Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1909 — HANKS IN FINE FORM AND SHUT OUT VISITORS. [ARTICLE]

HANKS IN FINE FORM AND SHUT OUT VISITORS.

St Lawrence Team Made Poor Show* Ing and only 28 Men Faced the Little Wren Twirler. Johnnie Hanks was some pitcher Sunday, and let the widely reported Lafayette champions down without a run and without a hit, while only 28 men faced him in a contest held at Riverside Sunday, which was marred by a drizzling rain storm and too one sided to furnish any excitement for the spectators. For seven innings the St. Lawrence men went out in one, two, three order, not a man reaching first. In the Bth, however, one man was passed, but was thrown out a minute later trying to steal second, and the side was again retired with only three men at the bat. In the .9th inning, however, after one was down, the ball was hit into short right field, but it was not a safe hit. Wilcox ran in on it and would have had plenty of time to have retired the man at first save for letting the slippery sphere ' slip through his fingers. The next man up hit to Kevin and there was a fine opportunity for a double, thus retiring the team with 27 straight outs, but Kevin, in his anxiety, heaved the ball to center field, and except for a prompt return of the ball of Renner to McLain, the visitors would have scored. The runner was caught at the plate, however, and the next man hit a swift liner to Hanks, which the little pitching hero caught, and the game ended with all but one man that faced Hanks having an out mark on the tally sheet. In the mean time the Wrens had cured 7 tallies, having made several hits, but having secured most of their runs on bad fielding’ errors by the visitors. The game was played in a drizzling rain, that made the ball almost impossible to control, and that makes the performance of Hanks the more remarkable. He struck out 11 men’ had one put out and three assists. It is doubtful if the recrffe&was ever equaled in semi-professicSal ball in the state;