1951 Alberta Game Reports     

CHINOOK LEAGUE

Calgary Buffaloes
Calgary Purity 99
Calgary Universal Mercurys
Carstairs
Drumheller Miners
Standard

(May 15)   Calgary Purity rallied with three runs in the seventh inning Tuesday to down Calgary Mercurys 5-3 in the opening game of the 1951 Chinook League season before 1,200 fans at Buffalo Park. Mercurys broke a 2-2 tie with a singleton in the top of the seventh as Hank Bassen and Jack Smith belted two-baggers.  But an error in the bottom of the frame started the ball rolling for Purity and Dick Noon, Bing Weaver and Ray Kinasewich all scored to produce the 5-3 margin. Earlier Mick Gilday rapped a two-run single for the Mercs and Dick Noon tied it with a fifth inning homer with Ron English aboard. Shortstop Pete Scott led the winners with three hits. Brian Gibson yielded nine hits with six strikeouts and a walk in posting the pitching win. Jack Steele, the losing hurler, fanned ten, but allowed seven free passes.

Steele (L) and Sallis
Gibson (W) and Weaver

(May 16)   Calgary Buffaloes jumped into a 6-0 lead then had to fend off a ninth inning rally by Carstairs to post a 6-4 victory Wednesday at Buffalo Park.  The visitors teed off on Bob Foy in the last of the ninth to chase four runs across before reliever Ralph Stuart put down the uprising.  Catcher Tony Sawyer had given the Buffs the early lead with run scoring triples in the first and third innings and they added four in the seventh.  Sawyer led all hitters adding a single to his two three-baggers. Don Loewen and Lloyd Casebeer each had a pair for the losers. Bernie Hanna went five innings, allowing but three singles, to register the pitching win. Don Kirk took the loss.

Hanna (W), Foy (6), Stuart (9) and Sawyer
Kirk (L), Archer (6) and Brookman

(May 20)   The home crowd was not disappointed Sunday as the host Carstairs nine downed Drumheller 4-3 and 6-3 in a Chinook League double-header. In the first game, Carstairs took a 4-0 lead before the Miners got on the scoreboard with two in the seventh and another in the eighth. Lloyd Casebeer held the Miners to seven hits in hurling for the winners.

Unchelenko, Berry and Bertamini
Casebeer (W) and Brookman

In the nightcap, Carstairs again jumped out to a lead with four runs in the first inning and held on for the 6-3 triumph. Art Bertamini of the Miners belted one over the fence in the third inning, but was held up at third for a ground-rule triple. Bob Empey and Jimmy Berlando were tossed from the game for protesting an umpire's decision a little too vigorously. Schmick tossed a seven-hitter for the win.

R.Berlando, A.Berlando and Bertamini
Schmick (W) and Stevens

(May 20)  With a total of 37 runs in Sunday's double-header, Calgary Mercurys clobbered Standard in both contests at Buffalo Park, 12-4 in the first game, then 25-2 in the nightcap.  More than 1,800 fans took in the offensive display.  Surprisingly, a pitching performance was a highlight of the day. 18-year-old Bentley MacEwen fired a five-hitter for Calgary and racked up 18 strikeouts in the second game. Both runs against him came as a result of errors. Catcher Harry Bullen led a 13-hit attack with four hits, including a pair of doubles. He scored five times. Jack Smith knocked in five runs with a triple, double and single.  Standard out-hit the Mercs 10-7 in the first game but sloppy play in the field killed their chances of victory.  Jack O'Neill went the distance on the hill for the winners.

Olynuk (L), Hughes, xxx and McLeod
O'Neill (W) and xxx

Serbu (L), Axelson (2), Nielsen (5), Hughes (8), Tkachuk (8) and McLeod
MacEwen (W) and Bullen

(May 22)  In another Chinook League blow out, Calgary Buffaloes stomped Purity 99 14-4 Tuesday at Buffalo Park. The defeat was mainly self-inflicted as Purity made eight errors, four of them by catcher Bing Weaver, and handed out 12 free passes and committed six wild pitches.  Buffalo hurler Ralph Stuart held Purity to seven hits and fanned eight in posting the win.

Brookes (L) and xxx
Stuart (W) and Sawyer, Kilroe (3)

(May 24)   Calgary Purity gained some revenge for Tuesday's 14-4 whacking by the Buffaloes when they whipped the Buffs 7-2 Thursday night.  Lloyd Bradley scattered six hits for the win while the 99s pounded 13 safeties off Jerry Whitney, four by shortstop Peter Scott and three by catcher Bing Weaver. Reg Clarkson poked a double and two singles for the losers.

Bradley (W) and Weaver
Whitney (L) and Kilroe

(May 25)   With cold, westerly winds blowing across the diamond, Carstairs got outstanding mound work from southpaw Don Kirk Friday to down the Mercurys 5-1. Kirk allowed just five hits, racked up ten strikeouts without a walk.  Vern Jewel, on the hill for Calgary yielded just four singles but allowed eight walks and three resulted in runs. Carstairs sewed up the contest in the fourth when they coupled three hits with a walk for three scores. They added singletons in the sixth and ninth. Kirk pitched shutout ball until the ninth when the Mercurys got on the scoreboard with an error and a single.

Kirk (W) and Brookman
Jewel (L) and Bullen

(May 27)   Carstairs remained atop the Chinook League standings taking a double-header from Standard 6-4 and 8-7. Ken Ing tossed an eight-hitter with 13 strikeouts to win the opener besting Dale Nielsen

Ing (W) and xxx
Nielsen (L) and xxx

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(May 27)  At Drumheller, Purity and the Miners divided a twin-bill. The home club took the first game 5-2 and Purity rebounded to win the second, 11-9.  Roger Berlando hurled four-hit ball in the opener for the pitching win.  Miners got singles by Art Bertamini, Johnny McLellan and Roger Berlando in the third to score three runs after Frank Losoncy reached with a single, Jim Saville was safe on an error and Bob Empey reached on a fielder's choice. Both Purity runs came as a result on infield errors. Miners rapped 12 hits

Gibson (L) and Thederahn
R.Berlando (W) and A.Berlando

Miners out-hit the visitors 15 to 8 in the nightcap and took the lead with five runs in the eighth inning but nine errors helped Purity notch the victory. Purity rallied with three in the ninth. Lloyd Bradley's hard hit ground ball to centre field went for four bases. Bing Weaver drew a walk, Bill Begg reached on an error and Bill Thederahn was hit by a pitch. Pinch hitter Jim Lenz punched a single to score two.  Chuck McKenzie was the winning hurler.

McKenzie (W) and xxx
Berry, A.Berlando and xxx

(May 27)  With better pitching, hitting and fielding Calgary Buffaloes notched twin victories over the Universal Mercurys Sunday, 7-4 and 5-3.  Lefty Willis and Ralph Stuart took care of the hurling, each with a complete game six-hitter. Buffs rapped 11 hits in the first game and added 13 in the second. They made just two errors while the Mercs booted the ball three times in the opener and five more times in the second game.  Reg Clarkson led the winners in game one with a home run and two singles. Bob Pitts and Fred Storey led the hit parade in the second contest each with three safeties.

Willis (W) and Sawyer
Steele (L) and Sabo

Stuart (W) and Kilroe
Doray (L) and Bullen

(May 31)  The home debut for Standard was spoiled Thursday due to the late arrival of the Drumheller Miners. The club arrived two hours late and the clubs were able to get in only three innings before darkness forced the game to be cut short.  At the time, Drumheller had a 5-0 lead.  Standard requested the game be awarded to them as a forfeit while the Miners will seek to have a replay.

(June 1)   At Carstairs Friday, Calgary Purity 99 notched an 8-4 decision over the home club.

(June 2)   Ken Ing was a force both as a pitcher and a hitter Saturday leading Carstairs to a 17-3 trouncing of Standard.  It was the fifth straight loss for Standard.  Ing allowed just six hits in hurling the full nine innings while leading a 21-hit attack with four hits in five trips to the plate. 

Olynuk (L), Axelson and Hackler
Ing (W) and Stevens

(June 8)  Carstairs built up a 5-0 lead Friday and hung on for a 5-3 verdict over the Calgary Buffaloes. Reg Clarkson's three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth was the bright spot for the Buffs. Fred Archer, with 8th inning relief by Don Kirk, registered the pitching win. Five errors hurt Calgary's chances.

Archer (W), Kirk (8) and Brookman
Hanna (L) and Kilroe

Carstairs    7 - 2
Buffaloes    4 - 2  1.5
Purity       4 - 2  1.5
Mercurys     2 - 4  3.5
Drumheller   1 - 3  3.5
Standard     0 - 5 
5.0

(June 10)   The Calgary Mercurys and the hometown Miners split a double-header at Drumheller Sunday. Calgary took the opener 4-1 but took a beating in the nightcap losing 12-2. Teenage lefty Bentley MacEwen held the Miners to six-hits and had eight strikeouts in a complete game performance in the first game. Third baseman Hank Bassen had a pair of two-baggers to lead the winners. His double in the fourth inning drove in two runs. Calgary had just five hits overall but six Drumheller errors made it easy for the visitors.

MacEwen (W) and Bullen
A.Berlando, T.Degenstein and Bertamini

In the second game, Calgary took the lead with a run in the top of the first inning, but then the Miners took charge pounding 13 hits off three Calgary hurlers in crushing the Mercs 12-2 behind the five-hit pitching of Roger Berlando. Miners scored a pair in the third to go ahead then added two more in the fifth and put the game on ice with four markers in the sixth, two coming home on a triple by Jimmy Saville.

O'Neill (L), Steele, Smith and Sabo, Sallis
R.Berlando (W) and Bertamini

(June 10)  Before a crowd of about 1,500, Purity 99 and the Buffaloes each won a game in Sunday's twin-bill. Purity took the first game 9-3 while the Buffs erased an early deficit to take the evening affair 9-6. Reg Clarkson, the Buffaloes' second sacker, was the big offensive force in the second game driving in five runs with a single, double and two-run homer.  He also sparkled on defense.  Buffs fell behind 6-2 after three innings but rallied with a singleton in the fifth, four in the seventh and two in the eighth for the win. Ralph Stuart settled down after early troubles to blank Purity over the last six innings. He allowed ten hits. Bill Brookes took the loss giving up seven hits and nine walks in six-plus innings of work. In the first game, Purity took a 5-0 lead after two innings and coasted to the 9-3 win. The 99s took advantage of seven hits, seven errors and 12 walks to notch the easy triumph. Brian Gibson went the distance for the mound victory.

Willis (L) and Kilroe
Gibson (W) and Weaver

Stuart (W) and Kilroe
Brookes (L), McKenzie (7) and Thederahn

(June 12)  Calgary Purity and Carstairs battled to a 3-3, 11-inning draw in a game at Carstairs. The game was called because of darkness.  Lloyd Bradley of Purity and Don Kirk hooked up in an outstanding pitching duel.

Bradley and xxx
Kirk and xxx

(June 12)   Calgary Mercurys fell into an early 5-0 deficit but battled back to down the Buffaloes 10-8 with a 16-hit onslaught, aided by seven Buffalo errors.  Herb Goodwin and Harvey Wylie each had four hits. Mercs rallied with three in the third, two on Bob Wylie's homer. The Buffs responded with home runs by Archie Wilder and Bill Fennessey in the fourth to lead 7-3. Errors in the fifth and sixth innings led to four runs for the Mercurys and they plated the winner with two more in the seventh on four straight singles. The Buffs came close in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on base when Bruce Patterson singled to centre, but Cliff Kliewer was tagged out at the plate to end the game. Wilder led the losers with his homer, double and single. Jack Steele, who relieved starter Vern Jewel in the fourth, was the winning hurler.

Jewel, Steele (W) (4) and Bullen
Whitney (L), Patterson (7) and Kilroe

(June 13)   A four-run outburst in the eighth inning gave Carstairs a 5-3 victory over Calgary Mercurys Wednesday night.  Helped by a costly error, Mercs took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning but that's all they could muster against the two-hit pitching of Ken Ing. Wally Thrun took the loss giving up eight hits.

Thrun (L) and Bullen, Sabo (4)
K.Ing (W) and Brookman

(June 14)   Hal Price fired a six-hitter, fanning 13 Thursday as Sceptre downed the Calgary All-Stars 8-4.  The locals dented Price for three runs in the second inning highlighted by Pete Scott's triple and Bob Wylie's four-bagger but that's about the only offense the locals could muster against the starry left-hander. The visitors had opened with a three-spot in the first inning and added singletons in the fourth and fifth before another three-run frame in the sixth. Sceptre banged out 13 hits against three Calgary hurlers. Pedro Osorio belted a homer and double for the victors.

Price (W) and Garay
Gibson, MacEwen (4), O'Neill (7) and Weaver, Bullen (7)

(June 15)   Eddie Archer fired a one-hitter Friday in blanking the Calgary Buffaloes 7-0 at Carstairs.  Opposing pitcher Bernie Hanna singled in the sixth for the only safety off Archer who racked up ten strikeouts. Carstairs took advantage of seven Calgary errors.

Hanna (L) and xxx
Archer (W) and xxx

(June 15)  At Drumheller, Standard won its first game downing the Miners 4-3. Dale Nielsen was the hero for the winners with a strong pitching performance and a two-run homer to spark the offense.  Jimmy Saville banged a homer for Drumheller. Dan Hackler had three of the six hits for the winners.

Nielsen (W) and F.Hackler
Unchelenko, A.Berlando and Bertamini

(June 15)  A hail storm forced  the cancellation of Friday's scheduled game at Buffalo Park between the Mercurys and Purity.

(June 17)   Standard, the cellar-dwellers in the Chinook Baseball League, notched a 9-7 victory over Calgary Buffaloes in the first game of Sunday's double-header, but the Buffs rebounded in the second to win 8-5.  A feature of the opener was a circuit blow by Standard's Harvey Okleman.  Buffs hurler Mel Lyshricka racked up 12 strikeouts in hurling an eight-hitter in the second game.

Willis, Patterson (L) (5) and Sawyer
D.Hackler and Frank Hackler

Lyshricka (W) and Sawyer
Axelson (L), Hughes (2) and F.Hackler

(June 17)   Jimmy Saville who smacked a homer in the first game, rapped a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning of the second game to bring in all three runners as Drumheller rallied to beat Calgary Purity 9-8 in the nightcap of Sunday's double-bill after Purity had out-scored the Miners 2-1 in a rain-shortened affair in the first game. Later, league President Sam irving threw out the result, declaring "no-contest" due to a technicality regarding an umpire's duties.  Errors led to both Calgary runs in the opener as Purity had just two hits in the five-inning contest. Jim Berlando moved from the infield to the mound for the second game and scattered seven hits for the pitching victory. He walked eight and fanned eight.

McPhee and Bertamini
Bradley and Thederahn

Berlando (W) and Steele
McKenzie (L), Bradley (9) and Thederahn, Weaver

(June 20)  The Chinook League's two bottom teams have produced the top hitters a month into the schedule. Drumheller's Jim Saville tops the list with a .448 average in 29 at bats. John Tkachuk of Standard is well back in second place with a .387 mark in 31 at bats. Reg Clarkson of the Calgary Buffaloes, who leads or is tied in most other categories, is third in average at .359. Clarkson, the former pro player with Vancouver, leads in hits, 14, runs batted in, 16, and is tops in doubles, 5, and home runs, 3. He shares the top spot in runs scored, 11, with Bob Wylie of the Mercurys and Frank Stone of the Buffs. Clarkson, Harry Bullen of Mercs and Joe Kreski of the Buffs lead in the steals department, each with four. Lloyd Bradley, the Purity manager, leads the pitchers with a 4-0 won-lost mark while Don Kirk, the Carstairs southpaw, leads in strikeouts,with 34.  Bill Brookes of Purity has issued the most walks, 21.

       Player, Team       AB   H   PCT
       Saville DH         29  13  .448
       Tkachuk STD        31  12  .387
       Clarkson CGB       39  14  .359
       Loewen CS          37  13  .351
       Bertamini DH       26   9  .346
       Empey DH           29  10  .345
       Berlando DH        33  11  .333
       Wilson CS          30  10  .333
       Goodwin CGM        41  12  .293
       Pitts CGB          32   9  .281
       Scott C99          44  12  .273
       Kreski CGB         33   9  .273
       Rodway CS          33   9  .273
       Wylie Bob CGM      30   8  .267
       Smith CGM          42  11  .262
       Thederahn C99      27   7  .259
       Leisemer CS        35   9  .257
       Ing Bruce CS       36   9  .250
       Stone CGB          45  11  .244
       Wylie H. CGM       37   9  .243
       English C99        26   6  .231
       Casebeer M. CS     26   6  .231
       Wilder CGB         40  10  .250
       Fennessey CGB      46  10  .217
       VanWassenhove C99  40   8  .200

(June 21)    A pair of errors, the fifth and sixth of the game for the Calgary Buffaloes, allowed the Mercurys to score a pair in the top of the ninth inning for a 6-5 victory Thursday night at Buffalo Park.  Tied 4-4, Bernie Wylie drew a walk for the Mercs, went to second on a balk and came all the way home when losing pitcher Bruce Patterson threw wide of first on Herb Goodwin's grounder.  Goodwin took second on the play and scored what proved to be the winning run when catcher Rocky Kilroe's throw was off the mark at third as Goodwin went for the steal.  Buffs got one back in the bottom of the ninth on a bases-loaded single by Kilroe but they fell short. Bentley MacEwen pitched into the ninth for the win. He fanned ten and walked five. Each team had 11 hits with Archie Wilder and Tony Sawyer, both of the Buffaloes, leading the hitters, each with three.

