Team White wins back and forth battle with Team Blue

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Today's game at Udall Park was there for the taking. Both teams wanted it.

In the end Team White won the 60-and-over baseball game 7-5 over Team Blue thanks to RBI-doubles from Mike Dawson and Joe Opocensky.

 With the game tied at 5-all in the bottom of the sixth inning, Dennis Crowley reached on a fielder's choice play, advanced to second and scored on Dawson's double to make it 6-5. Team Blue's starting pitcher, Lloyd Barzell, elected to walk power-hitter Reed Palmer and face the music against Opocensky. The hard-hitting Opocensky, who was also today's winning pitcher, delivered a shot to right field for another run-scoring double.

The fifth inning was as wild as the sixth as Team White scored three runs to take a 5-4 lead, thanks to Palmer's club-leading 26th home run of the season -- a two-run shot over the right field fence. Pigpen Price followed with his second hit of the game -- an RBI-single to right field and Team White enjoyed the lead once again. At least for a moment.

In the top of the sixth, Pete Maldonado singled and eventually ended up on third after a fielder's choice play. That brought up Team Blue's hard-hitting Doc Thompson, who already had two hits in the game. Thompson bunted down the first baseline and Maldonado scampered home with the tying run to knot the score at 5-5.

Dawson and Opocensky took care of matters in the bottom of the sixth and Team Blue went quietly in the top of the seventh inning.

Maldonado had three hits on they day for Team Blue and teammate Arnie White, who played in his second game since his return from Montana, had one of the big blows of the day -- a double which rolled all the way to the fence in left-center field.

The game was a real nail biter, nothing like the game on Monday -- a 20-2 lopsided win for Team Blue over Team White.

The TOTS will be back in action on Friday at Udall. Game time 9 a.m. Next Wednesday, the 14th, the TOTS return to winter hours with the ball games all beginning at 10 a.m. and will remain so until sometime next spring when the high temperatures return.