ELLWOOD CITY BASEBALL

July 4, 1892

ELLWOOD CITY EDGES WAMPUM, 3-2, IN FIRST GAME EVER PLAYED IN ELLWOOD CITY

In the beginning, there was baseball. As the Borough of Ellwood City is being incorporated, the first community baseball team is being formed. Under the management of George Nye, a baseball team is organized in May. On Independence Day, the first game ever played by an Ellwood City community team takes place on a filed on Spring Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. In the inaugural game in Ellwood City history, Ellwood City edges Wampum, 3-2, behind winning pitcher Thomas C. Marshall.

August 28, 1909

ELLWOOD CITY DEFEATS PITTSBURGH PIRATES' PITCHER FROCK 

Ellwood City, playing under the sponsorship of the Shelby Socials, went undefeated in the Trolley League with a 10-0 record. After winning the title, their top rival in the league Evans City scheduled a game with Ellwood City in August. Ellwood City travelled to Evans City expecting the team they had beaten twice already during the season. However,  according to the New Castle News ," Evans City imported Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bill Frock for the express purpose pf defeating Ellwood City." Frock compiled  a 2-1 record and a 2.48 ERA for the eventual 1909 World Champion Pirates that season. Frock, who didn't travel during a Pirates' road trip,  twirled under the name Barrett. The ruse failed as Ellwood City  pounded Frock for nine hits including a home run on the way to the victory. 

June 18, 1921

ELLWOOD CITY DOWNS HUBBARD, OHIO IN FIRST GAME EVER PLAYED AT EWING PARK FIELD

 The first game ever played at the newly-constructed Ewing Park Field is played on Saturday, June 18 on 3:30 PM. The Ellwood City Shelby Socials defeated Hubbard, OH, 20-9, in the inagural game. The New Castle News reported that, "Ewing Park, used for the very first time, proved to be an ideal place for playing baseball and the big crowd thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the new bleacher sand purchasing refreshments which were dispensed by numerous persons." 

July 20, 1921

ELLWOOD CITY DOWNS LEGENDARY HOMESTEAD GRAYS, 5-4 

Ellwood City celebrated Merchants Day on July  20, 1921 by hosting the legendary Homestead Grays before the largest crowd in the city's 30-year history. Dip McDanel, considered the town's greatest athlete in their 30-year history, hits a grand-slam home run in the first inning over the left-field fence. The homer is the key hit in the Ellwood City 5-4 upset win. 

September 1, 1928

ELLWOOD CITY DEFEATS BEAVER, 5-4, TO WIN BEAVER COUNTY TITLE

Ellwood City downed Beaver, 5-2, to win the Beaver County League Championship at Beaver. The victory gave Ellwood City a sweep of the best-of-three series, two games to none. Winning pitcher Pat Boyle scattered nine hits and fanned seven batters. Mickey Huff smacked a three-run homer in the first inning. Mike Sanders, Jesse Brown and John Grinnen lead Ellwood City with three hits apiece.

August 4, 1930

PITTSBURGH PIRATES DOWN ELLWOOD CITY, 4-0, AT EWING PARK FIELD

The Pittsburgh Pirates downed Ellwood City, 4-0, at Ewing Park before one of the largest crowds in the town's history. Future Hall of Fame players Pie Traynor and Lloyd Waner did not play. Future Hall of Fame player Paul Waner and All-Star first baseman Gus Suhr were held hitless by Ellwood City ace pitcher Pat Boyle. The Pirates scored twice in the second inning and added two more runs in eighth inning. Grundy Volpe rapped three singles for Ellwood City. Mike Sanders and Frank Fitzgerald added singles. 

July 31, 1932

BEAVER DEFEATS ELLWOOD CITY. 9-7, IN 19 INNINGS AT LINCOLN HIGH FIELD

Beaver defeated Ellwood City, 9-7, in 19 innings at Lincoln Field in a Beaver County League game. Ellwood City scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game at 7-7 to send the game into extra innings. Neither team scored in the next nine innings befre Beaver scored twice in the top of the 19th inning and hung on for the victory.  Losing pitcher Joe Dombeck threw all 19 innings for Ellwood City and struck out 17 batters. Frank Fitzgerald led Ellwood City with a double and two singles. Floyd Smilek rapped three singles and Grundy Volpe and Fred Sanders added a double and single.

