Ninety years ago, on April 24, 1921, the Manteca Maulers again met defeat at the hands of the Sperrys of Stockton in a 14-inning game of thrills and excitement. Gilligan pitched a fair game for seven innings and then Elmer Blodgett took the mound and pitched good ball. “Spec” Shea for Stockton pitched the full 14 innings. The final score was 4 to 3. Some rotten decisions by umpire Weatherbee lost the game. In calling balls and strikes, Weatherbee favored Stockton all the way through and his decision in the fourteenth when he called the hit fair, which was a half-foot outside the foul line was nothing but bonehead work. Cullums featured with the bat for Manteca with three hits.
In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:
80 years ago: April 30, 1931 - The Manteca High thinclads journeyed to Sacramento last Saturday and participated in the 20-20 Relays held there. Jack Powers passed all times by running his 440 in 52 seconds.
Manteca High climaxed the C.I.F. league season by walloping the Ceres High nine by a score of 11 to 7 in a game played at Ceres Friday afternoon. Lisle Percival hit four doubles out of five times at the plate.
50 years ago: April 27, 1961 - The Manteca High swimmers defeated Calaveras High last Monday by the score of 58-25. The meet was held at Calaveras. Again, Tom Honey’s brilliant swimming broke another school record in the individual medley with a time of 3:07.1. Honey was also on the winning medley relay team. Another Manteca swimmer, Skip Sadler, took first in the 200 yard freestyle and in the 400 yard freestyle.
40 years ago: April 28, 1971 - The hard-charging East Union High Lancers broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth and then hung on to defeat Manteca High and even their inter-city season record. The final score was 6-4. Ken Richichi pitched and batted his club to their second Valley Oak League win of the season, while the Buffaloes suffered their seventh straight defeat after opening play with a 3-1 win over East Union High. Richichi collected two hits for the Lancers, while teammates Ted Davis and Allen Coughran did the same. Richichi’s total included a triple.
Manteca High’s ever-improvilng track team tuned up for its meet with Lincoln High tomorrow by crushing Sonora High 93-25 last week. Buff sprinter Greg Williams captured his specialties with a 10.4 in the 100 and a 23.5 in the 220. Mike Vasconcellos toured the 880 course in 2:03 for his fifth VOL win without a loss.
The East Union High golfers were easily downed by the St. Mary’s High swingers 220-243 in a nine-hole outing last week on the windy Elkhorn layout. Heading the losing EU cause was freshman Ken Webb with a 41.
Manteca High’s swinging golf team maintained its hold on second place in the VOL with a sluggish win over Los Banos High under windy and gusty conditions. The 206-259 win over Los Banos featured a fine 39 by sophomore Jim Anderson.
30 years ago: April 28, 1981 - Coach Vanessa Burns’ Manteca High badminton team polished off Ceres High 8-5 on Monday. Top singles player Denise Prickett won all three of her matches and the duo of Tevani Scott and Tammie Williams won a pair.
MHS’s track team tied a good Ceres High team 67-67 on Thursday, something unique in track. In the girls’ meet, the Lady Buffs drubbed Ceres 72-46. Jim Elam won the mile (4:51.5), two mile (11:27.7) and the 880 (2:11). Tony Menezes took first in the 120 HH (15.4) and in the high jump (6-0), and Mike Cimoli won both the shot put (51-3) and the discus (138-7) with ease.
Manteca High, showing the caliber of a championship team, scored twice in the seventh and three times in the eighth inning to turn back upset-minded Los Banos High 8-5 in Valley Oak League baseball action Tuesday. Junior James Matas had two-plus innings of flawless relief work to pick up the win.
Carolyn Ott drove in six runs with a double, triple and home run and Lisa Klingman threw her first no-hitter as East Union High hammered Livingston High 15-2 in softball action Thursday.
Despite an even-par 36 from East Union High’s Dennis Essenwein, the Manteca High golfers turned back the Lancers 218-230 in the season finale Friday at the Manteca Municipal Course.
Sonora High’s softball team came up with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 20-19 win over Manteca High Tuesday in VOL action.
The Manteca High tennis team whitewashed Oakdale High 15-0 to remain unbeaten in VOL play. Greg Toy has the best season individual mark at 24-3 as he won three matches.
The East Union High track team took a severe beating from Oakdale High in the VOL finale, but fleet-footed James Mackey captured the 220 (23.4) and the 440 (52.8) for the Lancers. The score was 104-27. Oakdale also won the girls version by an 89-29 score.
The East Union High badminton team, helped by superb doubles play, turned back cross-town rival Manteca High 9-4 Thursday at Winter Gym. Top EU seeded Gina Barroga tuned up for the league tournament by capturing all three matches. It was all EU in the doubles. Sherrie Lawellin and Robyn Willson and Stephanie Cloud and Laura Huber were the winning duos.
East Union High’s baseball team nipped Ceres High twice, 7-6 in a game concluded from March 31 and 5-4 on Friday. The Lancers won the first game in the eleventh inning as Tony Martin scored the winning run.
1921: Umpire robbed Manteca Maulers