“York earned his run off his splendid three-base hit and Pike’s sacrifice fly ….“ Boston Globe, August 9, 1878, p2
Previous earliest use (Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd edition, 2009):
1ST USE. 1885. “[Cap] Anson’s long sacrifice fly to [Paul] Hines allowed [George] Gore to cross the plate, thus giving the Chicagos the lead” (Providence Evening Bulletin, July 30; Fred Ivor-Campbell).
