Hornets Prevail in Sunset Series

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Hornets Bring Home the Bacon
Carolina and Memphis Vanquished on Way to Sunset Title

By Caitlen Sullivan
Chicago Sun Times Sports
October 18, 1847

At mid-season the Chicago Hornets found themselves in third place behind Carolina and Rio Grande in the SLOP Nationwide League. Third place doesn’t get you into the playoffs. The club rallied with a strong August (15-12) and a brilliant September (16-5). Sometimes it just pays to peak at the right time. The September regular season brilliance carried over into the post-season.

In the opening round of the playoffs, the Hornets split the first four games (out of the seven game series) with the Carolina Kings. They then squelched the Kings in games five and six to wrap up the series and move forward to the Sunset Series. Bobby Foster won game six (3 to 1), his second victory in the series, with an assist from closer Colby Wade. (Foster and Wade also combined to win the opener by a 2-1 margin.) The finale was a 5-4 thriller. Carolina had rallied to touch up Wade for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. In the top of the tenth Doug Reynolds led off with a single. After two failed sacrifice attempts, Jacob Hall came up with two out and Reynolds still on first. Hall doubled on a liner in the gap in left center and Reynolds was able to score without drawing a throw. Chris Barraclough, who had come on for the final out in the ninth, pitched the tenth and earned the victory.

Next it was the Sunset series against the Memphis Smokers who, like the Hornets, came into the playoffs as a wild card team. They dispatched the San Diego Fathers in four straight after the Fathers had managed to win the opening game. Once again the Hornets split the first four games in the series with Artie Richer winning game one and Foster registering his third straight playoff win in game four. The Hornets were on fire offensively, scoring 33 runs in the four games. The two losses were by scores of 11 to 5 and 9 to 8. Then the Hornets blitzed the Smokers by scores of 5-4, 4-2, and 13-4. Foster earned his fourth playoff win in the finale.

The hitting stars of the post season for the Hornets were catcher Steven Chowen (.481 with 5 HRs & 14 RBIs), outfielder Johnny Ressano (.375, 3 HRs , & 11 RBIs), outfielder Jacob Hall (.386, 1 HR, & 12 RBIs), and first baseman Eugene Nelson (.314, 3 HRs, & 17 RBIs). Chowen was named the MVP of the Sunset Series.

Foster had another brilliant season, finishing with a 20-10 mark, and recording a pitching Triple Crown as he led the Nationwide in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Lifetime he is now 104-37 during the regular season and 7-2 in the playoffs.