70 years ago, on June 2, 1940, two three-run blasts in the fourth and fifth innings were enough to give Manager Harold Garvine and his Manteca Merchants the game against the Stockton New Frog Inn on the local high school diamond. In a game enlivened by fisticuffs, with all players concerned fortunately remaining in the game, the local Merchants showed much more life on their home diamond than they have at any other time this season and came through with a well-earned 7-6 decision over their Port City opponents. Lee McAllister gathered three hits for the Merchants and Merle Kliest scored three times for the locals.
In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:
50 years ago: June 9, 1960 - The McFall-Grisham Post, Junior Legion baseball team went 12 innings last Sunday afternoon, but still couldn’t check in with their first league win of the season, as they dropped a 5-4 decision to Karl Ross Post. Walt McDonald relieved starter Tim Brumley and was charged with the loss. Les Jones led the losers at the plate with two hits.
Gaining revenge for an early season defeat, the Manteca Merchants coasted to a 6-0 win over the Deuel Vocational Institution All-stars Sunday afternoon in Tracy. John Holmquist, San Jose State righthander out of Ripon, made his first start of the season for the Merchants and the fastballer’s debut was very impressive. He handed the All-stars their first shutout defeat of the season and limited them to three hits. He was never in trouble, and struck out 10 over the nine-inning route. Larry Lusk and Darell Phillips each collected two hits to pace the winners at the plate.
40 years ago: June 5, 1970 - Bob Holmes, Jim Tierney and Chuck Dimas were the East Union High members chosen to the All-Valley Oak League baseball team. Holmes had the highest league batting average on the all-star team with a .416 mark. Manteca High players chosen were pitcher Monte Buck and first baseman Roy Thran.
30 years ago: June 4, 1980 - Manteca’s trio of entries in the Tri-County Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball League underwent win tests during the opening weekend of play last Sunday. Ace Tomato, one of two Manteca teams stocked with players from the Manteca High area, proved to be the only one to come out smiling. Ace swept a pair from Patterson, 8-1 and 9-3, in Patterson. Tradeway Chevrolet, the East Union High area club, fell to 1-2 after losing a pair to Riverbank, 9-3 and 3-1, the latter coming on a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh off Troy Vickerman. Souza’s Air Conditioning, meanwhile, tumbled to 0-3 by dropping both ends of its twin bill with defending champion Joaquin Construction, 6-5 in eight innings and 12-4 at the Davis High diamond in Modesto.
Coach Jack Thomson’s Ace Tomato club unloaded for 10 hits in downing Patterson in Sunday’s opener. Randy Neto and Chris Louie each banged out two hits for the winners, while Rex Tschetter, Mike Womack and Neto all drove in two runs apiece. Brian Keeney was never in trouble as he pitched all the way for the win. Keeney struck out eight and walked two. The nightcap might well have been billed as the Ronnie Limas Show. Ace’s number three hitter stroked five singles, good for two RBI in the 9-3 win. He had plenty of help in the form of Neto, who collected a triple and two singles and four more players--Brian Sallee, Scott Morris, Tschetter and Louie--finished with a pair of hits.
In Riverbank, the host club pushed across four runs in the first and never looked back in dispatching Tradeway in the opener. Billy Emperador, Joey Tanghal and Wilbur Harthoorn got the only hits for Tradeway.
Gary Louie gave up a double and a single in eight innings as Joaquin Construction edged Souza’s 6-5 in their opening game. Frank Triglia’s first-inning single was Souza’s only hit as the club drew nine walks. In the second half of the set, the Modesto team pounded out 10 hits off three Souza’s pitchers. Steve Vasquez went 2-for-4 to lead the seven-hit attack for the locals.
Manteca’s Lori Watson ended her Delta College track career last Saturday afternoon by gaining a third-place finish in the discus and an eighth in the javelin during the State Community College Championships in San Jose. The 20 year-old graduate of Manteca High wound up with a 139-5 mark in the discus event. Watson’s mark in the javelin was 126 feet.
