1956 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1956 BC Interior
1956 Vancouver Island
INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE (7 inning games)
(April 29) It was Joe Donegan Day as the Vancouver Industrial League kicked off the 1956 season at Powell Grounds. Vancouver Mounties general manager Ced Tallis presented Donegan with a trophy signifying his 10 years as an active player in the league. Tallis then threw out the first ball and a crowd of 2,000 settled down to watch the defending champion Vancouver Nisei whip Western Bridge 12-1. Elmer Mori drove in four runs with a single and pair of doubles. Ron Montgomery held Western to one-hit in going the distance for the win. He had a no-hitter through five frames before Frank Kozak led off the sixth with a two-bagger over the Cordova Street wall.
Gary Zailo (L), Ron Curby (3) and Bill Taylor
Ron Montgomery (W) and George Oikawa
(April 30) Neil Dredge knocked in four runs with a pair of singles to spark the Boilermakers to a 7-6 win over Longshoremen Monday.
(May 1) Rod MacKay blanked the Firefighters on two-hits Tuesday as CYO notched a 3-0 victory. MacKay fanned 11 and walked none.
Ian McLennan (L) and Carl Johnson
Rod MacKay (W) and Bobo Sikorski
(May 2) Boilermakers scored five runs in the first inning and cruised to a 6-3 win over Nisei Wednesday. Al Parks went the distance with a three-hitter and 14 strikeouts for the win.
Art Limber, Eddie Yamamura (1) and Danny Okano
Al Parks (W) and Doug Beckett
(May 4) Cal Murphy was an offensive force Friday as CYO dumped the Longshoremen 8-1. The first baseman accounted for four runs with a run-scoring double, a two-run single and a steal of home. Bobo Sikorski also had a two-bagger for CYO and Ken Mitchell had a double for the Longshoremen. Ernie Gurniak went the route for the win.
Tensman, Harrison (3) and Miller
Gurniak (W) and Sikorski
(May 5) Vancouver Niseis ran wild, with ten base thefts, in dumping the Firefighters 14-2 at Powell Street grounds. Rookie Elmer Mori again paced the winners knocking in a pair of runs with two hits. Merv Franks allowed just five hits in the six-inning affair for an easy victory. He walked two and fanned six.
Bill Cousins (L), Ian McLennan (5) and Carl Johnson
Franks (W) and
Okano
(May 6) Boilermakers 7 CYO 3
(May 8) A three-run outburst in the seventh and final inning gave Niseis a 4-1 triumph over the Catholic Youth Organization. Ron Montgomery held CYO to five hits in posting his second win of the young season. He's yet to allow an earned run. Four singles and a pair of CYO errors led to the big Nisei rally in the seventh. Elmer Mori led the winners with a pair of hits.
Montgomery (W) and Okano
Rod McKay (L) and Bobo Sikorski
(May 11) Ken Digby tossed a two-hit shutout as Longshoremen downed Nisei 4-0 to take over second place in the Industrial Baseball League standings.
Digby (W) and Miller
Yamamura (L), Franks (6) and Okano
( May 13) Firemen topped the Boilermakers 8-6 before 1,500 fans at Powell Grounds Sunday night. The winners thrilled the crowd with a triple play in the first inning. With none out and the bases loaded, Boilermaker Bill Caswell smashed a drive to shortstop Charlie Esplen who threw to John Bunyon, catching the runner at third. Bunyon flipped to second sacker Pete Eades to made the final out.
Grant Hammond, Gray Winbow (5) and Bill Caswell
Don Smith, Lorne Fuller (5) and Carl Johnson
(May 14) Don Wilson's (left) one-hitter highlighted Western Bridge's 6-1 victory over Nisei Monday night. Wilson went the distance with nine strikeouts in the seven inning game. The only hit came in the first inning when Seichi Tahara singled to score Kenny Homma who had walked to open the game. Nisei rookie Gary McCullough permitted just four hits in taking the loss but allowed ten free passes.
Gary McCullough (L) and Danny Okano
Don Wilson (W) and Bill Taylor
(May 15) Barry Arnett laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Leo Ius with the winning run in the bottom of the 7th and final inning to give Longshoremen an 8-7 win over Boilermakers. Ius had earlier knocked in two runs with three doubles. Grant Hammond picked up the win in relief of starter Walt Brown.