September 8, 1934

ELLWOOD CITY DOWNS BEAVER, 2-0, TO WIN BEAVER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP-MCCULLOUGH, GUNNETT THROW SHUTOUT

Ellwood City downed Beaver, 2-0, to win the Beaver County League Championship at Beaver. The victory gave Ellwood City the best of seven series, four games to two. Ellwood City's Paul McCullough, who pitched for the Washington Senators in 1929, threw five scoreless innings was ejected in the top of the sixth inning. Dory Gunnett relieved McCullough in the bottom of the sixth and threw four scoreless innings. After nine scoreless innings, Ellwood City broke through in the tenth inning.  Dick Freidhoff singled and Sank McCullough followed with a two-run homer to give Ellwood City a 2-0 lead.  Winning pitcher Gunnett picked up the win allowing two hits over five innings. Sank McCullough led Ellwood City with a home run and two RBI. Ray Dallenbach and Sam Neff singled twice and Joe DeTullio added a double. 

 September 14, 1940

ELLWOOD CITY EDGES BESSEMER, 3-2, TO WIN LAWRENCE COUNTY TITLE

Ellwood City won the Lawrence County League Championship with a 3-2 win over Bessemer at Bessemer Field. The victory gave Ellwood City a three-game sweep in the best-of -five series. Ellwood City scored twice in the third inning and once in the fourth inning to open up a 3-0 lead. Bessemer scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to cut the margin to 3-2 but held on to win the crown. Winning pitcher Ralph Ferrante scattered six hits in a nine-inning complete game victory. Lee Shirey led Ellwood City with a triple and single and Joe DeTullio added a double.

April 12, 1945

ELLWOOD CITY HIGH SCHOOL WINS FIRST GAME IN HISTORY OBER NEW BRIGHTON, 7-0, BEHIND FORD, DESPORT

Ellwood City won its' inaugural high school baseball game by defeating New Brighton, 7-0, at New Brighton. The Ellwood City Wolverines became the first team in Lawrence County baseball team to be sanctioned by the WPIAL. Ellwood City scored two runs in the first inning and added three runs in the fifth inning and sol runs in the sixth and seventh inning. Winning Joe Ford fired a three-hitter and fanned seven batters. Jack Desport singled twice and Ford added a double.  

August 23, 1945

ELLWOOD CITY  DEFEATS NEW CASTLE, 13-5,  TO WIN LAWRENCE COUNTY LEAGUE TITLE 

Ellwood City won the Lawrence County Baseball League Championship with a 13-5 win over the New Castle Moose before a crowd of over 900 at Ewing Park Field. The victory completed a three game sweep in the best-of-five series. Ellwood City took a 10-1 lead after four innings on the way to the victory. Jack Hangst, Bill McClintick and Bob Neiper led Ellwood City with a home run and single. Chuck Milnes added two doubles  and Jack Desport and Jim McCready singled twice. Winning pitcher McCready picked up the win with six innings of work before leaving due to  an injury. Dom Mundo induced a triple-play in the seventh inning to close out the game.

May 16, 1946

ELLWOOD CITY EDGES SHARON, 4-3, TO WIN FIRST HIGH SCHOOL SECTION TITLE

Ellwood City edged Sharon, 4-3, in nine innings to win the Section 6 title at Sharon. The victory gave the Ellwood City Wolverines their first section title. Sharon scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score at 3-3 to send the game into extra innings. In the ninth inning, Eugene Bilo singled, stole second and third base and scored on Jack Desport's double to give Ellwood City a 4-3 lead. Sharon threatened in the ninth but failed to score to give Ellwood City the crown. Winning pitcher Joe Ford scattered nine hits in his complete game performance. Ford led Ellwood City with two singles. 

May 21, 1946

UNDEFEATED ALIQUIPPA SCORES TWO RUNS IN SEVENTH INNING TO EDGE ELLWOOD CITY, 6-5, IN WPIAL PLAYOFFS-QUIPS BECOME EVENTUAL WPIAL CHAMPS 

Aliquippa edged Ellwood City, 6-5, in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs  before over 2,000 fans at Ewing Park Field. Aliquippa scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a  5-4 Ellwood City lead. Ellwood City was led at the plate by Jack Desport with a home run and two singles. Joe Dougherty added two singles for Ellwood City. Undefeated Aliquippa went on to win the WPIAL Championship.

August 28, 1948

ELLWOOD CITY DOWNED COATESVILLE, 10-4, TO WIN PENNSYLVANIA VFW TITLE AT PENN STATE

Ellwood City downed Coatesville, 10-4, to win the Pennsylvania VFW State Championship at Penn State University. Playing in temperatures that reached the 100 degree mark, Ellwood City rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win the title. Ellwood City scored four runs in the senth inning and eight runs in the eighth inning to pull away from Coatesville. Jim McCready led Ellwood City at the plate with five Joe Powell added a triple and single. Ray Smith rapped three singles and Jack McClintick and Bob Clerici singled twice. Harold Shaffer was  the winning pitcher  in relief with four hitless innings of relief.

