On Sunday, the visiting Brooklyn Atlantics took two games from the Delaware County clubs under 1864 rules, as baseball returned to historic Kirkside Park in Roxbury. The first was a resounding win over the Roxbury Nine, in which the Atlantics—staffed with three Dairymen volunteers—held the vaunted Nine to only two runs. The Atlantics took second contest against a full Dairymen roster—this time pulling players from the Roxbury squad—in a back-and-forth defensive display that ended in a 7-6 victory for the Atlantics. Thus far, the 1-3 Dairymen have decided every 2018 contest by a single tally.
On a sun-spotted afternoon under an indecisive sky, both teams’ fielding efforts were aided by the 1864 rules, in which a ball caught on one hop is an out. As a result, both clubs resorted to the “small ball” of yesteryear: bunts, steals, and heads-up base running. In the fourth frame, Dairymen Alex Taylor, who led with Dairymen with four hits on the day, scored on Troy Tucker’s base hit to tie the ballgame at one. Bovina pulled ahead 2-1 in the fifth, as Dairymen Captain Nick Frandsen (2-3, R) took home on an RBI groundout by Gary Burns. However, Brooklyn was able to plate two in bottom of the fourth and would not again relinquish the lead.
With the Atlantics already up 4-3 in the eighth behind a flawless defensive effort, the clouds over Roxbury broke. The sun drenched the crowd of over 100 and, buoyed by three Dairymen errors, lifted the Atlantic bats to plate three. After two three-and-out innings, the Dairymen rallied in the ninth. Behind a leadoff single from Alex Taylor (4-4, 3R) and a Luke Burns sacrifice fly (1-4, 2B, 2RBI), the Dairymen pulled to within three. Ben Denison (1-4, R) followed with a double to deep left center, as the Dairymen bench erupted and the fans crept to the edge of their seats. Denison scored on a throwing error, and Troy Tucker (2-4, R, RBI) singled, stole second and third, and scored on Ben Cairns’ RBI groundout. But the Dairymen rally fizzled, and the Atlantics prevailed, 7-6.
Special thanks to all our fans, especially the indefatigable Susan Burns, for her incessant efforts behind the scenes to keep the Dairymen uniforms sharp and serviceable. Thanks, Mom.
Next game is a travel game on Sunday, September 30 in Hartford, CT. Many of us will travel to Hartford on that Saturday before the game and get a couple hotels there Saturday night. Details to follow shortly.
Yours truly, Nick Frandsen Captain, Bovina Dairymen
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