Evening star., 1947-03-30
Leonard Grants
-Four 4,Basers
Among I Hits
Musterson Effective
In His Five Rounds
Of Relief Hurting
By Burton Hdwkins

Stor Sfoff Correspondent
MIAMI, Fla, March 29-The de-
lightful dream the Mats had Of
Rookie Rufus Leonard soaring from
semipro ranks to the major leagues
vanished into thin air here today
the thin air in the vicinity OF the
leftfield fence over which four home
runs rose majestically while Leon
ard was on the mound as Washing
ton took a 5-4 defeat by the st.
Louis Browns.
Leonard survived three innings
and escaped only with his anatomy
intact. In addition to the four home
runs, he was belted for two doubles
and a single. He also hit two bat
ters and walked another in a per-
formance that wasn't a thing Of
beauty.
Vernon Stephens smashed two
home runs and Johnny Berardino
and Jerry Witte blasted others.
Walter Judnich contributed two
doubles and Les Moss thumped q
single to embarass the southpaw
pitching protege of Bobo Newsom's.
Mats Get Early Run.
Successive singles by Buddy Lewis,
Stan Spence and Mickey Vernon of
Denny Galehouse staked the Mats
to run in the first inning, but
that was before the Browns found
the range on Leonard, whose only
previous experience was with the
Hartsville, S. c., club of the SEMI
pro Palmetto State League.
st. Louis rolled out its big guns
with one out in the first inning.
Berardino clipped couple Of CO.
conuts out of the palm trees firing
| ing the leftfleld fence with a tre-
mendous home run smash and
Stephens followed with an equally
potent poke.
jeff Heath famed, but Leonard
clipped Witte on the right knee
with pitched ball. Judnich then
pumped a double to center and
only fine throw by Spence, plus q
crisp, accurate relay by Jerry Prid-
dy, cut down Witte at the plate
as he attempted to score on the
hit.
f. Leonard escaped undamaged in
the second inning, but Moss didn't.
Leonard bopped him on the head
with a pitched ball, but Moss was
not badly hurt. After Owen Friend
ran for him, Moss returned to the
game with the permission Of the
Mats manager, Ossie Bluege.
Leonard Again Pounded.
Rufus didn't sparkle in the third
inning. Stephens opened the Browns
portion of the inning with another
home run over the leftfield fence.
The unsettled Leonard then walked
Heath and Witte rammed the ,
Browns fourth home run over the
leftf1eld barrier.
Judnich hammered double to
left. Mark Christman flied out, but
Moss singled to center. Again Spence
came to Leonards rescue with an
excellent throw to the plate that
caught Judnich attempting to score.
Moss continued to second on the
throw, but was stranded as Gale
house flied to Spence.
Washington bounced back with
three runs in the fourth inning.
Vernon and Cecil Travis singled sue
cessively. Priddy flied to Judnich
and Johnny Sullivan famed, but
Frank Mancuso singled to left, scor-
ing Vernon. George Myatt batted
for Leonard and lashed a liner into
left, scoring Travis and Mancuso.
The hit was scored as triple when
Myatt scooted from second to third
on Leftflelder Heath's lazy throw
to second behind Myatt.
Masterson Is Effective.
That was all the scoring, for Ellis
Kinder took over for the Browns in
the final four innings and allowed
only one hit. Meanwhile, Walter
Masterson was presenting the Mats
His most effective pitching of the
training season. He travelled the last
five innings and permitted four hits
in checking the Browns.
Only once did st. Louis threaten
against Masterson. With two out in
the ninth inning, Christman and
Jake Early singled, but Masterson
whipped a third strike past Kinder.
The Mats got nine of their 10 hits
off Galehouse, while the Browns COL
lected II hits off Leonard and Mas
terson. Spence, Vernon and Mancuso
each obtained two hits for the Mats.