CHRIST CHURCH WINS SERIES

After losing their last five series; after splitting the first two games at Portland; after falling behind 4-2 in Game Three; after faling to score in seven of their last eight innings; Frank Preston homered to tie Game Three and then tripled to drive in the winning run for Christ Church to clinch the nights series.

Game One was scoreless through three innings.  Dick Lutz's single was Christ Church's only hit over that span.  In the fourth, Mike Peak singled and scored on a triple by David Stierle to give Christ Church a 1-0 lead.  After Dick Lutz again died on base after a single,  Portland tied the game on a home run by Jimmy.  Christ Church put the game away with three runs in the sixth, five in the seventh and three in the eighth.  In the sixth, it was single-triple-single-triple by Mike P., David, Jerry Hinton and Leah Bennett.  In the seventh Tom Bennett started things with a triple and scored on a single  by Mike P., who advanced to second on a sacrifice by David and scored when Jerry doubled.  Leah and Andy Coates followed with a triple and single to make the score 9-1.  Charles Smith led off the eighth with a home run and was followed by a single-triple-single by Tom, Mike P. and David.  Portland closed out the scoring with a run in the eighth (Sharon- double; Ron- triple) and one on the ninth (Mike E.- HR).  The Final- Christ Church 12 - Portland 3. 

Christ Church took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in Game Two.  Mike P. singled, Bob Stone tripled and Jerry singled.  In the third David's three run home run after error for Jimmy and a single by Perry put Portland up by a run.  A home run by Dick in the fourth tied the game at three a piece and Tom's HR in the sixth put Christ Church in front.  Jimmy homered to tie the game in the fifth.  But Mike Thompson answered with a homer in the seventh only to have Jimmy homer again to make it a tie game at 5-5.  In the ninth with one out Mike W.'s walk-off home run ended the game and tied the series.  David and Jerry added non-run scoring triples.  The Final- Portland 6 - Christ Church 5. 

In the first inning of Game Three, Mike P. singled.  He was driven in by Mike T.'s triple and Jerry's single scored him.  Portland tied the game on a home run by Mike E. in the fourth and took the lead on a double by David and a home run by Barb in the sixth.  Meanwhile, Christ Church went hitless except for singles by Leah and David.  Then, in the seventh, with two outs, Andy singled setting up Frank's game tying home run.  Portland was not through and retook the lead in the bottom of  inning  when Perry homered.  A single by Mike P. and a triple by David evened matters in the eighth.  Then in the ninth Christ Church powered its way to the victory led by a single by Leah and Frank's triple scoring Leah with the go ahead run. Tom, David and Mike T. followed with a single triple and single to close out the scoring.  The Final- Christ Church 9 - Portland 5.

For the night, Christ Church had 41 hits; all eleven batters had hits; ten had at least two hits; all eleven scored at least a run and all eleven had at least one RBIs; and ten had extra base hits.