The Harlem Knights used timely hits on a very wet and sloppy field to defeat the North Dallas Forty, 6-3, to even the World Series at one game apiece.
In a steady drizzle, Harlem got off to a quick start against Claude Passeau (0-1), who gave up three walks and two hits in the first. Harlem centerfielder Stan Spence was thrown out at the plate, keeping Harlem to a single run in the first. The Knights added two more in the third with back-to-back home runs by Arky Vaughan and Swish Nicholson.
The weather took center stage in the bottom of the third, relaying the game for over 45 minutes and forcing both Passeau and Harlem starter Virgil Trucks out of the game. Another lengthy rain delay in the fourth did the same to Max Butcher and Joe Beggs.
The Knights added single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to build up a 6-0 lead. North Dallas scrapped back with a single run in the 8th and a pair in the ninth, but they fell short, 6-3.
The Series is now even, 1-1, as we head to Harlem for game 3.
10/3/1943, HAR43-NDA43, Polo Grounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
1943 Knights 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 6 8 3 9 1
1943 Forty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 6 0 9 0
Knights AB R H BI AVG Forty AB R H BI AVG
Spence cf 3 1 0 0 .000 Galan cf 3 1 0 0 .000
Vaughan ss 2 2 1 1 .400 Fletcher 1b 4 0 2 0 .375
Nicholson rf 4 1 2 1 .375 Cullenbine rf 5 0 0 0 .111
York 1b 5 0 0 1 .222 Heath lf 3 0 0 0 .000
Keller lf 4 1 1 0 .375 Klein ss 4 0 2 0 .500
Wood 2b 5 0 1 1 .111 Frey 2b 3 0 0 0 .000
Hodgin 3b 4 0 1 1 .250 Rosar c 2 0 0 0 .200
Livingston c 3 1 1 0 .143 Javery p 0 0 0 0 .000
Trucks p 1 0 0 0 .000 Cavarretta ph 1 0 0 0 .000
Beggs p 1 0 0 0 .000 Kennedy p 0 0 0 0 .000
Murphy p 1 0 0 0 .000 Pollet p 0 0 0 0 .000
WalkerD ph 1 0 1 1 1.000 Stanky ph 1 1 0 0 .250
Newsom p 0 0 0 0 .000 Keltner 3b 4 1 2 1 .333
Heving p 0 0 0 0 .000 Passeau p 1 0 0 0 .000
34 6 8 6 Butcher p 0 0 0 0 .000
Lombardi c 3 0 0 0 .000
34 3 6 1
Knights INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Trucks 2.1 0 0 0 2 2 34 19 0.00
Beggs W 1-0 1.2 2 0 0 0 1 31 20 0.00
Murphy H 1 3.0 1 0 0 2 1 34 14 0.00
Newsom 1.2 3 3 1 0 2 50 28 5.40
Heving S 1 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 5 3 0.00
9.0 6 3 1 4 7 154 84
Forty INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Passeau L 0-1 3.0 4 3 3 3 0 52 27 9.00
Butcher 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 19 14 0.00
Javery 2.2 2 2 2 1 4 49 27 6.75
Kennedy 0.2 0 1 1 1 0 10 5 13.50
Pollet 1.1 1 0 0 1 3 27 15 0.00
9.0 8 6 6 6 8 157 88
HAR: WalkerD batted for Murphy in the 8th
NDA: Lombardi inserted at c in the 5th
Cavarretta batted for Javery in the 7th
Stanky batted for Pollet in the 9th
E-Vaughan, Wood, Hodgin. 2B-Hodgin, Livingston, WalkerD, Keltner. 3B-Keltner.
HR-Vaughan(1), Nicholson(1). SB-Keller(1), Klein(1). K-Spence, Nicholson,
York, Wood 2, Livingston, Beggs, Murphy, Galan 2, Cullenbine 2, Passeau,
Lombardi 2. BB-Spence 2, Vaughan, Nicholson, Keller, Livingston, Galan,
Fletcher, Heath, Frey. HBP-Vaughan 2, Galan. HB-Newsom, Javery, Pollet.
GWRBI: Wood
Virgil Trucks was removed after a rain delay
Joe Beggs was removed after a rain delay
Claude Passeau was removed after a rain delay
Max Butcher was removed after a rain delay
Temperature: 58, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: out to left at 10 MPH,
Rain Delays: 49 and 45 minutes.