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SUMPTER CLUBS TWO HOMERS AT SPORTSMAN’S
YOUNG PIONEER SS FINISHES WITH EIGHT RBI ON THREE HITS DURING MEMORABLE AFTERNOON

FALL RIVER, MASS. (July 29, 1874) - Pioneer B.C. needed a win at Sportsman’s in the opening game of their series to stay above the .500 mark, and thanks to a bunch of late-inning scoring they achieved the objective:

Young players were the stars of the day for Pioneer. 22-year-old #2 pitcher Jimmy Everhart worked the whole game while allowing just four base hits and no Earned Runs, and he was 2/4 batting with an RBI. However, Everhart’s performance had nothing on that of 21-year-old teammate John Sumpter.

Sumpter, a SS who is one of just a few 21-year-old lineup members across the 48-team NBBO, had one of the most power-packed days in NBBO history during the 14-3 win:

• T2: Fly Out to RF (2 out)
• T4: 2-RUN ITP HOME RUN to RCF off R. Sutherland (R)
• T6: Reached via Error by 3B A. Cardarelli (R)
• T7: 3-RUN HOME RUN to RF off R. Sutherland (R)
• T8: 3-run Double to LCF off H. Hartmann (R)
• TOTAL: 3/5, 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 8 RBI, 10 TB, 110 GMSC

Sumpter tied the NBBO record with eight RBI during a nine-inning game, which has now been done eight times. He was also the first batsman with a two-HR game in the NEL this season, with Eagle 1B Terje Olsen the only batsman in the NYL with a two-home game so far in 1874.

Incredibly, going into the game Sumpter’s batting line on the season looked like this:

• 55 G, .236 AVG, .532 OPS (64 OPS+), 31 R, 53 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 34 RBI, 5 BB, 1 SB

So not only was Sumpter’s two-HR, eight-RBI game one of the more memorable power displays in recent memory, but it was possibly the most anomalous batting display since American C Friedrich Becker’s historic three Inside-the-Park Home Run afternoon on June 6th of 1860 – he only had one other Extra-base Hit that season – that still stands as the only three-HR game in NBBO history.

The win improved Pioneer’s record to a respectable 29-27, putting them in a tie for 2nd place in the Inland Championship with Merrimack Mills. However, with Susquehanna at 43-13 it is almost certain that Pioneer won’t repeat as Inland champs.