MacEwen (W), Thrun (9) and Sabo
Patterson (L) and Kilroe

Carstairs    9 - 2
Purity       6 - 4  2.5
Buffaloes    6 - 7  4.0
Mercurys     5 - 6  4.0
Drumheller   3 - 6  5.0
Standard     2 - 6  5.5

(June 24)    Even power-hitting second sacker Reg Clarkson couldn't save the Buffaloes. Clarkson had four hits, including a homer and double, drove in three runs and scored three but Purity came out ahead in a wild 13-10 contest Sunday night.  After Purity notched six runs in the second inning and the Buffs responded with three, the score was 7-7 after just two frames. Clarkson's homer in the fourth put the Buffaloes in the lead but Purity plated three in the sixth and timely hits by Dick Noon and Pete Scott produced a pair in the seventh for the winning marker.  Lloyd Bradley picked up the win in relief of starter Brian Gibson.  Second baseman Reg VanWassenhove had a double and single and scored four runs.

Gibson, Bradley (W) (5) and Weaver
Lyshricka, Hanna (L) (2), Stone (9) and Sawyer

(June 24)   Calgary Mercurys got outstanding pitching to take both Sunday games from Standard 8-0 and 14-2. Wally Thrun fashioned a two-hit shutout in the opener while Jack O'Neill baffled the home club with a five-hit effort in the second game. O'Neill helped his own cause with a three-bagger. Mercs pounded out a total of 26 hits, 16 in the second game.  Dave Nielsen took the loss in both games. His mates exhibited a porous defense making five errors in the opener and ten in the second game. 

Thrun (W) and Sabo
Nielsen (L), Hughes and F.Hackler

O'Neill (W) and Sallis
Nielsen (L) and Moffatt

(June 24)  Drumheller Miners swept Sunday's double-header at home, downing league-leading Carstairs 16-10 and 9-6. The first game featured a total of 29 hits, including five home runs, three by the visitors.  Don Loewen gave Carstairs an early lead with a grand-slam homer in the first inning. Lloyd Casebeer had circuit clout in the third and Mernus Casebeer ripped a three-run shot in the sixth. Jim McKinnon and Bob Empey connected for homers for the winners.  Miners broke open a close game with a six-run rally in the sixth inning started with a walk to pitcher Andy McPhee, singles by Frank Losconcy and Jimmy Berlando and doubles by Johnny McLellan and Jimmy McKinnon. Carstairs out-hit the Miners in both games, with 15 safeties in game one and 12 in the second. Errors, seven in each game, doomed their chances.

L.Casebeer, Smith, Baker and Stevens
Degenstein (W), A.Berlando, McPhee and Bertamini

In the evening contest, again Carstairs went ahead 4-0 in the top of the first inning. Miners battled back to tie then took the lead with three runs in the sixth as Jackie Andronyk doubled to bring in Dick Rosgen and Roger Berlando lashed a three-bagger to bring in Art Bertamini and John McLellan. Jimmy Berlando settled down after the rough first inning to pitch solid ball the rest of the way for the mound triumph.

K.Ing (L) and Brookman
J.Berlando (W) and Bertamini

(June 27)    As if 17 hits were not enough, Calgary Buffaloes were handed 11 walks Wednesday night as they staggered to a 13-10 victory over Purity 99.  Trailing 8-6 after six innings, the Buffs rebounded for four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth for the win. Shortstop Joe Kreski led the onslaught knocking in five runs with two doubles and two singles. Frank Stone swatted a triple, double and single and scored three times. Reg Clarkson slugged a triple and single and had three scores.  Dick Noon, losing hurler Bill Brookes and Reg VanWassenhove each collected three hits for the losers and Bill Begg rapped a homer and single.  Brookes gave up 17 hits, 11 walks, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches. Buffs manager George Petrunia was forced into the game in the first inning when catcher Tony Sawyer was injured. He singled twice, walked and even racked up a steal, of third base no less, and showed he still had some zip left behind the plate.

Stuart (W), Patterson (9) and Sawyer
Brookes (L) and Thederahn

Carstairs    9 - 4
Purity       7 - 5  1.5
Mercurys     7 - 6  2.0
Buffaloes    7 - 8  3.0
Drumheller   5 - 6  3.0
Standard     2 - 8  5.5

(June 29)   Lloyd Bradley's 5-0 pitching mark came to an abrupt end Friday as the Mercurys blasted him for 19 hits, all singles,  in a 13-4 rout of the Purity 99s.  Bradley did rack up 12 strikeouts. Bud Doray held Purity to six hits in going the distance for the pitching win.  Right fielder Bernie Wylie led the hit parade with four safeties, Bob Wylie, who scored four times, and Herb Goodwin each had three. Everyone in the Mercs lineup had at least one hit. The Mercurys won in spite of making eight errors.

Doray (W) and Bullen
Bradley (L) and Weaver

(July 2)  Calgary All-Stars and the barnstorming House of David split one-run victories Sunday in exhibition ball at Buffalo Park. Stars took the afternoon affair 6-5 and dropped the evening game 8-7 after rallying from an 8-2 deficit. The Pepper-Ball action drew raves of the more than 4,000 fans. The antics of manager George Anderson and catcher Ray Fox had the customers roaring.  Reg Clarkson's four-bagger in the third inning of the opener was among the highlights. Wally Thrun limited the Davids to eight hits to pick up the first game victory. Stars collected nine of All Kish.  With an 8-1 lead, the bearded baseballers coasted in the second game until the seventh inning when the All-Stars got one run then erupted in the ninth for five more before Homer Garner managed to end the rally.  Each team had 12 hits in the nightcap.

Kish (L) and xxx
Thrun (W) and xxx

Garner (W) and Anderson, Fox (9)
Steele (L), O'Neill (6) and Weaver, Thederahn (8)

(July 2)  Standard and the Calgary Buffaloes divided a twin-bill at Standard Sunday. The home club easily took the afternoon contest 10-5 and hung on until the 12th inning in dropping the second game 9-4. 

(July 3)  Reg Clarkson, the Buffaloes' slugger, put on a display of speed Tuesday to notch the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in an 8-7 victory over league-leading Carstairs. The Buffs' shortstop beat out an infield grounder and stole second. He advanced to third when hurler Don Kirk tried to trap him off the bag. Clarkson then scampered home on Joe Kreski's long fly to right field. Clarkson led the hitters with three safeties and three runs scored. Bernie Hanna scattered ten hits to gain the mound victory.  Kirk allowed eight hits and fanned ten in taking the loss.

Kirk (L) and Stevens
Hanna (W) and Sawyer

(July 5)   Don Loewen of Carstairs boosted his average by 24 points in the last two weeks to take over the league's batting race with a .375 average.  Reg Clarkson of the Buffaloes has climbed to second, hitting .368. Clarkson leads in just about every significant category - doubles, 6, home runs, 4, stolen bases, 9, runs batted in, 22, runs scored, 25, and hits 25.  Ralph Stuart of Buffaloes is the top moundsman with four wins to three for Bentley MacEwen of the Mercurys.  Don Kirk of Carstairs has the most strikeouts, 51.

(July 6)   Calgary Mercurys downed the Buffaloes 7-4 Friday to move to within a half-game of first place Carstairs.  Right-hander Bud Doray held the Buffs to eight hits and fanned nine in his route-going performance. Mercs collected 12 hits, with five starters with two hits apiece. Bob Wylie and Harry Bullen each added two runs.

Doray (W) and Bullen
Patterson (L) and Gilbert

(July 6)  Carstairs held off a ninth inning rally by Purity Friday to post an 8-7 victory behind the eight-hit pitching of Eddie Archer who went the route fanning six batters and walking six. Bill Brookes took the loss, giving up eight hits and seven free passes.  Carstairs held an 8-5 lead after eight innings before Dick Noon cracked a triple to score two runs in the ninth for Purity. However, Noon was trapped trying to steal home and Archer got a strikeout to end the game.

Brookes (L) and Weaver
Archer (W) and K.Ing

Carstairs   10 -  6
Mercurys     9 -  6  0.5
Buffaloes   10 - 10  2.0
Purity       7 -  7  2.0
Drumheller   6 -  6  2.0
Standard     3 - 10  5.5

(July 8)   With a sweep of Sunday's twin-bill over Standard, the Calgary Mercurys have overtaken Carstairs for first place in the Chinook Amateur Baseball League. Mercs had little trouble in the opener, winning 12-1 as Bentley MacEwen fired a two-hitter and fanned 12.  Mercurys rapped 11 hits, three by shortstop Archie Scott. In the nightcap, Hank Bassen singled in the eighth inning to score the winning run.  Winning pitcher Jack Steele walked and stole second before romping home on Bassen's safety.  Steele allowed just three hits and struck out seven. Losing hurler Dale Nielsen gave up eight hits and rang up 12 strikeouts.

Hughes (L) and Moffatt
MacEwen (W) and Sabo

Nielsen (L) and F.Hackler
Steele (W) and Sallis

(July 8)   It was a day for the batters as Calgary Buffaloes came away with wins in both games of Sunday's double-header at Drumheller. Buffs took the opener 9-8 before running away with a 13-5 decision in the abbreviated second game. It was cut short to five innings because of rain.  Miners out-hit the visitors 13-12 in the first game, although Reg Clarkson and Frank Stone of the Buffs had the big blows with three-baggers. In the second game, Archie Wilder went three-for-three for Calgary with a pair of doubles.

Lyshricka, Patterson and Gilbert, Petrunia
McPhee, Berlando and Bertamini

Hanna (W) and Gilbert
Berlando, Savartka, Degenstein, Unchelenko and Steele

(July 10)    After allowing Mercurys to tie the game 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Purity broke loose for three in the 12th inning Tuesday to down the Mercs 7-4.  Dick Noon started the extra-inning rally with a single to centre. Lloyd Bradley drew a free pass and Reg VanWassenhove singled to load the sacks. Ron English knocked in the winning run with a hit to centre. Bradley scored on a throwing error and the third run came home on a bobble of an infield grounder. Mercurys were retired in order in the bottom of the 12th. Mercs had tied the match with two out in the ninth on singles by Bernie Wylie and Harry Bullen. Bradley and losing hurler Wally Thrun both went the full 12 innings, each giving up eight hits.

Bradley (W) and Weaver
Thrun (L) and Bullen

(July 13)   Calgary Buffaloes took advantage of wildness by Mercurys starter Jack O'Neill to score five runs in the first two innings en route to an 8-3 victory Friday night. A hit batsman and two walks led to a run in the first and three more free passes and two hits resulted in four makers in the second. Bentley MacEwen relieved O'Neill in the third and put on quite a show. First, the first three men he faced loaded the bases before he got three straight outs to get out of trouble. He went on to fan 12 in his seven innings of work. Bruce Patterson spaced seven hits to earn the pitching win.

Patterson (W) and Gilbert
O'Neill (L), MacEwen (3) and Bullen

(July 15)  In a pair of well pitched games, Calgary Purity downed Standard 3-1 and 2-1 to move into a tie for second place in the Chinook League standings, just a half-game back of Carstairs. Brian Gibson was touched for just three hits and fanned 16 in an outstanding effort in the first game.  Glen Buckwald took the loss giving up nine hits. Lloyd Bradley yielded seven hits and racked up ten strikeouts to gain the win in the second game besting Keith Hughes, who surrendered just six safeties, but walked five.

Three hits in the seventh inning produced the winning margin in the opener.  Standard took the lead in the second game with a run in the second inning when Eddie Watt drove in Gordon Grant who had doubled. Hughes then blanked Purity through six frames until the seventh when Lloyd Bradley's two-bagger brought in Bing Weaver to tie at 1-1.  Purity got the winning in the eighth when Dick Noon singled and scored on a safety by Paul Sembalik. Standard had a chance in the ninth when Dan Hackler doubled, advanced on an infield grounder but was called out at home as Ernie Rucks missed an attempted bunt. 

Buckwald (L) and F.Hackler
Gibson (W) and Thederahn

Hughes (L) and F.Hackler
Bradley (W) and Weaver

(July 17)   Calgary Mercurys downed Purity 6-3 Tuesday to jump into second place in the Chinook Baseball League standings with a 12-8 record, a few percentage points behind league-leading Carstairs.  Wally Thrun allowed nine hits and fanned nine in registering the win.  Mercurys had 12 hits with Harry Bullen and Jack Steele each banging out two doubles. Bullen scored three times. Chuck McKenzie took the loss.

McKenzie (L) and Thederahn
Thrun (W) and Bullen

Carstairs    10 -  6 
Mercurys     12 -  8
Buffaloes    13 - 10
Purity       10 -  8
Drumheller    6 -  8
Standard      3 - 14

(July 20)   Calgary Mercurys rallied for eight late runs to upend Carstairs 11-7 and take over first place in the Chinook loop. Carstairs held a 4-3 lead up to the seventh when the Mercs plated four runs and followed up with four more in the eighth.  Down 11-4, Carstairs rallied for three in the ninth but it was too little, too late. Three hits, a walk and an error produced the seventh inning results for the Mercurys while extra base blows did the damage in the 8th. Jack Steele and Mick Gilday cracked three-baggers while Herb Goodwin blasted his second double of the game. Bernie Wylie singled to round out the scoring. Bud Doray hurled the win for the Mercurys giving up nine hits. The winners had 11 off lefty Don Kirk who also allowed seven free passes and fanned 13. Doray stuck out 10.

Kirk (L) and K.Ing
Doray (W) and Bullen

(July 22)    Playing at Standard, Carstairs and the home crew split a high scoring double-header. Standard got a run in the bottom of the ninth to overcome a six-run eighth inning by Carstairs to win 9-8. The visitors, who out-hit Standard 13-10 in the first game, added 12 more in the second, winning 12-7 behind an eight-hit performance by Don Loewen. Keith Hughes, who picked up the win in relief in the first game, took the loss as the starter in the evening encounter.

K.Ing (L) and Brookman
J.Hackler, Hughes (W) (8) and F.Hackler

Loewen (W) and Brookman
Hughes, Buckwald (5), Nielsen (6) and F.Hackler.

(July 22)   With a triple-header sweep of the Drumheller Miners, Purity 99s have taken over second place in the Chinook standings, just a half game back of the league-leading Mercurys and a half-game up on Carstairs. Purity took both games of the scheduled double-bill 10-9 and 8-4 as well as the completion of an earlier contest, held up by rain June 17th with Purity in the lead 2-1. Play resumed in the sixth inning and the 99s added to their margin with a run in the seventh, but the Miners capitalized on an error in the ninth to tie the score at 3-3.  In the 10th, an error ended the tussle when Lloyd Bradley, trapped between third and home was hit by a throw from the catcher and scored the winning run.

McPhee (L) and Bertamini
Bradley (W) and Thederahn

Trailing 9-7 after seven innings in the afternoon game, Purity got two in the eighth and the winner in the bottom of the ninth for the 10-9 victory. Bill Thederahn smacked a single to bring in Paul Sembalik with the deciding marker. Brian Gibson battled through eight errors by his defense to register the win with an eight-hitter.

McPhee (L), A.Berlando (9) and Bertamini
Gibson (W) and Weaver

While they waited until the 10th to win the completion game and the ninth to wrap up the afternoon contest, Purity put the evening game away in the first inning, scoring five times as Drumheller starter Frank Fodor faced five batters and all scored.  While the Miners out-hit Purity 13 to 7, five errors helped run up the count. The 99s played error less ball. Bill Brookes, usually in trouble with his control, issued just two walks in gaining credit for the win.

Fodor (L), Berlando (1) and Bertamini
Brookes (W) and Weaver

(July 23)   Carstairs climbed back into the top spot in the league standings Monday with a 4-3 victory over the Mercurys in an exciting tussle. Carstairs plated two runs in each of the second and fifth innings and held a 4-0 lead after eight frames. But the Mercs battled back and came within one on Sallow's three-run homer in the top of the ninth. Eddie Archie had a five-hitter for the win while Wally Thrun allowed just three hits in taking the loss.

Thrun (L) and Sabo
Archer (W) and Brookman

(July 24)   Young Bentley MacEwen fired a three-hitter, fanning 13, the lead Mercurys to a 4-1 triumph over Purity. The only run against the left-hander came in the third inning when Lloyd Bradley blasted a liner to centre field. Mick Gilday charged the ball on the bounce but it got by the centre fielder and rolled to the fence for a home run. Herb Goodwin rapped one over the left field fence for the Mercs.  Goodwin, the first sacker, also had a single and scored twice.

