GAHS to play final game on Memorial Field
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 2:35 pm
GAHS to complete 60 years
of baseball at Memorial Field
on Monday, May 3 vs. Logan nine
Weather permitting, Gallipolis Gallia Academy High School’s baseball team will play its final regular scheduled season game on Memorial Field on Monday, May 3, when Logan visits the Old French City for a non-league contest.
The Blue Devils field at the new high school in Centenary is expected to be completed for play in the spring of 2011.
During the past 70 years, GAHS has played its home games on two different diamonds. From 1941 to 1949, Gallipolis played its home games on the Gallipolis State Institute grounds (formerly the OHE Field now the Gallipolis Developmental Center). The GSI diamond was located where the current basketball-swimming complex is now standing.
In the spring of 1950, the Blue Devils moved to the Memorial Field diamond for the first time. The Gallians will complete 60 years at that location when Logan visits Gallipolis on May 3.
First game on Memorial Field was scheduled against Oak Hill on April 1, 1950, but was postponed because of wet grounds. Rain also postponed the Blue Devils first road game at Wahama on April 6. Gallipolis edged Jackson 2-0 on the road on Tuesday, April 12 before playing its first game ever on Memorial Field on Wednesday, April 13, 1950.
The first home game was against visiting Pt. Pleasant and was played under winter-like conditions. In fact, the contest was halted momentarily by a blinding snowstorm early in the game. Game time temperature was 32 degrees.
J. Sherman (Jaspey) Porter, sports editor of the Gallipolis Daily Tribune and weekly Gallia Times, gave this account of the Blue Devils 4-3 victory over the Big Blacks 60 years ago.
“Second victory in two days, second cold day in two days, this one played in the snow, second consecutive day of the seventh inning scoring turning the tide.
“Two days in a row of senior Gene Wetherholt hurling, this time both as a starter and reliever. That tells the tale of the 4-3 triumph Wednesday afternoon on Memorial Field of Coach Richard (Dick) Shrider’s Gallia Academy baseball team over Coach Jack Rogers Pt. Pleasant Big Blacks.
“When Wetherholt left the mound at the end of the fourth inning, the score was tied at 2-2. He had allowed two hits in the second inning when the Rogersmen got two runs and he also walked one man—Reece Nott—in that inning. Frank Capehart and John Caudill got the hits off Wetherholt.
“That was the same inning in which Wetherholt himself pounced out a double, scoring when PPHS shortstop Bob Bonecutter fumbled Lawrence (Shorty) Marshall’s line drive.
“Junior Wilson, who walked, scored in the third inning to knot the count at 2-2 when Kenny Curry slammed out the first of two hits he got during the wintry afternoon before 150 spectators, mostly students.
“Wetherholt went out to centerfield to start the fifth and southpaw Tommy Thompson took over on the mound. Thomposn did all right until his arm got sore from the cold early in the seventh. Then he yielded a hit to Caudill and followed it up by walking Bill Rardin. Shrider then waved Wetherholt back to the hill, and sent Thompson to the outfield.
“Wetherholt struck out the first two men before Bonecutter got a hit, then he fanned losing pitcher Hatfield for the third out. The game ended when Hatfield walked Ron Canaday, Bill Hager struck out, Carl Baker walked and Curry drove Canaday in with the winning run on a hit.
“Hatfield walked four Blue Devils, struck out nine and hit Junior Wilson—second consecutive day Junior’s got on base because the ball struck him. Weatherholt walked two, and struck out 11. Thompson fanned two and walked one.â€
Blue Devil starters on that historic day 60 years ago were: Bill Hager, third base, Carl Baker, left field, Ken Curry, shortstop, Gene Wetherholt, pitcher, Bill Hogan, first base, Jim Dailey, right field, Fred Burdette, catcher, Lawrence (Shorty) Marshall, Jr., second base, and Junior Wilson, centerfield.
Other players on the 17-member 1950 squad were: Steve McKean, Keith Shelton, Bob Harrison, Ron Canaday, Tom Thompson, Terry Johnson and Clarence Jackson, and C. H. (Johnny) Ecker.
Gallipolis finished the season with a 8-6 overall record. In the SEOAL’s South Division, the Blue Devils finished second behind Middleport with a 4-2 record, losing both games to the Yellow Jackets 7-0 and 10-0. Athens captured the 1950 SEOAL title with a 5-0 mark after defeating Middleport in the championship playoff game.
Oak Hill downed GAHS twice in 1950, 4-0 and 3-2. Other 1950 Blue Devil wins were over Pt. Pleasant, 7-4, Pomeroy 4-0 on Wetherholt’s no-hitter, Jackson, 4-0, and Wahama, 5-2 in the first high school night game in Gallipolis history
That historic night game was played on Monday, May 22, 1950 after GAHS had been eliminated from tournament play. Earlier in the year, Wahama had downed GAHS 15-1, scoring 11 runs in the first inning.
