By Paul Gotham
MUMFORD, N.Y. — Only the blue skies and comfortable weather proved better than the play at the Silver Base Ball Park, Sunday afternoon.
Rochester used a big eighth inning to hold off a comeback and defeat Victory, 11-6 in the regular season conclusion of Vintage Base Ball at Genesee Country Museum.
Walt “Whiskey” Williams capped a four-run eighth as he tallied two aces when he made first with a stinger to right field. Jim “Pops” Northrup tallied two aces earlier in the inning as Rochester took a decisive 10-5 lead.
Rochester tallied three aces in the first and two more in the fourth. Steve “Stubby” DeVito made second with a stinger to right center to start the fourth. Brian “Meat Cleaver” Gotham made first, and “Stubby” tallied an ace.With both clubs agreeing to play by 1864 rules, “Meat Cleaver” stole second and tallied when Jim “Piano Man” Levandowski made first.
Bob “Big City” Gotham was able to break a few off as Rochester whitewashed Victory for the first three innings. But with two hands down in the fourth, three strikers made first, and Victory tallied two aces when Mr. Dobbertin made first. Victory tallied again when a sky ball was lost in the sun. The club nine looked ready for more aces, but Brandon “Moonlight” Gotham earned the applause of the cranks when he showed a little ginger with a sliding catch in right center.
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Victory looked ready to tally again in the fifth. Mr. Donofrio made first and stole second. One hand down later, “Piano Man” attempted to make a diving stop. The basetender at third deflected the ball to “Meat Cleaver” who tagged the runner and threw to first for three hands out.
Victory trimmed the deficit to one in the seventh. Three Rochester duffs led to two aces, and the score was 6-5.
Rochester tallied an ace in the ninth. With one hand down, “Meat Cleaver” made his first with a stinger to center. He tallied an ace one striker later.
Two duffs contributed to a Victory ace in the ninth.
Using the rules of 1864 both teams, as mentioned previously, were allowed to steal. This resulted in several warnings from the umpire for strikers to swing at the next hittable pitch, and hurlers to bring hittable pitches. It also resulted in a pair of double plays as the behind grabbed a foul tick and caught the runner off base. Also by rules of the day, catching the the onion on one bounce resulted in a hand down.
Spring Creek and Live Oak start the play off matches at the Great Meadow on the 20th.
Also on the 20th, the William “Dummy” Hoy Classic will take place when the Deaf Club of Rochester hosts the Deaf Club of Buffalo.
The play off matches continue Saturday, September 27th. Flower City plays Rochester at 11 a.m. with Victory playing the winner.
The Mayor’s Cup championship is scheduled for Sunday, October fifth at 1 p.m. Unless otherwise noted, game played at the Silver Base Ball Park.
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