Monday, April 30, 1951

TEAM          W L  PCT GB
Vancouver ... 9 1 .900 —
Spokane ..... 8 4 .687 2
Yakima ...... 5 4 .556 3½
Salem ....... 5 5 .500 4
Tacoma ...... 4 5 .444 4½
Tri-City .... 3 5 .375 5
Victoria .... 3 6 .333 5½
Wenatchee ... 2 9 .182 7½

VICTORIA, B.C., April 30—Spokane Indians scored their fifth straight Western International league triumph here Monday night and spoiled the Victoria opener by downing the Athletics 7-4 before a chilled getaway crowd of 2,700.
The loss spoiled the home debut of both the Athletics' and their new manager, "Kewpie Dick" Barrett.
Dick Bishop went the route for the third time this season and racked up his third straight triumph by scattering 10 hits. The loss went to Ron Smith who started the season with two route-going wins.
The Athletics led 2-0 at the end of the of the third but Spokane pecked away at Smith for single runs in the fifth and seventh and two in the sixth and again in the ninth, when catcher Ed Nulty reached reliever John Tierney for a two-run homer.
The losers threatened in their half of the ninth when Bill Dunn and Gene Gaviglio doubled and Hal Jackson singled before a man was retired but Bishop tightened up to set Victoria's supposed power down without further damage.
Spokane ........ 010 012 102—7 10 3
Victoria ......... 011 000 002—4 10 3
Bishop and Nulty; Smith, Tierney, (9) and Marcucci.

VANCOUVER, B C., April 30—Billy Schuster's high-riding Vancouver Capilanos, beaten only once thus far in the 1951 Western International league baseball season, pulled another one out of the fire Monday night. They turning the tide with a three-run ninth-innmg blast and slipped by Salem, 4-3.
It was Caps' first home game of the WIL season.
Ludwig Lew had a winner until the last of the ninth then catcher John Ritchey led off with a double, John Bick and Bob McGuire singled, driving him in Ray Tran walked, and Chuck Abernathy singled into center field to score the two winning runs.
This Vancouver rally came after Lew had pitched himself out of a tight hole in the eighth when the Caps had men on second and third with none out. He struck out Reno Cheso and Schuster.
Salem's two third inning runs answered were made when coach Hugh Luby swatted a homer with Richie Meyers on base.
Bill Whyte, who took the mound in the Salem half of the ninth, got the win.
Salem .......... 002 000 010—3 7 1
Vancouver .... 000 000 013—4 10 0
Lew and Beard; Nicholas, King (8), Whyte (9) and Ritchey.

Tacoma Player Leads In WIL
TACOMA, May 1—By swatting a pair of singles when he came up twice as a pinch-hitter in the last inning of Sunday's second game at Salem, outfielder Marion Watson of the Tacoma Tigers hoisted his batting average to an even .500 tops for the first 10 days of the Western International league campaign.
Right on his heels, compilations released today by President Bob Abel's office reporter, was Spokane's Ken Richardson with a .475 mark, followed by John Kovenz of Tacoma at .455, Lilio Marcucci ot Victoria at .44 and Glen Stetter of Salem the league's 1950 Willow king, at .435.
Richardson's 19 hits and 16 runs-batted-in gave him the league leadership in both those departments, and his two home runs tied him with Vic Buccola of Tri-City and Bill White of Victoria for the top spot in round trippers.
Chuck Abernathy of Vancouver, with 13, and Ed Murphy of Spokane with 11, were chasing Richadson in the RBI race.
(Including Games of Sunday)
                     G AB H RBI  Ave
Watson, Tac ........ 9 30 15  7 .500
Richardson, Spok .. 11 40 19 16 .475
Kovenz, Tac ........ 5 11  5  5 .455
Marcucci, Vic. ..... 6 18  8  1 .444
Stetter, Sal. ...... 8 23 10  5 .435
Hjelmaa, Wen. ..... 11 42 18  8 .419
McDonald, Sal. ..... 9 31 13  3 .419
Mead, Van. ......... 4 17  7  3 .412
Bache, Tac. ........ 7 30 12  4 .400
Brown, Spok. ...... 11 41 16  8 .390
Cameron, T-C ....... 8 26 10  5 .385
O. Snyder, Tac ..... 9 32 12  4 .375
Catron, Tac ........ 9 32 12  3 .375
Zuvela, Yak. ....... 9 35 13  4 .371
Serrel, Yak. ....... 9 38 14  7 .368
Murphy, Spok. ..... 11 48 17 11 .354
Tiesiera, Yak. ..... 7 20  7  3 .350
Tuckett, Sal. ...... 9 26  9  6 .346
Steinberg, Yak. .... 8 29 10  4 .345
Sinovic, Van. ...... 8 32 11  9 .344
Roberson, Wen. .... 11 38 13  3 .341