New London BABA baseball team wallops Manawa

By Scott Bellile

The New London Merchants BABA baseball team earned a strong Father’s Day victory over the Manawa Spurs, posting a 20-1 win at Lindsay Park in Manawa on Sunday, June 21.

New London had 20 runs and 23 hits in seven innings played. Manawa had three hits and scored one run at the bottom of the sixth inning.

“It was the first win of the season for the Merchants,” Coach Pete Thorpe said. “Awesome day. On Father’s Day.”

Joe Schuester went four for five with an RBI. Jim Thorpe went four for five with two doubles and an RBI. Hunter Paul went three for five with five RBIs, a home run and a double.

Brandon Sullivan went three for five and Casey Hofherr went three for five with an RBI. Brandon Bartel contributed two hits and a run.

Matt Ott pitched a complete game.

“That’s a big ol’ day,” Pete Thorpe said.

New London’s season record stands at 1-4.

The game allowed Pete Thorpe to spend Father’s Day on the ball diamond with son Jim Thorpe, who also coaches the New London Clippers Legion baseball team.

The day was a Father’s Day-first for Jim: his one-month-old daughter Hayden Thorpe watched from the grass in her yellow “Thorpe” jersey, adorned with her father’s number 15.