World Series Games 1 & 2

Locals Triumph in Series Openers by Ann T. Quated

LOUISVILLE -- The Louisville base ball club gratified the denizens of Louisville Slugger Field on Saturday by besting the Bostons in each of the first two games of the inaugural Doubleday World Series. The winning scores were 6-3 and 5-3.

In the opening contest, Ray Purcell and Brent Hinske led the way to victory with home runs over the centerfield fence, and Glenn Benson pitched six strong innings to shut down the mighty Boston bats. Rookie Alberto Rodriguez also brought honor to his name with an outstanding performance in his first taste of the spotlight, driving the ball for two base hits and also robbing star batter Luis Picasso of a sure double by blocking a shot down the line and then throwing out the fleet-footed slugger at first base for a plus play.

In the evening competition, dreams of easy victories gave way to the tense excitement of a dramatic extra-innings victory. With the contest deadlocked 3-3 in the bottom of the tenth, utility man Pete Perez, all but neglected and forgotten all the long season at the end of the wooden Louisville bench, rose to his moment of glory by lofting a high, arcing rainbow of a fly ball to left field that fell into the hands of the ecstatic crowd for a home run, just inches from the long reach of the frustrated Picasso. Earlier in the tense match, Bob Scutaro and Brett Russell also achieved home runs, thus setting the stage for Perez’s later heroics, and hurler Josias Lima pitched three marvelous innings of scoreless middle relief.

The setting of the World Series will now relocate to Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts where their local nine will endeavor to come back while hosting the next three contests.