APRIL 21, 1961
Diamondmen Yet Unbeaten
Previous Warrior wins under mentor Al Carstens came in non-league victories over Evanston, Elgin, and Oak Park. Several Interim games were called because of weather or diamond conditions.
Throws one hitter
A stunned Evanston nine saw West bang out one run in the first, two in the second, and three in the fifth as Maine pitcher John "Fireball" Reese blanked the Kits on only one hit, a fourth-inning single. A total of 10 Evanston hitters went down on strikes as the Westmen went on to win, 6-0, in a six-inning encounter.
Against Elgin's Maroons, Warrior Chip Allen pitched a three-hit ball game, with none of the opposition's hits coming after the first inning. Maine scored five runs to Elgin's two.
Last inning homer
Mike Rowlee '61, pulled the Maroon contest "from the fire" in the bottom of the seventh with a three-run, home-run clout; high school baseball games officially go only seven innings.
The Oak Park Huskies fell, 4-1, behind a windy-day upset thrown by Reese at the O.P. diamond. Reese allowed only six hits in seven innings.
In the contest with Niles, Bob Lorentz '62, started and got the victory, allowing only four hits. There were two more four-base hits in the encounter, one hit by Niles and the other by West's Reese. The game was called because of darkness in the bottom of the sixth.
To date 13 players have seen varsity action, including Chip Allen '62, George Amundsen '61, Butch Bending '62, Gene Ciezaldo '63, Doug Halpenny '61, Dan Humay '63, Dave Larsen '62, Bob Lorentz '62, Bruce Murdock '61, John Reese '61, Mike Rowlee '61, Bob Stephens '61, and Rick Warnicke '62.
Warrior hit totals have included four against Evanston's Wildkits, six against Elgin, six against Oak Park, and 10 against Niles. The team as a whole is hitting .276 in 94 official at-bats. Opposition squads have only managed a .146 average on West's hurlers.
Oak Park recap
The major upset of the four games was West's 4-1 win over the Huskies. Game scoring started as Amundsen opened the second with a single, and Ciezaldo followed with another one-bagger. Right-fielder Rick Warnicke went out to the right fielder, but catcher Bob Stephens pushed two runners across by getting two bases on a few Huskie errors; Stephens went on to steal third before the close of the inning. O.P. scored one tally in the bottom of the second on two walks and a wild throw.
Maine pushed through two runs again in the third, as Halpenny opened with a long single to left, and power-hitter Rowlee banged a triple to the base of the stadium in rightcenter field, drawing an RBI.
Oak Park put in a new moundsman, but Reese came through with West's third hit in succession, driving Rowlee in from third to end the scoring.
West is slated in enter a 10-game schedule of Interim contests, some of which have already been postponed for rescheduling. Last weekend's surprise snow set back several more encounters to a later date, again with the weather permitting.