Al Parks, Walt Brown (7), Grant Hammond (7) and Bill Caswell
Gene McCarthy, Don Harrison (4), Ken Digby (7) and Al Miller, John Vickers (6)
(May 16) CYO downed the Fireman 7-1 before a crowd of 2,000 at Powell Grounds Wednesday night. Rookie Clare Bonner hurled a four-hitter for the win. George Keeley paced a 12-hit CYO attack with a two-run homer in the first inning. The victory moved CYO into a first place tie with Boilermakers, each with four victories.
Clare Bonner (W) and Bobo Sikorski
Bill Cousins (L) and Carl Johnson
(May 17) Nisei took a 6-0 lead then held off a late rally by the Boilermakers to notch a 6-5 victory Thursday night. Errors hurt the losers as they allowed two unearned runs in the 3rd and another pair in the 5th. Boilermakers erupted for five runs in the 7th and final frame but fell just short. Shortstop Mush Uyesugi topped the weak-hitting Nisei with three hits, one a two-bagger.
Ron Montgomery went the distance for the win.
Walt Brown, Grant Hammond (3), Gary Winbow (6) and Bill Caswell
Ron Montgomery (W) and Danny Okano
(May 18) Ron Curby was the story at Powell Grounds Friday night as Western Bridge demolished the Firemen 17-3 in a game called after just five innings. The veteran hurler picked up the win with a five-hitter but it was his work at the plate which drew the attention. Curby smashed a grand slam homer in the first inning and followed with a two-run single in the third. Doug Adams knocked in four runs with three hits.
Don Smith (L), Lorne Fuller (2), Lorne Drummond (3) and Carl Johnson
Ron Curby (W) and Bill Taylor
(May 20) Vancouver Nisei blew a 5-1 lead and had to settle for a 5-5 draw with the Firemen, who notched three runs in the sixth and the tying marker in the seventh and final frame.
McFullough, Montgomery (7) and Okano
L.Drummond and C.Esplen
(May 23) Longshoremen downed Western Bridge 6-3 in a six-inning contest Wednesday at Powell Grounds. The crowd of 2,000 was treated to a baseball rarity, a triple steal. With the bases full on walks, Longshoreman shortstop Ray Marshall scampered to home from third followed by Nick Craig who advanced to third and Ritchie Foster who made it safely to second. The winning run came in the third inning on an error.
Gary Zailo, Don Wilson (2) and Bill Taylor
Nick Craig, Ken Digby (3) and Al Miller
(May 24) In a thrilling pitchers' duel, Merv Franks bested Rod McKay as the Nisei scored the only run with two out in the bottom of the seventh and final inning for the 1-0 win. After Frank Kika had reached first, Franks was the unexpected hitting hero with his first base knock of the season sending a liner to deep centre. The ball took a bad hop over George Kelly's shoulder allowing the lone marker to cross the plate. Franks yielded just two hits while the Nisei had five off McKay.
R.McKay (L) and Sikorski
Franks (W) and Okano
(May 25) Longshoremen rang up six runs in the first inning and coasted to a 10-3 victory over Fireman Friday night. Ken Digby went all the way for the winners allowing seven hits.
Ken Digby (W) and Al Miller
Bill Cousins (1), Don Smith (1), Lorne Drummond (4) and Charlie Esplen
(May 26) Western Bridge topped Boilermakers 8-1 Saturday as Frank Kozak and Gary Zailo led a 10-hit attack with home runs.
Curby (W) and Taylor
Parks (L), Hammond (1), Winbow (5) and Beckett, Caswell (5)
(May 27) Nisei will have to wait until Wednesday to try and break their second place tie with Longshoremen. The two teams fought to a 6-6 draw Sunday. Nisei overcame a 6-0 deficit with five runs in the sixth on five walks and a pair of hits then drew even in the seventh with a singleton on two hits. Elmer Mori, with a .458 average, is the leading hitter for the Nisei. Azu Oikawa is next, at .444
Ron Montgomery and Okano
Hemmerling, Nick Craig (6) and Al Miller
(May 28) Frank Kozak ripped a two-run homer in the 6th inning to give Western Bridge a 5-4 win over CYO in Industrial League action at Powell Grounds. Bobo Sikorski belted a pair of doubles for the losers.
Rod MacKay (L) and Bobo Sikorski
Alf Miki, Ron Curby (6) and Bill Taylor, Frank Kozak (6)
(May 30) Ron Montgomery tossed a four-hitter as Nisei coasted to an 11-1 triumph over Western Bridge Wednesday night. A sixth inning error robbed Montgomery of a shutout. Hubbo Matsuzaki, who had managed just one hit in his first eight games, reached base four straight times, scored twice and added a stolen base. Elmer Mori scored three times. Montgomery fanned nine in picking up his fourth straight victory and, in allowing just the unearned run, reduced his earned run average to 1.25.
