RUTHERFORD 0 0 1 1 2 -- 4 4 - CLIFTON 0 2 2 0 0 -- 4 5 -
Monday seemed to be tie-day in Rutherford, as the Little Leaguers joined their softball brethren in playing to a no-decision contest.
The Rotary Club, local representatives in the Lyndhurst Little loop tourney, fought to a four-all deadlock with the Clifton entry in a game terminated by darkness at the end of five frames, and replayed Tuesday afternoon.
Rutherford had to fight from behind to gain the standoff, scoring two tallies in the final inning on top of singletons in the third and fourth. Clifton registered pairs in the second and third innings to gain a formidable bulge but the locals fought back and forced the replay.
Harry Usher, a pick-up from the Kiwanis Club, hurled for the Rotary and was touched for but five bingles. But Clifton bunched them for the four tallies.
Rutherford scored the game-tying tallies in the fifth without the aid of a hit. Five walks, to Usher, Luke, Fiscella, Matawa, and Hanson, sandwiched a strikeout by Sherry to give Rutherford two runs and the bases loaded with only one away. But Cole and Nelson whiffed to end the threat.
The first Rutherford tally came across in the third when Alyea singled through the box, Hanson walked, and Cole lined a single to right to load the sacks. Nelson slapped a grounder to third which forced Alyea at the plate, but Hanson scored when Floyd walked.
The Rotary nine added another in the fourth. Luke singled, Fiscella – a pick-up from the Junior Chamber – was on via an error at second, and Matawa walked to load the bases. Hanson and Cole whiffed back to back to dim the local hopes, but Nelson walked to bring in the run.
Both teams were just about evenly matched, with the Rotary perhaps having a slight edge off Usher's mound performance. The Rutherford hurler was wild, but he couldn't match the Clifton pair, who combined to walk home all four Rotary tallies.
Rutherford's four hits were evenly divided among Cole, Usher, Luke, and Alyea, while Luke was the standout defensively, at the shortstop position.