The two-time defending champion Cubs got the best of the Whiz Kids on Wednesday night at New Scotland, by the score of 9-4.

The Cubs took control right from the beginning, scoring 4 times on Whiz starter Mike Kane, in the top of the first inning.
The Cubbies used 2 walks and 5 hits (Ron Lochner, Mike Reutter, Andy Hoyle, Mike Girard, and Jim Bonaparte) to plate those 4 runs.

The Whiz looked like they would jump right back into the game in the bottom of the second, when Gene Hallenbeck took a hanging
breaking ball from Cubs' starter, Mike Girard, over the left center field fence. The Whiz also loaded the bases with one out, but Girard got a pop-up to the mound
and a grounder to short to escape further damage.

The third inning saw the Cubs plate two more runs. Ron Lochner led off with a single, followed by a Mike Reutter double.
After an infield out that did not score the run from third, Dave Mitchell and Andy Hoyle followed with a RBI singles, to push the lead to 6-1.

The Whiz Kids got one in the 4th on a RBI single by Pete Geanellis; and got two runs in the 5th on one out singles by Jeff Friedman and Dave Siriani, followed
by a couple of Cubs' miscues. This closed the gap to 6-4, with two big innings left to play.

The Cubs would re-establish a 5-run cushion with 3 runs in the top of the 6th inning. Mike Reutter reached on an error and Jerry Rosen followed with a single.
Whiz Manager, Jim Porter, replaced Kane with new acquisition Bobby Bolt, and the move paid immediate dividends, as Bolt got the first out of the inning via strike out.
However, red-hot Andy Hoyle then tripled to deep left center field, scoring both runners. Jim Bonaparte would plate the 3rd run in the inning, with a two-out RBI single.

With the Cubs lead back at 5, Girard would shut out the Whiz over the final two innings, allowing just two base runners (both on errors), and the final score would remain 9-4.
Andy Hoyle was 3 for 3, to lead the Cubs 13 hit attack. Ron Lochner, Mike Reutter, and Jim Bonaparte all added two hits each. Dave Siriani and Pete Geanellis had two singles each
for the Whiz.

The Cubs take sole possession of first with the win, and remain the only undefeated team at 4-0. The Whiz drop to 5-1, with the win. These games are always very competitive, and I
fully expect the Whiz to come back hard at the Cubs in the second meeting of the regular season, sometime in August. I can't wait! It will be a blast.

As my former teammate and friend, Jimmy Dalton often says, "God, I love this game!"


-- Edited by mgirard11 on Thursday 17th of June 2021 08:48:21 AM