Tucson Aces edge Old Pueblo Club, 9-7

 The Tucson Aces

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Aces still have the 60-and-over Old Pueblo Club's number.

Once again the Aces prevailed today at Udall Park, 9-7. It wasn't the best game the Aces have played this year against teams from the Tucson south side, but still a win is a win.

The Aces' right-hander Mike Dawson cruised along for the first four innings, facing just one player over the minimum, while the Aces' batters got to Old Pueblo's hard-throwing right-hander Rudy Duarte early on and owned a 5-1 lead in the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, it looked like the Aces had pulled away for good with a four-run rally to extend their advantage to a comfortable 9-3 lead.

Then the hits started falling in for Old Pueblo and a couple of key errors by the Aces let the visitors close the gap to 9-6 in the top of the seventh and 9-7 in the last inning, but Joe Opocensky, in relief of Dawson, got the final two outs for the save on a ground out to Randy Livingston at shortstop and a fly ball to Reed Palmer in left field.

Thunder Tim Tolson, David Byars, Bob Daliege, Palmer and Opocensky collected two hits apiece for the Aces. The only downer for the Aces came in the bottom of the seventh inning when they loaded the bases and were threatening to break the game wide open. The oldest player on the Aces -- and on the field today for that matter -- Pigpen Price, stepped to the plate and drilled a one hopper back to the pitcher, who turned and started what turned out to be a 1-5-4-3 triple play.

I could offer an excuse and I will, " Price said. "I came up with a sudden pain in the ball of my left foot over the weekend. It's always something with me. It turns out, I couldn't leg it out, not that I'm a speedster any longer, anyway."

The disappointed 76-year-old said, after the game was over. "I don't know where these injuries keep coming from, but it's frustrating."

Still, no harm done. Opocensky allowed the one harmless run in the last inning and the Aces walked away with another win over the Old Pueblo Club.

Way to go, Aces!

Photos: Tolson and Byars, who combined for four key hits today.