Udall Park scoreboard takes a direct hit

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Udall Park scoreboard beyond the fence in centerfield took a direct hit this morning.

A three-run homer by Thunder Tim Tolson did the damage. At the bottom of the scoreboard are three words: Your name here. Instead, Tolson drilled a fastball from Team White's Reed Palmer and left  a nice little mark amongst the lettering, signifying that Thunder Tim was here.

The homer came in the third inning and turned out to be one of the many hits sprayed around the confines of Udall today as Team White edged Team Blue 11-10 in a 60-an-over Tucson Old Timers' slugfest.

Tolson went 3 for 3 and drove in six runs for Team Blue in a losing cause. Of course, the scoreboard-hitting home run will be a topic of conversation among the TOTS for weeks to come.

But the story didn't end there.

With the score tied at 10-10 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Palmer and Team Blue's lefty John Mathews were still the pitchers of record. It had been a tall order for the TOTS' batters all day long as they faced Mathews at 6 feet, 4 inches tall, and Palmer at 6-feet-6-- maybe just a hair shy of 6 feet 7 -- with both of them feeling the need for speed at times -- especially the 60-year-old Palmer, who may have reached 70 mph on the radar gun (that's if the TOTS had one) with some of his pitches.

In other words, a couple of tall-drinks-of water going at it.

But, as it turns out, it was the "little guy" who got the job done. With a runner on second base and one out, Team White's shortstop Lloyd Barzell, at 5-feet-6, drilled a shot to left field to knock in the game-winning run for a walk-off win.

It looked like the game would end in a tie, but Dick Ducklow hit a blooper to center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by left-handed batter Denny Leonard. Barzell stepped in and took no time at all as he blasted the next pitch by Mathews to left field.

Barzell, the only batter from both teams to bat five times, finished the day with four hits in five trips to the plate.

"There must have been something in the air today," said Team Blue first baseman Doc Thompson, who had three hits on the day, as did three of his teammates Pigpen Price, Jesse Ochoa and the slugging Tolson.

Palmer picked up the win and also supplied a big blow in the game with a booming triple, also in the third inning. Palmer's hit bounced off the fence in right-center. A few inches higher and Palmer would've had his third round-tripper of the year, instead he's now tied with Tolson for the club-lead in homers with two.

Tolson and Palmer, along with the rest of the TOTS, will be back in action on Friday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photos: The dinged up scoreboard at Udall Park and the man who applied the dent, lefty Tim Tolson.