1955 Varsity Baseball

 

 

Front row:  Irv Horst, Don Potteiger, Bill Bitner, Marty Coover, Bill Baker, Dick Gochenour, Ed Harne, Carmen Nissley.  Back row:  Jack Quigley, John Mackey, Earl "Bud" Kohlhaus, Marty Myers, Bill Brandt, Tom Fisher, Barry Yerger, Coach Tom Yost.

 

Varsity Baseball Team Wins 9 Loses 4

 

            The MHS varsity baseball team wound up its season in third place in the West Shore League with a 6 won, 3 lost and 1 tied record. The season record showed 9 wins, 4 losses and 1 tie. Following are brief summaries of the games:

 

MHS 6  John Harris 5

            The Wildcats downed the Pioneers of John Harris 6-5 on March 29 despite cool weather. Jack Quigley pitched the entire game for MHS and aided his own cause with a triple. Bill Bitner also tripled and Tom Fisher doubled for the big blows of the contest.

 

MHS 7  Carlisle 3

            On April 7, the Wildcats topped the Thundering Herd for their first West Shore League victory. Quigley was again the winning hurler. Bitner and Potteiger both smashed doubles.

 

MHS 2  New Cumberland 5

            On April 19, the Wildcats were beaten for the first time by the tigers from New Cumberland. Kohlhaas’ triple and Potteiger’s double were not enough as Marty Myers was dealt the loss.

 

MHS 6  Enola 0

            With Jack Quigley pitching a sensational 2 hitter, the Wildcats blanked Enola on April 20. Timely hitting on the part of the Wildcats led the way.

 

MHS 6  Camp Hill 1

            With this victory on April 22 over Camp Hill, the Wildcats moved into a tie for first place in the league. Quigley was again the victor.

 

MHS 4  Carlisle 5

                Carlisle dealt the Wildcats their second defeat in league play as Ed Harne was the losing pitcher.  Kohlhaas belted a home runin the close tilt.

 

MHS 1  West Shore 3

            West Shore High held onto their first place lead in league play by defeating the Wildcats on April 29. Ed Harne was the losing pitcher.

 

MHS 6  New Cumberland 4

            MHS got revenge for a previous loss as the Wildcats upended New Cumberland on May 3. Jack Quigley got credit for the win and received help from Yerger and Mackey in the slugging department.

 

MHS 0  West Shore 0

            On May 9 the Wildcats and West Shore played to a 0-0 tie. Rain shortened the game and it could not be rescheduled.

 

MHS 4  Middletown 3

            Ed Harne was credited with his first victory as the Wildcats beat Middletown on May 11. The key hit was a double by Bud Kohlaas in the seventh inning scoring two runs.

 

MHS 6  Camp Hill 1

            The Wildcats defeated Camp Hill for the second time during the season on May 12. Yerger’s 3-run homer climaxed a 5-run Mechanicsburg rally in the second inning. Quigley won his sixth victory of the year.

 

MHS 4  Shippensburg 8

                The Wildcats were stopped by an undefeated Shippensburg team that won the South Penn title.  Quigley and Harne tossed for MHS and Potteiger blasted a fifth inning homer with the bases empty.

 

MHS 14  Cumberland Valley 7

            The Wildcats doubled the score on their friendly rivals from nearby Cumberland Valley on May 17. Yerger blasted a double and a triple while Kohlhaas rapped out four singles in the one-sided triumph and finale.

 

Coach Martin Leads J.V.’s to Six Wins

 

            Mechanicsburg’s JV baseball team coached by John Martin ended its regular season of play with six wins and two losses. Following is a brief summary of the games played:

 

MHS 6  New Cumberland 1

            Ed Rife won his first game of the young season as he pitched a near shutout to help defeat the New Cumberland jayvees.

 

MHS 5  Carlisle 8

            Carlisle proved a bit too strong for the Junior Cats. Dick Kraley was the losing pitcher.

 

MHS 11  Susquehanna 0

            The J.V.s of MHS had their batting togs on for this game and they completely outclassed the Susquehanna Juniors. Ed Rife was the winning pitcher and chalked up his second victory.

 

MHS 4  Carlisle 3

                The jayvees sought revenge for an earlier loss to Carlisle and were successful as Ed Rife pitched his third win.  He was aided by Matsko’s triple and Fake’s double.

 

MHS 6  New Cumberland 5

            For the second time this season the JVs defeated New Cumberland with Dick Kraley getting the win. Ed Otstot was the slugging star with a triple.

 

MHS 5  Susquehanna 3

            Ed Rife added victory number four to his already fine record as the JVs again defeated Susquehanna.

 

MHS 8  Camp Curtin 1

            Limiting Camp Curtin to one run, Ed Rife ran his streak to five in the pitching department. Dick Renard contributed a double to the hitting attack.

 

MHS 5  Camp Curtin 6

            Even though Larry Holtzman tripled and Fake and Rife doubled, the junior Cats could not make it two in a row over Camp Curtin. Kraley was the losing hurler.

 

1955 SCORES

 

Date

Team

MHS

OPP.

April 1

John Harris

6

5

April 5

Camp Hill

6

1

April 8 

Carlisle

7

3

April 12

Lemoyne

0

0

April 15

New Cumberland

2

5

April 19

Enola

6

0

April 22

Camp Hill

6

1

April 26

Carlisle

4

5

April 29

Lemoyne

1

3

May 3 

New Cumberland

6

4

May 6

Enola

7

0

May 10

Middletown

4

3

May 13

Shippensburg   

4

8

May 17

Cumberland Valley

14

7

 

Overall Record

                Won 9,  Lost 4,   Tied 1

League Record

                Won 6,  Lost 3,  Tied 1

League Standing  –  3rd

 

Team Statistics:

Hitting:

Team Batting Average - .251

Leading Hitters: Kohlhaas - .413, Yerger - .324,

RBIs:  Kohlhaas - 14, Yerger - 10

Home runs:  Kohlhaas, Yerger, and Potteiger - 1

Triples: Yerger - 3

Doubles:  Kohlhaas  - 3, Potteiger, Baker, Mackey, and Bitner - 2

Stolen bases: Potteiger – 14, Fisher - 9 

Runs: Jack Yerger – 14, Mackey – 13, Potteiger - 12 

We averaged 4.6 runs per game, 6  hits per game and  2 errors per game

 

Pitching:

Wins: Quigley – 6 (6 – 1)

Innings pitched:  Quigley – 64 (out of 92.3)

Strikeouts:  Quigley - 51

ERA:  1.31

 

 

Baseball Letterman

Varsity:                                                                                         

Earl “Bud” Kohlhaas, William Bitner, Barry Yerger, Don Potteiger, William Brandt, Jack Quigley, John Mackey, William Baker, Tom Fisher, Ed Harne, Carmen Niesley, and mgr. Irvin Horst  Coach: Tom Yost                                

 

Junior Varsity:

Walt Fake, Edward Otstot, Edwin Rife, Larry Holtzman, Edward Natako, Phil Houser, Richard Renard, Richard Kraley, David Heberlig, mgrs. Philip Clark and Lynn Haas                Coach: John L. Martin

 

                                                                                                               

 

 

Don Potteiger belts one in an effort to send the Wildcats onto victory.