Battle Hyde Park 9 To 3-3 Tie In Night Thriller
The Norwood All Stars got off on the right foot as they blanked the Westwood Stars 11-0 at Westwood last Thursday and then on Saturday it was a seven-inning tie with the big Hyde Park team under the lights at Monahan field as Greg Lang was overwhelming, striking out 17 batters. On Sunday in the first home game at Pleasant Field, Billy Travers completed the one two combination as he fired a three-hitter striking out 13. In the three games. Lang was also the hitting star as he banged out 5 in 7 at bats driving in six runs with two round trippers. The stars have a full week scheduled this week as they play games from Monday right through Sunday.
The Team is in a tourney with 5 other clubs including Hyde Park, Dorchester, Stoughton, Brockton and Medfield. The tourney is run on a two-point for a win and 1 point for a tie. In the two-tourney games thus far the Locals have tallied a win and a tie. Besides the tourney the team sponsored by Colombo’s Sub shop has non-tourney games with Franklin, Westwood, Plainville and North Attleboro.
NORWOOD 3, HYDE PARK 3
This was a real thriller as Greg Lang pitched the most outstanding game of his young baseball career as he struck out 17 and allowed only four hits. The game was witnessed by an overflow crowd at Monahan Field in Hyde Park under the lights. This should have been a Norwood win as the Locals had a 3-2 run lead going into the seventh when Hyde Park tied it up without benefit of a hit.
The Norwood club opened fast with three hits in the opening frame. With one out John DeCosta singled to left. Greg Lang and Joe Carey followed with singles and it was Norwood in charge 1-0.
In the 2nd a couple of bases on bails and a bloop single by McCarthy gave the Hyde Parkers a 2-1 lead. In the inning, the big play was a great throw by John DeCosta at second to Johnny Lynch behind the plate stopping a third run.
John DeCosta started things as he led off with a walk. DeCosta was cut down trying to steal. Charley Little then walked and Lang lined a double to center scoring Little with the tieing run Carey then reached on an error, but on a fine bunt by Donelna, Lang was picked off third as the Hyde Park pitcher faked a throw to first and caught Lang off third. Carey on the next pitch was cut down at the plate in a real close play as he tried .to score on a wild pitch.
Lang then bore down and sruck out the next 8 batters as his fastball was really hopping and Lynch was a master behind the platter.
The Locals went ahead 3-2 in the 3rd as Joe Carey reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually scored on a wild pitch. In the 7th with Norwood leading 3-2 Hyde Park tied it up as McCarthy reached on an infield hit
which looked like an easy out but the man. in blue again saw it in Hyde Park’s favor. McCarthy eventually scored on a passed ball and the game was tied up 3-3.
With a man on third and two outs, Lang unleashed a wild pitch but Lynch was on the bail like a cat and fired to Lang covering home for the out and that was the ball game, a 3-3 tie. The tough Hyde Park team will play at Norwood Sunday afternoon with starting time at 2 p.m. and it should be another real thriller. For Norwood Lang was immense on the mound and Lynch was a fine receiver. On the fielding side, Bob Thornton, Joe Porcello and Bill Porcello turned in gems.
NORWOOD 11, WESTWOOD 0
The Locals opened the post season games as they banged out 11 runs in the first two innings and coasted to a 11-0 win behind the pitching of Joe Carey and John DeCosta. In this game, the big inning was the second when Norwood banged out 7 runs on three round trippers. Mike Martin started things as he reached on a base on balls Charley Little and he belted a grand slam over the center field fence and Norwood had a 7-0 lead,
The next batter was Greg Lang and he lined a shot over the left field fence for another round tripper. Johnny Lynch then walked and Joe Porcello clipped one over the Centerfield fence and it was Norwood’s third home run of the inning and a 11-0 lead which lasted throughout the game.
The Locals opened with four in the first, Martin and DeCosta walked and coupled with two of the Westwood boots and a single by Charley Little it was a quick 4-0 lead. Then came the Norwood second and that was the ball game. Joe Carey started on the mound for the Locals but with the big lead John DeCosta relieved in the second and with the help of some great fielding and a pretty curve ball he blanked the Westwood stars the rest of the way.
Westwood, after the first two innings played fine defensive ball and held Norwood scoreless the last 4 innings. The home team had four hits by McNicholas, O’Connor, Joyce and Fitzpatrick.
On the fielding side for Norwood Joe Carey, Brian Done-lan, Joe Curran and Bill Porclelo stood out. The prettiest play of the game was by Carey from rightfield to Curran at first which caught the Westwood runner Carr at first robbing him of a sure hit.
NORWOOD 10, DORCHESTER 0
The big story of this game was the pitching of Billy Travers who fired a 3 hitter and struck out 13 while his mates banged in 10 runs on just 4 hits. Norwood opened fast in the first as Mike Martin lined a single to center.
With Martin on third and two outs Greg Lang walked and Martin and Lang pulled the delayed steal and it was 1-0 Norwood. Lang hustled to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error for a 2-0 lead.
It was still a 2-0 game going into the fifth when Norwood banged in four more runs on two hits, the key one a bases loaded double by Greg Lang. Billy Travers also had a hit in the inning and it was a 6-0 game in the home teams favor.
Meanwhile Travers allowed only one infield hit by Lee in the first five innings. The Norwood defense was again superb as Joe Porcello at short turned in two gems and Lynch behind the plate made a neat play on an attempted bunt. Berg got a single for the Franklin Park team in the 5th and Sullivan singled in the 6th but this was all Travers allowed as he was the master.
In the Norwood sixth they added four more runs with the big blast being a line home run by Greg Lang which sailed over the leftfield fence like it was shot from a gun. Bob Porcello, Bobby Thornton, Joe Porcello and Lang came around with the runs. The play of the game came in the first when Joe Carey alertly backed up 2nd on a steal and cut the runner down at third with a perfect throw. Charley Miller played his usual fine game behind the plate with Charley Saraca at first and Bob Campbell at third as the men in blue.
The field had been wet down by the fire department under the direction of Bill Turner before the game and Harry Porcello was at the site bright and early getting it in the fine shape it was for the game.
By FRANK WALL
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)