70-and-over Arizona Scorpions edge Australia 11-8 in 1st round of MSBL World Series

MSBL/MALB World Series

Arizona Scorpions


The Arizona Scorpions edged Australia 11-8 in the first round of the MSBL/MALB World Series this morning at Maryvale Park in Phoenix.

The Scorpions jumped out to a 7-1 lead early on, but relinquished the lead and trailed 8-7 after six innings of play. The Scorpions, with a roster which includes eight players from the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), plated three runs in the top of the eighth inning and held off the Aussies the rest of the way.

Ed Rife started for the Scorpions and pitched 4 2/3 innings, Arnie White hurled an inning and a third, while Phil Webster, a left hander from Cambry, Indiana, shutdown the Aussies the rest of the way to pick up the win.

Rife helped his own cause with three hits in four plate appearances, while Eddie Eckert went 3 for 4 and Don Kladstrup, from France, went 3 for 3 with an RBI.

Jerry Hamelin went 1 for 3 and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. The Scorpions had their hitting shoes on as they banged out 19 hits off the Aussie pitching staff.

The Scorpions (1-0) take on Dodgertown West (1-0) at 9 AM on Tuesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Dodgertown won their opener, edging the New England Red Sox, 11-4.

Photos: Ed Rife (top) and Eddie Eckert (bottom) combine for six of the Scorpions 19 hits in opener of MSBL World Series at Maryvale Park in Phoenix as the Arizona Scorpions beat Australia 11-8.