Series 14: Hilldale takes two of three from Homestead

Homestead 19-14, Hilldale 11-23

Pitcher use: Paige and SJ Williams need three games, Redding and Manning need two games, Byrd and R. Brown need one game. Powell pitched 1.6 innings in finale, Dismukes 0.3.

Game One: Hilldale 3, Homestead 2
WP: Byrd (3-5)
LP: R. Brown (3-5)

Game Two: Hilldale 9, Homestead 4
WP: Redding (3-4)
LP: Manning (2-3)
HR: Suttles (8), Wells (7)

Game Three: Homestead 12, Hilldale 4
WP: Paige (5-2)
LP: SJ Wiliams (2-7)
HR: Trouppe (1), Suttles (9), Leonard (6), OH Johnson (4)

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Lowly Hilldale dealt Homestead a potentially crippling blow in the tight Division B race.

The first game of the series was an unlikely pitchers duel. Bill Byrd entered the game with an ERA of 6.18; Ray Brown's was 11.15. Yet the two right-handers each went the distance. Byrd was helped by two baserunner kills at home by centerfielder Turkey Stearnes; Willard Brown also threw out a runner at the plate to help Ray Brown.

Hilldale plated the winning run on three straight hits to open the ninth off Ray Brown.

Homestead's often shaky defense and shallow bullpen handed the second game to Hilldale. Hilldale plated three unearned runs off losing pitcher Max Manning, and reliever William Bell surrendered another three in the final two frames.

Homestead's vaunted lineup rose up late in the finale to turn a fairly close game into a rout late. Homestead scored four runs off Smokey Joe Williams in the first two innings, but Williams held them to one run in the next five frames. Meanwhile, Buck Leonard's homer in the fifth narrowed the margin.

But Homestead pummeled Piggy Powell for seven runs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by Mule Suttles's grand slam. It was icing on the cake; Satchel Paige got 13 outs from 13 batters immediately after Leonard's homer before allowing a meaningless solo shot to Quincy Trouppe with two outs in the ninth.