June 6, 1950

MOOSE EDGES LONS, 2-1, IN FIRST GAME EVER PLAYED IN ELLWOOD CITY LITTLE LEAGUE

The Moose edged the Lions, 2-1, in the first Ellwood City Little League game ever played at Lincoln High field. The Ellwood City Ledger  reported "that before one of the largest crowds ever to witness a baseball game in Ellwood City, judging from the hit it made, Little League baseball is here to stay."  The Legion held a 1-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning before the Moose scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to win it. Rocco Manzo led off with a triple and scored on Dick Lackey's single to score Manzo to tie the game at 1-1. Lackey stole second base and scored when the catcher's throw went into the outfield to give the Moose the dramatic 2-1 victory. Winning pitcher Ray Foley fired a two-hitter and fanned 13 batters. Ralph Morelli  tossed a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts for the Legion. 

May 1, 1952

ELLWOOD CITY  NIPPED BEAVER FALLS, 3-2, IN SECTION 7 GAME-ELLWOOD CITY'S DALE BROWN AND BEAVER FALLS TOM KIRKPATRICK BOTH FANS 20 BATTERS

Ellwood City edged Beaver Falls, 3-2, in 14 innings in Section 7 play at Ewing Park. Ellwood City's Dale Brown and Beaver Falls' Tom Kirkpatrick both fanned 20  batters in a game that lasted three hours 15 minutes. Ellwood City scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Beaver Falls tied the score with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 14th inning. Ron Doak singled and was sacrificed to second base by Ron Kellner  and moved to third base on a balk. Doak scored on a passed ball to give Ellwood City the 3-2 victory. The victory snapped Beaver Falls unbeaten streak at eight games as Ellwood City grabbed the section lead.     

July 21, 1958

ELLWOOD CITY DOWNS NEW CASTLE, 2-0, IN AMERICAN LEGION OPENER-HUGHES FIRES THREE-HITTER

Ellwood City downed New Castle, 2-0, in the opening game of the Lawrence County American Legion Championship Series, 2-0, at Flaherty Field. The victory gave Ellwood City a one-game lead in the best-of-three series. Ron Hughes fired a three-hitter to lead Ellwood City. Ellwood City took the lead in the top of the second inning. Hughes singled, was sacrificed to second base by Ralph Pratt, and scored on successive bunt singles by Ralph Ferrante and Mike Ruscille to give Ellwood City a 1-0 lead. Ellwood City added another run in the third inning on a single by Dave Florie and bunt single by Dave Smith and a ground out and passed ball to take a 2-0 lead. Winning pitcher Hughes fanned eight batters and waked one batter. Losing pitcher Tom DeLuca scattered seven hits.

July 23, 1958

ELLWOOD CITY DEFEATS NEW CASTLE, 4-3, TO WIN LAWRENCE COUNTY LEGION TITLE- VICTORY ENDS NEW CASTLE NINE-YEAR REIGN-MAZZANO DRIVES IN WINNING RUN IN NINTH INNING

Ellwood City edged New Castle, 4-3, in nine innings to win the Lawrence County American Legion Championship at Ewing Park. Ron Mazzano drove in Ron Hughes to give Ellwood City the victory ending New Castle's nine-year reign at Lawrence County champions. Ellwood City tied the score in the bottom of the seventh inning to knot the score at 3-3. In the ninth inning, Hughes led off with a walk and stole second base. Mazzano followed with a long single over the leftfielder's head to give Ellwood City the victory. Hughes was the winning pitcher with two innings of scoreless relief. Losing pitcher Todd Alexander fired a a two-hitter for New Castle allowing only one earned run. Joe Cangey and Bucky Phillips singled twice for New Castle.

July 26, 1961

AMBRIDGE EDGES ELLWOOD CITY, 5-4, IN AMERICAN LEGION PLAYOFFS-BRIDGERS BECOME EVENTUAL STATE CHAMPIONS

Ambridge edged Ellwood City, 5-4, in the opening game of the District playoffs at Ewing Park. The win gave Ambridge a one-game lead in the best-of-three series. Ellwood City scored two runs on two suicide squeeze bunts by Rick Assini and Dan Oliastro to take a 2-1 lead in the second inning. Rich Freidhoff  smacked a solo home run in the sixth inning to increase their lead to 3-1 in the sixth inning. Ellwood City added a solo run in the seventh inning to up the lead to 4-1. But Ambridge rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth inning. Mike Karas belted a 350-foot home run to center field to tie the score at 4-4. Tom Knollinger doubled in a Ed Kmit with the deciding run. Winning pitcher Jim Zerilla threw a two-hitter and fanned nine batters for Ambridge. Karas homered and drove in three runs.  Kmit  rapped three singles and Harry Oswald added two singles. Ambridge went on to capture the Pennsylvania American Legion State Championship.

