Spencer Abbott’s latest shuffle of the Williamsport batting order, which sent Irv Kohlberg into the clean-up spot, paid off a nifty dividend yesterday.

The young first sacker, swatting with renewed vigor, delivered the pay- off blow in a rousing 3-2 skirmish with the Hartford Laurels yesterday, who are paying their last visit to Bowman Field of the campaign.

The hit, a line drive home drive of some 370 feet over the inner right field stockade, in the eighth frame, not only decided the ball game but gained a valuable piece of ground in pursuit of the pace-setting Wilkes-Barre Barons.

Don Manno, installed at the helm of the floundering Laurels when Jack Onslow “resigned,” was greeted enthusiastically yesterday by a throng of 1,039 faithful, but he could do little, hard as he tried, to repay the home folks for the fine response. He failed to hit in four trips to the plate, popping up to short in his first at bat, rolling to second in his second, fanning in his third and grounding to short in his fourth, which ended the game. The tying run was on second when Don came to the plate in the ninth and he tried hard to deliver. He shot the ball to right of Hal Quick but the fleet, little Williamsport captain, scooped it and made one of his sensational pegs to get his man.

A pulled muscle in his left leg was the reason for Manno’s recent absence from the line-up. Don is still hindered by his injury but he doesn’t like riding the bench. He had enough of that in Boston.