Bradley (L) and Weaver
MacEwen (W) and Sallis

(July 27)   13 innings, 15 runs, 19 hits, 11 errors and 14 walks.  It was quite the evening at Buffalo Park Friday. Carstairs and Purity battled for four extra innings before the 99ers plated a run with two out to post an 8-7 victory. The game was delayed for half-an-hour in the second inning when fuses in the lighting equipment had to be replaced. Both pitchers, Brian Gibson of Purity and Don Kirk of Carstairs, went the distance. Kirk showed signs of weakening in the last frame and was responsible for the winning run when he threw a wild pitch with Jim Wallace perched on third.  It was the third run of the day for Wallace. Carstairs had taken a 7-6 lead in the eighth when Don Loewen's fly to centre brought in Kirk to break the tie. But, Ron English tied it up again in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth with a long blow over the centre field fence. In the 13th, Gibson reached on an error and Kirk walked both Wallace and Lloyd Bradley. The lefty hurler picked off Gibson at third but the two remaining runners advanced on a passed ball and Wallace got the winner on Kirk's wild pitch. Gibson got the win allowing 10 hits and six walks. Kirk, who fanned 16, gave up nine hits and eight free passes.

Kirk (L) and Bertamini
Gibson (W) and Weaver

(July 29)   Calgary Buffaloes took both Sunday games from the Drumheller Miners, 9-3 in the afternoon and 12-8 in the evening after coming from behind a 6-0 deficit.  In the afternoon, Bruce Patterson had a no-hitter for five innings before finishing with a seven-hit effort in the 9-3 decision. Patterson and Bob Pitts each had two hits as the Buffs took the lead with two in the first and led all the way.

McPhee (L) and Bertamini
Patterson (W) and Gilbert

Miners jumped into a 6-0 lead after just two innings of the second game and newcomer Allie Molyneaux on the hill for Drumheller looked to be a winner fanning six of the first seven batters to face him. But, the Buffaloes got to him for two in the third and three more in the sixth when he gave way to Jim Berlando with two runs in, the bases loaded and none out. Berlando quelled the uprising allowing just one marker. Molyneaux tried again in the seventh but was greeted by an inside-the-park homer by Frank Stone and a single by Bill Fennessey. Berlando returned to the mound, but this time the Buffs scored three times before he struck out the side. Joe Kreski led a ten hit attack with three hits and three runs scored. Stone had a single in addition to his four-master and had three scores. Jimmy McKinnon smacked four hits for the Miners.

Molyneaux, Berlando (6), Molyneaux (7), Berlando (7) and Steele
Hanna (W) and Kilroe

(July 29)   Carstairs tromped Standard 14-2 Sunday in the first game of a scheduled double-header. The second game was called after Standard batted in the top of the ninth with the scored tied. A town by-law forbids baseball after seven o'clock on Sunday evening. The game is to be resumed at a later date.

(July 31)   A five-run sixth inning carried Calgary Mercurys to a 6-2 victory over Carstairs. Bentley MacEwen twirled a four-hitter, walked seven and fanned 12 in gaining the pitching win. Bob Wylie sparked the winners with a homer and a single, scoring twice. Mick Gilday had a double and two singles.

Archer (L) and Bertamini
MacEwen (W) and Sabo

Mercurys     15 -  9
Purity       13 -  9  1.0
Carstairs    14 - 10  1.0
Buffaloes    13 - 10  1.5
Drumheller    7 - 12  5.5
Standard      4 - 18 10.0

(August 1)   An eighth inning error at first base allowed the Calgary Buffaloes to come away with a 6-3 victory over the Mercurys in a Chinook League encounter Wednesday at Buffalo Park.  With the first two hitters retired on strikes, Frank Stone hit a grounder to pitcher Wally Thrun who relayed to Herb Goodwin but the first sacker dropped the ball. Fred Storey followed with a walk and then singles by Joe Kreski, his fourth, and Archie Wilder brought in three runs for the victory.  A mental error in the top of the eighth had allowed the Mercurys to tie the count at 3-3. With the bases loaded and none out, the Buffs started off the field after turning a double play. Meanwhile, the two runners left romped around the bags and scooted home.  Mel Lyshricka posted a five-hitter with ten strikeouts for the win. Wally Thrun fanned 11 in taking the loss.

Thrun (L) and Sallis
Lyshricka (W) and Kilroe

(August 1)  At Carstairs, the hosts and Purity battled to a 2-2 draw, called at the end of nine innings on account of darkness.

(August 1)  Miners and Standard split a pair at Drumheller. The host club took the first game 9-8, the completion of a previous game postponed by rain after four innings. Angie Berlando got the pitching win as the Miners scored in the bottom of the ninth for the triumph.

D.Hackler (L) and F.Hackler
McPhee, A.Berlando (W) and Bertamini

Standard rebounded with two three-run innings, the first and the sixth, to notch a 6-4 win in the second game, behind the eight-hit hurling of Glen Buckwald.

Buckwald (W) and F.Hackler
R.Berlando, Molyneaux and Bertamini

(August 3)   There's a three-way tie for first place in the Chinook Amateur Baseball League after Friday wins by Purity and Carstairs. Purity scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning on a fielder's choice, a walk, balk and an error to shade Buffaloes 6-5 to slip into a first place draw with Carstairs and the Buffs. Pinch hitter Lloyd Bradley reached on the fielder's choice then advanced on a walk to Jim Wallace and balk by losing pitcher Bernie Hannah before scoring on an error.  Purity had rebounded from a 5-0 deficit to tie with a big  6th inning, all the runs scoring after two were out. Bill Brookes drove in Pete Scott who had doubled to lead off the inning.  Bing Weaver, on with a walk, scored on a wild throw to home. More walks and Reg Van Wassenhove's double resulted in three more markers.  

Hannah (L) and Kilroe
McKenzie, Brookes (W) (5) and Weaver

(August 3)   At Carstairs, the home club blanked Calgary Mercurys 6-0 Friday.

Purity     14 -  9 
Carstairs  15 - 10 
Buffaloes  16 - 11 
Mercurys   15 - 11  0.5
Drumheller  8 - 13  5.0
Standard    5 - 19  9.5

(August 5)   Dale Nielsen twirled a four-hitter as Standard topped Purity 5-4 in the first of two. Standard had to come from behind after the visitors scored three times in the first inning. Brian Gibson allowed just five hits in taking the loss.

Gibson (L) and Weaver
Nielsen (W) and F.Hackler

Purity again plated three runs in the first inning of the second game. This time they poured it on to trounce the host club 11-2 behind Lloyd Bradley's four-hitter. The 99ers rapped 13 hits off a pair of Standard hurlers and were aided by 12 Standard errors.

Bradley (W) and Weaver
Hughes, J.Hackler (4) and Moffatt

(August 5)   Dust and wind hampered play, but both clubs turned in fine displays as the Mercurys and Drumheller split a pair. Bentley MacEwen won another as the Mercurys took an 8-5 decision in the first game. The lefty racked up ten strikeouts. John Makos fired a five-hitter as Miners scored four times in the first inning and held off an eighth inning rally by Calgary for a 5-4 triumph in the evening encounter.

MacEwen (W) and Sabo
McPhee, Savartka, Berlando and Bertamini

Steele (L) and Sabo
Makos (W) and Bertamini

(August 7)   Lefty Don Kirk was tough in the clutch in pitching Carstairs back into first place in the Chinook League standings. Kirk scattered nine hits, walked just two and fanned 13 as the visitors topped the Buffaloes 7-1 to take a half-game lead over Purity and a game advantage over the Buffaloes and Mercurys. Three runs in the first inning proved to be enough for Carstairs. Jack Riddle walked, Ron Leisemer singled and Don Loewen brought in the first run with a drive to centre. An error on the play allowed a second run and Loewen scored on an infield grounder. The only run against Kirk came on two errors and a passed ball. He came through with two men on base in the fourth to fan a pair to end the threat and got a strikeout with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth.

Kirk (W) and K.Ing
Stuart (L) and Gilbert

(August 9)   Drumheller Miners dropped the Washington Raindrops 11-7 in an exhibition game Thursday night. Miners took a big lead with one in the first inning and six in the second on four walks, three singles and an error.

(August 9)  Calgary Mercurys blew a 6-0 lead then came charging back with two in the eighth and four runs in the ninth inning to edge Purity 13-12 in a wild one at Buffalo Park Thursday evening.  Trailing 12-7, the Mercs drew closer on Jack Steele's two run homer over the left field fence in the eighth. In the ninth with two runs in, two out and two on base, Hank Bassen's Texas Leaguer to centre brought in the tying and winning runs.

O'Neill, Steele (W) (4) and Sabo
Gibson (L), Bradley (9) and Thederahn

(August 12)   Drumheller Miners took a pair Sunday from Calgary Purity, 9-1 and 4-1. In the opener, Purity's lone run, in the top of the first inning, was matched by a homer by Fred Unchelenko in the bottom of the first frame. Miners exploded for eight runs in the 8th.  Andy McPhee went the distance for the win holding the visitors to four hits. After playing error less ball in the first game, Miners made seven errors in the second game but still managed to hang on for the win as Jimmy Berlando fired a three-hitter. Brian Gibson took the loss.

Bradley (L) and Thederahn
McPhee (W) and Steele

Gibson (W) and Weaver
J.Berlando (L) and Steele

(August 14)  Universal Mercurys are back atop the league standings thanks to a 3-2 victory over Carstairs Tuesday night. Bentley MacEwen recorded his eighth win of the season, without a defeat, in limiting Carstairs to six hits. The losers booted the ball nine times.

MacEwen (W) and Bullen
Archer (L) and Brookman

(August 14)   In a slug-fest at Buffalo Park Tuesday night, Purity 99 edged the Buffaloes 12-10 in a game which featured 22 hits and 10 errors.  Catcher Bing Weaver led the winners with three hits, one a double, and three runs scored. Lloyd Bradley, who relieved in the 4th, picked up the win.  Mel Lyshricka was the loser.

Willis (L) Lyshricka (5) and Gilbert
Brookes, Bradley (W) (4) and Weaver

(August 14)  Although Reg Clarkson quit the baseball diamond for the football field in mid-July, his stick work remains prominent in hitting statistics for the Chinook League.  Clarkson remains at the top of the averages with a .382 mark in 76 at bats. Jim Berlando of the Drumheller Miners has jumped into the runner-up slot with a .378 average and Ken Ing of Carstairs is third, at .373.  Clarkson still leads in home runs, with four, stolen bases, 11, and runs batted in, 26. Bentley MacEwen of the Mercurys tops the hurlers with seven wins (he added his 8th Tuesday) and strikeouts, 95.

(August 15)    Angie Berlando fashioned a five-hit shutout Wednesday as Drumheller Miners blanked Standard 4-0. Glen Buckwald yielded just eight hits in taking the loss.

A.Berlando (W) and Steele
Buckwald (L) and Hackler

(August 16)    A stellar pitching performance by Wally Thrun was the highlight as the Mercurys pounded the Buffaloes 6-1 Thursday night to stretch their lead atop the league standings. Thrun had a no-hitter into the sixth, finishing with a two-hit, 11 strikeout effort.  Mercs, who had 11 hits, bunched three for their first two runs in the second inning. Three errors and two hits brought in the other four runs in the fifth. Buffs committed seven fumbles, four by Frank Stone at shortstop.  Catcher Harry Bullen and third baseman Hank Bassen each had a double and single for the winners.

Hanna (L) and Petrunia
Thrun (W) and Bullen

(August 17)   Outstanding relief hurling by Purity's Lloyd Bradley held the Mercurys at bay as the 99ers notched a 7-3 win Friday at Buffalo Park.  Bradley shutout the Mercs for 5 1/3 innings, fanning six, after relieving starter Brian Gibson in the fourth inning when the Mercurys scored a pair to tie the game at 3-3. Purity plated a pair in the fifth and another two in the seventh to give Bradley the mound triumph. Dick Noon led the winners with three hits.

Gibson, Bradley (W) (4) and Weaver
Doray (L) and Sabo

Mercurys   19 - 13 
Carstairs  16 - 11  0.5
Purity     17 - 13  1.0
Buffaloes  16 - 14  2.0
Drumheller 12 - 14  4.0
Standard    6 - 21 10.5

(August 19)  The weather decided the fourth and final playoff spot in the Chinook loop. Drumheller Miners were eliminated from the post-season when their scheduled double-header against Carstairs was rained out.  Previously, the number of games remaining for the Miners left them a small chance of earning the fourth slot ahead of the Buffaloes.

(August 19)   In a comedy of errors, Calgary Purity took advantage of the fumbles to crush Standard 6-3 and 25-5 to move into a first place tie with the Mercurys, each with 19 wins and 13 loses. Carstairs is just a half-game back. Standard committed seven errors in the first game and booted the ball 12 times in the evening game, called after six and a half innings to allow Standard to "meet transportation arrangements."  The 99ers scored in every inning in the shortened affair cracking 17 hits, four by Jim Lenz and three apiece by Dick Noon and Reg VanWassenhove, the second baseman who scored five times.  Jim Wallace added four runs and Peter Scott and Lenz each had three scores. Bill Brookes held Standard to five hits in registering the pitching win. Third sacker Bill Begg blasted a three-run homer to give Purity the edge in the afternoon. It was one of just four hits off loser Keith Hughes. Chuck McKenzie yielded nine hits in gaining the win.

Hughes (L) and Moffatt
McKenzie (W) and Thederahn

Nielsen (L), Buckwald (4), Hughes (6), Hackler (6) and Moffatt
Brookes (W) and Weaver

(August 20)   Left-handers Bentley MacEwen and Don Kirk put on a sparkling pitching show at Buffalo Park Monday night as the Mercurys escaped with a 4-2 victory over Carstairs. Unfortunately for Kirk, the winning run scored on a wild pitch. Kirk's wayward delivery in the eighth inning allowed Herb Goodwin to hustle home from third with the deciding counter. A following error brought in an insurance run.  MacEwen fired a five-hitter and struck out 16 for his ninth consecutive win, without a loss.  He walked three. Kirk allowed just four hits and fanned ten.  Ron Leisemer had three of the five hits for Carstairs.

Kirk (L) and Brookman
MacEwen (W) and Bullen

(August 21)   Calgary Buffaloes took the lead in the first inning and rolled to a 5-2 win over Standard Tuesday at Buffalo Park. The visitors were held scoreless until the eighth when they got their first run.  Buffs collected 11 hits off a pair of Standard hurlers with Frank Stone leading the hit parade with a triple and two singles. Bill Fennessey and Joe Kreski each rapped a pair of singles. Bernie Hanna picked up the mound victory in a relief role.

D.Hackler (L), Nielsen (6) and F.Hackler
Lyshricka, Hanna (W) (3) and Kilroe

(August 23)   Four Carstairs errors accounted for all five Purity runs as the 99ers won 5-4 scoring the winning run on a wild throw in the bottom of the ninth inning.  Lloyd Bradley was a beneficiary of the miscues, racking up his 11th win of the season with a nine-hit, 10 strikeout performance. Don Kirk was the tough-luck loser.  Carstairs out-hit Purity 9-8 with Ron Leisemer, Cyril Ing and Ken Ing each with two safeties.

Archer, Kirk (L) (8) and K.Ing
Bradley (W) and Weaver

(August 23)   Drumheller at Standard

(August 24)   Taking advantage of five errors in the first two innings, Calgary Purity took a 5-0 lead and went on to dump the Mercurys 7-2 to take over first place in the Chinook League standings. Brian Gibson held the Mercs to just six hits in going the distance for the win. He fanned ten and walked a pair. Losing hurler Wally Thrun gave up nine hits, fanned 13 with just one free pass. Gibson helped his own cause with a pair of hits, as did Dick Noon and Jim Wallace.

Thrun (L) and Bullen
Gibson (W) and Weaver

(August 26)   Mercurys lefty Bentley MacEwen put the finishing touches on an outstanding summer Sunday winning his tenth game without a loss in a 3-1 victory over Drumheller in the first game of a double-header. The teenager allowed just six hits while racking up 17 strikeouts to give him a league-leading 136 for the season. The lone run against him was unearned. Andy McPhee surrendered just five hits in taking the loss.

McPhee (L) and J.Steele
MacEwen (W) and Sabo

Archie Scott brought in Mick Gilday from third on a squeeze play in the bottom of the ninth to give Mercurys a 6-5 triumph in the second game.  Jack O'Neill had an eight-hitter for the win. Harvey Wylie had three hits and scored a pair for the Mercurys.

Andronyk, Berlando (L) (6) and Steele
O'Neill (W) and Sabo

(August 26)  Purity 99 swept both games at Standard, 6-1 and 7-1 to finish a half-game ahead of the Mercurys in top spot in the Chinook League standings.

FINAL STANDING
Calgary Purity          23 - 13 
Calgary Mercurys        22 - 14  0.5
Carstairs               16 - 13  3.5
Calgary Buffaloes       17 - 14  3.5
Drumheller              12 - 16  7.0
Standard                 6 - 26 
15.0

(August 29)   Reg Clarkson, the long gone, Buffaloes second sacker has been crowned the batting champion of the Chinook League.  Although he left the team in mid-July to begin preparations for pro football, Clarkson had enough at bats to be eligible for the title. His .382 mark was 12 points better than runner-up Bob Wylie of the Mercurys.  Purity's Lloyd Bradley had the most pitching wins, 12, but youngster Bentley MacEwen of the Mercurys had a sensational season with ten straight victories without a defeat and a league-leading 136 strikeouts in 93 innings and 1.35 earned run average.

