–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
May 8, 2025 (Liberty Park Arena)
The forecasted rain never appeared but the grass was wet with dew on a foggy morning. Masters Blue and Red played the opener; Bobby Watkins was practicing throws from third to Glenn Little, who was early and already had his shoes on, when umpire Mike Jackson called for the teams to take the field. Red pitcher Jim Anderson sauntered to the mound in his stylish Skechers and Blue’s Mark Lilla hit the first pitch. The Red infield came to play and got the next two batters with good throws from second and third. Lilla scored on Ken Sransky’s hit but Jim struck out the next batter, holding Blue to one run. Red’s first two batters made outs and fans started to get nervous. Then Mike Madden hit a homer and Royce O’Donnell followed him with another one and fans breathed easier. Glenn Little got a hit, Bob Slanovits and Bobby Watkins walked and John Woychak drove in two more runs with a single. The game was on.
Blue scored five in the top of the second on hits by Holly Whitmire, Dick Baguley, Sid Hilton, Rick Erdimer, Pete Manown and Mark Lilla. Red kept pace with hits by Dale McWhorter, Rel Underwood, Mike Madden’s three RBI triple, Glenn Little, Bob Slanovits, and Royce’s second home run (just a single in the scorebook). Terry Lewis demonstrated how slippery the wet grass was by slipping and skidding akimbo in right center field. Fortunately, he got right up. Then Terry started a string of hits in the Blue third. Terry, David Brasfield, Cecil Kwong, Ken Sransky, JD Lille, Holly Whitmire, and Dick Baguley got eight consecutive hits but could only turn them into three runs due to some errant base running. Red kept up their offensive onslaught with five runs capped by Rel’s three-run double. Rel muttered when he realized he wouldn’t have had to run to second as he had driven in the fifth run. Red 14, Blue 9 after three.
Both teams scored five in the fourth. Blue’s Mark Lilla and David Brasfield each hit two-run doubles and Ken Sransky drove in the fifth run, not bothering to run to second having learned from Rel. Little Glenn, Bob Slanovits, Bobby Watkins, David Richey and Jim Anderson each drove in a run for Red while Terry once again showed his “sliding akimbo” form in the outfield. Red 19, Blue 14 after four.
Then Jim Anderson single-handedly blanked Blue in the fifth. He pirouetted under a popup and made the catch for the first out, gave up another hit to Holly, struck out the next batter and fielded a grounder to get the last batter at first. The crowd erupted. Red hitters stayed hot as Harold Hagler led off with a double down the line. Rel, Glenn, Bobby, and John Woychak drove in the five runs to extend the Red lead to 24 to 14. Red held Blue to one in the sixth and then scored two on Harold Hagler’s third hit, and Dale McWhorter’s bizarre double where the veteran travel team player failed to run on what he thought was a routine grounder, then started and stopped again as the infielder fumbled the ball, then finally decided to run when the infielder made a bad throw to first and Dale ended up on second base. Rel drove them both in. Dale pointed out that it was all part of his strategy to confuse the Blue team.
Blue went into the open seventh needing 11 to tie. The Red team, having lost two games where they were ahead by double digits in the last inning, were uneasy. Jim felt the pressure and walked two batters (only his third and fourth walks of the game) and JD and Holly drove the walkers in. But Jim stopped a Cecil Kwong rocket (it was a matter of self-preservation) and threw him out at first, Bob Slanovits and John Woychak combined for a forceout at second, and Glenn caught a popup at first to hold Blue to two and end the game, Red 26, Blue 17.
Blue hitters were 28 for 45 with four walks for a .622 team batting average and a .653 on-base percentage. Mark Lilla and Holly Whitmire were both 4 for 4 and Ken Sransky was 3 for 3 with a walk. Red hitters were 34 for 44 with two walks for a .767 team batting average and a .787 on-base percentage. Royce and John Woychak were 4 for 4 and Rel Underwood and Mike Madden were 4 for 5 with 6 RBIs and 4 RBIs respectively. RASSA welcomed Dinah Sewell to the league.
The second game, pitting Orange versus Sky Blue started under a sunny sky with a dry outfield. Sky Blue opened with 4 runs on a Sid Hilton grand slam driving in Bobby Watkins, Rel Underwood, and Royce, all four of them warmed up from the early game. Orange came back with 5 on a hit by Tom Wasmer, a Mark Lilla fielder’s choice, walks by Mike Madden, Ken Sransky, a two-run double by Ron Oliver, a two-run double by Jim Hill, and an RBI single by Harold Easterwood.
Orange held Sky Blue to one run in the top of the second and scored four in the bottom of the inning to open up a 9 to 5 lead. Buddy Cannon, Tom Wasmer, and Mike Madden all singled for Orange and Ken Sransky drove in three runs with a triple. Sky Blue scored four in the top of the third with RBI hits by Sid, Rod Ellis, Desiree Cook and Dan peek. Orange kept up the pressure with five more in the bottom. Ron Oliver, Harold Easterwood, Tom Wasmer, and Mark Lilla got hits and Buddy Cannon and Keith Frederick got walks to account for the runs. Orange 14, Sky Blue 9 after three.
Orange held Sky Blue to two in the fourth and extended their lead with four. Ron Oliver and Harold Easterwood each drove in two runs for Orange. Sky Blue scored three in the fifth. Pete Manown drove in Jerry Anger and Bobby Watkins drove in Pete and Carlos Davis. Orange scored five in the bottom half to extend their lead to 23 to 14.
Time ran out and the sixth inning was the last and open inning. Sky Blue needed 9 runs to stay in the game. Rod Ellis drove in Royce and Jerry Anger drove in Desiree, but that was all Sky Blue could muster and the game ended on a force out at second. Orange 23, Sky Blue 16.
Sky Blue hitters were 26 for 39 with 3 walks for a .667 team batting average and a .690 on-base percentage. Royce had a perfect day with two hits and two walks. Sid drove in 5 runs. Orange hitters were 22 for 29 with 8 walks for a .759 team batting average and an .811 on-base percentage. Mike Madden was 3 for 3 with a walk, Ron Oliver was 3 for 3, and Ken Sransky was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and 6 RBIs.
Orange manager Mike Madden was happy. “I got to play on two winning teams today and it felt good, but I might be too tired for basketball tonight.”