Friday, April 16, 1948

Opening Night in WIL
YAKIMA, Wash., April 16—Yakima Packers opened the 1948 Western International League campaign tonight with a 4-1 victory over the Victoria Athletics before 3,470 fans.
Making his first start in professional baseball, Garth Ford, Utah hurler, held the Canadians to two hits and an unearned run. Ford had a no-hitter until Jack Palmer slapped a double in the fifth. A double by Charles Balassi drove in Victoria's lone run in the sixth, Lou Kubiak, who reached base on an infield error.
Neil Bryant, a Yakima boy who played the last two seasons with the bearded House of David, broke up a scoreless duel between Ford and Len Kasparovitch by singling Monte Peyl across the plate in the fourth.
Bryant singled across another run in the sixth and Yakima scored its fourth run in the seventh when Jim Probst, Victoria hurler, uncorked a wild pitch.
Nello Sagiani took over the pitching chore for the A's in the seventh after Kasparovitch gave way for a pinch-hitter. The Junior College youngster filled the bases on three walks and Manager Ted Norbert rushed Probst to the rescue.
Victoria .... 000 001 000 — 1 2 1
Yakima ..... 000 201 101 — 4 8 3
Kasparovitch, Sagiani (7), Probst (7) and Recca; Ford and Constantino.

WENATCHEE, Wash., April 16 — A ticket count of 3,469 people — largest crowd ever to see a Western International League baseball opener in Wenatchee — watched the Wenatchee Chiefs defeat the Spokane Indians, 6-5, here tonight.
Although Spokane Manager Buddy Ryan's team outhit the Chiefs 10-5, three errors afield contributed to their downfall.
Spokane scored in the fifth when Pitcher Frank Nelson laced a home run with Pete Thomas aboard, but the Chiefs came back in their half, Nick Palica's triple scoring two runs. Palica scored on an error.
The Chiefs added three more in the sixth on two walks, an error and a double by Lou Dalrymple. A three-run Spokane rally in the seventh with one hit and three walks drove winning pitcher Lou McCollum from the mound, but the Tribe went scoreless in the last two frames.
Spokane ......... 000 020 300—5 10 3
Wenatchee ..... 000 033 00x—6 6 0
Nelson and Sheely; McCollum, Stevens (7) and Dalrymple.

Tacoma at Salem, rained out.
Vancouver, B.C. at Bremerton, postponed, rain.