PLAYOFFS

(September 3)    Purity, the Chinook pennant winners, got off on the fight foot in their semi-final playoff downing the Buffaloes 8-2 Monday afternoon. Lloyd Bradley scattered eight hits and fanned seven in going the distance for the winners. Purity broke open a tight game with four runs in the seventh and two more in the eight. The big blow for Purity was a homer by Jim LenzBill Fennessey replied with a four-bagger for the Buffs.

Hanna (L), Stone (7) and xxx
Bradley (W) and xxx

(September 3)  Bentley MacEwen continued his sterling mound season Monday evening hurling a seven-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks as Mercurys edged Carstairs 4-3 in the first game of their semi-final series. Don Kirk yielded just five hits in taking the loss. Mercurys got the win with a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Kirk (L) and Brookman
MacEwen (W) and Sallis

(September 4)   The 99ers of Purity blew an early 4-1 lead Tuesday but battled back with four runs in the fifth, two in the seventh and another in the eighth to down the Buffaloes 11-7 to win their best-of-three semi-final in two straight games. Ron English, with a double and two singles, led Purity's nine hit attack. Joe Kreski had three hits for the losers. Brian Gibson pitched to all but one batter for the win, but it was an important out. Lloyd Bradley came on in the ninth with the bases loaded and two out. He threw three straight balls to Bob Pitts before fanning the Buffs third baseman. Gibson fanned ten and walked nine.

Gibson (W), Bradley (9) and Thederahn
Lyshricka (L), Stone (5) and Sawyer

(September 5)   After a one-run defeat in the first game, Carstairs turned on the offense Wednesday in crushing the Universal Mercurys 10-2 to even their best-of-three semi-final at one game apiece.  Ed Archer held the visitors to two hits and racked up 11 strikeouts.  Carstairs cracked 11 hits off Wally Thrun and took advantage of eight Calgary errors.

Thrun (L) and Sallis
Archer (W) and Brookman

(September 6)   Ace lefties Don Kirk and Bentley MacEwen hooked up in another stellar pitching duel Thursday and Kirk came out on top in this one as Carstairs shaded Universal Mercurys 3-2 in the rubber match of their best-of-three series. Carstairs moves on to the final series against Purity.  More than 1,200 fans, most of them from Carstairs witnessed a thrilling mound battle which left MacEwen with his first loss of the season after 11 consecutive victories. Kirk fired a two-hitter, walked four and fanned 12. MacEwen allowed four hits, fanned 12 and walked two. All three Carstairs' runs were unearned. The winning marker came in the sixth inning. With Ken Ing on third, MacEwen's pitch to John Brookman got away from catcher Bob Wylie rolling about ten feet behind the plate. Wylie got the ball back to MacEwen but Ing slid in safely. 

Kirk (W) and Brookman
MacEwen (L) and Bob Wylie

(September 7)  Lloyd Bradley fired a five-hit shutout as Purity downed Carstairs 6-0 in the opening game of the Chinook League's best-of-five final series. Bradley, who won 12 games during the regular season, fanned seven and walked just one. Catcher Bing Weaver had a double and single and scored a pair for the winners. Peter Scott rapped a three-bagger. Ken Ing, for Carstairs, allowed just six hits but walked seven. He had 11 strikeouts.

K.Ing (L) and Brookman
Bradley (W) and Weaver

(September 9)   Calgary Purity scored a pair in the first inning and cruised to a 12-1 victory over Carstairs in the second game of the final series. Lloyd Bradley again handled the mound work for Purity allowing just eight hits while whiffing 11. Purity collected ten hits, including a triple by Dick Noon. Ed Archer took the loss.

Bradley (W) and Weaver
Archer (L) and Brookman

(Sept 11)   Calgary Purity 99 scored their 13th straight victory, five in the playoffs, a 1-0 nail-biter over Carstairs to capture the Chinook League championship.  Lloyd Bradley fired a three-hit shutout, his third straight playoff victory. Purity took the best-of-five series in three games.  Bradley had earlier hurled the 99ers to 6-0 and 12-1 victories. Lefty Don Kirk was the hard-luck loser, allowing just three hits.  An unearned run in the second inning was the difference.  Bill Begg led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice by Jim Lenz and to third on an infield grounder by Bill Thederahn. Bradley's fly to left was dropped and Begg scored the game's only run.  Carstairs missed an opportunity in the first as Bruce Ing was cut down at home on a throw by right fielder Jim Wallace.

Dick Noon of the 99ers made good on a promise after Purity took the title. He sand "Home on the Range" while standing on his head at home plate.

Kirk (L) and Brookman
Bradley (W) and Thederahn


BIG SIX LEAGUE (yes with Five teams)

Bow Island Combines
Lethbridge Cubs
Lethbridge Miners
Magrath Eagles
Taber Firemen

(May 20)   Taber Firemen, one of two new clubs in the Big Six League, got off to a great start taking both ends of Sunday's double-header from Bow Island-Burdett Combines, 7-2 and 6-0.  Lloyd Knibbs fired a six-hitter for the win in the opener. Ken McDonald had the key blow, a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning. Mac Crumley was the star of the second game with a sterling two-hit shutout. He struck out 13.

Wilfley (L) and Allen, Nielson (8)
Knibbs (W) and Pollard

Collins (L), Sevalrud (7) and Wilfley
Crumley (W) and Kerkoff

(May 20)   The Lethbridge Cubs and Miners split their season-opening double-header at Henderson Park Sunday in a pair of thrilling contests. Miners took the afternoon affair 4-2 when young Joe Tarnava cracked a single to right to score two runs in the ninth inning.  The nightcap went 11 innings before a bases-loaded walk to Vic Stasiuk gave the Cubs a 7-6 decision.  Wally Granberg went all the way for the winners allowing just seven hits. Stumpo Kimoto, a new recruit from the Coleman Cubs, hurled the Miners to the afternoon triumph although yielding 11 hits. Arnie Godlonton took the loss with a five-hitter.

Kimoto (W) and Deak
Godlonton (L) and Arisman

Ontko, Kucheran (L) (3) and Deak
Granberg (W) and Dea

(May 24)  The score indicated more of a basketball game than baseball as the Lethbridge Miners and the Belt Mallards from Montana squared off at Adams Park Thursday afternoon. Miners staggered off with a 24-21 victory in the first game of a scheduled double-header. Due to the length of the opener and the 40-mile an hour gale, which was a major reason for 22 errors and 40 base hits, the evening contest was canceled. Each side used four hurlers. Stumpo Kimoto was solid for the first five innings for the home squad, giving singletons in the third and fourth while the Miners racked up 12 runs. But the Americans roared back in the sixth, highlighted by Joe Jenkins grand slam blast, scoring nine times to trail by one, 12-11, before Lethbridge added another in the bottom of the sixth. Three in the top of the seventh gave the Mallards a 14-13 lead. It didn't last long. Matt Slavich crushed a grand slam homer in the bottom of the seventh as the Miners ran wild for 11 runs. Steve Odney and Joe Tarnava each had four hits for the winners. Pete Lysak cracked a homer for the Miners in the third. Jenkins and Tom Thompson were best at the plate for the Americans.

McCoombs, Dawson, Amper, Francis and xxx
Kimoto, Ontko (6), Andrews (8), Slavich (9) and xxx

(May 27)  Walt Pashuk twirled a four-hitter with ten strikeouts to lead Magrath Eagles to a 3-2 victory over Lethbridge Cubs in the first game of Sundays double-header at Magrath.  Cubs roared back to crush the Eagles 18-9 in the second game.  Howie Yanosik, winning pitcher Wally Granberg and Joe Arisman each produced two hits for the Cubs. Forrest Balderson cracked a homer for the losers.

Godlonton (L) and Dea
Pashuk (W) and G.Rice

Granberg (W) and H.Yanosik
Matthews (L), R.Johnson (5), D.Johnson (7) and G.Rice, Wheeler

(May 27)   Taber Firemen and the Bow Island Combines split Sunday's double-dip. Firemen had an easy time in the opener with a 14-3 decision as Lloyd Knibbs tossed a six-hitter for the win. Seven errors by the Combines helped Taber to the runaway victory. In the nightcap, Combines pulled out a 2-1 triumph behind the combined five-hit pitching of Bud Phillips and Lloyd SevalrudMac Crumley, who tossed a two-hitter last week, allowed just six hits in taking the loss.

Knibbs (W) and Pollard
Wilfley (L) and Long

Crumley (L) and Pollard
Phillips, Sevalrud (W) (6) and Allen, Wilfley (6)

(May 30)   In the battle for Lethbridge, the Miners topped the Cubs 6-4 Wednesday at Adams Park. Cubs took the lead with a run in the second inning as Mike Vaselenak singled to knock in Doran Berlando who had doubled. Miners tied the count in the third when Steve Odney drove in Rod Stafford who had walked. Cub errors and Arnie Godlonton's wildness led to three Miners' markers in the seventh. With a pair in the top of the eighth Cubs cut the Miners lead to 4-3. But the Miners added two more in the bottom of the eighth as winning pitcher Bill Kucheran doubled to plate George Rodzinyak and Stafford who had reached with singles.

Godlonton, Granberg (8) and Arisman, H.Yanosik
Kucheran (W) and Tarnava

(June 03)   Magrath Eagles received a pair of outstanding pitching efforts Sunday but could only gain a split of a double-header with Bow Island. Forrest Balderson surrendered just three hits in the opener but lost 4-2. Matt Matthews had a four-hitter in the second game in a 5-2 victory. Bill Sailer got the win in the first game with a seven-hit performance and took the loss in the second game after giving up three early runs. 

Sailer (W) and Long
Balderson (L) and G.Rice

Sailer (L), Sevalrud (5) and Allen, Wilfley (5)
Matthews (W) and G.Rice

(June 03)   Rain forced postponed of a pair of double-headers in Southern Alberta. Lethbridge Miners and Taber were rained out in the fourth inning of the first game with the Miners ahead 3-1 on Steve Odney's homer. An exhibition twin-bill between Lethbridge Cubs and Champion also took a back seat to the weather.

(June 10)   Lethbridge Miners swept into first place in the Southern Alberta Big Six League Sunday taking both games of a twin-bill from Magrath, 11-2 and 9-8, in an extra inning. Miners rapped 13 hits in the first game, highlighted by George Garrow's seventh inning homer. Steve Odney belted a triple and a double. Dick Sabey led the Eagles with a double and a pair of one-baggers. Bill Kucheran scattered eight hits in going the distance for the pitching win.

Pashuk (L), Balderson (3) and G.Rice
Kucheran (W) and Deak

Matt Slavich was the hero of the second game. The hard-hitting outfielder drove in the winning run and set down the Eagles in the final frame to register the pitching win.  With the score 8-8 in the bottom of the tenth, Slavich, who had three hits, drilled one back of shortstop to bring in Porky McLean who had reached with a walk. Miners needed a pair in the bottom of the ninth after the Eagles had taken the lead with five runs in the eighth. Jack Yucytus saved the day with a single to score both Steve Odney and Frank Deak who reached on errors. Stumpo Kimoto worked the first nine innings for the Miners giving up nine hits. Cal Alston, the Magrath outfielder, rapped a double and triple.

Pashuk (L) and Wheeler, G.Rice (8)
Kimoto, Slavich (W) (10) and Deak

(June 10)   Bow Island Combines downed Lethbridge Cubs 5-3 and 15-9 in Sunday's double-header at Bow Island. Shorty Collins hurled an eight hitter, with ten strikeouts, to take the win in the opener.  Keith Shaw led the Combines' attack with a double and two singles. Catcher Jim Wilfley added a triple and single. Darwin Walkingshaw belted a homer for the Cubs.

Granberg (L) and H.Yanosik
Collins (W) and Wilfley

Combines pounded out 18 hits in the second game, four by Pat Knibbs who had a triple and three singles. Clarence Emard cracked a three-run homer.  Lloyd Sevalrud and Shorty Collins combined on a three-hitter for the Combines but Sevalrud, who fanned 11 in his six innings of work, handled out 12 free passes. 

Godlonton (L) and H.Yanosik, Dea (6)
Sevalrud (W), Collins (7) and Wilfley

(June 13)  Rod Stafford drove one to left field in the bottom of the tenth inning to score Pete Lysak with the winning run as Lethbridge Miners shaded the Cubs 4-3.  Cubs had taken the lead with a run in the top of the tenth as Clarence Yanosik smacked a double for his third hit of the night and came home on Joe Arisman's single.  In their half of the tenth, Jack Yucytus opened with a two-bagger to right field and Lysak walked. An error allowed Yucytus to romp home to tie the game and Stafford followed with his game winner. Hector Negrello made his initial start of the season for the Miners and went the full ten frames giving up ten hits and racking up ten strikeouts. Arnie Godlonton took the loss, his fifth straight.

Godlonton (L) and Dea
Negrello (W0 and Tarnava

(June 15)   Bow River Combines have strengthened their roster with the acquisition of Andy Kapp and Bill Sailer from the now defunct Medicine Hat Tigers.

Miners     5 - 1
Firemen    3 - 1
Combines   3 - 3
Eagles     2 - 4
Cubs       2 - 6

(June 16)   Medicine Hat Tournament

(June 17)  The Lethbridge Cubs, embarrassed by an 18-1 shellacking by the Indian Head Rockets at the Medicine Hat Tournament Saturday, cut loose for 32 runs in an exhibition double-header against Carmangay.  Cubs took the opener 13-7 as Darwin Walkingshaw pitched for the first time in his career.  In the nightcap, Ivan Norris spun a one-hitter as Bob Fink's club romped to a 19-3 victory.  Steve Odney led the winners with three hits in each game.

Shearer (L) and xxx
Walkingshaw (W) and xxx

B.Rhodes (L), Shearer and xxx
Norris (W) and xxx

(June 17)   Behind a pair of strong mound performances, Lethbridge Miners took both games of Sunday's double-header with Bow Island, 10-3 and 6-1.  Stumpy Kimoto had a steady eight-hitter in the first game and shortstop turned pitcher Freddy Onofrychuk allowed just seven hits in the second game.

Kimoto (W) and Deak
Sevalrud (L), Collins (3) and Wilfley

Onofrychuk (W) and Deak
Sailer (L) and Wilfley

(June 17)   Taber Firemen swept their twin-bill with Magrath, 3-2 and 8-5. Mac Crumley had a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts in the first game. Bob Lindsay smashed three hits to lead Taber in the second game victory. Ted Kerkhoff pitched into the seventh to pick up the win. Dick Sabey, Wes Rice and Grant Wheeler each rapped three hits for the Eagles.

Balderson (L) and G.Rice
Crumley (W) and Pollard

Matthews (L) and Sabey
Kerkhoff (W), Knibbs (7) and Pollard

(Week of June 17)  Magrath Eagles crushed Del Bonita of the Boundary League 23-7 in an exhibition match at Del Bonita.

(June 30)  The Lethbridge Cubs take on the Southern Alberta Japanese All-Stars in a double-header Sunday at Henderson Park. The All-Stars will feature players from various teams in Southern Alberta. Stumpo Kimoto of the Lethbridge Miners, Art Oshiro of Vauxhall, Sid Saga of Magrath Evaks, John Ohno of the T.B.C., Kiyo Moriyama of the Picture Butte Bluebirds and Min Fujimoto of Rainier will handle the pitching duties.

Yas Kaga of the Taber Firemen and Mike Kano of T.B.C. will be the catchers. Other members of the squad are S. Kitagawa of Raymond, Push Matsumiya of Picture Butte, Yo Nishimura of Taber, Y. Kunimoto of Magrath, Yosh Matsumoto of Picture Butte, Fat Fujimoto of Rainier, Mush Uyesugi and Mace Oshiro of Picture Butte, Sam Mikado of Magrath and S. Karaki and M. Kitagawa of Raymond.

(July 1)   Before the largest crowd of the season at Henderson Park, more than 5,000, the Lethbridge Cubs notched a pair of wins over the Southern Alberta Japanese All-Stars, 5-0 and 9-2.  Arnold Godlonton, without a win in the Big Six League, had the pitching gem of the season in the first game, a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts.  Sid Saga allowed nine hits in taking the loss. Doran Berlando poked a homer for the Cubs. Wally Granberg allowed just three hits in the second game and racked up 12 strikeouts. Johnny Klem slapped a double and two singles to pace a 15-hit attack for the Subs. Catcher Billy Dea connected for a triple and double.

Saga (L) and Matsumoto
Godlonton (W) and H.Yanosik

Kimoto (L) and Kaga
Granberg (W) and Dea

(July 3)  The Lethbridge Cubs out-hit the bearded visitors 12-9 and had two big innings but still fell 11-9 to the House of David in an exhibition match Tuesday at Henderson Park.  The Davids took a 10-3 lead in the top of the fourth and withstood a six-run rally by the Cubs in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Feldman, who went just four innings, was credited with the win. Arnold Godlonton, who relieved started Ivan Norris after the lefty had walked the first three men he faced, was tagged with the loss. Centre fielder Jack Byrkett led the winners with three hits. Playing manager Bob Fink and Darwin Walkingshaw each rapped three for the Cubs.

