The Talbot Fair Plays ventured to Smithtown, New York for the first time for a first class match featuring two of the league’s historically best clubs.  The Atlantic offense started off strong with 5 aces tallied in the top half of the first capped by a Flash homerun over the centerfield fence.  From there on out the Fairplays and Atlantics played a balanced game with the Atlantics taking the 10-4 victory.  TC, Shakespeare, Toothpick, Wildhorse, Hammy and Flash all contributed two hits to the Atlantic offense.  The Atlantic defense in keeping with our mission statement of teaching vintage base ball supplied Talbot leftfielder Moonlight with a first hand lesson on the intricacies of the Hidden Ball Trick.  Atlantic Captain Hammy was on a similar train of thought as he provided a tutorial on the incorrect method of sliding into third that required the local ambulatory wagon.

The second match, also an 1864 event, featured the Wildhorse show, as George Ferchland compiled 4 hits, 3 aces and pitched a complete game 18-10 victory.  TC and Butcher were right behind him with 3 hits and 2 aces a piece.

The Atlantics and Fairplays will meet again July 9th in Easton, Maryland.
  
Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn vs Essex Base Ball Club
 
On Sunday, the Essex Base Ball Club traveled to the Islip Grange in Sayville, New York to play the Atlantics in a rematch from the week before.  With both teams taking advantage of the short rightfield treeline, this back and forth contest concluded in the Atlantics favor to the score of 18-13.  Tree pitched the first 8 innings with vintage closer Mickey The Lip throwing a 10 pitch, 1-2-3 ninth inning.  Tree avenged his loss from last weekend and the Atlantic offense swatted 7 doubles into the trees.  Shakespeare had a day going 4 for 4, with Toothpick, TC and Hawk each muscling 3 hits a piece. 

The 1861 match went back and forth through 5 innings, but the Essex club took a 14-7 lead into the ninth.  The Atlantics made a match of it with a four run rally but fell short 14-11.  Dreambucket and Butcher contributed 3 hits each and the Atlantics sent five more doubles into the woods. 

The Essex Base Ball Club took the season series from the Atlantics 3 games to 1.

Eclipse BBC of Elkton 9  Diamond State BBC of Delaware 8

In what was one of the finest matches played involving the Eclipse Club, the Diamond States gave the visitors all they could handle and more.   For the first time in the Eclipse’s history, not only were they white washed for the first 3 innings, but held hittless as well.  The First Staters didn’t fare much better as they could muster only 2 hits through the first 4 innings.  The game was very well played in the field by both clubs as both showed off their defensive prowess.  Not a muff was to be made until the 4th inning by either side.  Hitting was at a premium as well.  Finally, the willows woke up for both clubs after a time around the line up.  Delaware struck first with an ace in the 4th and then the Eclipse came back with a pair in its half of the inning.  The timely hitting of Dubs, Hammer, and Cowboy kept the visitors in the match all day.  Small ball was the order of the day as both clubs traded the lead back and forth each inning, until the Diamond States struck with 4 runs in the top of the 8th inning to take an 8-5 lead.   In the bottom of the eighth, the Eclipse’s relaibles rallied to pull the score to 8-7 going in to the 9th.  The hosts from Delaware were held scoreless in their frame and faced the lower half of the Eclipse order.  Early got on base first and was moved over to second on a clutch ground out by Taco.  Ones, who had not seen a base all day then hit the ball to right promting Early to steam around third without looking and slid in to home under the tag and drop from the catcher.  Ones then advanced to 2nd on the play.  A long drive and hit by Dubs fittingly brought Ones home for the 9-8 win at Hagley in North Wilmington for the Eclipse’s 8th win of the season.