–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–
September 3, 2026 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
Tom Wasmer has been leading off for Blue all season, and that’s how the early game began. But Blue didn’t get anyone on base until third batter Ken Sransky doubled. David Brasfield drove him in with a single, Ken Aubin singled and Mike Richards drove in David before Green’s first baseman, Larry Enzweiler, beat Edwin Yergen to the bag for the third out. Green then matched Blue with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning. Mark Lilla hit a leadoff double and Gene Garcia drove him in with another double. Cecil Kwong drove in Gene with a fielder’s choice. Blue got another 2 runs in the second; Rel Underwood led off with a double, Harold Easterwood singled, Rick Erdimer drove in Rel and Jerry Anger drove in Harold. This time Green didn’t answer. They went down 1,2,3, and it was Blue 4, Green 2 after two. Both teams scored 5 in the third. Tom Wasmer legged out a triple and Sid Hilton drove him in. Ken Sransky reached on a fielder’s choice and the league’s boldest base runner scored when David Brasfield singled, but David got thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double. Then Ken Aubin singled, Mike Richards doubled, Edwin Yergen doubled, and Rel Underwood drove in the 5th run. Green had 2 outs with Mark Lilla on first base when David Ferguson doubled, Cecil Kwong drove in 2 runs with a single, Phillip Cheek doubled, Bobby Watkins drove in 2 more runs with a single, Mike Madden singled and Larry Enzweiler singled in the 5th run. Blue 9, Green 7 after three.
No one reached first base for Blue in the 4th. Green scored 5 to take the lead. Holly Whitmire, risking bloody knees by playing in shorts on a hot day, singled but got snuffed at second by Pete Manown’s fielder’s choice. Dinah Sewell singled, Mark Lilla singled and Gene Garcia drove in 3 runs with a double to the right field corner. David Ferguson drove in Gene and Cecil Kwong drove in David. Green shut out Blue again in the fifth and scored 5 more. Cheek singled and Madden doubled him in. Enzweiler drove in Madden, Holly and Pete Manown singled and Mark Lilla hit a 3-run triple to finish the inning. Green 17, Blue 9 after five. Blue entered the open 6th inning of the heat-shortened game needing 8 runs to stay alive. Tom Wasmer doubled, Sid Hilton singled and Ken Sransky hit a 3-run homer. Ken Aubin singled and Mike Richards drove him in; Edwin Yergen singled but was forced out at second. Harold Easterwood drove in Mike for a fifth run, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning and Green won, 17 to 14.
Green hitters were 23 for 33 with one walk for a .697 team batting average and a .706 on-base percentage. Mark Lilla was 4 for 4, Larry Enzweiler was 3 for 3, and Phillip Cheek was 2 for 2 with the game’s only walk. Blue hitters were 22 for 38 with no walks for a .519 team batting average and on-base percentage. Ken Aubin and Mike Richards were both 3 for 3.
Dinah Sewell, the league’s smallest player, sounded worried. “I told my doctor I was afraid I’ve been shrinking as I get older. He said I should settle down and just learn to be a little patient.” Wayne Sheets was talking about food. “I wasn’t that hungry the other day so I just ate a kid’s meal at McDonalds. I was surprised how angry his mother got.”
Red’s Jim Raley walked to start the late game. Jim Thompson (JT) singled and Finch hit a 3-run homer. Bill Lovell singled, Edwin Yergen doubled him in and Wayne Graham drove in Edwin as Red was out of the gate with 5. Chuck Killough and Cecil Kwong singled for Sky Blue and Phillip Cheek drove in Chuck, but a double play ended their inning. Red 5, Sky Blue 1 after one. Sky Blue didn’t score again until the 4th inning while the hot Red batters put up 5 more runs in each of the second and third innings. Buddy Cannon tripled to start the second and Holly drove him in. Dick Baguley singled, Jim Anderson walked, Jim Raley drove in Dick and JT hit a 3-run homer. Finch hit an out of the park single to start the third, Lovell singled, Yergen walked, Wayne Graham drove in a run, Buddy Cannon drove in the second run, Holly drove in the third run, Dick Baguley singled, Alicia Johnson drove in the fourth run, Jim Anderson walked and Jim Raley drove in the fifth run. Red 15, Sky Blue 1 after three.
Red only added one run in the 4th. JT hit a 3-foot single and scored on Edwin Yergen’s fielder’s choice. Sky Blue finally came to life with 5 in the bottom half. Wayne Sheets walked, Chuck Killough singled, Cecil doubled in a run, and Jeff Tyler hit a 3-run homer. After 2 fly-ball outs, Sid and Royce O’Donnell singled and Duffy Vandeford drove in the fifth run. Red added 2 runs in the fifth; Buddy singled, Holly doubled, Dick Baguley drove in Buddy and Jim Anderson drove in Holly. Clarence Kornegay and Harold Hagler got hits in the Sky Blue 5th, but no one got farther than second base, so Sky Blue went into the open 6th trailing 18 to 6. Chuck Killough walked but was out at second on Cecil’s fielder’s choice. Jeff Tyler singled and Phillip Cheek drove in Cecil with a single he ran out himself. Gary Singleton singled to load the bases and Sid Hilton drove in Jeff with a single. Royce walked to drive in a run and the bases were still loaded. Duffy hit a ball to third that Edwin Yergen handled to force out Sid at third while Gary scored. Clarence waited out a 2-out walk to reload the bases, but a strikeout ended the game, Red 18, Sky Blue 10.
Red hitters were 22 for 31 with 4 walks for a .710 team batting average and a .743 on-base percentage. Finch, Buddy Cannon and Dick Baguley were all 3 for 3 and Jim Anderson was 1 for 1 with 2 walks. Sky Blue hitters were 16 for 32 with 4 walks for a .500 team batting average and a .556 on-base percentage. Chuck Killough and Royce O’Donnell were both 2 for 2 with a walk.