Venturato (L), Wilson (4), Curby (5), Zailo (5) and F.Kozak
Montgomery (W) and Okano
(June 1) CYO grabbed sole possession of second place in the Industrial League standings Friday with a 6-1 decision over Firemen. Left fielder Lyle Levy got CYO on the board with a double in the 3rd to score Harvey Craig. With catcher Bobo Sikorski's two doubles leading the attack, the winners pushed across four runs in the 5th.
Cousins (L) and Esplen
Gurniak (W) and Sikorski
(June 2) Nisei`s Tom Nishi picked a good time for his first hit of the season. His two-run homer in the 2nd inning gave Nisei a lead it never surrendered in an 11-3 trouncing of the Boilermakers. The losers made eight errors, leading to nine unearned runs. Elmer Mori crushed a three-run homer in the 3rd for Nisei. Merv Franks pitched a five-hitter for the win.
Merv Franks (W) and Danny Okano
Walt Brown (L), Ernie Thrower (3), Ron Hoff (6) and Bill Caswell
(June 5) Pitcher Ron Montgomery's two-run double in the final inning gave Nisei a 6-6 tie with Firefighters Tuesday night. Tom Nishi had a triple and single in three trips.
Don Smith and Charlie Esplen
Gary McCullough, Ron Montgomery (2) and Danny Okana
(June 11) Longshoremen moved into a tie with Nisei and CYO atop the Industrial League following their 4-2 win over Nisei Monday night. Winning pitcher Ken Digby helped his cause with a run-scoring single in the 4th to tie the count. Ron Hemmerling knocked in two runs in the 6th with a single.
Ken Digby (W) and Al Miller
Merv Frankis (L) and Danny Okano
(June 12) Don Wilson was sharp blanking CYO on three hits as Western Bridge notched a 2-0 win at Powell Grounds. Rod MacKay allowed just six hits in taking the loss.
Don Wilson (W) and Frank Kozak
Rod MacKay (L) and Bobo Sikorski
(June 13) Boilermakers whipped Firemen 14-8 in a five-inning affair Wednesday. Barry Arnett began the winners' assault with a three-run homer in the first inning. Jack McMillan added a run-scoring double as the Boilermakers scored eight times. The Firemen replied with six in their half of the initial frame.
Gary Winbow, Walt Brown (W) and Jack McMillan
Lorne Drummond, Bill Cousins (2) and Charlie Esplen
(June 14) Western Bridge defeated Nisei 5-3 Thursday. As a result, the Longshoremen took over sole possession of first place. Down 3-2 going into the bottom of the 7th, the final inning, Westerns rallied for three for the victory. Right fielder Matt Yanchuk opened the rally with his second double of the night. Bill Simpson singled in Yanchuk to tie and Gary Zailo followed with a homer for the win.
Ron Montgomery (L) and Danny Okano
Ron Curby (W) and Bill Taylor
Longshoremen 7 - 4
Nisei 7 - 5
CYO 7 - 5
Western Bridge 7 - 6
Boilermakers 5 - 8
Firefighters 3 - 8
(June 16) Saturday night, CYO nipped Firemen 5-3 as Jim Butterworth and Rod MacKay combined on a five-hitter. Stan Brooks took the loss.
Jim Butterworth, Rod MacKay (6) and Bobo Sikorski
Stan Brooks and Merv Maxwell
(June 17) Nick Craig shutout CYO on four hits Sunday afternoon as Longshoremen posted an 8-0 victory before 2,000 fans at Powell Grounds. It was close until the 7th when the Longshoremen scored five times.
Nick Craig (W) and Al Miller
Ernie Gurniak and Bobo Sikorski
(June 17) Gary McCullough and Seichi Tahara combined on a one-hitter as Nisei downed Boilermakers 5-2 Sunday night. Tahara, in his first mound effort this season, picked up the win.
Al Parks (L) and Jack McMillan
Gary McCullough, Seichi Tahara (W) (6) and Danny Okano
(June 18) Matt Yanchuk belted a three-run homer in the 2nd inning and it proved to be all Western Bridge needed Monday night in downing the Firemen 4-2. Gary Zailo went the route with a five-hitter for the win.