Feldman (W), Carrol (5) and Fox
Norris, Godlonton (L) (1) and Dea

(July 6)  Matt Slavich cracked a seventh inning homer with Frank Deak aboard to give Lethbridge Miners a 6-4 triumph over the touring Ligon Colored All-Stars.  Stumpo Kimoto picked up the win in relief of starter Hec Negrello. Jay Brazzle went the route for the visitors, giving up 11 hits. The All-Stars had nine, including a homer by Sonny McCullough in the second frame. Pete Lysak had a triple, double and single for the Miners. Ken Broady and Bill Earl each had a pair for Ligon's.

Brazzle (L) and Scott
Negrello, Kimoto (W) (7) and Deak

(July 15)   With 15-4 and 3-1 victories over the Bow Island Combines, the Lethbridge Miners extended their lead atop the Big Six standings. Miners clubbed 15 hits in the opener to post the runaway triumph. Right fielder Matt Slavich paced the attack with four hits and Jack Yucytus chipped in with three doubles. Bill Kucheran scattered seven safeties in going the distance on the hill for the winners.

Sailor (L), VanBuskirk (6) and Wilfley
Kucheran (W) and Deak

Freddy Onofrychuk, enjoying his new role as a hurler, went all the way for the win in the second game. He yielded six hits, fanned seven and walked three. Miners had just four hits off a pair of Combines' chuckers, Lloyd Sevalrud and Jim WilfleyBert Knibbs of the Combines, was the game's top hitter with three safeties.

Sevalrud (L), Wilfley (7) and Allen
Onofrychuk (W) and Vogan

(July 15)   Arnold Godlonton and Wally Granberg hurled the Lethbridge Cubs to a double-header sweep at Taber Sunday, 9-5 and 6-4.  Godlonton tossed a four-hitter in the opener with seven strikeouts. Clarence Yanosik with a four-bagger and Steve Arisman and Vic Stasiuk each with three singles paced the winners. Garth Ledgerwood and Lou Pollard belted homers for Taber.

Granberg also had a four-hit effort as Cubs took the nightcap.

Godlonton (W) and Dea
Knibbs (L) and Kerkoff

Granberg (W) and xxx
Crumley (L), Kerkoff (5) and xxx

Lethbridge Miners            9 - 1
Taber Firemen                5 - 3
Lethbridge Cubs              4 - 6
Magrath Eagles               2 - 6
Bow Island-Burdett Combines  2 - 7

(July 20)   Stumpo Kimoto twirled a five-hitter Friday to help Lethbridge Miners edge the Cubs 4-3 to give the north side crew a two-game lead in the city's senior baseball championship series. The slim bespectacled right-hander needed to quash a Cubs' ninth inning rally for the win. Leading 4-1 after eight, the Cubs fought back in the ninth as catcher Billy Dea worked a free pass and Bob Fink followed with a two-bagger to bring Dea home. With one out, Clarence Yanosik belted a double to score the second run but Kimoto got a fly out and ground out to end the game. The first three Miners' runs all came as a result of errors. Stafford scored on an error in the first inning after receiving a walk. In the third, Steve Odney was safe on another miscue then stole second and scooted home on an error. Another fielding boot allowed Joe Tarnava to get on base in the fourth and he stole second and came home on George Garrow's single. Their only earned run came in the sixth as Jack Yucytus doubled and Garrow followed with his second single.

S.Kimoto (W) and Deak
H.Gorrill (L) and Dea

(July 22)    The powerful Lethbridge Miners boosted their league record to 11-1 Sunday taking both ends of a double-header from Taber, 15-3 and 7-4 in action at Adams Park.  Bill Kucheran twirled a six-hitter in the opener as the Miners pounded out 12 hits against a pair of Taber hurlers. A ten-run outburst in the seventh inning, highlighted by George Garrow's two-run homer, put the game out of reach. Mush Uyesugi was a bright spot for the losers with an inside-the-park homer and a double. Matt Slavich rapped a double and three singles for the winners.

Crumley (L), Knibbs (7) and Pollard
Kucheran (W) and Deak

The Miners cracked another 12 hits in the second game to come away with the 7-4 victory. Freddy Onofrychuk held the Firemen to six hits in posting his second straight complete game triumph. Losing pitcher Ted Kerkoff belted a four-bagger for Taber. George Rodzinyak, Garrow and Onofrychuk each collected a double and single for the Miners.

Kerkoff (L) and Pollard
Onofrychuk (W) and Tarnava

(July 22)  Bow Island and Magrath split a twin-bill.  The Eagles captured the afternoon game 14-2 and Combines took the twilight test 8-1.  Walt Pashuk set down the Combines on eight hits in the first game while his mates pounded out 18 hits and took advantage of nine Bow Island errors. Gene Rice led the hit parade with a five-for-five afternoon. 

Pashuk (W) and xxx
xxx, xxx, xxx and Bus Allen, Bobby Allen, Wilfley

Bud Phillips pitched four-hit ball, and had a shutout until the ninth, as the Combines capped the second game 8-1. Bow Island collected 11 hits and put the game on ice early with three runs in the first inning and three more in the second. Second baseman Doug Flamme produced three hits for the winners.

xxx and xxx
Phillips (W) and xxx

(July 22)  Lethbridge Cubs hammered Hillcrest of the Crow's Nest Pass League 19-5 and 22-1 in a Sunday double-header at Bellevue.  Cubs pounded out 17 hits in the first game with Joe Connors leading the assault with a triple, two doubles and a single.  Darwin Walkingshaw and Steve Arisman each produced a double and two singles. Lefty Ivan Norris fanned 13 in going the seven-inning route for the pitching win.

Norris (W) and Dea
Walasko (L), Lesniak (5), Sandulak (6) and Mayor

The Cubs put on an even more impressive offensive display in the second game crushing the locals 22-1 behind a 24-hit attack. Bob Fink, the Lethbridge playing-manager had a huge day with a grand-slam homer, two doubles and a single. Clarence Yanosik cracked three doubles and a single and Steve Arisman clubbed a triple and a pair of two-baggers.  Vic Stasiuk added a homer for the winners. Wally Granberg held Hillcrest to six hits, racking up seven strikeouts.

Granberg (W) and Dea
John Dobek (L), Ganger (6), Dobek (8) and Somoya

Lethbridge Miners           11 - 1
Taber Firemen                5 - 5
Lethbridge Cubs              4 - 6
Bow Island-Burdett Combines  5 - 9
Magrath Eagles               3 - 7

(July 29)   A four run uprising in the top of the 14th inning brought Lethbridge Miners yet another victory in Big Six League play Sunday. The front-runners, now with 13 victories in 14 games, downed Taber 8-4 in the second game of the double-dip after crushing the Firemen 10-3 in the opener.  After Mac Crumley had thrilled the home fans with a homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie 4-4, the clubs fought through four scoreless frames before the Miners broke loose in the 14th helped by a walk to George Garrow, a single by Matt Slavich, an error and a three-bagger by Pino FabbriBill Kucheran went the full 14 innings for the pitching win yielding 13 hits.  In the opener, Lefty Kimoto hurled seven-hit ball fanning eight.  Slavich slammed a pair of doubles and a single to lead the Miners' 14-hit attack while Steve Odney added a double and triple.

Kimoto (W) and Deak
Crumley (L) and Pollard

Kucheran (W) and Deak
Kerkoff (L) and Pollard

(July 29)  Magrath Eagles knocked off the Lethbridge Cubs 7-4 and 10-4 in Sunday's twin-bill at Henderson Park. A pair of unheralded pitchers highlighted the victories. Matt Matthews scattered 11 hits in winning the afternoon contest while Cal Alston came in from the outfield to toss an eight-hitter in the nightcap.  A seven-run fourth inning did the major damage in the second game as the Eagles battered starter Wally Granberg and reliever Mike Vaselenak.  Shortstop Wes Rice led the attack with a double and two singles and Alston helped with a triple and single. Lethbridge shortstop Joe Connors had three hits, one a triple. In the first game, Magrath jumped into an early lead with three runs in the first inning and coasted to the win. Second baseman Tom Karren had three hits for the winners while Vic Stasiuk, Clarence Yanosik and Doran Berlando each had three for the Cubs.

Matthews (W) and Rice
Godlonton (L) and H.Yanosik, Dea (8)

Alston (W) and D.Sabey
Granberg (L), Vaselenak (4), Fink (9) and H.Yanosik, Dea (7)

(August 03)   Arnold Godlonton fired a four-hitter and fanned 14 as the Lethbridge Cubs downed the Miners 7-3 in Friday's eight-inning contest part of an eight-game intra-city series. The right-hander was in trouble in the third as Steve Odney crushed a three-run homer, but otherwise silenced the Miners without difficulty. Centre fielder Darwin Walkingshaw was the big gun for the winners driving in four runs.  Hec Negrello yielded just five hits, but walked seven in taking the loss.

Godlonton (W) and Dea, H.Yanosik (5)
Negrello (L) and Tarnava, Deak (4)

(August 05)   Magrath Eagles handed the Lethbridge Miners only their second loss of the schedule Sunday in splitting a twin-bill at Magrath.  The home club ran away with the first game 14-2 as Walt Pashuk allowed just one hit, a single, in his seven innings of work. Pashuk also led the hitters with three safeties. Cal Alston cracked a homer and also had a one-bagger. Gene Rice had a two-run homer in the Eagles six-run fifth inning.

Kucheran (L) and Tarnava
Pashuk (W), Gene Rice (8) and Gordon Rice

The Miners rebounded the take the second game 9-7 in a game which produced 27 hits. Hector Negrello led the winners with a two-run double and four singles and Joe Tarnava added three singles. George Garrow smacked a two-run homer. Tommy Karren and Forrest Balderson each had a homer and two singles for the Eagles. Grant Wheeler had three singles. Freddy Onofrychuk survived 14 hits to go the distance for the win. 

Onofrychuk (W) and Tarnava
Balderson, Pashuk (L) (7) and Gordon Rice

(August 05)   Taber and the Cubs divided their double-header at Lethbridge. The Cubs rapped 19 hits in winning the opener 17-9 while the Firemen rebounded with an 8-6 win in the second game.  The opening game featured Vic Stasiuk's bases-loaded homer over the left field fence and Darwin Walkingshaw's four-bagger over the right field barrier. Mike Vaselenak added four hits. Wally Granberg was credited with the win in giving up eight hits and seven walks. He fanned ten in his eight innings of mound duties.

Kerkoff (L) and Pollard
Granberg (W), Walkingshaw (9) and H.Yanosik

A five-run first inning set Taber on the way to the victory in the second game. Mac Crumley survived a ninth inning, three run, rally by the Cubs to register the win in the nightcap. He gave up ten hits and walked six.

Crumley (W) and Pollard
Vaselenak (L), Stasiuk (1) and H.Yanosik

Lethbridge Miners           14 - 2
Magrath Eagles               6 - 8
Taber Firemen                6 - 8
Lethbridge Cubs              6 - 10
Bow Island-Burdett Combines  5 - 9

PLAYOFFS

(August 08)  The Lethbridge Cubs' three-run second inning stood up for a win Wednesday as the Cubs shaded Taber Fireman 3-2 in the first game of a three-game playoff series. Darkness and rain cut the game to eight innings. In the bottom of the third, Darwin Walkingshaw led off with a walk, stole second and romped home of a single to left by Vic Stasiuk who promptly stole second and scored on Johnny Klem's drive to left field. The third run came home on Arnold Godlonton's single.  Lloyd Knibbs, who scored both runs for Taber, had a solid start for the losers allowing just three hits, fanned eight with no free passes.  Arnold Godlonton tossed a six-hitter to gain the win. He had eight strikeouts and two walks. Taber protested the game, challenging the use of a Lethbridge umpire for the contest.

Knibbs (L) and Kerkoff, Pollard (3)
Godlonton (W) and H.Yanosik

(August 15)  At Magrath, Lethbridge Miners took the opening game of the playoff series 3-2 scoring twice in the seventh inning for the win. Trailing 2-1, Joe Tarnava doubled and romped home with the tying run on Frank Deak's single. Deak advanced to third on a single by George Garrow and scampered home on a Magrath error.  Stumpo Kimoto pitched into the eighth inning for the win, giving up six hits.  Walt Pashuk took the loss.  Tarnava led the Miners with a triple and double while Deak slapped three singles.

Kimoto, Kucheran (7) and Deak
Pashuk (L) and Gordon Rice

(August 19)  In a stunning upset Sunday, Magrath Eagles took both games of the playoff double-header 3-0 and 6-1 over Lethbridge Miners to knock the Miners out of the post-season competition.  Walt Pashuk shutout the Lethbridge nine on four hits in the first game and Roy Johnson scattered ten hits to lead the Eagles to victory in the second.  A four-run uprising in the top of the first inning for the Eagles sealed the deal in the nightcap. They combined four hits, a walk and an error with Cal Alston's two-bagger the key blow.  Pashuk, who played the outfield in the second game, led the attack with three hits. Bill Kucheran pitched both games for the Miners. He was forced to relieve in the second game after Stumpo Kimoto left with an injury after facing just one batter, whom he walked.

Pashuk (W) and Gordon Rice
Kucheran (L) and Deak

Roy Johnson (W) and Gordon Rice
Kimoto (L), Kucheran (1) and Deak

(August 19)   Lethbridge Cubs smacked 20 hits to trounce Taber 15-3 in the second game of Sunday's double-header to advance to the next round of the Southern Alberta senior baseball playoffs. Firemen had tied the series with an 11-5 win in the first game.  Arnold Godlonton, the Cubs' ace, turned in a solid eight-hitter in the second game, giving up all three runs in the second inning after the Cubs had kicked off the contest with four runs in the top of the first. Darwin Walkingshaw pasted two doubles and two singles to spark the Cubs attack. Clarence Yanosik slugged a three-run homer and a pair of doubles, Johnny Klem had a two-run homer and two singles and Vic Stasiuk added a solo homer. Howard Yanosik rapped three singles. Garth Ledgerwood picked up three hits for the Firemen.  In the first game, Taber punched out 12 hits to dump the Cubs 11-5. Lloyd Knibbs held the Cubs to eight hits. Ledgerwood led the winners with a homer and a single.

Granberg (L), Stasiuk (2) and Dea
Knibbs (W) and Pollard

Godlonton (W) and H.Yanosik
Crumley (L), Kerkhoff (5), Knibbs (6), MacMurchie (8) and Pollard

(August 24)   Rookie Mike Vaselenak cracked a three-run homer to give Lethbridge Cubs a 4-1 exhibition win over the Claresholm Meteors who blanked the Cubs 2-0 in the first game a week ago.  Arnie Godlonton held the home club to four hits and fanned eight in gaining the pitching decision over Ward MacDonald who yielded five hits. Lefty Huddle slugged a homer for the lone Claresholm marker. Darwin Walkingshaw rapped a double and single for the winners.

Godlonton (W) and H.Yanosik
MacDonald (L) and Dodd

(August 26)   The Lethbridge Cubs and Taber Firemen will resume their playoff series Thursday at Henderson Park. Taber's protest of a 3-2 loss has been upheld. The Firemen claimed a neutral umpire instead of Steve Smerek of Lethbridge should have been used behind the plate.

(August 29)  Darwin Walkingshaw is the leading hitter for the Lethbridge Cubs. The southpaw swinging outfielder/first baseman has a .405 average in 33 games - league, exhibition and tournament.  He leads the team with 56 hits, 11 of them doubles, three triples and two home runs. Playing manager Bob Fink is the runner-up with a .373 mark on 36 hits in 95 at bats. Clarence Yanosik is third with a .335 average, followed by Vic Stasiuk at .316 and Joe Connors at .304.

(September 07)   In the rematch to decide their playoff champion, Lethbridge Cubs and Taber battled to a tense 3-3, 10-inning draw, called because of darkness.  Winner of the series will meet the Bow Island-Burdett Combines in a Southern Alberta Baseball Association semi-final series.  Lloyd Knibbs, a curve-ball specialist, yielded just five hits and whiffed 14 Cubs in a sterling effort. Arnold Godlonton wasn't far behind tossing a seven-hitter and fanning 11.  Cubs had a 3-1 lead after three innings but Taber plated singletons in the fourth and fifth for the tie.

Knibbs and Kerkoff
Godlonton and H.Yanosik, Dea (10)

(September 08)   It took five games, but the Lethbridge Cubs finally won the best-of-three series with the Taber Firemen. Cubs had won the third game, but a protest by Taber was upheld and they played a fourth game which ended in a tie.  Saturday, the Cubs notched a 5-1 victory to end the affair.  Wally Granberg scattered eight hits as the Cubs survived four errors to post the win. Cubs rapped ten hits off a pair of Taber hurlers. Darwin Walkingshaw led the way with a double and two singles.

Kerkoff (L), Crumley (3) and Pollard
Granberg (W) and Dea

(September 09)  With decisive 16-1 and 9-4 victories, the Lethbridge Cubs appear to have won their playoff series with the Bow Island Combines. The Combines have protested the result claiming the semi-final series should have been a best-of-three affair instead of a total-run playoff.  Officials of the S.A.B.A. are to meet tonight to consider the protest.  Cubs pounded out 19 hits in the first game to overwhelm the Combines while Arnold Godlonton held the visitors to seven safeties.  Godlonton was a force at the plate as well rapping a double and a pair of singles as did Darwin Walkingshaw. The second game was late in starting due to a lengthy argument over the series and was called after six innings because of darkness.  Cubs scored four in the top of the first inning and coasted to the win, holding off a Combines' rally in the bottom of the final frame. Cubs rapped 12 hits while Wally Granberg picked up the win with a five-hitter. Doran Berlando had three hits for the winners and Granberg helped his cause with a triple and single.