Honorees at Manteca High’s Spring Sports Social last Tuesday evening at Dawson Center were MVP’s Robbie Steves (baseball), Mike Cimoli (track), Denise Prickett and Connie Mothershed (badminton) and Linda Morenzone (softball). Also honored as the year’s outstanding male and female athletes were Frank Triglia and Morenzone.
In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:
50 years ago: June 9, 1960 - The McFall-Grisham Post, Junior Legion baseball team went 12 innings last Sunday afternoon, but still couldn’t check in with their first league win of the season, as they dropped a 5-4 decision to Karl Ross Post. Walt McDonald relieved starter Tim Brumley and was charged with the loss. Les Jones led the losers at the plate with two hits.
Gaining revenge for an early season defeat, the Manteca Merchants coasted to a 6-0 win over the Deuel Vocational Institution All-stars Sunday afternoon in Tracy. John Holmquist, San Jose State righthander out of Ripon, made his first start of the season for the Merchants and the fastballer’s debut was very impressive. He handed the All-stars their first shutout defeat of the season and limited them to three hits. He was never in trouble, and struck out 10 over the nine-inning route. Larry Lusk and Darell Phillips each collected two hits to pace the winners at the plate.
40 years ago: June 5, 1970 - Bob Holmes, Jim Tierney and Chuck Dimas were the East Union High members chosen to the All-Valley Oak League baseball team. Holmes had the highest league batting average on the all-star team with a .416 mark. Manteca High players chosen were pitcher Monte Buck and first baseman Roy Thran.
30 years ago: June 4, 1980 - Manteca’s trio of entries in the Tri-County Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball League underwent win tests during the opening weekend of play last Sunday. Ace Tomato, one of two Manteca teams stocked with players from the Manteca High area, proved to be the only one to come out smiling. Ace swept a pair from Patterson, 8-1 and 9-3, in Patterson. Tradeway Chevrolet, the East Union High area club, fell to 1-2 after losing a pair to Riverbank, 9-3 and 3-1, the latter coming on a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh off Troy Vickerman. Souza’s Air Conditioning, meanwhile, tumbled to 0-3 by dropping both ends of its twin bill with defending champion Joaquin Construction, 6-5 in eight innings and 12-4 at the Davis High diamond in Modesto.
Coach Jack Thomson’s Ace Tomato club unloaded for 10 hits in downing Patterson in Sunday’s opener. Randy Neto and Chris Louie each banged out two hits for the winners, while Rex Tschetter, Mike Womack and Neto all drove in two runs apiece. Brian Keeney was never in trouble as he pitched all the way for the win. Keeney struck out eight and walked two. The nightcap might well have been billed as the Ronnie Limas Show. Ace’s number three hitter stroked five singles, good for two RBI in the 9-3 win. He had plenty of help in the form of Neto, who collected a triple and two singles and four more players--Brian Sallee, Scott Morris, Tschetter and Louie--finished with a pair of hits.
In Riverbank, the host club pushed across four runs in the first and never looked back in dispatching Tradeway in the opener. Billy Emperador, Joey Tanghal and Wilbur Harthoorn got the only hits for Tradeway.
Gary Louie gave up a double and a single in eight innings as Joaquin Construction edged Souza’s 6-5 in their opening game. Frank Triglia’s first-inning single was Souza’s only hit as the club drew nine walks. In the second half of the set, the Modesto team pounded out 10 hits off three Souza’s pitchers. Steve Vasquez went 2-for-4 to lead the seven-hit attack for the locals.
Manteca’s Lori Watson ended her Delta College track career last Saturday afternoon by gaining a third-place finish in the discus and an eighth in the javelin during the State Community College Championships in San Jose. The 20 year-old graduate of Manteca High wound up with a 139-5 mark in the discus event. Watson’s mark in the javelin was 126 feet.
Honorees at Manteca High’s Spring Sports Social last Tuesday evening at Dawson Center were MVP’s Robbie Steves (baseball), Mike Cimoli (track), Denise Prickett and Connie Mothershed (badminton) and Linda Morenzone (softball). Also honored as the year’s outstanding male and female athletes were Frank Triglia and Morenzone.
