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NIARAGA CLUBS GOTHAM AT ST. GEORGE
AN INCREDIBLE SIX BATSMEN HAVE FOUR HITS EACH FOR VISITORS AS THEY WIN BY A DOZEN

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 9, 1879) - Niagara entered the second game of their series at Gotham desperately needing a win to try and stay somewhat relevant in the Colonial Conference pennant chase, having lost the opener 13-6. They completed the job splendidly on Saturday:

The hosts, whose pitching & defense have struggled all season, were never in this one. Niagara started the proceedings with a five-run rally in T1 that featured a two-run Triple by 1B William Norman which was followed by another Triple from 3B Charles Barrow that plated Norman. Niagara then repeated the trick in T2, this time with consecutive Triples from Charles Barrett & Norman driving in runs before a two-run Double by 2B Clyde Hudspeth capped the rally and made it a 10-0 game in Niagara’s favor after an inning and a half.

The visitors added single runs in each of their next three turns at bat and, while Gotham attempted to mount a comeback, after the hosts made it a 13-5 game in B5 Niagara piled on six more runs over T6 & T7, with Barrett driving in three more runs during that span. Niagara had their much-needed victory.

Niagara racked up 26 Hits during the game, and they completed a baseball first by having SIX batsmen finish the game with four Hits each:

• NIA RF James Baird: 4/6 (2B), 4 R, 1 RBI, 5 TB
• NIA CF Charles Barrett: 4/7 (2 2B, 3B), 5 R, 5 RBI, 8 TB – 90 GMSC (1st)
• NIA 3B Charles Barrow: 4/6 (2B, 3B), 3 R, 5 RBI, 7 TB – 80 GMSC (13th)
• NIA 2B Clyde Hudspeth: 4/6 (2 2B), 1 R, 4 RBI, 6 TB
• NIA 1B William Norman: 4/6 (2 3B), 3 R, 3 RBI, 8 TB
• NIA LF Reginald Roper: 4/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI

The other men who picked up bats for Niagara, three regulars and two substitutes, combined to bat 2/19 (.105). That meant it was a feast or famine afternoon for the Niagara lineup, but for most of the men the Gotham pitching was a buffet.

Barrett’s performance was the best of the season by an A.P.B.L. batsman when going by Game Score, and Norman’s afternoon raised his Average to .414 (.979 OPS) with 97 RBI through 78 games. As a team, Niagara, which had been struggling on offense a few weeks ago, is now back up to 6th in the A.P.B.L. in Runs (7.3 R/G).

The win left Niagara ten games behind Colonial leaders Alleghany at 42-36 with a dozen games to play. Three of their final four series are against Knickerbocker, Shamrock, & St. John’s, so odds are they’ll be playing for pride before long. Gotham is 35-43 and has been eliminated from Founders Cup contention.