Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)
60-and-over baseball
Easterners vs. Westerners
Corona Games
The starting lineups
Easterners: Lloyd Barzell- SS, Ken Nebesny- LF, Joe Opocensky- RF, Bill Mishler- 2B, Ray Garcia- 3B, Dennis Crowley- CF, Danny Boxberger* -C, Pete Maldonado -P, Ron Carlson -1B and Ted Davis- SF.
Westerners: Tim Boyd- CF, Mike Dawson- P, John Mathews- 1B, David Byars- 2B, Reed Palmer- 3B, Tim Tolson- SS, Ron Ryan- C, Jesse Ochoa- LF, Roger Beebe- SF and Steve Foster- RF.
Battery: Easterners -- Maldonado and Boxberger, Westerners -- Dawson and Ryan.
Let the game begin: 10 a.m. starting time at Udall Park. Sunny day, 82 degrees...wind at 3 mph.
(no final score in the first paragraph of this one... a suspenseful outcome is ahead)
Mike Dawson finished his warm up tosses and catcher Ron Ryan tossed the ball to Byars at second. Byars then fired to Palmer at third. The tall third-sacker walked to the mound and handed the ball to Dawson.
"Go get 'em," Palmer said to his pitcher.
The first pitch from Dawson caught the corner of the plate and the clear-eyed umpire Davey Rhoades let out a roar: "Strike one!"
Barzell ripped the next pitch to Tim Tolson at short. Tolson backhanded the ball and threw to Ron Carlson for the first out of the inning. Ken Nebesny unloaded on Dawson's next offering and sent a towering fly ball to deep left field. Jesse Ochoa moved two steps back of the warning track and made the catch for the second out. That brought up the power-hitting Joe Opocensky, who worked the count full and then belted a solo home run over the right field fence.
Dawson mumbled. "Darn it. I left it (the ball) out over the plate." All Dawson could do was turn and watch the ball slam into the cypress trees, 330 feet away from home plate.
Bill Mishler stepped in and singled to left and Ray Garcia followed with a double to right-center, but Dennis Crowley made the third out of the inning on a one hopper back to Dawson.
In the bottom of the first, the Westerners went quietly as Maldonado fanned Tim Boyd, Dawson grounded out to short and the hard-hitting John Mathews sent a high fly ball to center but Dennis Crowley camped under the ball for the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, David Byars, Roger Beebe and Steve Foster hit safely, but Maldonado found his way out of trouble with a force out at home and a double play, a 5-4-3 beauty, from Garcia, to Mishler, to Carlson.
The game continued to be a pitching duel until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Westerners plated two runs on back to back home runs from Palmer and Tolson. The Palmer blast bounced off the scoreboard in center and Tolson's homer cleared the fence in right field with plenty of room to spare.
Both teams went quietly in the sixth inning and the Easterners came to bat in the seventh inning down 2-1. Dawson got the first out on Carlson's ground out to second, but Ted Davis reached on an error, Barzell singled to left and Nebesny walked to load the bases.
That brought up Opocensky, the power hitting lefty. This time Dawson made the perfect pitch and Opocensky hit a pop up behind the plate. Ryan threw off his mask and made the catch for the second out.
Mishler made his move to the plate. He tapped the barrel of the bat on the plate and wiggled his way into the batter's box. Wild Bill Mishler smiled at Dawson and awaited the first pitch. The pitch was high and tight and Mishler moved back from the plate as the ball sailed to the backstop.
Once again, Mishler stepped back into the box and drilled the next pitch foul down the third base line. Dawson's next pitch was a curve ball and Mishler barely got a piece of it as the ball skipped behind Boxberger.
Once again, Mishler awaited Dawson's next delivery.
Mishler connected and sent a one hopper right back to Dawson for the final out of the game.
Westerners 2 Easterners 1.
WP Dawson LP Maldonado
Home runs: Opocensky (the Easterners), Palmer and Tolson (the Westerners)
Scorekeeper: Mal Zwolinski
Reporter: Pigpen Price
*Boxberger, who is from Vancouver was picked up on waivers for the Easterners prior to game time.
Note: Please...will the coronavirus go away!
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