–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
August 5, 2025 (Liberty Park Sports Complex)
Players and fans wore long sleeved shirts as they walked up the ramp to the ballpark. Gray clouds blocked the sun, and the temperature hovered around 70 degrees on this most unusual day in Alabama’s August where last week’s heat indexes were around 105. Players scampered through their warmups without breaking a sweat. The early game pitted Orange against Sky Blue and Orange jumped out to a 2-run lead in the top of the first with a leadoff walk by Tom Wasmer and hits by Ron Oliver, Mike Madden, and Ken Sransky before a double play started by Chuck Killough at shortstop, snuffed the rally. Orange blanked Sky Blue in the bottom of the first and neither team could score in the second. Orange added a run in the third with a Ron Oliver walk, hits by Mike Madden and Ken Sransky, and an RBI walk by Steve Entrekin. Then Sky Blue finally got untracked and scored 5 in the bottom of the third. Harold Hagler led off with a hit and Chuck Killough drove him in. Mike Richards drove in Chuck with a sacrifice fly and Royce O’Donnell, Carlos Davis, Chas Jones and Steve Belcher got successive hits. Orange 3, Sky Blue 5 after three.
Both teams scored 5 in the fourth. Orange’s came on a Scott Wadsworth walk, Buddy Cannon’s hit, Harold Easterwood’s sacrifice fly, hits by Keith Fredrick and Duffy Vanderford, a walk by Don Stueckler, an RBI fielder’s choice by Tom Wasmer, a hit by Ron Oliver and a two-run double by Mike Madden. Sky Blue got hits from Pete Manown, Rick Alston, and Dean Farris, an RBI fielder’s choice by Ron Allen and hits by Harold Hagler, Chuck Killough, Mike Richards and Royce O’Donnell. Then neither team scored in the fifth, leaving the score Sky Blue 10, Orange 8 after five.
Sky Blue blanked Orange in the sixth and then scored five to take a 15 to 8 lead into the open seventh. Sky Blue scored on a string of hits by Rick Alston, Dean Farris, Ron Allen, Harold Hagler, Chuck Killough, Royce O’Donnell, and Chas Jones, an RBI fielder’s choice by Mike Richards and a Carlos Davis walk. Orange went into the seventh inning needing 7 runs to tie the game. Tom Wasmer, Ron Oliver, Mike Madden, and Ken Sransky started the inning with four straight hits and two runs, but a strikeout and two fielder’s choices ended the game, Sky Blue 15, Orange 10.
Sky Blue batters were 23 for 35 with two walks for a .657 team batting average and a .677 on-base percentage. Chuck Killough was 4 for 4, Steve Belcher and Harold Hagler were 3 for 3, and Rick Alston was 2 for 2 with a walk. Orange hitters were 19 for 35 with seven walks for a .543 team batting average and a .619 on-base percentage. Mike Madden and Ken Sransky were both 4 for 4 and Ron Oliver was 3 for 3 with a walk.
The late game was between Red and Blue, two nice primary colors. Red scored one in the first on a hit by Dale McWhorter and an RBI by Mike Richards and shut out Blue. Then Red scored three in the second on hits by Earl Dunn, Jim Anderson, Bill Lovell, John Woychak and Dennis Horne and shut out Blue again. Red scored four in the third on hits by Dale McWhorter, Rel Underwood and Ron Lentz, and a two-run homer by Glenn Little. But this time Blue scored in their half. Jennifer Martinez, Brian G, Rick Erdimer, Hootie Ingram and Sid Hilton all reached base and Cecil Kwong drove them in with a grand slam homer. Red 8, Blue 5 after three.
Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but Red scored 4 in the top of the fifth. Wayne Sheets led off with a hit and Dale McWhorter, Rel Underwood, Ron Lentz, Mike Richards, Glenn Little and Earl Dunn chipped in. Then Red held Blue to one run in the bottom of the fifth when Carl Hall hit a ball over the left fielder’s head and then scored on Jennifer’s RBI hit. Red 12, Blue 6 after five.
Neither team scored again in the sixth and Blue shut out the top of the Red’s batting order in the open seventh. Blue needed six runs to tie the game, but they hit three balls to Ron Lentz at shortstop, and the game was over, Red 12, Blue 6.
Red batters were 22 for 42 with one walk for a team batting average of .524 and a .535 on-base percentage. Earl Dunn was 3 for 3. Blue hitters were 14 for 34 for a .412 team batting average and on-base percentage.
Players and fans alike looked energetic and refreshed after the games, not needing to run for the ice baths on this cool August day.