-Don Barry, Celtics manager, reporting
-posted by Sal Riggio
CELTICS HOLD OFF RAPTOR RALLY
TAKE A SHARE OF FIRST PLACE
It was a hard fought game for the Celtics today. The Raptors played well and almost pulled out an upset. The Celtics were leading going into the top of the 7th with a three run lead, when the Raptors scored two runs and had the bases loaded with two outs, but the Celts got the force out to win the game. The Pistons big win over the Sixers, putting the Celtics in a tie for 1st place, both teams having a 12 – 2 record. The Celtics have the tiebreaker at this point by beating the Sixers in head to head competition. The game ball goes to Ron Van Den Heuval who had a perfect day at the bat going 4/4, and he drove in that extra insurance run in the bottom of the 6th inning that turned out to be the winning run. 3/4 days from Billy Oar, Frank Spalla, Jim Donaldson, & Don Barry. 8 extra base hits in the game: Billy Oar, a double; Frank Spalla, a triple & homerun; Jim Donaldson, a triple & homerun; Jerry Cavanaugh, a homerun; & Don Barry, a triple & Jack Spillane a triple. Bob Russell pitched another good game for the win. Nice defense from the middle of our infield: steady Jerry Cavanaugh & Jack Spillane. Jim Donaldson who usually plays left field made a couple of nice stabs at third base, one in particular that could have saved a big inning from happening. Billy Oar made some great catches in LCF, one off his shoe tops; he also made a big play in the final inning when he kept the ball in front of him and threw out the runner trying to stretch it into a double.
