Today, we’re back in New York’s Ruppert Stadium for Game 6, and it’s a rematch of Game 3 – Roosevelt Davis to the mound for New York in a must-win game, and William Bell taking the hill for Newark.
New York teed off on Bell in the bottom of the first to stake Roosevelt Davis to an early lead. Jake Stephens lined a one-out base hit to left. After Fats Jenkins hit a fly ball to center, Walter Cannady sent Stephens to second with a base hit up the middle. George Scales then brought both Stephens and Cannady in with a triple off the right-center field wall. Right fielder Jim Williams then scored Scales with a double to left-center.
The Eagles got one of those three runs back in the top of the second. Mule Suttles led off by reaching first on a one-base throwing error by shortstop Jake Stephens. After Davis got Thad Christopher and Willie Wells on nearly identical fly balls to center, Hall of Famer Ray Dandridge brought Suttles in with a rocket to right field that went for a triple.
The Black Yankees threatened to put the game out of reach with another three-spot in the bottom of the third. With two outs, George Scales doubled to left-center. Jim Williams scored Scales with New York’s fourth run with a base hit up the middle that nearly hit Scales. Marvin Barker sent Williams to third with another base hit and then stole second. Bob Clarke scored New York’s sixth run with a line-drive single to right.
New York added a seventh run only one inning later. With two outs, Jake Stephens reached on a long double down the right field line. Fats Jenkins then scored Stephens with a base hit to left.
As the game entered the home half of the fifth, Newark manager Abe Manley had seen enough of William Bell and brought in Will Jackman. Jim Williams and Marvin Barker hit back to back singles to lead off the inning, putting men on first and third. After Bob Clarke popped out to short, Roosevelt Davis brought in New York’s eighth run by executing a perfect suicide squeeze bunt, scoring Williams and advancing Barker to second. On the next pitch, George Giles singled to right to score Barker.
The score remained New York 9 and Newark 1, with Roosevelt Davis sailing along for the Black Yankees, until the top of the eighth. Harry Williams led off with a base hit to right. After Ed Stone was out on a popup, Hall of Famer Mule Suttles scored Newark’s second run with a long double down the left field line. Thad Christopher sent Suttles to third, reaching on a one-base error by New York second baseman Walter Cannady, and Willie Wells scored the Eagles’ third run of the game with a sacrifice fly. New York finally lifted Davis in favor of Paul Carter following Ray Dandridge’s base hit, and Carter shut Newark down on a fly ball by catcher Leon Ruffin.
With Newark still trailing by six, Carter had an easy time finishing out the game. From the third out in the eighth and through the ninth, he retired four Eagles in a row to wrap up the series-tying third win for the New York Black Yankees.
So we’re off to our first Game 7!
Image courtesy of Pixabay by 12019 (no changes).