ID; Vic Riston defeated Andrew
Tallmadge. So TO 18: Ronald Magee de-
Heated E. Keith, so to 81; w. r. Wilson
Saunders defeated Riston, 81 to 2s,
80 to 4s; Wilson defeated Magee, 50 to
81, 81 to z.
Saunders defeated Wilson, so to "a
(match to be completed today.
East Section.
Earle Crane defeated H. Irving, SO to
10: James Slant defeated r. McVean,
So to 20; william Greiner defeated G.
Mullins by default; Hubbard Guam
trille defeated c. Fillah, SO to %.
Slant defeated Crane, 1880, 50-49,
SPAS: Quantrille defeated Greiner, SO
TO 81, in the first game and lost the
second, 40 to so. the match to be COM
pleted today.
TOMORROW comes the classic event
L Of the metropolitan tournament.
The four survivors in the Wash
sngton section, the champion and
r1Inner-up of Northern Virginia and the
Southern Maryland flnalists will have
it out for the grand crown.
Representing Virginia will be G. G.
Henson, champion, and Alexander
Kirchner, runner-up. Kirchner was
the State winner last year.
From Maryland will be the indom-
liable metropolitan champion of 1929,
Willard E. Peake, and Walter Kolb.
Play will start at $3.50 o'clock with
Bernard McCarty of the playground de-
partment staff in charge. All matches
will be two out of three games.
Bleachers have been erected around
the five courts Only two of the latter
Nyf1i Ia ttcaJ