[tm1681]

DECKER DECKS S.O.T.O. IN TEN-RUN VICTORY
GREEN Mountain Center fielder HAS 5 HITS, 4 RUNS, 3 R.B.I, & 4 STOLEN BASES

BURLINGTON, VER. (July 26, 1866) – Center fielder George Decker was the man of the hour in Vermont as Green Mountain used two big rallies in the late innings to get the best of the Sons of the Ocean at Thomas Chittenden Field:

Sons of the Ocean was ahead 6-5 after the top of the seventh inning before their hosts scored eleven times on eleven hits over their last two trips to the plate, turning a close contest into a rout. The key man in the late surge was CF George Decker, who drove in and scored runs in both innings, which ended a fine afternoon’s work for the third-year player:

DECKER

B1: Hit by Pitch from B. Schmidt (stole 2B, scored)
B2: Single to RF off B. Schmidt (stole 2B)
B4: 1-run Double past 3B off B. Schmidt (scored)
B6: Single to RCF off B. Schmidt (stole 2B)
B7: 1-run Double past 3B off B. Schmidt (scored)
B8: 1-run Single to CF off R. Frohnapfel (stole 2B)
TOTAL: 5/5, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 4 SB, HBP, 7 TB

His performance was one of the better ones by a Northeastern League batsman in 1866. He reached base six times, and four of those six excursions resulted in runs for Green Mountain.

For Sons of the Ocean, the loss dropped their record to 40-22. That would place them in first or close for first in every other regional championship, but since they play in New England it meant they were eliminated from pennant contention and St. John’s had clinched the New England title for the ninth time in the N.B.B.O's ten seasons.