The 1950 Gallians reached the Class A District finals at Ohio University by beating Pomeroy, 9-5, Portsmouth 6-4, and Jackson 4-0 before being eliminated 5-1 by Ironton in the district finals.
of baseball at Memorial Field
on Monday, May 3 vs. Logan nine
Weather permitting, Gallipolis Gallia Academy High School’s baseball team will play its final regular scheduled season game on Memorial Field on Monday, May 3, when Logan visits the Old French City for a non-league contest.
The Blue Devils field at the new high school in Centenary is expected to be completed for play in the spring of 2011.
During the past 70 years, GAHS has played its home games on two different diamonds. From 1941 to 1949, Gallipolis played its home games on the Gallipolis State Institute grounds (formerly the OHE Field now the Gallipolis Developmental Center). The GSI diamond was located where the current basketball-swimming complex is now standing.
In the spring of 1950, the Blue Devils moved to the Memorial Field diamond for the first time. The Gallians will complete 60 years at that location when Logan visits Gallipolis on May 3.
First game on Memorial Field was scheduled against Oak Hill on April 1, 1950, but was postponed because of wet grounds. Rain also postponed the Blue Devils first road game at Wahama on April 6. Gallipolis edged Jackson 2-0 on the road on Tuesday, April 12 before playing its first game ever on Memorial Field on Wednesday, April 13, 1950.
The first home game was against visiting Pt. Pleasant and was played under winter-like conditions. In fact, the contest was halted momentarily by a blinding snowstorm early in the game. Game time temperature was 32 degrees.
J. Sherman (Jaspey) Porter, sports editor of the Gallipolis Daily Tribune and weekly Gallia Times, gave this account of the Blue Devils 4-3 victory over the Big Blacks 60 years ago.
“Second victory in two days, second cold day in two days, this one played in the snow, second consecutive day of the seventh inning scoring turning the tide.
“Two days in a row of senior Gene Wetherholt hurling, this time both as a starter and reliever. That tells the tale of the 4-3 triumph Wednesday afternoon on Memorial Field of Coach Richard (Dick) Shrider’s Gallia Academy baseball team over Coach Jack Rogers Pt. Pleasant Big Blacks.
“When Wetherholt left the mound at the end of the fourth inning, the score was tied at 2-2. He had allowed two hits in the second inning when the Rogersmen got two runs and he also walked one man—Reece Nott—in that inning. Frank Capehart and John Caudill got the hits off Wetherholt.
“That was the same inning in which Wetherholt himself pounced out a double, scoring when PPHS shortstop Bob Bonecutter fumbled Lawrence (Shorty) Marshall’s line drive.
“Junior Wilson, who walked, scored in the third inning to knot the count at 2-2 when Kenny Curry slammed out the first of two hits he got during the wintry afternoon before 150 spectators, mostly students.
“Wetherholt went out to centerfield to start the fifth and southpaw Tommy Thompson took over on the mound. Thomposn did all right until his arm got sore from the cold early in the seventh. Then he yielded a hit to Caudill and followed it up by walking Bill Rardin. Shrider then waved Wetherholt back to the hill, and sent Thompson to the outfield.
“Wetherholt struck out the first two men before Bonecutter got a hit, then he fanned losing pitcher Hatfield for the third out. The game ended when Hatfield walked Ron Canaday, Bill Hager struck out, Carl Baker walked and Curry drove Canaday in with the winning run on a hit.
“Hatfield walked four Blue Devils, struck out nine and hit Junior Wilson—second consecutive day Junior’s got on base because the ball struck him. Weatherholt walked two, and struck out 11. Thompson fanned two and walked one.â€
Blue Devil starters on that historic day 60 years ago were: Bill Hager, third base, Carl Baker, left field, Ken Curry, shortstop, Gene Wetherholt, pitcher, Bill Hogan, first base, Jim Dailey, right field, Fred Burdette, catcher, Lawrence (Shorty) Marshall, Jr., second base, and Junior Wilson, centerfield.
Other players on the 17-member 1950 squad were: Steve McKean, Keith Shelton, Bob Harrison, Ron Canaday, Tom Thompson, Terry Johnson and Clarence Jackson, and C. H. (Johnny) Ecker.
Gallipolis finished the season with a 8-6 overall record. In the SEOAL’s South Division, the Blue Devils finished second behind Middleport with a 4-2 record, losing both games to the Yellow Jackets 7-0 and 10-0. Athens captured the 1950 SEOAL title with a 5-0 mark after defeating Middleport in the championship playoff game.
Oak Hill downed GAHS twice in 1950, 4-0 and 3-2. Other 1950 Blue Devil wins were over Pt. Pleasant, 7-4, Pomeroy 4-0 on Wetherholt’s no-hitter, Jackson, 4-0, and Wahama, 5-2 in the first high school night game in Gallipolis history
That historic night game was played on Monday, May 22, 1950 after GAHS had been eliminated from tournament play. Earlier in the year, Wahama had downed GAHS 15-1, scoring 11 runs in the first inning.
The 1950 Gallians reached the Class A District finals at Ohio University by beating Pomeroy, 9-5, Portsmouth 6-4, and Jackson 4-0 before being eliminated 5-1 by Ironton in the district finals.