The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-06-10

tonight with the Jacksonvil
final tilt in their quest for t
ship. The game is set for Z D.
The Conchs earned the right to
compete in the semi-finals yester-
day when they squeaked past the
Tampa nine, 81, in ten inning
clash.
Don Cruz, CID the Conchs right
handed fastballer is slated to draw
the pitching assignment tonight.
II was Cruz, with clutch sin
gle, and diminutive Jerry Pita, the
Conch's rightfielder who starred in
yesterdays victory when they raj
lied behind George Lastres' eight
hit mound performance with sew
en- runs in the first half of the
tenth inning to gain a victory In
their first tourney start.
The Conchs blew the game wide
open in their half Of the tenth with
four hits, three walks and a balk
after losing one run lead in the
sixth inning.
Jerry Pita, Key West rightfield-
or, started the Conch's big tenth
with a walk. Julio Santana follow
ed and was safe at first ON a field.
er's choice, Pita going to second.
Leeburg Knowles singled and Pr
"a held UP at third and Santana
stopped at second.
Third baseman Don Cruz then
lined a bases loaded single into
center field scoring Pita and San
tana.
Julio Henriquez, the next batter,
hunted. Pitcher Allan Brice field
ed the ball but threw late to third
and all hands were safe.
Knowles, who advanced to third
on Henriquez bunt, scored on a
balk by pitcher Howard Prescott,
who had just relieved Brice.
After George Lastres walked to
load the bases again, Biff Salga-
do scored Cruz on an infield single.
Eloy Rodriguez followed with an
other single scoring Henriquez.
Tampa pitcher Prescott then,
walked Roger Bean to force In
run and Salgado added the last
Conch tally when he crossed the
plate on Santana's short fly to right
field.
Virgil Brinson (4-2) started on
the hill for Hillsborough and pitch
ed three scoreless innings before
Key West tapped him for one run
on three straight singles in the top
Of the fourth.
With two men out, Henriquez sin
gled to left and Lastres and SAL
gado raped singles to center.
Tampa scored its only run in the
sixth after two were out. Lastres
hit Garry Henley on the elbow who
was replaced by courtesy runner.
Don Alvarez singled and Jesse
Hartline walked to load the bases.
Then Lastres walked Billy Austin,
forcing in a run.
Lastres, in winning his 14th VIC
tory of the year, struck out II and
walked seven batters. He hurled
the entire ten innings.
Losing pitcher was Allan Brice
(6-2) who replaced starter Virgil
Crimson in the seventh. Lefthander
Howard Prescott entered the game
during the wild tenth frame.
Leeburg Knowles and Salgado
led Key West at the plate, each
with two safeties in four trips.
Billy Austin, Tampa first base
man paced the Terrier hitting at
tack with two for three followed
closely by Don Alvarez who slap
ped out two one-baggers in four
times at bat.
There were no extra base
knocks by either club.
Little Jerry Pita, playing right
field for the Key West, displayed
two outstanding catches.
Running backward, he speared a
hard-hit liner in The last of the
eighth with the bases loaded. Had
Pita missed the catch, Tampa
would be playing tonight = not
Key West.
Pita also shared an out of bounds
blooper in the third - besides
making an assist in the seventh
that choked off a possible Hills
borough rally.
The box scores:
KEY WEST 10y
Player ABB r H Pc A E