–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
June 2, 2026 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
Low clouds scudded across the sky and drizzles of rain spitted down in patches as early arrivals warmed up for the early game. Handsome Herb was in the equipment room looking for new game balls when Sid Hilton walked in. He stopped in the entrance and looked around the room and Herb asked him what he was up to. Sid said “I’m just spendin’ time pondering the hereafter.” Herb asked if something worrisome was going on and Sid said, “Nah. I’m just tryin’ to remember what I came here after.”
Blue faced Sky Blue in a rematch of last Thursday’s game. Harold Hagler threw the first pitch for a strike, always a good sign, and Tom Wasmer hit the next one and sprinted to second with a double. Tom puffed, “That’s twice as far as I plan to run, but my back’s feelin’ pretty good.” Harold walked Ken Sransky and David Brasfiled on six straight pitches and Sid Hilton hit the 7th pitch for a long single, driving in 2 runs. Mike Richards, reeling from vertigo, walked and weaved his way to first and Ken Aubin drove in David Brasfield with a fielder’s choice before the rally petered out. Sky Blue started explosively as Dale McWhorter got a hit, Chuck Killough drove him in with a double and Scott Wadsworth drove Chuck in with a 2-run homer. Neither team scored in the second inning and Sky Blue shut out Blue again in the third. Then Mark Lilla led off with a double for Sky Blue and Dale McWhorter drove him in with another double. Dale went to third on a fielder’s choice and Chuck drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Sky Blue 5, Blue 3 after three.
Blue scored one in the fourth when Sid walked and ran home on Ken Aubin’s double, but Ken got thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Ken said “I wouldn’t a tried for it but Ken Sransky was runnin’ for me and he always thinks he can make it. He almost did but a perfect throw and tag got him on the leg.” Sky Blue didn’t score in the fourth and Blue didn’t score in the fifth, but Sky Blue scored 5. Mark Lilla led off with a homer. Dale and Charles Jones singled and Chuck drove in Dale. Scott Wadsworth drove in Chas and Chuck but then got caught trying to score on Ronnie Muro’s fielder’s choice. Jeff Tyler drove in Ronnie for the fifth run. Blue came back with 3 in the sixth to get within three runs. Tom Wasmer and Ken Sransky got hits and Sid Hilton drove them in with a 3-run homer. Blue fans had their hopes up but Sky Blue scored another 5 in the bottom of the sixth to go into the open seventh with an eight run lead. Royce O’Donnell and David Bedwell hit singles and Harold Hagler drove in Royce, Jill Kelley drove in David, Mark Lilla drove in Harold and Dale drove in Jill and Mark. Blue started the open seventh strong. Rel Underwood, Rick Alston, and Harold Easterwood got hits and Brian Gierlatowiecz drove in Rick. Rick Erdimer loaded the bases with a clutch hit, Tom Wasmer drove in Harold and Ken Sransky drove in Brian. But the rally ended there and Sky Blue won the game 15 to 10.
Sky Blue hitters were 21 for 35 with two walks for a .600 team batting average and a .622 on-base percentage. Dale McWhorter was 4 for 4, Mark Lilla was 3 for 3, and Chuck Killough was 2 for 2 with a sacrifice fly. Blue hitters were 17 for 35 with 4 walks for a .486 team batting average and a .538 on-base percentage. Tom Wasmer was 4 for 4.
Red batted first in the late game versus Green. Jim Raley and Ron “Hootie” Ingram led off with hits and Harold Fincher drove in Jim with a single; Pete DiCiara drove in Hootie and Finch with a double for 3 runs. Green scored 2 on David Ferguson’s double and Sid Hilton’s 2-run homer. Neither team scored in the second and Red outscored Green 1 to nothing in the third when Jim Raley and Hootie got hits and Pete DiCiara drove in Jim. Green shut out Red in the fourth and tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning; Bob Slanovits doubled and speedy Steve Entrekin drove in 2 runs with an inside the park home run that featured some imaginative throws. Red 4, Green 4 after four.
Red took a two-run lead in the fifth by outscoring Green 5 to 3. Jim Anderson led off with a walk for Red and Jim Raley and Hootie singled. Finch drove in the two Jims with a hit and Pete DiCiara drove in Hootie and Finch. Wayne Graham drove in Pete for the fifth run. Mark Lilla led off for Green with a double and scored on Jeff Tyler’s single. Bob Slanovits drove in Jeff and Steve Entrekin drove in the third run with a double. Red added a run in the sixth when Keith Frederick drove in Lisa Phipps and then shut out Green in the last of the sixth. Red led 10 to 7 going into the open seventh inning and scored five more. Jim Raley, Hootie, Finch, Pete DiCiara, and Bill Lovell got 5 straight hits and Wayne Graham walked before Green got anyone out. Buddy Cannon drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Holly Whitmire drove in the fifth run with a fielder’s choice. Green only got one hitter to first in the bottom of the seventh and the game was over. Red 15, Green 7.
Red hitters were 24 for 40 with 5 walks for a .600 team batting average and a .644 on-base percentage. Jim Raley, Hootie Ingram and Pete DiCiara were all 4 for 4. Green hitters were 15 for 33 with no walks for a .456 team batting average and on-base percentage.
Makeup games are scheduled for Thursday, June 4, 2026 as follows. 9:00AM Green (visitor) versus Sky Blue; 10:30AM Red (visitor) versus Blue