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ST. JOHN’S SETS RECORDS AT QUINNIPIAC
STJ RECORDS LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY IN NBBO HISTORY; THREE BATSMEN HAVE 5+ RBI

NEW HAVEN, CONN. (June 14, 1867) – The first game of the series between New England’s top two teams was a close one, with Quinnipiac beating St. John’s 8-7 thanks to a 9th inning rally. The second game was a 10-2 St. John’s rout to even the series. Given the strength of the teams, the third game of the series almost defied both belief and description:

Incredibly, this was nothing more than a close 1-0 contest after three innings, but in the middle of the game St. John’s ripped Quinnipiac apart. Their 27-run margin of victory set a new NBBO record for single-game domination.

It should be noted that St. John’s received plenty of help from their hosts, as Quinnipiac pitchers walked eight batsmen and their fielders committed ten errors, with SS Roy Vreeken tallying five miscues by himself. Both of Quinnipiac’s regular pitchers – William Crane & Charles Darnell – took part in the record-setting loss. Crane (11-5, 3.12) pitched for 4.2 innings, allowing 10 runs (5 earned) on ten hits and two walks. Darnell (3-6, 3.84) entered for Crane and only lasted 2.0 innings, allowing 12 runs (2 earned) on seven hits while walking four St. John’s batsmen. Little-used P Samuel Baker then came in just to pull the team through to the end of the game, but he struggled as well.

There were three standout players for St. John’s here. First was 2B Thomas DiMola, who was 3/7 with a double, triple, three runs, and five RBI. Second was 1B Collin Henderson, who was 3/6 with two runs and six RBI. Third was Player of the Game Nelson Townsend, who battered Quinnipiac pitching:

• T1: Double to LCF off W. Crane (CS)
• T3: Single to LCF off W. Crane
• T5: Single b/w 1B & 2B off W. Crane (Run)
• T5: 1-run Single b/w 1B & 2B off C. Darnell (Run)
• T6: 3-RUN HOME RUN (Inside Park) to RCF off C. Darnell
• T7: 2-run Single past 1B off S. Baker (Run)
• T9: Reached via Base on Balls by S. Baker (Run)
• TOTAL: 6/6, 2B, HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, BB, 10 TB, 135 GMSC

Townsend’s was the performance of the season by a batsman; a simply amazing piece of work undertaken in New Haven.

There was another piece of history made during the afternoon. St. John’s CF and leadoff man William Johnson opened the game with a single but after that he was walked by Quinnipiac pitchers in each of his last five plate appearances, in the process becoming the first player in NBBO history to draw five Bases on Balls in a single game.

The victory, aside from bring an extraordinary event, moved St. John’s three games ahead of #2 Quinnipiac in the New England Championship.