Easton, MD—  The favorites to win the eastern division squared off with the favorites to win the southern division on Sunday in a re-match of the last 3 Maryland State Championship matches.  The Eclipse from Elkton traveled down the eastern shore to take on their rivals from Talbot County and both games did not dissapoint the many fans in attendance.  The defending champs won both games and are now well on their way to clinching a 3rd straight regular season crown in the Maryland Championship series.  The Elkton club is now 4-0 in the state championship series and are 8-0 overall after two hard fought victories.  In the first game, Elkton scored 3 aces in the 8th inning to break a 2-2 tie and then talley 2 more in the 9th inning to win the first match 7-2.  In the second game, Elkton scores first and then built a steady lead throughout the match and won by a score of 8-4 in another very close match.  The two clubs are in the same division in the upcoming Gettysburg Tournament in July but could very well end up playing each other in the championship in Central Pennsylvania on July 17 & 18. (www.gvbbt.wordpress.com).

In other action, Delaware picked up its 3rd win of the season with a 16-11 victory over the Excelsiors of Arundel in Glen Burnie, MD on Sunday.  The Diamond States with a 3-5 record now find themselves in 6th place overall in the league. 

At the John Clarkson Classic, the Atlantic BBCs of Brooklyn went a perfect 4-0 over the weekend.  On Saturday they picked up an all important division win over rival the New York Gothams by downing the Gothams 17-5.  They also defeated the Old Golds from Saginow, Michigan 16-3.  On Sunday, the Atlantic played two clubs from Massachusetts and came away with two more victories.  The first over a very highly rated Essex BBC by a score of 9-7.  In Brooklyn’s final match of the weekend, they defeated the Mudville Nine 24-3 as the Mighty Casey struck out.  We are still awaiting the Gothams fortunes for the weekend in Cooperstown.

  Cooperstown, NY-The mighty New York Gothams Base Ball Club traveled North to the Village of Cooperstown On May 15 and 16 to take part in the 1st John Clarkson Vintage Base Ball Tournament. The venues, the famous Doubleday Field and the infamous Farmer’s Field.  The victors, the Brooklyn Athletics.
 
The tournament featured five teams including the Saginaw Old Golds of Michigan, the fine sponsors and organizers of the event, the rival Atlantic Base Ball Club, now better known as the Brooklyn Athletics, the Mudville team from Holliston, Massachusetts, and the Essex BBC of Danvers MA, which included a squad of gents wearing Boston Beaneater sweaters to commemorate their games with the late Mr. Clarkson.
 
The tournament was named after John Clarkson, a Michigan native who won 328 games in his major league career thus earning him entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963. Mr. Clarkson perished at the relatively young age of 47.
 
The New York Club at 0-4 was hoping to break its winless streak by means of ‘Hall of Fame” caliber hitting and defense, were whispered by some of the ruder cranks to be possible inductees into the hall of shame instead. But great fun, camaraderie and revelry were had nonetheless! And the club’s former captain Trolley Car traveled all the way by air coach from the western state of California to partake.
 
Alas, the Gotham nine were to be foiled and frustrated in four consecutive contests by a combined score of 83-28 aces. The Gothams were playing under 1865 rules throughout the weekend which in effect eliminated the one-bound rule, a staple of Gotham defensive play. The referees would not permit sliding.
 
A tip of the old cap to Mr. Richard “the Professor” Curry and the lads of the fine Saginaw squad for their tireless efforts (and generous expenditures!)
 
The Gotham squad started Saturday morning against the Mudville ballists in what would be its closest contest of the tourney, a 18-10 defeat.
 
Although the Gothams would advance to an early 2-0 lead on doubles by Collector and Flytrap, the lead was short-lived.
It was much the same in the next two games, where the Gothams would score runs early and perhaps take small short-lived leads.
 
The field of play at the Farmer’s Field was resplendent with soft green grass and a beautiful bucolic view of the grand Lake Otesaga. But it was an odd landscape with a pregnant plateau of a center field which no doubt gave the finest fielders fits. A striker’s run to first base was an uphill journey.
 
The field of play at the Doubleday Field was as perfect as a baseball diamond could be, and the tourney had fine weather.
 
The Gotham squad is still adjusting to its ever-changing roster, and despite the outcome and some judgmental errors in the field, there was no shortage of fine play. There was a consensus that a return trip to the tourney is worth considering.
 
Until the tilts in Jersey City against the Skeeters, a rousing huzzah!

In addition, the Daunless Club from Havre de Grace picked up their first win of the year 29-22 over the Chesapeake Nine.  In the first game though at Jerusalem Mills, the Chessies defeated the Dauntless in a divisional matchup.