Palmer's 16th homer leads to 5-2 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a three-run homer to lift Team White to a 5-2 win over Team Blue today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game at Udall Park.

Floyd Lance, 93, reached base on an error and Bill Mishler followed with a perfect bunt down the third baseline to set the table for Palmer's club-leading 16th home run of the season. The hard-hitting lefty, who broke the club's single season record in 2018 with 29 round trippers, has hit 45 homers at Udall in the past 20 months. Palmer needs just 14 homers in the next four months to break his own record.

Doc Thompson singled and doubled for Team White, while Thunder Tim Tolson ripped two singles for the losing team. Lloyd Barzell pitched well for Team Blue, but was saddled with the loss. Team White's Jesse Ochoa made the catch of the day in right field in the top of the fifth inning when he made a shoestring catch to rob Team Blue's Pete Peters of an extra-base hit.

"I knew I had to either catch the ball or get in position to knock the ball down," Ochoa said. "If the ball gets by me it's a sure two runs."

Everything went Team White's way in the fifth. Ochoa makes the catch of the day to keep Team Blue from scoring and Palmer, who pitched all six innings for Team White, follows with the game-winning blow and earns the pitching victory.

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