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PIONEER SENDS SCRANTON TO THE SCRAPHEAP
SPRINGFIELD BOYS SCORE MORE THAN TWO DOZEN RUNS ON MEMORABLE DAY

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (June 8, 1867) – Pioneer BC, last place in the Inland Championship each of the past two seasons, have made a surprisingly strong start to this season, and they continued that form in spectacular fashion on Saturday:

Pioneer’s 23-run demolition of visiting Scranton represented the largest margin of victory in the NBBO so far in 1867, and there was no shortage of players to thank for the result.

• Sylvester Grimard (P): CG, 1 ER, 3/4, 3 R, 4 RBI
• Lionel Gray (3B): 4/5, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB
• Michail Darsigov (C): 3/4, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB
• Percy Koch (RF): 3/6, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI
• Reardon Armstrong (LF): 4/6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
• Frank Thomas (SS): 2/5, 4 R, RBI, 2 BB

Still, there was one Pioneer star who shone brighter than the others, and that was 2B Michael Joyce:

• B1: Reached via Error by SS C. Milne (Run)
• B3: Double to LCF off A. Forman (Run)
• B4: Triple to CF off F. Ballard (Run)
• B4: 1-run Double to RF off V. Wilkes (Run)
• B5: Single past 2B off V. Wilkes (Run)
• B7: Single to CF off J. O’Connor (Run)
• B8: Fly Out to CF off J. O’Connor
• TOTAL: 5/7, 2 2B, 3B, 6 R, RBI, 9 TB, 81 GMSC

The massive victory moved Pioneer to 16-13, good for third place in the Inland Championship as they near the end of Week Six of the 1867 season. That is a lofty perch for the Pioneer, which has not finished better than 5th since 1860. Their recruitment of 5x All-Star Declan Brice and three quality newcomers – Armstrong, Gray, & Koch – has been a boon to the team’s fortunes, and with the team in the top third of the NEL in both Runs and Runs Allowed, it looks as if Pioneer’s fine run of form should continue.