South Oakland of the North Side beat the Clinton Cherokee 12 – 7 Monday night to take first place in the Monongahela Division.

I wonder what was discussed in the huddles over there? the pre-game talk, two (I think) during the game, and the post-game speech by Clinton’s manager. Probably either the hollow, “we can’t take this team lightly.” Even though it was clear we were taken lightly, or “There’s no way we should lose to this team, they’re horrible. Look at our pants and look at their pants the don’t all match. I love our uniforms they are so sick!”

Or not. I mean, i could be way off base, but whatever their coach was trying to get accross it didn’t take.

Immediately the game had a weird feel to it.The city actualy fixed the lights and dragged the field.

Ducks catcher Ken Cool threw out a runner to end the first. Clinton led 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, Ducks firstbaseman Bobby Swartwout hit a two-run home run and South Oakland wouldn’t trail for the rest of the game.

The Baumgartel/Fago duel started with Baum almost Baconating one to right center, but Roberts made a tough catch at the track.

We scored a run in the second.

Fago picked off a guy at first.

Jesse Ferko and TJ Morgan started hitting doubles.

We had the bases loaded with 1 out in the third, and got one run across.

after three: Ducks 4, Clinton 1.

Then we scored five in the fourth.

Morgan led off with a double Ferko walked, and Roberts bunted for a baseh hit.

Doyle was pulled.

It gets blurry for me at this point. This game was the best the offense has looked all season.

Tessyier came into the game on short rest.

Casale and Houseman came through with back to back singles.

Ken Cool lined out to the wall in left, Gwin flew out to right and Swartwout drove in another run with, I think, a double.

9 – 1, Ducks after four.

the game was stopped to acknowledge Morgan’s first three-hit game as a Duck.

Clinton scored four in the top of the fifth. Baumgartel walked, I threw a ball backwards, there were a couple walks, but we worked out of it. Lead preserved.

9-5, Ducks through four-and-a-half.

In the bottom of the fifth Gwin lead off with a double, Swartwout reached on an error when Gwin was caught in a rundown and pegged in the back. Fago reached on an error. Jesse Ferko hit a bases clearing triple.

South Oakland led 12-5 after five. Fago retired the side in order in the sixth getting Baumgartel to groundout to end their individual battle for the evening.

They put some other kid in to pitch the sixth, he was effective.

The Cherokee scored two in the seventh but the Ducks held on for a five run victory.

***

From what Ken Cool tells me, the Cherokee coach still gives us no credit for putting 12 runs across in this game, and taking advantage of the numerous, uncharacteristic Clinton miscues.

They may not have given us their best, but that has nothing to do with us.

I don’t have the book, but I think six Ducks starters had multiple hits in this game, Ferko, Morgan and Houseman each had 3.

We have three non-division games before we play the Black Sox on the 23rd.