Notable Games

July 4, 1892

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 inagural game in Ellwood City history, Ellwood City edges Wampum, 3-2, behind winning pitcher Thomas C. Marshall.

August 28, 1909

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, left home 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

 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 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 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

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 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 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 asingled twice and Joe DeTullio added a double. 

 September 14, 1940

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-0f -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 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 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 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

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 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, 950

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 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.