Series 9: Flashes take two of three from Black Caps

Black Caps 13-12, Flashes 15-12

Game One: Flashes 3, Black Caps 2
WP: Jonnard (1-0)
LP: Cockrell (1-3)
HR: Hafey (6)

Game Two: Flashes 8, Black Caps 7 (12 innings)
WP: Bentley (1-0)
LP: Cockrell (1-4)
HR: Bottomley (6), Medwick (2), Pennington (4)

Game Three: Black Caps 6, Flashes 1
WP: Currie (1-1)
LP: V Barnes (3-2)
HR: Pennington (5)

Fordham got a pair of walk-off homers in the first two games of the series off Phil Cockrell to move ahead of Lincoln Park for second place.

Verdell Mathis and Burleigh Grimes dueled in the opener, with Mathis carrying a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. Frank Snyder and Dave Bancroft opened the frame with base hits. Pinch hitter Irish Meusel hit an apparent double-play ball, but Black Caps second baseman Bonnie Serrell booted the play, loading the bases with no outs. Ross Youngs promptly singled home Snyder and Bancroft. Webster McDonald got out of the inning with no further damage, but in the bottom of the ninth, Chick Hafey homered with one out off Cockrell for the winner. Serrell not only committed the costly error, he struck out in all five of his at-bats.

Game Two was a higher-scoring affair. Both teams scored three runs in the first inning, with Jim Bottomley and Art Pennington each hitting home runs. Cockrell threw four scoreless innings of relief, but didn't get past the first batter of the 12th inning. This time it was Joe Medwick who clubbed the game-winning four-bagger. Medwick scored four runs and drove in three. Jerry Benjamin scored three times for the Black Caps.

Rube Currie had his best outing of the season for the Black Caps in the finale, spinning a five-hit complete game and lowering his ERA from 8.40 to 5.63. Pennington hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

Pitcher availability: Claude Jonnard should miss the next two games for the Flashes.Wayland Dean pitched one inning in the finale. Currie should sit three games, Cockrell and Andy Cooper two, Mathis one for the Black Caps.

Projected rotations:  Flashes -- Nehf-Grimes-Haines-McQuillan-Barnes. Black Caps -- Williams-Holland- ??? (Streeter-Cockrell-Smith-Drake)