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Lake Jackson’s Gators Get World Tourney BerthLake Jackson's Gators will represent Texas in the World Softball Tournament at Miami, Fla., Sept. 19—an honor they achieved Sunday night by defeating Proler Steel of Houston, 5-0, in the finals of the Regional Amateur Softball Assn. tourney at Webb-Schmidt Field.A partisan crowd estimated at 1,000 sat through the double-header which wore until almost 1 a. m., and cheered themselves hoarse as Lake Jackson deter-minely battled to the championship.The Gators, three times via* successful in the Region eliminations, bowed to Houston 4-1 in the first game of the double-header- However, it was their first defeat in the double-elimination meet setting the stage for the championship tilt.Then as an anti-climax. Lake Jackson garnered « truck-load of trophies and post-tournament honors.Harvey Whitehead, fiery Gator second-sacker, was voted the tournament’s outstanding player, and presented his trophy to Mrs. ArtWebb, wife of the late Art Webb softball pioneer and founder of the Lake Jackson team, J. W. “Speedy” Bullard was presented the “Art Webb Memorial Trophy” by State ASA Commisioner W. W. Keathen as the outstanding manager of the year.All-regional honors were handed Lake Jackson's Dalton penny, catcher; Gene FaulJ. first base; Whitehead, second base; Ross Jvy, left field; Bob Mickelson,_center-field; and Ross Vick, pitcher.Other selections were Red Johnson of Fort Worth, third base; Rookie Latimer of Dallas, shortstop; Lefty Krieg of Brown woodright field; Junban Kujewa of Houston, pitcher, and Cled Heatfc-ittgton of Brownwood, pitcher.•row»M4« UA taw Mr WlMMt vita WHin ihft semifinals, won ihe sportsmanship trophy. The runner-up trophy was presented to Houston, and Manager Speedy Bullard accepted the giant championship cup for Lake JlCikson,Rpss Vick, 18-year-old electrical engineering student at the University of Texas who was a “pickup” for the tournament, developed into a hero for the Gators when he shutout Froler Steel with a one-hitter in the championship tilt. It wa$ h*5 second one-hit performance during the three-day playoffs,Houston's Julian Kujawa, who handcuffed Lake Jackson with a Rveriritter in the first game, tried th* fion-man stunt and failed. The Gators got to him for 10 hits, in-eluding a tremendous 255-fool in-tfid§-the-park homerun by Mick-«Uoh‘Mipkelson’s wallop found Vick ogv ^ase with a triple in the topof the seventh, closing out the scoring in one of the greatest performances ever turned in during the Gators’ colorful history.Lake Jackson put the skids under Proler in the very first inning by scoring unce without the aid of a single hit. Bobby Heed drew a walk, took third when Mickelsou’s sacrifice went for a two-base error, then scored on Whitehead's outfield flyout.Billy Moore’s timely triple drove home two more, runs in the fourth after Faull and Denny hit successive singles. The only sale blow off Vick was a bunt single by Frank Aiken in the first.Proler steel made four hits off Hayden Leus count in the first game of the finals, punching over three of their runs in the bottom of the sixth when Sonny Stribiing slugged a homerun. Reed singled home Lake Jackon’s only tally after Denny hit safely to lead off the seventh.
Newspaper Details
Freeport Daily Facts Review
Freeport, Texas, US
Mon, Sep 07, 1953
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Patrick V.
USA 28 Aug 2019
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