Evening star., 1943-04-03
Hit Five Homers
Against Major
Moundsmen
Priddy's Biting Stands
Out Against Sailors;
Mats Win, 9 to 6
By a Star stan CORRESPONDENT.


NORFOLK, Va. April 3.-The
Mats aren't boasting of the pitching
they've received thus far in their
infant exhibition campaigning, but
when the conversation turns to hit
ting they're inclined to beam
brightly.
The Mats pitchers have yielded
16 runs in two games and despite
that five-hit performance in spank
ing Norfolk Naval Training Station,
9-6. here yesterday there was little
respectable hurting In the batting
department., though, Washington is
doing all right.
Washington may come up with its
hardest hitting team in years, or at
least that's what Manager Ossie
Bluege has been led to believe after
two glimpses of his athletes In
action. In two games against out
standing pitchers the Mats have
blasted five home runs.
Bob johnson and Mickey Vernon.
who are regarded as the Mats best
bets for lengthy wallops. to date.
haven't been astounding ANYBODY
with their hitting under fire. but it
is encouraging to Bluege to view
such performers as Jake Early, Ger
aid Priddy George Case and Johnny
Sullivan deliver home runs.
Priddy Exceeds Reputation.
Those Mats have been slugging
some expert pitching. Against
Charley Wagner, winner of IA games
last season with the Boston Red Sox,
Early hit two homers and Priddy
poked another on Thursday. Yes
terday Case hammered Walter Mas
terson, the former Washington
pitcher. for home run and Sullivan
slammed one off Tom Early, former
ly of the Boston Braves
| Priddys toll with a bat in his
hands particularly has been pleasing
to the Mats pilot. Priddy came to
the Mats catalogued as a polished
fielder but only fair hitter Against
the sailors he has been better than
fair, obtaining four solids in seven
attempts.
The Mats pitching has been less
intriguing. EWald Pyle was the most
capable of the crop yesterday, yield
ing only a single in his 3-inning
effort. Alex Carrasouel also per-
mltted only one hit, triple to Phil
Rizzuto that led to a run, in his
three innings, but Early Wynn was
a woeful bust.
| Wynn was hammered for four
runs in the first inning, Eddie Rob-
lnson providing the big blow with
a 3-run homer, after the Mats had
produced three runs in the first on
successive singles by Stan Spence,
johnson, Vernon, Priddy and Sulli-
van. Wynn also yielded another run
in the second inning after Cases
homer with Clary on base had pre-
sented the Mats a Sd lead.
Clash Again Today.
Washington came up with 6-5
margin in the third when singles bv
Early and Carrasquel led to a run,
but in the fourth Rizzuto nailed
Carrasquel for a triple and scored
after Benny Mccoy flied out to
Johnson. That situation existed un-
til Sullivan slammed his homer in
VIZ SlSlitll Willie IIluuy was on
base, and the Mats added another
run in the ninth on an error, wild
pitch and Gene Moore's single.
The Mats today were to face the
same team in the last of 3-game
series, with Owen Scheetz and Jim
Mertz slated to take the mound for
Washington against Max Wilson
and Carl Ray. The game the Mats
had scheduled with the training
station team here Tuesday has been
Cancelled due to Washington being
unable to obtain transportation that
would permit them to keep q
Wednesday engagement at Annapo-
lis.
Tomorrow the Mats will shift over
to Norfolk Naval Training Station,
which has such former major lea
guers AS PeeWee Reese, Hugh Case.
Crash Davis and AL Evans, for the
opener of a 2-game series.