Daliege tosses 4-hitter

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball


Death Valley Week

Game 3

Hits were at a premium today at Udall Park.

In fact, Team Blue's Doc Thompson allowed just seven hits and one earned run, while Team White's Bob Daliege tossed a four-hitter. Unfortunately for Thompson five unearned runs crossed the plate in the fifth inning and Team White won the game 6-2.

It was another hot day at the ball park as the TOTS finished up Death Valley Week with their third "hot and dusty" game in five days.

The members of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers will take a break and head indoors for the weekend and hope for cooler temperatures next week.

With no runs on the scoreboard today after three innings of play, Thompson stepped into the batter's box in the top of the fourth inning and laid down a squeeze bunt, which allowed Reed Palmer, who had tripled, to score from third base to give Team Blue a 1-0 lead.

But Team White came right back and tied the game in the bottom of the inning and then added five runs in the fifth -- all unearned as Team Blue's third baseman Pigpen Price made two throwing errors.

"I had two throws get away from me," said a disappointed Price. "I made good plays on both grounders, but threw wide of first on one play and sailed another throw over second base on a perfect chance at a double play on the other."

Errors are going to happen. Especially when there's a group of players playing the game of baseball who range in ages from 60 to 90. "It goes with the territory," said Thompson.

According to Thompson, his team had a shot to get back in the game in the seventh inning. "We just didn't hit the ball today," said Thompson, who was sailing right along until his defense fell apart in the fifth.

In the top of the seventh, Price made up for his two errors with a single to left and that brought up the dependable Palmer, who leads the club in home runs with four. But Daliege struck out Palmer and then needed to get by Ron Petersen, another hard-hitting lefty. Petersen took a couple of pitches and then doubled to right field, allowing Price to score.

Unfortunately for Team Blue, the rally ended there and Daliege and Team White had their victory.

Photos: The pitchers of record today: Doc Thompson (top) and Bob Daliege (bottom photo)