Score at End of Exciting Game Is 3 to 2, and Fortune Favors the Winners—Two of Home Players Thrown Out at Plate as Result of Accidents—Walsh, Owen, and Altrock Do Pitching for the Big Leaguers.
Memphis, Tenn., April 1.—[Special.]—After spending a week of idleness here the White Sox cut loose today and defeated the local Southern leaguers in a close struggle ending 3 to 2. Little less than 3,500 men and women went to Red Elm park enveloped in overcoats and wraps and witnessed a contest which kept the local fanatics keyed to the highest pitch.
Errors by Rohe and Davis paved the way for both of Memphis’ scores, but baseball luck, which sided with the Sox, prevented a possible defeat for Manager Jones’ squad, as two local runners were cut off at the plate, when nothing short of the accidents which happened could have prevented the runs from counting.
In the fifth inning the local catcher, Owens, a highly prized “find,” brought from the Chicago prairie contests, slipped in the muddy path between third and home and his fall enabled O’Neil to hand the ball to Sullivan in time to shut off the tally. In the fourth inning Nichols drove the ball towards right field. It hit the top panel, missing a home run by a few inches. Both Nichols and Carey, who was on base, thought the ball had gone outside, but O’Neil, with a well directed throw, caught Carey, who was trotting home leisurely.
How Runs Are Made.
A single by O’Neil in the first inning started the scoring, as Jones had walked and Davis had sacrificed. Donohue planted a pretty drive for a base in left, scoring O’Neil. Hemphill followed with the only other tally for the Sox in the fourth, when he waited for a base on balls, went to second on Rohe’s single, to third on Tannehill’s sacrifice, and home on Sullivan’s long fly to left. Rohe, who went to third on the throw to the plate to catch Hemphill, was left, as Owen and Jones supplied outs after O’Neil had walked.
Walsh started pitching, and kept his record free from scores, allowing only one hit during the first three innings. The next three rounds were pitched by Owen, who was sized up for four hits and one run, which was a gift by Rohe, as he could have retired the side by handling Clark’s grounder, which tallied Graham.
Nick Altrock, with a sprained ankle, pitched the seventh, eighth, and ninth rounds, which produced three hits and a run, made possible only by George Davis’ failure to handle an easy bounder from Manush, which would have retired the locals.
Off for Nashville.
The White Sox left for Nashville tonight.
