By GEORGE BRERETON
Journalism Department, Fairleigh Dickinson University
The Rutherford Little League opened its 1959 baseball season Saturday at Memorial Park before a crowd of 500. In the National League, Rotary shaded the J.C.C. by the score of 2-1.
Coming to bat, in the top of the second inning, Ryan hit into the hole between second and third base. Vanderels got Hill on a strike-out but LaForge hit a double, scoring Ryan. Vanderels put out the fire by retiring the next two batters. McKenna only allowed two hits, up to the bottom of the fifth inning. Keins hit a soft liner into center field. Then Salomon rapped out a double, moving Keins to third. McKenna loaded the bases by walking Howe. Strauss grounded to second, but a high throw allowed two runs to cross the plate. There was no threat in any further scoring by either team.
Vanderels struck out 10 players, walked 1 but scattered six hits. McKenna struck out five players, allowed 4 hits, but two of the hits resulted in unearned runs. Fielding was good, except in one or two instances.
The box score:
| J.C.C. (1) | AB | R | H | ROTARY (2) | AB | R | H | |
| Wilson, 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | R. Strauss, 1b | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Denny, cf | 3 | 0 | 2 | Vanderels, p | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| M. McKenna, p | 3 | 0 | 0 | Pico, cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Catterall, 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | Norville, ss | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Ryan, c | 2 | 1 | 1 | Roach, 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hill, ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | Stoehs, c | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| LaForge, rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | Keins, 2b | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Ellis, lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | Chapin, rf | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| LaFalce, 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | P. Strauss, lf | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cote, c | 0 | 0 | 0 | Salomon, rf | 1 | 1 | 1 | Hayes, 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | Howe, lf | 0 | 0 | 0 | Meyers, lf | 1 | 0 | 1 | Decker, lf | 0 | 0 | 0 | Russell, c | 1 | 0 | 0 | Bader, 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 4 |
| J.C.C. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | |
| Rotary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | x | — | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | BB | SO | McKenna L,0-1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Vanderels W,1-0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 |