A hot time at the ballpark

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

There's no escaping the heat this time of year and it looks like there's no escaping Team Blue's hot hitters.

Today at Udall Park, the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers challenged the heat and all the individual skills they could muster as Team Blue put together a 5-run fifth inning and a 5-run sixth inning to dispose of Team White, 13-6.

Early on it was all Team White as lefty Dennis Crowley kept the Team Blue bats in check through four innings of play. With a 5-3 lead, Crowley handed over the baseball to John Mathews in the fifth and Mike Dawson in the sixth. But that's when trouble struck as far as Team White was concerned.

Consecutive doubles off of Mathews in the top of the fifth inning by Doc Thompson, Reed Palmer and Mike Steele, along with an RBI single to center by Pete Peters and suddenly Team White's lead had vanished and they headed into the dugout in the bottom of the fifth trailing, 8-5. In the top of the sixth, it was more of the same as Lloyd Barzell highlighted the frame with a bases loaded triple as Team Blue enjoyed a commanding 13-5 lead.

Team White scored a lone run in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn't near enough as Team Blue walked away with a win.

Bill Mishler led Team White with a 3 for 4 day, while Steele was the big gun for Team Blue with a 4 for 4 day -- including four RBI.

Team Blue's starting pitcher Bob Daliege sailed through the final two innings -- allowing just one run to preserve the "W."

The TOTS will rest up over the weekend and return to action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

Photos: Mike Steele, who went 4 for 4 today for Team Blue and Bill Mishler, who collected three hits in four trips to the plate for Team White.