Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 30, DeMotte, Jasper County, 24 June 1949 — Legionnaires, Scouts Have 1st Taste of Victory [ARTICLE]

Legionnaires, Scouts Have 1st Taste of Victory

Every boy has his day, they say, which doesn’t mean that the Boys Scouts and the Legionnaires couldn’t have theirs, too, in the local softball league; for both teams -did have their day, or night, to be exact, coming through with their first league victories at the double expense of the Methodists. The Scouts grew tired,, evidently, of the too-little-too-late business charged against them for their two previous games, and so they set about last Friday to make a few changes, one of the most important of which was a close 8-7 score in their favor. And the Legionnaires, who had eaten a steady diet of three straight losses, took the measure of the Methodists last Tuesday, 9-6. The Legion gang rushed in 7 of the 9 pointers in the first inning.

The Lions Club, in last Friday’s second game, _ were “reformed” from a defeat-less to a' defeated group by none other than A 1 Terpstra’s First Reformed team. The fans were treated to an exceptionally good, close ball game, the scare being tied at 3-all after the second frame had been recorded. In has last of the fifth with one out, and his teammate Marty Hoffman already on first, left-handed batter Wiers of First Reformed took a man-killer cut and connected for a homer deep into right field. His and Hoffman’s scores ended the ball game, 5-3. With due credit for good play from both teams, plus Wiers’ hero role at the finish, any attempt at game analysis would show that it w r as Pitcher Dolfin of First Reformed who carried the heaviest burden of all during the five innings, for his was the real McCoy of a demonstration of clever, controlled pitching. Last Tuesday night’s second game, between the Lions Club and Christian Reformed, gave the fans the best softball of all—up to that fatal fifth again, which was marred by a choice piece of “rhubarb,” and, as one wag remarked, “just like the pro leagues.” The Clubbers scored first, in the first, with 2 runs, while it was not until the thij-d that Christian Reformed made things even with two of its own. At their last bat, in the lower half of the fifth, Jabaay’s Ref oi n\ed ..earn placed men on third and second, with none out. Batter Belstra grounded weakly to the infield as the runner on third raced for the plate. The throw was made to the plate, with the runner and the Lions' Club catcher colliding, causing the catcher to drop the ball. The runner was called safe, and his run won the ball game for Christian Reformed, 3-2. Other things besides the weather grew warm immediately after the decision, the charge being made that the runner had used unfair tactics in his approach to the catcher, and it was the part of the decision that presented a problem for Umpire Van Keppel, who, incidentally, had done a good job throughout the game. To hi s credit, impartial observers will add that he handled the disputed play clearly and promptly, calling it as he saw it. Friday, June 24, the schedule calls for Boy Scouts vs American

Reformed, and First Reformed vs Fire Dept. League Standings: W L Pet. Christian Reformed __3 1 750 Fire Dept. ---. 2 1 666 American Reformedf __2 1 666 First Reformed 2 1 666 Lions Club 2 2 500 Boy Scouts 1 2 333 Methodist 1 3 250 American Legion 1 3 250