April 19, 1962

ELLWOOD CITY DEFEATS AMBRIDGE, 5-3, IN SECTION OPENER-POHOLSKY , PRATT, BUKAC LEAD THE WAY

Ellwood City downed Ambridge, 5-3, in the Section 5 opener at Ambridge. Bob Poholsky fired a three-hitter and Bill Pratt doubled and singled to lead Ellwood City. After two scoreless innings, Ellwood City scored four runs in the top of the third inning with two outs. Bob Latiano singled in two runs and Bill Pratt doubled in two more to take a 4-0 lead. Ambridge scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ambridge added two runs in the sixth inning on a 350-solo home run by Fred Malins followed by Fred Klages 365-foot home run to slice the Ellwood City lead to 4-3. In the top of the seventh inning, Jim Bukac gave Ellwood City an important insurance run with a home run over the 350-foot in left-center field fence to up the lead to 5-3. Ambridge was retired in order in the seventh inning. Winning pitcher Poholsky threw a three-hitter and fanned nine batters. Klages, who would reach the major leagues within four years, allowed eight hits and fanned six. Bill Pratt doubled and singled and drove in two runs. Bukac homered and Pat White added a double for Ellwood City. Mains and Klages homered for Ambridge.

May 7, 1962

ELLWOOD CITY EDGES AMBRIDGE, 1-0, TO WIN SECTION 5 CHAMPIONSHIP-POHOLSKY OUT-DUELS KLAGES-LAITENEN SINGLE WINS IT

Ellwood City edged Ambridge, 1-0, to win the Section 5 Championship at Ewing Park. Toy Laitenen singled in Tom Blythe with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning for the victory.  Bob Poholsky fired a two-hitter to lead Ellwood City in a pitchers' duel with Ambridge's Fred Klages. Both pitchers had no-hitters through four innings. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with one out Blythe singled to right field and Jim Bukac hit a soft liner for a single to left field. Laitenen followed with a line drive single to right field scoring Blythe standing up to give Ellwood City the victory. Winning pitcher Poholsky allowed two hits and fanned 11 batters. Losing Pitcher Klages, who reached the major leagues in four years, surrendered four hits and struck out seven batters. Blythe, Bukac, Laitenen and Bob Latiano singled for Ellwood City.

May 30, 1962

Ellwood City downed Montour, 11-2, at New Brighton in the WPIAL semi-finals to advance to the WPIAL Championship for the first time in their history.The Wolverines victory snapped Montour's 15-game unbeaten streak. After three scoreless innings, Ellwood City scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Jim Bukac and Toy Laitenen singled and Bob Latiano followed with a two-run double to give Ellwood City a 2-0 lead. Bill Pratt singled and Randy Chesko followed with an RBI-single to up the lead to 3-0. in the bottom of the fourth inning, Tom Blythe led off with a 350-foot home run  to give Ellwood City a 4-0 lead. Montour committed five errors in the inning as the Wolverines scored five more runs to take a 9-0 lead. Ellwood City added two more runs in the sixth inning to open up an 11-0 lead. Montour scored twice in the seventh inning to account for a 11-2 final score. Winning pitcher Poholsky scattered eight hits and fanned seven batters.  Latiano led Ellwood City with a double and two singles. Bukac added three singles. Blythe homered and Bill Pratt, Chesko and Pat White all singled twice. 

June 11, 1962

ELLWOOD CITY DOWNS MCKEESPORT, 4-1, TO WIN FIRST WPIAL TITLE-POHOLSKY FIRES FIVE-HITTER

Ellwood City defeated McKeesport, 4-1, to win the WPIAL Championship at Forbes Field. The Wolverines, with an enrollment three times smaller than McKeesort, became the first team in Lawrence County to win the WPIAL baseball crown.  Bob Poholsky tossed a five-hitter and Toy Laitenen smacked two hits and drive in two runs. Ellwood City jumped to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. John Pratt led off with a single and Tom Blythe sent him to third base on a single. After a ground out, Laitinen ripped a single down the leftfield line scoring both runners to give Ellwood City a 2-0 lead.  Laitenen stole second base, Bill Pratt walked and Randy Chesko followed with a double scoring Laitinen to increase the lead to 3-0. McKeesport scored a solo run in the bottom of the third inning to decrease the deficit to 3-1. Ellwood City added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning on an sacrifice fly by Chesko. . McKeesport failed to score in the seventh inning as Ellwood City claimed the crown. Winning pitcher Poholsky allowed five hits and fanned five batters in the complete-game effort. Laitinen singled twice and drove in two runs. Chesko singled and added a sacrifice fly with two RBI. Leon Rutledge led McKeesport with two hits. The Wolverines, managed by head coach Bill Spellman, finished with a record of 23-2.