Newport's Boys Wake Up in the Eighth to Even the Series with Spirit Lake
A rain-soaked, three-hour ballgame at the Newport park ends 8 to 5 as an unlikely pitcher named Mooney strikes out three in the ninth.
Newport and Spirit Lake ball teams met for the fourth time this season at the Newport ball park Sunday, and honors are again even between the teams, Newport winning with a score of 8 to 5. The game was a long drawn out affair, which took nearly three hours to drag its slow length through. The dilatory tactics of McGinn, Spirit Lake's pitcher, and others of their players, coupled with the rain that started with the third inning, were responsible for the slowness of the game.
The game ran evenly until the seventh, when Spirit Lake broke the existing tie of 3 to 3 by getting a run on a fumble and a passed ball. But in the last half of the eighth Newport's boys woke to a realization of the fact that it was time to get busy and proceeded to do so. Bob Young, who has not played ball for a long time, but was picked to fill out the team, drew a walk and started the fireworks. Eaton followed with a nice single. Dunwoodie came next, but forced Eaton out at second, and then was also caught at second trying to steal, but gave Young the opportunity to get home and tie the score. With two out it did not look like much doing, but Mooney came in with a single, Johnson netted a clean two-bagger, Wright singled, Rosy got safely to first on a fumble, Paine got a good single, but was called out for taking too many bases on an overthrow, closing the run getting, but with five scores stored away.
Spirit Lake's half of the ninth looked stormy for Newport, for they got one run and had three on bases, but Mooney struck out three and the stuff was off for that day. Mooney and Paine, Newport's battery, were easily the stars of the day. Paine is a mighty good backstop for a young fellow, and has in him the makings of a good player. Mooney never has made any pretensions to being a pitcher, being content to ornament the third sack, but has on several occasions been called in to fill out in the box in a pinch. This was his first full game on the Newport grounds and his work pleased everybody. A bit wild at times, he steadied down nicely at critical times, and with better support would have come near shutting out his opponents.
The teams will play again at Spirit Lake on July 3 and 4, Spirit Lake celebrating the national birthday.
“With two out it did not look like much doing, but Mooney came in with a single, Johnson netted a clean two-bagger, Wright singled, Rosy got safely to first on a fumble.”
A century before travel-ball tournaments and July 4 doubleheaders, small-town Washington teams like Newport and Spirit Lake built their summer around a rivalry series. The improvised pitcher, the rain delay, the disputed call on the bases — the game has barely changed.
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