442nd Holds Shelby Non-Division Baseball Title

The 442nd Infantry team won the non-divisional championship Wednesday by defeating the 631st Tank Destroyers 2 to 1 on the diamond at 51st street and Highway 24.

It was one of those storybook endings when two men out the ladder hit a home run into deep center field. The hero was Savage Tanaka, first baseman. He has been a light header all season but his home run was one of the cleanest, prettiest balls you’d ever see.

In the last half of the 7th with Uto flying to 2nd and Yogi grounding out and with fans settling down expecting an extra inning Tanaka stepped up and drove the ball over the centerfielder’s head. The 442nds only other run came in the first inning by means of one hit a sacrifice, a wild pitch and a passed ball.

The 631st scored in the third on two hits, one fly which dropped safely when the second baseman and centerfielder couldn’t decide who should get it.

The game was a brilliant pitchers battle. Elmora, of 631st allowed only two hits and the 442nd pitchers allowed only three. Tamara pitched the first 3 innings for the 442nd and was touched for two hits then Higuchi went in and held the opponents scoreless, allowing only one hit. Higuchi has been the pitching mainstay for the whole season, winning most of his games. The 442nd has won 12 games and lost only one.