Sevalrud (L), Collins (4) and Sailer
Godlonton (W) and Dea

Granberg (W) and Yanosik
Wilfley (L), Miller (6) and Sailer

(September 16)  In two thrilling finishes, the Magrath Eagles and Lethbridge Cubs split their playoff double-header forcing a third and deciding game Wednesday at Henderson Park.  Eagles took the opener scoring two runs in the ninth for a 5-4 victory. Cubs rebounded to notch three in the ninth of the second game for a 7-6 triumph. 

In the first game, Steve Odney, the Lethbridge Miner outfielder granted to Magrath as a replacement player, scored the winner on Tom Karren's bunt. Walt Pashuk survived 12 hits to go the route for the pitching win. He fanned seven. Arnold Godlonton allowed 11 hits in taking the loss. Cal Alston's triple and single paced the winners' attack.

Godlonton (L) and H.Yanosik
Pashuk (W) and Gordon Rice

The Cubs trailed 6-4 after eight innings in the second game, but after Johnny Klem and Wally Granberg reached in the ninth, Clarence Yanosik tripled for a tie and Mike Vaselenak singled to bring in the winning marker. Yanosik led the Cubs with a pair of three-baggers and a single. Billy Dea chipped in with three singles. Cal Alston continued his hot hitting with a single, double and triple for Magrath.

Kucheran (W) and H.Yanosik
Johnson, Balderson (L) (6) and G.Rice

(September 19)   George Yanosik's Lethbridge Cubs are in the Alberta senior baseball final after downing Magrath 8-2 Wednesday in the deciding game of their best-of-three series. Cubs now square off with Red Deer for the provincial laurels. The game had little suspense as the Cubs broke loose for five runs in the second inning.  Arnold Godlonton gave up eight hits and fanned five in handling the mound work for the winners. Eagles took the early lead with a run in the second frame as losing hurler Walt Pashuk drove one to left to bring in Tommy Karren.  In the bottom of the inning, singles by Clarence Yanosik, Mike Vaselenak and Doran Berlando, Steve Arisman's ground ball and a throwing error resulted in two runs. Godlonton knocked in another and Johnny Klem banged a liner to left to add two more. The game was called after seven innings. Clarence Yanosik, the team captain, was presented with the Canada Paint trophy, emblematic of the Southern Alberta senior title.

Pashuk (L) and xxx
Godlonton (W) and xxx


ALBERTA PLAYOFFS

(August 5)  Blairmore Canucks took the opening game of a best-of-three Intermediate baseball playoff Sunday downing Granum 9-4.  John Dobek allowed Granum four hits and three runs in the first three innings then settled down to allow just one more hit the rest of the way. He fanned nine and walked three. Shortstop Gordon Vejprava led a 17-hit attack with four straight singles, knocking in one run and scoring three times. Armond Misuraca accounted for four runs with a double and a homer. Pasco Lucinete banged out three singles.

Shearer (L), Rosser (8) and xxx
John Dobek (W) and xxx

(August 12)   Blairmore Canucks scored five runs in the first inning and cruised to a 16-7 victory over Granum to advance to the second round to the Southern Alberta intermediate playoffs.  John Dobek tossed an eight-hitter to post the win.  Armond Misuraca sparked the winners with four of the Canucks 15 hits.

John Dobek (W) and Joe Dobek
Rosser (L) and Parker

(August 16)   The Southern Alberta Baseball Association has angered teams in the Crow's Nest Pass loop after ruling four of the teams ineligible for provincial competitions because of failures to send in registration cards before the deadline.  The ruling comes after Blairmore had already played and beat Granum in a provincial series.

(August 17)   Ralph Vold, who earlier signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization, earned the pitching win as Ponoka downed Stettler 9-5 Friday to even the Central Alberta Baseball League final playoff at a game apiece. Stettler won last Sunday 6-3.

(August 19)  Bill Bunnage, the ace hurler for Pincher Creek, tossed a seven-inning no-hitter Sunday as the Dominoes blanked the Combines 5-0 in an exhibition game. He fanned six.  In the real game, the Bow Island Combines took a 5-3 decision in the opening game of a best-of-three playoff.  Jim Wilfley hurled six-hit ball for the win.

(August 22)  Stettler moved into the final round of the Central Alberta playoffs Wednesday with an 8-4 win over Ponoka winning the best of-five semi-final three games to one.  Pat Chapman was the winning hurler besting Ralph Vold. Stettler meets Red Deer in the final.

Vold (L) and xxx
Chapman (W) and xxx

(August 26)   The Bow Island-Burdett Combines downed Pincher Creek 6-3 in the second game of Sunday's double-header to advance to the semi-final round of the Southern Alberta Senior playoffs. Pincher Creek had tied the series with a 4-3 in in the first game. Right-hander Shorty Collins scattered eight hits to claim the mound win for the Combines. Ed Franks gave up 12 hits in a losing cause. Andy Knapp pounded out three hits for the winners while Jim VanBuskirk and Lloyd Sevalrud each had a pair. Ray LeGrandeur poled out three safeties for Pincher Creek.

In the opener, Pincher Creek notched a pair of runs in the top of the tenth inning and held off a Combines' rally in the bottom of the extra frame for a 4-3 triumph. Bill Bunnage hurled seven-hit ball for the win supported by Ed Franks with a double and two singles. Pat Knibbs had three of the Combine hits.

Bunnage (W) and Wiens
Miller (L) and Sailer

Franks (L) and Wans
Collins (W) and Sailer

(September 05)   Stettler and Red Deer split their playoff double-header Wednesday leaving Stettler with a 2-1 game lead in the best-of-five series. Red Deer took the first game 6-5 as playing manager Pete Kruger, recovering from an attack of polio, was the hero driving in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning

P.Chapman (L) and Martin
D.Martin, Umari (W) (5) and K.Martin

Stettler rebounded to win the second game 9-4, although out-hit by the Elks 11-9. A five-run second inning for visitors proved to be decisive.

Armstrong (W) and Martin
Umari (L), D.Martin (7) and K.Martin

(September 09)   Red Deer and Westlock split the first two games of their best-of-five series for the Northern Alberta senior baseball championship,  Playing at Red Deer, Westlock took the first game 9-3 with a 12-hit attack while the host Elks scored four runs in the last three innings to break a 2-2 tie and win, 6-2. In this one the Elks got 12 hits. Hanson threw a six-hitter for the winners. It was only the third defeat this summer for Westlock and marked the 39th victory for the Elks who have lost just 11 and tied one.

Brennice (W) and Como
Morris, D.Martin (L) (1), Stuart (5) and Kruger

Mesmer (L) and Berezon
Hanson (W) and Morris

(September 14)    Red Deer Elks defeated Stettler All-Stars 5-2 Friday to capture the Central Alberta Baseball League championship in the fifth and deciding game of the playoff.  Behind the fine twirling of coach Pete Kruger, Red Deer took a first inning lead and had a 4-0 margin after six frames.  Stettler scored a pair in the seventh but Dave Martin relieved and blanked the visitors the rest of the way. Bill Armstrong took the loss. Kruger got credit for the win with his four-hit effort in six-plus innings. Elks had 11 hits including doubles by Kruger and Service.

Armstrong (L) and Martin
Kruger, D.Martin (7) and Umari

(September 23)   The powerful Red Deer Elks, playing at home before two of the largest crowds ever seen at a ball game in the community, took a two-game lead in the best-of-five Alberta senior championship by downing the Lethbridge Cubs 13-2 and 3-2 in Sunday's double-header. Elks made it easy in the opener, exploding for seven runs in the first inning against Cubs' ace Arnold Godlonton.  The right-hander took one for the team, going the distance giving up 15 hits while Lefty Belter held the visitors to six safeties and fanned 11.

Godlonton (L) and Dea, H.Yanosik
Belter (W) and Kruger

Wally Granberg allowed just five hits to the Elks in the second game but Red Deer came from behind with two runs in the eighth inning for the 3-2 victory.  Charlie Morris tossed a seven-hitter for the win.

Granberg (L) and H.Yanosik
Morris (W) and Kruger, xxx (5)

(September 30)  Red Deer Elks won the Alberta Senior baseball championship Sunday in splitting a double-header at Lethbridge with the Cubs. The host club took the first game 6-4 but the Elks rebounded to win 8-6 in the nightcap to take the best of five series three games to one. Charlie Morris was the main man for the winners, providing both pitching and hitting highlights.  In the sixth inning, he cracked a single to score what proved to be the winning run and an insurance marker.  While he gave up 11 hits in a route-going performance, Morris fanned two in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and one out to end the game.  Red Deer had just eight hits, two by Stan Christensen. In the opener, Bill Kucheran had a shutout for eight innings before weakening in the ninth when the Elks scored all four of their runs. Lefty Belter took the loss.

Belter (L)Martin (7) and Kruger
Kucheran (W), Godlonton (9) and Dea

Morris (W) and xxx
Granberg (L), Godlonton (6) and Yanosik, Dea (6)


FOOTHILLS BASEBALL LEAGUE

(May 16)  High River Flyers downed Parkland Midways 5-1 in the league opener for both teams.  Butcher went the distance with a five-hitter to pick up the win.  Jack Scott and R Hawk handled the mound duties for Parkland, allowing just five hits but walking eight. 

Scott (L), R Hawk and xxx
Butcher (W) and xxx

(May 20)   Claresholm whipped High River 13-1.  Claresholm erupted for seven runs in the 6th inning to salt away the victory. Jay Jenkins registered the pitching victory.

Weber (L), Butcher, MacDonald and xxx
Jenkins (W) and xxx

Parkland Midways exploded for seven runs in the final inning to whip Okotoks 16-9. Jack Scott picked up the win for the Midways, allowing 12 hits.

Scott (W) and xxx
xxx, xxx and xxx

Calgary 13 Okotoks 4
Twin Cities 8 Blackie 7
Stavely 10 Claresholm 7
Stavely 4 Calgary 3
Blackie 6 Daley Creek 4

(May 24)   Claresholm Tournament 

(May 27)   Claresholm continue its heavy hitting punching out 12 hits in a 16-5 win over Okotoks.  Ward MacDonald allowed Okotoks three runs in the opening frame then settled down to go the route for the win.  Claresholm scored four runs in the 6th inning to overcome a 5-4 deficit and take the lead for the first time, 8-5. They added a pair in the 7th inning and six more in the 9th. Boyd Whitehead and Jim Powers each scored three times for the winners.   Metz had a three-run homer for Okotoks. 

W MacDonald (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

Parkland Midways rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to shade Calgary Burns and Dutton 4-3.  Jack Scott fired an eight-hitter to gain the mound decision.

xxx and xxx
Scott (W) and xxx

Twin Cities 9 Daley Creek 4
High River 12 Stavely 5

(May 30)   Parkland Midways jumped into a 12-2 lead after three innings and cruised to a 17-9 win over Claresholm.  Dick Hawk and Boyd Whitehead belted homers.  Jack Scott gave up 11 hits but registered the win.  Midways collected 17 hits off two Meteors' hurlers.

Scott (W) and xxx
Jenkins (L), Huddle and xxx

Stavely 17 Daley Creek 12
Twin Cities 12 Blackie 3
High River 13 Calgary 9
Daley Creek 22 Calgary 12
Claresholm 12 Blackie 3

Twin Cities    4-0
Parkland       3-1
Stavely        3-1
Claresholm     3-2
High River     3-2
Blackie        1-3
Daley Creek    1-3
Calgary        1-4
Okotoks        0-3

(June 3)   Claresholm Meteors clipped Blackie 11-3 in a game called after seven innings because of rain.  Brown had a triple and double for the Meteors, Jay Jenkins had a double and two singles.

Molyneaux, W MacDonald (5) and xxx
McGown, Stobo (6) and xxx

(June 17)   Parkland Midways topped Blackie 7-4.  Jack Scott was the winner allowing nine hits while fanning eight.  Stobo took the loss, giving up 13 hits.  Bill Greig had the only home run.

Scott (W) and xxx
Stobo (L) and xxx

Twin Cities 5 Calgary 1
High River 22 Okotoks 3
Stavely 20 Okotoks 4
Claresholm 7 Calgary 5
High River 22 Daley Creek 17

(June 22)  Carmangay Tournament 

(June 24)   Claresholm downed Parkland 5-1 as Smith and Foy combined on a five-hitter.

Smith, Foy and xxx
Scott (L) and xxx

(June 27)   In a contest at Granum, Parkland defeated Daley Creek 7-2.  Jack Scott fired a seven-hitter for the win.

Scott (W) and xxx
Rossar (L) and xxx

Twin Cities    5-0
Stavely        4-1
Claresholm     6-2
Parkland       5-2
High River     5-3
Blackie        2-4
Daley Creek    2-6
Calgary        1-6
Okotoks        0-6

(July 1)   Granum Tournament

(July 1)   Twin Cities remained unbeaten with a 12-8 victory over Parkland Midways at Nanton.

Scott (L) and xxx
xxx, xxx and xxx

(July1/2)    Blairmore Dominion Day Tournament   

(July 4)   Claresholm Meteors turned back Blackie 10-2 in one of four opening day games in the monster $2,300 baseball tournament at Claresholm.  17-year-old Allie MacDonald fired a five-hitter as the Meteors trounced Blackie.  He fanned five and walked two. 

Steve Ganger, star hurler with the Hillcrest junior team, tossed a six-hitter as Coleman outscored Daley Creek 7-2.  Bob Shearer went the distance in taking the loss.

Bud Siler gave up just six hits in leading Champion to a 12-2 conquest of Stavely.  Bill Kucheran, ace of the Lethbridge Miners, gave up nine hits in hurling for Stavely.  Nolan Weiss shutout Blairmore on five hits as Del Bonita Cubs notched an 11-0 victory.

A MacDonald (W) and xxx
Cole (L), Egland and xxx

Ganger and xxx
Shearer and xxx

Siler and xxx
Kucheran and xxx

Weiss and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 5)   Claresholm Tournament   

(July 8)   Parkland Midways belted 17 hits to trounce Daley Creek 15-5.  Jack Scott allowed just eight hits and compiled 15 strikeouts to get the win.

xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
Scott (W) and xxx

Parkland spotted Okotoks four runs in the first inning but roared back with six in the bottom of the frame and went on to dump Okotoks 17-9.  Dick Hawk was the winning pitcher.

xxx, xxx and xxx
D Hawk (W) and xxx

Twin Cities    9-0
Claresholm     9-2
Parkland       7-3
High River     6-3
Stavely        4-3
Blackie        3-4
Daley Creek    3-8
Calgary        1-9
Okotoks        0-10

(July 20)   Champion Tournament 

(July 22)   Although out-hit 12-6, Calgary Burns & Dutton downed Parkland Midways 8-3.

Scott (L) and xxx
xxx, xxx and xxx

Twin Cities    9-1
Claresholm     9-2
Parkland       7-4
High River     6-4
Stavely        5-4
Blackie        4-4
Daley Creek    5-8
Calgary        2-9
Okotoks        0-10

(July 24) 

" ... Claresholm will be led by their lanky Negro import hurler, Hubert Glenn of Philadelphia.  Glenn turned back Champion last Friday to give Claresholm the money.  Besides being a real whiz-ding on the mound, the six foot four inch American is some shakes with the stick.  In a recent game against Okotoks he pounded out four homers and a pair of singles in seven trips to the plate and it's expected that he will hold down an outfield berth with the Claresholm club when he is not on the hill."  (The Lethbridge Herald, July 24, 1951)

(July 26)    Lethbridge Tournament

(July 29)   Twin Cities extended its lead atop the Foothills Baseball League with a 6-3 triumph over Parkland Midways. 

Scott (L) and xxx
xxx, xxx and xxx

Twin Cities   10-1
Claresholm     9-2
High River     7-4
Stavely        6-4
Parkland       7-5
Blackie        4-5
Daley Creek    6-8
Calgary        3-10
Okotoks        0-14

(August 1)    Parkland downed Stavely 6-3 behind Jack Scott's seven-hitter.  Fredericks was the loser.

Fredericks (L) and xxx
Scott (W) and xxx

(August 5)   Blackie took advantage of sloppy play by Parkland to down the Midways 5-4.  All five runs were unearned.  McLean fired a six-hitter for the win.

McLean (W) and xxx
Scott (L) and xxx

(August 5)   Claresholm Meteors downed Twin Cities 14-6 Sunday to take a game and a half lead over Twin Cities in the Foothills Baseball League standings. Meteors broke open a close game with four runs in the 5th inning and five in the 6th.  Hubert Glenn scattered nine hits for the win and knocked in five runs on three hits at the plate. He fanned 12 and walked five. Bernie Dunning and Glenn belted homers for the winners while Hans Sagstuen, Johnny Young and Steve Yurchak replied for the Oilers. 