Lorne Fuller, Don Smith (2) and Merv Maxwell
Gary Zailo (W) and Bill Taylor
(June 20) Vancouver Nisei shaded the Firefighters 10-9 to climb into sole possession of first place in the Industrial League standings. Nisei dropped behind 6-2 before rebounding with six runs in the third and adding a pair in the fourth. Starting pitcher Gary McCullough led the offense with a double and two singles. Toru Nishi smacked a homer in the second. Stan Black cracked a bases-loaded homer for the losers.
McCullough, Montgomery (W) (2) and Okano
Jack Connell, Bill Cousins (3) and Dick Phipps, Merv Maxwell (3)
(June 23) CYO scored a pair in the first inning and coasted to a 6-1 victory over Nisei Saturday. Ernie Gurniak held Nisei to three hits in posting the win. Seichi Tahara went the distance on the mound for the Nisei suffering his first pitching loss since 1952.
Ernie Gurniak (W) and Maury Mulhern
Seichi Tahara (L) and Danny Okano
(June 24) Longshoremen took a pair from the Firemen, 7-6 and 8-3, to move into second place in the Industrial League standings. They scored in the bottom of the 10th to take the opener, and built a 7-0 lead after three innings in the night game to cruise to their second win of the day. Nick Craig went all the way to register the pitching win in the first game. Walt Shamro tossed a four-hitter in taking the nightcap.
Don Smith and Dick Phipps, Charlie Esplen (6)
Nick Craig (W) and Al Miller
Walt Shamro (W) and Al Miller
Bill Cousins (L) and Dick Phipps
(June 27) Rod MacKay, former hurler for the Vancouver Capilanos of the Western International League, fired a two-hitter Wednesday to lead CYO to a 6-1 decision over Western Bridge. MacKay, who fanned five and walked none, evened his record at 4-4.
Rod MacKay (W) and Bobo Sikorski, Maury Mulhern
Gary Zailo (L) and Bill Taylor
(June 28) Nick Craig held Boilermakers to two hits as Longshoremen posted a 2-0 victory Thursday night. Craig fanned six and walked two in leading his mates to their 11th win in 17 starts. Al Parks allowed just three hits in taking the loss. Both runs came home on walks.
Al Parks (L) and Jim McMillan
Nick Craig (W) and Al Miller
(June 29) Bill Taylor slugged a three-run homer in the 5th inning to lead Western Bridge to a 9-3 decision over Nisei. Gary Zailo and Jack Hatch were aboard on walks before Taylor's blast. Third sacker Bill Simpson had a two-run single in the 3rd. Don Wilson held the Nisei to three hits in hurling the win.
Don Wilson (W) and Taylor
Gary McCullough (L) and Oikawa
(July 3) A last inning single by Seichi Tahara brought in winning hurler Gary McCullough with the the winning run as Nisei shaded the Firefighters 4-3. McCullough allowed just six hits in his route-going performance.
Smith (L) and Esplen
McCullough (W) and Oikawa
(July 6) Ron Montgomery chalked up his sixth win of the season with a three-hitter in Niseis 5-0 victory over Boilermakers. Kenny Homma plated the only run needed on this day as he walked in the third inning, advanced on another free pass, stole third and romped home on a wild throw by the Boiler catcher. Nisei completed the scoring in the fifth on three singles, a walk, a hit batter and an error. Manager John Inouye played the entire game at third base, coach Tad Ikeda was pressed into service in right field for two innings and John Ito, just back from Japan finished the game in right.
Montgomery (W) and Okano
Winbow, Parks (5) and McMillan
(July 9) Vancouver Nisei parlayed just one hit into three runs in the second inning to edge CYO 5-4 Monday. Newcomer Ed Wild was just that allowing three walks, hitting a batter while his teammates made a pair of errors in the big Nisei inning. Ron Montgomery connected for a double to drive in two runs in the fifth for the winning margin. Merv Franks picked up his fourth win of the season. Wild whiffed 11 and walked seven.
Franks (W) and Oikawa
Wild, Gurniak (7) and McKay, Mulhern (6)
(July 12) Nick Craig and the powerful Longshoremen whipped the Nisei 10-1 Thursday. Craig allowed just two hits for his seventh straight victory. He fanned 15. Al Miller drove in three runs with a double and single.
Craig (W) and Miller
Montgomery (L), Yamamura (4) and Okano
Longshoremen 15 - 7
Nisei 12 - 8 2.0
CYO 13 - 9 2.0
Western Bridge 12 - 9 2.5
Boilermakers 7 - 13 7.0
Firefighters 3 - 16
10.5
(July 15) Vancouver Nisei split a pair of Sunday games, downing the Firefighters 5-1 in the first and getting hammered 11-2 by Western Bridge in the second. Ron Montgomery, the Nisei ace, held the Smokies to four hits, allowing just an unearned run in the Nisei first game triumph. Seichi Tahara smacked a double and single, driving in two runs to lead the winners.
