Escala a proven winner

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Memorial Day Game

Today at Udall Park, the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers honored the United States Armed Forces with yet another baseball game -- the fourth game played since the rules were relaxed to open the gates for the return to action of the amateur ball club.

The TOTS took another swing at the coronavirus and took the field at Udall Park this morning.

Another well-played game ensued as Team White, behind the pitching of Ernesto "Doc" Escala, who threw a complete game and out dueled Team Blue's Mike Dawson, en route to a 7-3 win.

Escala is used to winning. In fact, Escala's winning ways go back to the days when he played in the Tucson Men's Senior Baseball League. Escala played for the Athletics, one of the top Tucson MSBL teams. In 2008, Doc joined the organization's Hall of Fame and was among the inductees to the class of 2008.

Escala mowed down the Team Blue hitters today. Only his pitching counterpart, Dawson, was able to figure out Escala's offerings. Dawson, a hot hitter since the TOTS return to action on May 18, went into today's game with nine hits in his recent 10 at bats and kept the hot streak going by grabbing a couple of hits today, while knocking in two of Team Blue's three runs.

Dawson pitched well and logged in seven innings of work, but some key hits from George Staas,  Reed Palmer and Bob Daliege, along with a late-inning sacrifice fly from Doc Thompson proved to be enough to send Dawson to a hard-luck loss.

The TOTS still have two more games this week at Udall with games on Wednesday and Friday. Game time for both: 9 a.m.

Photo: Escala