Glenn (W) and MacDonald
Sagstuen (L), Kinniburgh (6), Owens (6) and Lanman

Claresholm    12-2
Twin Cities   10-3
Blackie        7-5
Stavely        7-5
High River     7-5
Parkland       8-6
Daisy Creek    6-8
Calgary        3-13
Okotoks        1-14

(Aug 8)   Carmangay Lions Club Tournament  

(August 12)   Claresholm scored an 11-3 triumph over Blackie in a contest which featured a triple play by the losers.  Allie MacDonald went the distance for the mound victory.  MacLean took the loss.  Ward MacDonald of the Meteors had the only homer.

A MacDonald (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(August 13)   In a game called after six innings because of rain and darkness, Claresholm edged Stavely 9-8 in an error-filled contest.  Bernie Dunning got the Meteors off on the right foot with a two-run homer in the first inning.  Boyd Whitehead scored the winner in the 6th.  Hubert Glenn had nine strikeouts in gaining the win. 

Glenn (W) and Ward MacDonald
Fredericks (L) and MacDonald

(August 17)  Hubert Glenn shutdown Lethbridge Cubs on two-hits as Claresholm notched a 2-0 exhibition victory. Glenn displayed a variety of trick deliveries to keep the Cubs off balance.  Vic Stasiuk's double and Clarence Yanosik's single were the only safeties for Lethbridge.  Glenn fanned 11 and walked just one.  Claresholm scored in the 6th inning as Bernie Dunning tripled and scored on Glenn's ground out.  Glen Olsen singled, moved to third on Ward MacDonald's double and scored on a wild pitch.

Glenn (W) and MacDonald
Godlonton (L) and Dea

Final Standings
Claresholm    14-2
Twin Cities   13-3
Blackie       10-6
Parkland       9-7
Stavely        9-7
High River     7-9
Daisy Creek    6-10
Calgary        3-13
Okotoks        1-15

(August 22)  Twin Cities shaded Claresholm 2-1 in the opening game of a best-of-five semi-final  series. Hans Sagstuen fired a four-hitter for the win.  Hubert Glenn hurled four-hit ball in taking the loss.

Sagstuen (W) and xxx
Glenn (L) and xxx

Blackie took the opening game of their best-of-three series with a 7-4 win over Parkland.  Grant Wray went the distance for the win on a six-hitter.  Blackie had 12 hits off Jack Scott.

Wray (W) and xxx
Scott (L) and xxx

(August 24)   Rookie Mike Vaselenak cracked a three-run homer to give Lethbridge Cubs a 4-1 exhibition win over the Claresholm Meteors who blanked the Cubs 2-0 in the first game a week ago.  Arnie Godlonton held the home club to four hits and fanned eight in gaining the pitching decision over Ward MacDonald who yielded five hits. Lefty Huddle slugged a homer for the lone Claresholm marker. Darwin Walkingshaw rapped a double and single for the winners.

Godlonton (W) and H.Yanosik
MacDonald (L) and Dodd

(August 26)  Claresholm Meteors dropped an 8-4 decision to Twin Cities to give the Oilers a 2-0 game lead in the best of five series. A three-run rally in the 4th inning gave Twin Cities a lead they never relinquished.

Parkland Midways shaded Blackie 3-2 to tie their best of three series at a game apiece.  Midways scored two runs in the second and another in the 4th to take a 3-0 lead which held up for the win.  Jack Scott, for Parkland, and Egland for Blackie, each allowed just five hits.

Scott (W) and xxx
Egland (L) and xxx

Stavely beat High River 20-0.

(September 5)   With a break in a rainy spell, Claresholm Meteors scored an 8-3 win over Twin Cities to stave off elimination in their playoff series. 

Claresholm errors led to two Twin Cities runs in the 2nd inning.  Meteors bounced back with one in the bottom of the frame as Bernie Dunning scored on a balk.  Meteors added two in the 3rd, two more in the 4th and three in the 7th. Hubert Glenn handled the mound chores for the Meteors, Berreth started for Twin Cities giving way to Hans Sagstuen in the 6th.

Berreth (L), Sagstuen (6) and xxx
Glenn (W) and xxx

(September 9)   Claresholm Meteors punched out 12 hits to down Twin Cities 9-5 to even their best of five series at two games apiece.  Hubert Glenn scattered eight hits to gain the win.  There were nine errors, six by Twin Cities.

Glenn (W) and W MacDonald
Sagstuen (L) and Owens

(September 09)  In Foothills semi-final action Sunday, Blackie and Stavely divided a twin bill. Stavely took the first game 10-7, Blackie copped the second, 5-2. In the opener Wray for Blackie and Boyle for Stavely topped the hitters each with three safeties. Egland tossed a six-hitter for the win in the second game, with three of the hits going to Doyle YorgasonSeney and Percifeld each rapped a pair for Blackie.

McInnes (W) and xxx
McLean (L), Wray and xxx

B. Yorgason (L) and xxx
Egland (W) and xxx

(September 16)    Claresholm Meteors capped a stunning comeback to topple Twin Cities 4-1 before more than a thousand fans to capture the 5th and deciding game of their semi-final seres.  Meteors roared back to win three in a row after dropping the first two games.  Dutch Dodd drove in three runs for the winners and Lefty Huddle belted a homer and triple.  Big Hubert Glenn again was the key moundsman for the Meteors.

Sagstuen (L) and xxx
Glenn (W) and xxx

(September 16)   Blackie shaded Stavely 16-15 in a slug-fest to earn a berth in the final against Claresholm. Grant Wray and Egland hurled for Blackie while McInnes and Yorgason pitched for the local squad.

(September 30)   Claresholm Meteors downed Blackie 15-12 and 15-8 to win the best of three Foothills Baseball final in two straight games.  Big Hubert Glenn picked up both wins in relief roles.   Blackie scored ten runs in the first two innings of the opener and eight runs in the first two frames of the second game but had little success after Glenn took over. The day was highlighted by home runs by Lefty Huddle, Bernie Dunning and Boyd Whitehead for the Meteors and Yoemans for Blackie. 

" ... Games throughout the summer were witnessed by large crowds not equalled since 1927 when Claresholm was a member of a semi-pro baseball league.  The support for baseball this year is attributed to the larger seating accommodation on the grounds, the re-arrangement of the ball diamond, and the presentation of good ball.  Hubert Glenn, the American import did much for baseball in Claresholm during the past season.  He was a good ball players, a gentleman, and he gave the ball fans a small sample of how the big leaguers work.  Expenses of operating the club was high no doubt, but the club is said to have concluded the season on the right side of the ledger."  (The Claresholm Local Press, October 4, 1951)

Wray (L), Wellman (5) to McLean
A MacDonald, Glenn (W) (2) and W MacDonald

Dunning, Glenn (W) (2) and W MacDonald
Egland (L) to McLean

FOOTHILLS BASEBALL LEAGUE
Only Claresholm Meteors stats available
(The Claresholm Local Press, October 4, 1951)

 FOOTHILLS LEAGUE     G AB R  H TB 2B 3B HR SH SF SB  BB   PCT
 Glenn Hubert           99   53    17  4  9           21  .535
 Dunning Bernie         73   36    12  3  5            6  .493
 Whitehead Boyd        157   55     8  6  8            8  .350
 Dodd Dutch            179   60    15  1  2            9  .335
 MacDonald Ward        170   56     8  0  2           21  .329
 Huddle Lefty          140   44     7  4  9           16  .314
 Powers Jimmy           28    8     2  0  0            0  .286
 Jenkins Jay           190   54    15  4  3            3  .284
 Olson Glen            171   48     8  0  1           12  .281
 Davidson Davie        121   29     4  1  0            6  .240
 MacDonald Al           62   12     0  0  2            4  .194

 FOOTHILLS LEAGUE  G   W L  IP BB  SO HB
 Glenn Hubert      21 17 4 166 34 207  2
 MacDonald Al       9  8 1  71 22  51  2
 Dodd Dutch         1  1 0
 Hood               2  1 0
 Gallengher         1  1 0
 MacDonald Ward     5  4 1
 Jenkins Jay        3  2 1
 Smith              2  1 1
 Brownie            1  0 1
 Duggan             1  0 1
 Thrun W            1  0 1

(November 29)

" ... Claresholm Meteors were honored at a banquet this week as the final event of one of the most successful baseball seasons in the history of the Claresholm district. Meteors won the coveted trophy of the Foothills League by defeating Blackie in a two-game final series ... Hubert Glenn, the big Negro hurler from the United States, was credited with much of the success of the Meteors.  Besides being the Meteors' ace pitcher and hitter, Glenn spent many hours with younger players, developing them for future play in senior ranks.  Glenn expects to return to Claresholm next season.  The Meteors commenced the season with a $300 deficit but ended the year with more than that amount in the bank after paying out over $3,200 in expenses.  About $818 were paid in player wages."  (The Lethbridge Herald, November 29, 1951)


SUNSHINE LEAGUE

(May 13)  Play in the Sunshine Intermediate League got underway Sunday with Wrentham dropping a 12-4 decision to New Dayton in a game played at Wrentham. The rest of the scheduled games were rained out.

(May 23)  A four-run uprising in the seventh inning gave Wrentham a 7-4 victory over Foremost.  N.Lastuka and E.Elainson combined on a four hitter for the winners.

N.Lastuka, E.Elainson and xxx
Reynar, Houren and xxx

(May 24)  Macleod Tournament  

(July 9)  Wrentham, the pennant winners, will meet fourth place Stirling in a best-of-three semi-final. New Dayton, which finished second, will tangle with Foremost in the other semi-final set. 

                W    L   T PTS
Wrentham       10 -  2 - 0  20
New Dayton      9 -  3 - 0  18
Foremost        7 -  4 - 1  15
Stirling        6 -  5 - 1  13
Warner          5 -  7 - 0  10
Milk River      3 -  9 - 0   6
Coutts          1 - 11 - 0   2

(August 1)   Wrentham took the opening game of the best-of-three series for the Sunshine League championship Wednesday downing New Dayton 11-6.  In the semi-finals, New Dayton defeated Foremost and Wrentham topped Stirling.

(August 5)  New Dayton captured the Sunshine League championship Sunday scoring an 11-7 decision over Wrentham in the third and deciding game of the series. New Dayton had earlier tied the affair with a 12-5 win. The thrilling final saw New Dayton come from behind a 7-2 deficit to cop the triumph. A nine-run explosion in the eighth inning told the tale.  Hal Cronkhite held Wrentham in check after relieving starter Rex Cahoon in the fourth. The winners rapped 12 hits off the offerings of three Wrentham hurlers.

Eliason, Bobenick, Lastuka and xxx
Cahoon, Cronkhite (W) (4) and xxx


BOUNDARY LEAGUE

Del Bonita Cubs
Jefferson-Taylorville Combines
Rinard
Spring Coulee
Woolford

(Week of June 3)   After two postponed games, Del Bonita kicked off the new season with an impressive 12-4 verdict over Rinard.  Nolan Weiss and George Henry shared the hurling chores for the winners. Bill Secretan and Bob Bishop twirled for Rinard.

Secretan, Bishop and xxx
Weiss, G.Henry and xxx

(Week of June 10)  Woolford upset Del Bonita, the defending Alberta intermediate champions, 7-5 with Welch turning in a fine mound effort for the winners. Henry and West pitched for the Cubs. Spring Coulee shaded Rinard 7-6. Johnson was the winning pitcher while Bishop took the loss.

(Week of June 17)   The Jefferson-Taylorville Combines crushed Rinard 14-2.

(Week of June 17)

(Week of June 17)   Debbie Nielsen won a spot in the record books as he hurled a no-hitter for Jefferson-Taylorville Combines in a 6-0 win over Woolford.  The "Durable Dane" faced only 29 men, with two Woolford players reaching on errors. Nielsen did not issue a walk.  It's the first no-hitter on record in the Boundary League.  Last season, Nielson helped Del Bonita win the Alberta Intermediate championship.

(Week of June 17)  Del Bonita Cubs, the defending league champions, notched an 8-3 win over the Jefferson-Taylorville Combines. Nolan Weiss hurled for the winners topping Debbie Nielsen, who earlier in the week fired a no-hitter. Spring Coulee leads the circuit with Del Bonita and the Combines tied for second.

(Week of June 24)  Spring Coulee retained the lead in the Boundary loop with a wild, extra inning victory over Del Bonita. The winners exploded for seven runs in the top of the tenth inning for the triumph. Cubs managed three runs in the bottom of the tenth, but fell short.  The clubs battled through six scoreless frames before Spring Coulee took the lead in the seventh but Del Bonita tied it in the ninth.

(Weekend of July 1)  Woolford and Del Bonita notched victories in weekend play in the Boundary circuit. Woolford, behind the shutout hurling of Bob Hague blanked Rinard 5-0. Del Bonita edged Jefferson 6-5 in a thrilling 11-inning battle. George Henry went the distance for the Cubs to register the win. Sheen took the loss for Jefferson.

(Week of July 22)   The Del Bonita Cubs are back into the fight for the Boundary League pennant after a pair of wins over the only two teams to beat them in league play this season.  Cubs lashed out 20 hits to crush Woolford 22-5 as Hubert West had an easy time on the hill for the winners. B. Hague was the loser. Nolan Weiss twirled a five-hit shutout as the Cubs beat Spring Coulee 7-0.  Cubs rapped out 11 hits off Johnson, the Spring Coulee flinger.

(August 1)   Boundary League Tournament   

(August 15)  Nolan Weiss fired a one-hitter Wednesday as Del Bonita Cubs downed Foremost 7-0 in the first game of their intermediate playoffs.  The right-hander faced only 29 batters, fanning 11 without issuing a walk. The two base-runners reached on errors.  Weiss is enjoying a sensational season. In his last 46 innings he's allowed only three runs on 21 hits. He's whiffed 52 and walked just two.

(August 19)  Last year's intermediate champions, Del Bonita, have advanced in the hunt for the 1951 crown. The Cubs defeated Foremost 10-6 Sunday to win the series in two straight games. Debbie Nielsen was the winning pitcher.

(August 24)  Behind the four-hit hurling of Cliff White, the Brooks Buffaloes shutout Granum White Sox 4-0 in the first game of a best-of-three intermediate baseball semi-final series.  Bob Shearer allowed just four hits in taking the loss. Brooks won the exhibition nightcap 5-4.

White (W) and xxx
Shearer (L) and xxx

(September 5)  Brooks Buffaloes advanced to the Southern Alberta intermediate baseball final Wednesday by splitting a double-header with Granum, winning 5-2 and losing 7-5. . A three-run sixth inning provided the margin of victory in the second game after Granum had taken the opener 7-5. 

(September 9)   The defending Southern Alberta intermediate champions from Del Bonita got off to a good start Sunday in defense of their title downing Brooks 11-10 and 12-8 in the first games of the best-of-five series. Cubs took the opener with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. Edgar Henry plated the winner on Nolan Weiss' single over second base. Debbie Nielsen surrendered eight hits in going the distance for the win. Bill Secretan, Hubert West and Earl Jensen each had three hits for the winners. Bill/Henry Cunningham had three safeties for the Buffaloes. A three-run, second inning homer by Bob Manzke sparked the Cubs to the second game victory, shortened to seven innings because of darkness. Secretan had another three hits for the winners and Cunningham led Brooks with a pair.  Nolan Weiss allowed 12 hits but hung in for the win.

Balasko, Buoy, White and Bride
Nielsen (W) and Jensen

L'Herndelle, Balasko and Bride
Weiss (W) and Jensen

(September 16)  Del Bonita is on pace to win its third Southern Alberta intermediate crown in four years Sunday downing Brooks 16-0 in the second game of a double-header after the Buffaloes had taken the first game 16-4.  Nolan Weiss hurled the shutout for the Cubs.

Cliff White (W) and xxx
Jensen (L) and xxx

Paul Buoy (L) and xxx
Weiss (W) and xxx

(September 23)   The Cubs of Del Bonita need just one more victory for their second consecutive Southern Alberta intermediate championship. Playing at Onoway, 30 miles north of Edmonton, the Cubs swept both games of a double-header, 6-2 and 6-1.  Debbie Nielsen pitched a six-hitter in the opener and Nolan Weiss had a five-hitter in the second for the winners.

The Cubs defeated Onoway to capture the title. In the playoffs, the Cubs played 15 games, winning 13.  Nolan Weiss chalked up four wins, two of them shutouts, and compiled a playoff ERA of 1.53.  Debbie Nielsen had a 5-1 record in the playoffs. 


CROW'S NEST PASS LEAGUE

(June)   Coleman Cubs put on an overpowering display to launch the new season crushing Natal-Michel 25-15 at Coleman.  Cubs rapped three visiting hurlers for 17 hits.  Yoho Kimoto, George Yoshinaka and Roy Hayashi each contributed three hits while Jim Kitaguchi blased a homer and Fat Nakama added a triple. Charle Kitaguchi started for the winners, giving way to Fat Nakama in the seventh.

Andy Krall, Wally Krall, Ben Sarfinin and xxx
Charlie Kitaguchi (W), Fat Nakama (7) and xxx

(June 03)   Blairmore Canucks and Coleman Cubs registered their second wins of the season as action resumed in the Crow's Nest Pass Senior League.  Canucks, playing at home, crushed the defending champion Pincher Creek Dominoes 15-5 while the Cubs invaded the home of the Hillcrest Juniors and handed the youngsters a 16-9 setback.

