7-run inning by Scorpions falls short

Men's Senior Baseball League World Series

70-and-over Arizona Scorpions

The Arizona Scorpions, down 8-0, rally for seven runs in the top of the eighth inning but fall one run short and lose their 2014 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series opener today at the Tempe Diablo annex field 8-7 to the Chicago Skyliners.

The Scorpions, held to just one hit through seven innings, exploded in the eighth -- the final inning of the game, when Pigpen Price of Tucson ripped a two-out bases-loaded single to left for the Scorpions first run of the game. Before the dust settled, the Scorpions tacked on six more runs and had the tying run on base at third and the go-ahead run at first.

Seventy-seven year old Marco Garcia, from Puerto Rico, ripped a shot down the first baseline, unfortunately for the Scorpions the ball sailed into the glove of the Skyliners' first baseman to end the game.

Ron Petersen of Tucson had two hits for the Scorpions. Petersen's infield hit started the rally in the eighth, while teammates Chico Bigham and Arnie White, both from Tucson, also reached base during the Scorpions' rally.

"We lost the game in the first seven innings," said Scorpions' manager Jerry Hamelin. "We finished with just seven hits in the game. We'll see if we can do a better job tomorrow."

The game had a controversial ending. Both the home plate umpire and the base ump had different starting times for the game on their watches. In the end, the conclusion was to call the game due to the three-hour rule.

The Scorpions ran out of time.

Scorpions' note: Phil Webster, from Camby, Indiana, pitched seven innings for the Scorpions. Playing with a a bad hip, Webster,72, kept the Scorpions within striking distance.