Evening star., 1951-04-08
Genes Poor Job
Wastes VerbIe's
Strong Hitting
Weak Relief Effort
Is Fourth FuiIure
In Row for Lefty
By Burton Hawkins
Stur Staff Correspondent

Gene Bearden of the Mats step
ped into a light rain and 3-3
tie today to present a pitching
:hore that, too, was all wet. The
Cincinnati Reds promptly raped
aim for four runs in the seventh
inning for a 7-3 victory, their
fourth straight over a wobbly
Washington club.
When Joe Haynes left after six
innings he had earned no worse
than a stalemate with Ewel1
Blackwell, famed sidearm whip"
of the Cincinnati staff, but that
distinction was wasted when the
lefthanded Bearden delivered his
fourth successive dismal effort.
Also swept aside were some
early heroics by Gene Verble, the
rookie filling in at third base for
a muscularly fatigued Eddie Yost.
The first three times the slight
Verble faced Blackwell he con-
tributed- two singles and a double,
accounting for two Of the Mats
runs.
Bearden is Smeared.
Bearden retired Connie Ryan,
the first batter to face him. but
not until six batterS later did Gene
get another out.
He walked Lloyd Merriman. Joe
Adcock singled. then Ted Klus-
zewski and Bob Scheffing walked
to force across run. Grady Hat
ton rammed a double to right,
scoring two runs, before Bearden
tossed out Wally Post.
Virgil Stallcup singled to center,
scoring Scheffing. but when Hat
ton attempted to score from second
he was whipped out by Irv Noren's
fine throw to Catcher Len Okrie.
Bearden's status as a starter
was jeopardized by this perform
ance. He now has been battered
for "a runs and 26 hits in 10
innings in his last four tries.
The Mats started against the
slim Blackwell as if they were
going to chase him early. Verble
greeted him with sharp single
!. to center and Gil Coan brought
him around with a double to left
center. Coan took third when
Mickey Vernon grounded out and
scored when Blackwell uncorked
a wild pitch after walking Noren.
Reds Tie Mats Again.
Merriman's bunt and singles by
Kluszewski and Scheffing fetched
the Reds a run off Haynes in
Cincinnati's first, but the Mats
Increased their lead to 81 in the
fifth when Verble doubled. shifted
to third on Coan's grounder to
Kluszewski and scored on Ver-
mons long fly to center.
With one out in the sixth, the
Reds locked the count. Scheffing
walked and Hatton and Post sim
gled successfully to produce one
run and Hatton scored from third
when Verble scooped up Stallcup's
grounder and elected to try for
a double-play. His throw to
Shortstop Sam Dente was too late
to nip Post at second, although
Sans peg to Vernon retired STALL
cup.
The Mats stirred up a mild
threat in the ninth against left
handed Harry Perkowski. Dente
beat out hit to shortstop and
after Okrie famed, Pinch-hitter
Mike Mccormick singled to right.
That uprising died. though, when
Verble flied out and Coan went
down swinging.
Verble, Coan Head Attack.
| Verble accounted for three Of
the Mats nine hits, with Coan get
ting two. while for the third
straight day the Reds clipped
Washington pitching for 10 hits.
Hatton and Stallcup got two each.
Bob Kuzava and Mickey Harris
will strive to end the Mats losing
lstreak tomorrow against the Reds
Willard Ramsdell at Charlotte. y.
The crowd of 1872 which flowed
out on the field was the largest
the Mats have played before this
spring.
The game was delayed six MN
utes at the end of the seventh
inning by rain. The Mats and
Reds shift to Winston Salem
Monday, Durham Tuesday and
Lynchburg Wednesday. =. The
Mats will make their only pre-.
season appearance at Griffith Sta
dium Thursday night against the
Dodgers.