–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
September 2, 2025 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
The unusually cool late summer weather continued. Sky Blue played Red in the opener and got off to a slow start scoring 2 runs on three hits by Chuck Killough, Larry Enzweiler and Royce O’Donnel, and a Carlos Davis fielder’s choice. Red came out hot and scored 4 on hits by Dale McWhorter, Rel Underwood, Ron Lentz, Mike Richards, Earle Dunn and Sid Hilton. Then Red shut out Sky Blue in the second inning and added another run when John Woychak got a hit and was driven in by Alicia Johnson’s double. Red 5, Sky Blue 2 after two innings.
Sky Blue came back with 5 in the third, started off by Harold Hagler’s line shot down the third base line followed by seven straight hits by Bobby Watkins, Chuck Killough, Larry Enzweiler, Royce, Carlos, Steve Belcher and Rick Alston. Red tied the score at 7 when Wayne Sheets and Dale got hits. Wayne was driven in by Rel and Earle drove in Dale.
Neither team mounted much offense the rest of the way. Red blanked Sky Blue in the fourth and scored a run when Shelly Johnson drove in Sid Hilton. Sky Blue scored 2 in the top of the fifth to take the lead but Red tied the game again in the bottom. Sky Blue’s runs came on a hit by Bobby Watkins and Royce’s towering 2-run homer. Red’s run was the result of Ron Lentz’s sacrifice fly after Dale and Rel each got their third hit of the game.
Sky Blue took the lead again in the top of the sixth when Harold Hagler drove in Steve Belcher with a 3 foot double. Red started off its sixth inning with Cecil Kwong’s single. Sid reached on a fielder’s choice, Jim Anderson got a hit, Shelly Johnosn drove in Sid and Alicia Johnson drove in Shelly with what turned out to be the game-winning hit after Red blanked Sky Blue in the open seventh. Sky Blue had runners on first and third and Carlos Davis hit the hardest shot of the day right at the Red third baseman’s head. Ron Lentz’s eyes popped open in surprise as he got his glove in front of the ball and held on to end the game. Red 11, Sky Blue 10.
Red hitters were 23 for 39 with one walk for a .590 team batting average and a .600 on-base percentage. Dale McWhorter, Rel Underwood, and Alicia Johnson were all 3 for 3. Sky Blue hitters were 19 for 38 for a .500 team batting average. Harold Hagler had the only perfect day at the plate getting 3 hits in 3 at bats.
The late game pitted Orange against Blue. Orange opened the game with 4 runs. Tom Wasmer drove in Steve Entrekin, Mark Lilla drove in Tom and Ken Sransky, and Harold Easterwood drove in Mark. Blue came back with 3. Cecil Kwong and Rel Underwood got hits, David Ferguson walked and Hootie Ingram singled to drive in Cecil, but Rel got cut down at the plate on a nice throw from Mark Lilla. David Brasfield drove in David Ferguson and Hootie. Then both teams scored 5 in the second. Don Stueckler, Earle Dunn and Steve Entrekin got hits for Orange; Tom Wasmer drove in Don and Mike Madden drove in Earle and Steve. Ken Sransky drove in Tom and Jim Hill drove in Mike. Blue scored on hits by Rick Erdimer, Brian G, and Jennifer Martinez; Doug Harper drove in Rick, Cecil Kwong drove in Brian, Rel drove in Jennifer, David Ferguson walked to load the bases and Hootie drove in Doug and Cecil. Orange 9, Blue 8 after two.
Neither team scored in the third and Blue blanked Orange again in the fourth before scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the inning. Rick Erdimer started the inning with a hit and Brian G added another single, but both were forced out on a double play ball. Doug Harper started again with a hit and Holly Whitmire started a two-out rally of five RBI hits; Holly drove in Jennifer, Cecil drove in Doug, Rel drove in Holly, David Ferguson drove in Cecil and Hootie drove in Rel. Blue 13, Orange 9 after four.
Orange outscored Blue 3 to 2 in the fifth and then took the lead with 5 in the top of the sixth. Ken Sransky, Jim Hill and Harold Easterwood drove in the Orange runs and Sid Hilton’s home run and Rick Erdimer’s RBI hit accounted for Blue’s fifth inning runs. Don Stueckler started Orange’s scoring in the sixth and Earle followed with another single. But a fly ball and a fielder’s choice left Orange with one run and two outs with Steve Entrekin on first. Then Tom Wasmer got his fourth hit of the game, and Mike Madden drove in Steve and Tom. Ken Sarnsky’s fourth hit drove in Mike, Ken moved to third on Mark Lilla’s fourth hit and Jim Hill’s fourth hit drove Ken in. Blue was behind, 17 to 15, going in to the bottom of the sixth, but came out with a 20 to 17 lead after Jennifer and Holly got hits, Cecil drove in Jennifer, David Ferguson drove in Holly and Cecil, Hootie got a hit, Sid drove in David and Carl Hall drove in Hootie.
Orange started the open seventh inning needing three runs to tie the game. They got runners to first and third after hits by Scott Wadsworth, and Harold Easterwood and a fielder’s choice, but couldn’t push a run across and Blue won the game, 20 to 17.
Blue hitters had one of the best games of the year, going 30 for 40 with 4 walks for a .750 team batting average and a .773 on-base percentage. Hootie Ingram was 4 for 4, Cecil Kwong and Sid Hilton were both 3 for 3 with a walk, and Rick Erdimer was 3 for 3. Orange hitters were 30 for 46 for a .652 team batting average. Tom Wasmer, Ken Sransky, Mark Lilla, and Jim Hill were all 4 for 4.