John Dobek tossed a steady eight-hitter with late relief by Armond Misuraca for the easy win.  Moose Giacomuzzi came up big for the winners with a two-run homer, a run-scoring double and a single. He also scored three times. Brother Pedro Giacomuzzi had a double and single.  Ray LaGrandeur socked a pair of doubles for the losers. Ed Wiens gave up ten hits in taking the loss.

Wiens (L) and Desbiens
Dobek, Misuraca (9) and J.Dobek

Coleman took an early 6-0 lead and coasted to the easy 16-9 victory.  Second baseman Frank Kubasek and pitcher Charlie Kitaguchi belted home runs for the winners. Kitaguchi also had a pair of singles and Kubasek added a triple and single. Jim Kitaguchi had three hits, including a double and triple. Leonard Allen poked a four-bagger for Hillcrest. A bright spot for the juniors was the mound work of Willie Walasko who came into the game in the ninth and struck out the side.

Kitaguchi (W) and Yoshinaka
Lesniak, Shvetz (3), Walasko (9) and Somoya

(June 5)  Moose Giacomuzzi is proving to be one of the most feared sluggers in the Crow's Nest Pass loop. The hard-hitting first sacker of the Blairmore Canucks has yet to be retired in 11 plate appearances so far. He has three singles, a pair of doubles and a homer in eight official times at bat driving in four runs and scoring six himself. In his other trips to the dish he's walked three times, reached on a fielder's choice and once on an error.

(June 17)  The Hillcrest Juniors came away with a pair of victories Sunday trouncing Macleod 17-4 in the first game and edging Pincher Creek 5-4 in ten innings in the second.  Steve Ganger scattered six hits to post the pitching win in the opener, his third victory of the season. He fanned ten. His mates pounded out 14 hits as Hillcrest scored four times in each of the first three innings to take a 12-0 lead.  Right fielder Skippy Cleave led the attack with a pair of doubles.

Ganger (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

15-year-old Willie Walasko put on a pitching show for the Juniors in the second game allowing just three hits and a run through eight innings. But, the 1950 champions broke loose in the ninth for a pair of doubles and two singles to notch three runs to take a 4-3 lead. The Juniors scored in the bottom of the ninth to tie and came through in the tenth for the win.

Walasko, Sandulak (W) (10) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(June 17)  Coleman Cubs traveled to British Columbia and dropped both games in their Sunday action, 5-3 at Fernie and 4-3, in 10 innings, to Natal-Michel.  Dick Guzzi tossed a seven-hitter for Fernie in the first game to best Charlie Kitaguchi

C. Kitaguchi and xxx
Guzzi (W) and

The second game was nip and tuck with the lead changing hands three times before the Red Sox pushed across the winner in the bottom of the tenth on two Coleman errors and a stolen base.  Regular catcher Cliff Salahab went the distance for the winners scattering nine hits and fanning 11. Lefty Kimoto was a tough-luck loser allowing just four hits while whiffing nine.

Kimoto (L) and xxx
Salahab (W) and xxx

(July 15)  Coleman Cubs have regained first place in the Crow's Nest circuit with a sweep of Sunday's double-header, 21-6 over Macleod and 9-6 at Pincher Creek.  Alec Kovacik cracked a double and three singles to lead the Cubs' onslaught. Dave Pow, Charlie Kitaguchi and George Yoshinaka each had three hits.  M. Kimoto and Kitaguchi held the losers to just three hits, one a double by Wilson Parker.

M.Kimoto, C.Kitaguchi and xxx
xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx

Coleman, holding a 3 - 2 lead after five innings pushed across six runs with two out in the sixth inning to wrap up the verdict. Lefty Kimoto scattered nine hits in hurling the complete game for the winners besting Bill Bunnage who was tagged for eight hits while fanning nine to bring his season{s total to 37, tops in the league.

Lefty Kimoto (W) and xxx
Bunnage (L) and xxx

(July 15)  The Hillcrest Juniors, who had enjoyed the lofty surroundings of the top rung the last few weeks, dropped to fourth place losing 9-2 to Fernie. Fernie pounced on Steve Ganger for six runs in the first three innings and coasted to the victory.  Teenager Willie Walasko finished the seven inning tussle allowing just one hit, a two-run homer by Bill Komarovitch who also finished up on the hill for the victors. Frank Mayor punched out a homer and triple for Hillcrest.

xxx (W), Komarovitch (6) and xxx
Ganger (L), Walasko (4) and xxx

(July 15)   A few weeks ago, Fernie's Bill Cole put on quite a show fanning 16 of Blairmore's batters, but Sunday was a different story as the Canucks belted Cole for 16 hits in an 8 to 6 victory.  Blairmore bunched five hits in the sixth inning to score three times to take the lead for the first time. John Dobek, in a relief role, picked up his third win. Catcher Joe Dobek led the attack with a homer and two singles while Roy Vejprava, Pedro Giacomuzzi and brother Moose Giacomuzzi each produced a double and two singles.

Cole (L) and xxx
Henault, John Dobek (W) and Joe Dobek

(July 22)   Behind the sterling hurling of young Bill Bunnage, the Pincher Creek Dominoes trimmed the Natal Red Sox 7-1 Sunday in a Crow's Nest Pass League tilt.  Whitey Krall and Lefty Scott shared the hurling duties for the Red Sox giving up eight hits between them. Earlier in the day, Pincher Creek downed Fernie 9-5 to sweep the three-team double-bill.

Bunnage (W) and xxx
W.Krall, Scott and xxx

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 22)  Macleod finally posted a victory, fending off a ninth inning rally by the Canucks, to win 4-3 at Blairmore. Trailing 4-1, Pedro Giacomuzzi led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and circled the bags on a drive by pinch-hitter Alex Blas to score Blairmore's second run.  With two out, George Henault pinch-hit and came through with safety to bring in Blas.  However, Henault was thrown out trying to steal second to end the rally and the game. Moose Giacomuzzi cracked a long homer for the Canucks' first run.  Bob Schier allowed seven hits in going the distance for the pitching win besting Laddie Cerney, making his first start of the season for Blairmore. Left fielder Gower Kennedy had four hits for the winners. Moose Giacomuzzi duplicated the feat for the losers.

Schier (W) and xxx
Cerney (L) and xxx

(July 22)  Lethbridge Cubs hammered Hillcrest of the Crow's Nest Pass League 19-5 and 22-1 in a Sunday double-header at Bellevue.  Cubs pounded out 17 hits in the first game with Joe Connors leading the assault with a triple, two doubles and a single.  Darwin Walkingshaw and Steve Arisman each produced a double and two singles. Lefty Ivan Norris fanned 13 in going the seven-inning route for the pitching win.

Norris (W) and Dea
Walasko (L), Lesniak (5), Sandulak (6) and Mayor

The Cubs put on an even more impressive offensive display in the second game crushing the locals 22-1 behind a 24-hit attack. Bob Fink, the Lethbridge playing-manager had a huge day with a grand-slam homer, two doubles and a single. Clarence Yanosik cracked three doubles and a single and Steve Arisman clubbed a triple and a pair of two-baggers.  Vic Stasiuk added a homer for the winners. Wally Granberg held Hillcrest to six hits, racking up seven strikeouts.

Granberg (W) and Dea
John Dobek (L), Ganger (6), Dobek (8) and Somoya

(July 29)   At the Crow's Nest All-Star game Sunday, the second team upset the first team All-Stars 11-8 in an event which raised money for injured players. A 14-hit attack, was led by a player not originally selected for the game. Tylio Fabbro, of Natal-Michel, was chosen as a second team replacement after Roy Hayashi couldn't make the contest. All Fabbro did was crack a pair of homers, drive in four runs, and score three times. Vic Marasco added added a pair of doubles and a single. Robin LaGrandeur had a triple-triple, with three hits, three runs and three stolen bases.

Ganger, xxx (3), xxx and xxx
John Dobek, Bunnage, Cole and xxx

(August 5)  In the first game of their best-of-three Southern Alberta senior playoff, Coleman Cubs whipped Pincher Creek 17-11 in a wild offensive game which produced 25 hits and 16 errors, ten by the losers. The outcome was never in doubt after the Cubs blasted out of the box with four runs in the first inning and added five in the second. Yoho Kimoto sparked the Cubs with a run-producing triple in the first inning and a home run in the third. Dave Pow collected three hits. Lefty Kimoto allowed ten hits but went the distance racking up eight strikeouts.  Ernie Franks was hammered for 15 runs in the first four innings before giving way to Bill Bunnage. Ed Wiens was best for the losers with a single, double and home run. 

Kimoto (W) and Yoshinaka
Franks, Bunnage (5) and Stuckey

(August 5)  Blairmore Canucks took the opening game of a best-of-three Intermediate baseball playoff Sunday downing Granum 9-4.  John Dobek allowed Granum four hits and three runs in the first three innings then settled down to allow just one more hit the rest of the way. He fanned nine and walked three. Shortstop Gordon Vejprava led a 17-hit attack with four straight singles, knocking in one run and scoring three times. Armond Misuraca accounted for four runs with a double and a homer. Pasco Lucinete banged out three singles.

Shearer (L), Rosser (8) and xxx
John Dobek (W) and xxx

(August 12)  Coleman Cubs edged Pincher Creek 5-4 to advance to the next round in the Southern Alberta senior playoffs.  A single and two errors led to the winning run in the fifth inning. Alex Kovacik reached on an error with two out and George Yoshinaka singled to left field. Both rounded the sacks as the left fielder misjudged the ball and it bounced away for a three-base error. Lefty Kimoto hurled seven-hit ball to post the win besting Bill Bunnage, who allowed nine hits. Jim Kitaguchi and Yoho Kimoto belted homers for the winners in the first inning.

Bunnage (L) and Wiens
Kimoto (W) and Yoshinaka

(August 12)   Blairmore Canucks scored five runs in the first inning and cruised to a 16-7 victory over Granum to advance to the second round to the Southern Alberta intermediate playoffs.  John Dobek tossed an eight-hitter to post the win.  Armond Misuraca sparked the winners with four of the Canucks 15 hits.

John Dobek (W) and Joe Dobek
Rosser (L) and Parker

(August 16)   Blairmore Canucks wiggled out of none out, bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to escape with an 8-5 victory over Coleman Cubs.  The Canucks sailed into the final frame with an 8-3 advantage behind the strong hurling of Alex Blas, but the right-hander weakened in the ninth allowing two runners to reach base. John Dobek relieved and immediately got into trouble allowing both runners to score and have the bases loaded. Dobek buckled down and got a force at home and two strikeouts to end the game. Moose Giacomuzzi belted a homer and single for the winners.

Kovacik (L), L.Kimoto (8) and xxx
Blas (W), John Dobek (9) and xxx

(August 16)   The Southern Alberta Baseball Association has angered teams in the Crow's Nest Pass loop after ruling four of the teams ineligible for provincial competitions because of failures to send in registration cards before the deadline.  The ruling comes after Blairmore had already played and beat Granum in a provincial series.

(August 19)  Hillcrest Juniors moved into a first place tie with Coleman Sunday downing the short handed Cubs 13-3.  With just four regulars in the lineup, the Cubs were no match for their young opponents with teenager Willie Walasko on the mound.  The right-hander held the Cubs to six hits and struck out eight.  The Juniors pounded Charlie Kitaguchi for 16 hits. Walter Trentini and John Somoya each had three hits with Joe Somoya, Frank Mayor, Bob Richardson and Butch Lesniak adding two apiece. 

C.Kitaguchi (L) and xxx
Walasko (W) and xxx

(August 19)   With their biggest offensive show of the season, Blairmore Canucks buried the hapless Michel Red Sox 21-4. The Canucks cracked 21 hits, including five doubles and a triple. Gordon Vejprava continued his hot streak with a double and four singles.  Pitcher John Dobek aided his cause with two doubles and a pair of singles. Joe Dobek poled a single, double and triple.  Dobek breezed to the pitching win fanning six.  He held the Sox to two runs through eight frames then surrendered another two in the ninth. 

Scott (L) and
John Dobek (W) and Joe Dobek

(August 19)  Bill Bunnage, the ace hurler for Pincher Creek, tossed a seven-inning no-hitter Sunday as the Dominoes blanked the Combines 5-0 in an exhibition game. He fanned six.  In the real game, the Combines took a 5-3 decision in the opening game of a best-of-three playoff.  Jim Wilfley hurled six-hit ball for the win.

(August 26)   The Bow Island-Burdett Combines downed Pincher Creek 6-3 in the second game of Sunday's double-header to advance to the semi-final round of the Southern Alberta Senior playoffs. Pincher Creek had tied the series with a 4-3 in in the first game. Right-hander Shorty Collins scattered eight hits to claim the mound win for the Combines. Ed Franks gave up 12 hits in a losing cause. Andy Knapp pounded out three hits for the winners while Jim VanBuskirk and Lloyd Sevalrud each had a pair. Ray LeGrandeur poled out three safeties for Pincher Creek.

In the opener, Pincher Creek notched a pair of runs in the top of the tenth inning and held off a Combines' rally in the bottom of the extra frame for a 4-3 triumph. Bill Bunnage hurled seven-hit ball for the win supported by Ed Franks with a double and two singles. Pat Knibbs had three of the Combine hits.

Bunnage (W) and Wiens
Miller (L) and Sailer

Franks (L) and Wans
Collins (W) and Sailer

(September 11)  The defending champions, Pincher Creek, split a double-header on the final weekend of the regular season. After scratching out a 5-4 win at Fernie in the afternoon, they were stopped, 8-4, at Blairmore in an evening engagement. In the first game, the Dominoes scored three times in the top of the ninth inning to squeeze out the victory.  Ray LaGrandeur, whose two-run single tied the score, worked his way to third base and romped home on a wild pitch with the winning run.

Bunnage (W) and xxx
Guzzi (L) and xxx

In the evening contest, Moose Giacomuzzi, who later had a pair of singles, cracked a three-run homer in the first inning to spark Blairmore to their 8-4 triumph.  Steady John Dobek was tagged for 14 hits but scraped through to earn his fifth win of the season, without a defeat. In the seventh inning, the Dominoes collected six straight hits but managed to score just one run as foolish base-running wiped out the big threat. Lead off man Robin LaGrandeur reached with single number one and left fielder Joe Desbiens' drive to centre moved LaGrandeur to third. But, Desbiens was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double. Ray LaGrandeur plated his brother Robin with another one base hit, the third of the inning, but he too was thrown out at second trying to make two bases.  Scotty Desbiens then singled, hit four, and moved to second on Ed Wien's one-bagger, hit number five. Pitcher Len Crawford slammed a sharp drive to short right field for the sixth hit, but Pedro Giacomuzzi's quick relay prevented any scoring.  With the bases loaded and two out, hurler Dobek held a brief conference with manager Tony Vejprava then got Jim Johnson force Crawford at second to end the inning. 

Crawford (L) and xxx
John Dobek (W) and xxx

(September 11)  At Michel, Fernie topped the Red Sox.

With the end of regular season play, Coleman and Blairmore tied for first place with the Hillcrest Juniors right behind. Fernie and Pincher Creek tied for the final playoff position. Michel and Macleod were eliminated from further play.  The league announced that Fernie and Pincher Creek will have to play a sudden-death game to decide the final playoff competitor.

(September 16)   In the opener of their best-of-three semi-final series, Coleman Cubs slammed 18 hits Sunday in a 21-3 shellacking of the Hillcrest Juniors.  All those runs came in just seven innings as the game was shortened to make way for an exhibition game.  Cubs put the game on ice in the second inning with an eight run outburst. Bill Fraser led the attack with four hits and Jim Kitaguchi had three. Yoho Kimoto belted the game's only homer. John Somoya was best for the Juniors with a double and a pair of singles. Alex Kovacik came in from his regular outfield spot to hurl for the Cubs. He held the Juniors to seven hits. 

Walasko (L), Bosetti and xxx
Kovacik (W) and xxx

(September 16)  In a sudden-death clash to determine the final playoff team, Pincher Creek whipped Fernie 8-3.

(September 16)   In a comedy of errors at Blairmore, the Canucks managed just nine hits but took advantage of 11 Pincher Creek errors to post a 12-4 triumph in their semi-final series. Roy Vejprava led off the game for Blairmore with a homer over the left field fence. They put the game away in the third inning scoring four more times helped by five errors by the Dominoes.

xxx and xxx
John Dobek (W),, Blas and xxx

(October 7)  It will be Blairmore against Coleman for the Crow's Nest Pass senior baseball championship. The Canucks pushed across four runs in the 10th inning Sunday to down Pincher Creek 10-8 and win the best-of-three semi-final series. The Dominoes, after trailing 5-2 after two innings, battled back to tie 6-6 after the regulation nine frames.  But in the top of the 10th, Laddie Cerney led off the frame for the Canucks with a single to centre and Martin Galvin was hit by a pitch. With two out, an error on a tap to the pitcher, brought in two runs and Gordon Vejprava and John Chala followed with two-baggers to put Blairmore in front 10-6. Pincher Creek rallied in the bottom of the ten for a pair, but it wasn't enough. 

Dobek, Galvin (W) (5) and xxx
Bunnage (L) and xxx