Nineteen-year-old
Tom Seaver became the second Fairbanks, Alaska, Goldpanners pitcher to win with his bat in the
National Baseball Congress tournament when he belted a grand-slam home run in the sixth inning that beat Wichita Bob Moore Oldsmobile 8-3.
Seaver also pitched three-hit relief after taking over from starting pitcher Steve Clark in the fifth inning. He struck out nine.
The Fresno City College right-hander looked for awhile like he might not be around to swing the bat in the last of the sixth when he walked in two runs with the bases loaded and was nicked for a run-scoring single by the first three batters he faced.
But he settled down in the seventh after having the bases filled against him again in the sixth, and allowed only one base runner in the final three innings.
Clark, who was relieved by Seaver, had tripled in two runs as a relief pitcher himself in the Goldpanners 5-2 victory over Trenton, N.J., in the first round.
Sam Suplizio opened the Goldpanners' winning 6-run rally of the sixth inning with a hit that went for a double after it got through the Wichita centerfielder who was trying to make a shoe-string catch.
Buddy Bovender walked, and then with two away
Graig Nettles walked to fill the bases.
400-Footer
Seaver followed with a 400-foot home run over the left centerfield wall to put the Goldpanners in front 6-3.
Jim Williams singled and was driven in by
Gary Sutherland's single after stealing second base.
Bud Hollowell doubled in Sutherland for the sixth run of the inning.
Nettles hit a solo home run in the third inning and Suplizio singled in Curtell Motton in the fourth to hand Fiarbanks an early 2-0 lead.
Nettles' homer was his fourth of the tourney.
Clark had a four-hitter going in the first four innings but Bobby Mainzer and Clyde Girrens led off the fifth with singles.
After the runners were sacrificed over, Charley Gill walked on a 3-2 pitch to fill the bases.
Seaver took over for Clark then, and walked pitch-hitter Andy Teter and lead-off man Artie Dillon for two runs. A third run scored on Rocky Krsnich's bloop single in short centerfield before Seaver got the next batter to hit into a double play which Williams started by making an unassisted out at second base.
Play Sunday
The Goldpanners now have a 4-0 record and will play again on Sunday night against the winner of a Saturday night game between the Eureka, Calif., Crabs and the Bellingham, Wash., Bells.
Bellingham has won four out of the last five games with Fairbanks but the clubs are 4-and-4 on the season against each other. Eureka has won only three of nine meetings with the Goldpanners. They are 1-1 with Bellingham this season.