Montgomery (W) and Okano
Smith (L) and Esplen
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Westerns erupted for five runs in the second inning and added another five in the fifth to romp to the win as Ron Curby held the Nisei to just four safeties. A dropped fly ball, with the bases loaded in the second frame brought in three runs. Rookie Eddie Yamamura took the loss yielding five hits and four walks in his four inning stint. He fanned six.
Yamamura (L), McCullough (5) and Oikawa
Curby (W) and Taylor
(July 18) Nisei failed to field a full lineup and the game was awarded to the Boilermakers.
(July 21) Elmer Mori punched a run-scoring single in the seventh and final frame Saturday to send Ken Homma across the plate with the tying run as the Nisei battled the Firefighters to a 2-2 draw. Merv Franks tossed a six-hitter for Nisei while Lorne Drummond allowed seven in his complete game for the firemen.
Franks and Okano
Drummond and Phipps
(July 24) Gordie Nishi, up with the Nisei on a three game trial from Tyees of the Junior Pacific Coast ciruit, cracked a two-out, bases-loaed single in the second extra frame, the ninth inning, for the margin of victory as Nisei topped CYO 5-4. Elmer Mori, led the winners with four hits, three of them doubles. Ron Montgomery scattered nine hits to post his eighth win of the season. He fanned eight and walked three.
Gurniak (L) and McLeod
Montgomery (W) and Oikawa
(July 27) Merv Franks allowed just two hits, one a two-run homer by losing pitcher Nick Craig, as the Nisei topped the Longshoremen 6-2. After yielding the two runs, both unearned, Franks set down the last 16 batters in order. He whiffed six and waked one. Craig dropped his first game since opening day after recording eight straight wins. He gave up nine hits and walked six. Ken Homma and Danny Okano each had a pair of safeties in the victory.
Franks (W) and Oikawa
Craig (L) and Miller
(July 30) Ernie Gurniak fashioned a three-hit shutout to pace CYO past Nisei 3-0. Ron Montgomery took the loss giving up seven hits.
Montgomery (L) and Oikawa
Gurniak (W) and Keeley
(July 31) Ron Curby fired a three-hitter for his 8th win of the season as Westerns downed Firemen 4-1. A two-run homer by shortstop Leon Brandolini sealed the deal in the 6th inning. Pitcher Lorne Drummond drove in the only run for the Fireman with a double in the 5th inning.
Drummond (L) and Esplen
Curby (W) and Taylor
(August 3) Ron Hemmerling's two-run double in the third was all the Longshoremen needed in a 5-0 win over Nisei. Ken Digby fired the shutout, allowing but three hits.
Franks (L) and G.Nishi
Digby (W) and Miller, Adams (7)
(August 5) Nisei had their biggest offense show of the season Sunday in lashing out 29 hits in sweeping a twin bill from the Firefighters 8-1 and 10-4. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit in both games. Tom Nishi went four-for-four in the second game. Ron Montgomery became the winningest pitcher in the league pitching both games for his ninth and tenth victories against three defeats.
Montgomery (W) and Oikawa
Cousins (L) and Esplen
Drummond (L) and Esplen
Montgomery (W) and Oikawa
(August 6) Westerns downed Boilermakers 8-2 Monday night. Ron Curby went all the way for the win.
Curby (W) and Bill Taylor
Al Parks (L) and Ken Rose
(August 8) Longshoremen moved into a first place tie with Western Bridge Wednesday night as they stopped Nisei 9-5 at Powell Grounds. Nick Craig and Ken Digby teamed up for the mound work for the win. Digby worked three innings allowing no hits and retiring nine of the ten batters he faced.
Craig, Digby (W) (3) and Jackie Marsh, Paul Adams (3)
Gary McCullough (L) and Gordy Nishi
(August 9) Pitcher Merv Franks crushed a grand slam homer in the first inning to send Nisei on the way to an 11-1 trouncing of CYO in a sudden-death playoff to determine third place in the Industrial League standings. Nisei sent seven runs home in the first inning and were never threatened. Centre fielder Elmer Mori added a two-run homer in the sixth. Franks hurled a five-hitter in going the distance.
Franks (W) and Inouye
Alton (L) , Addison (4), MacKay (6) and Keeley
(August 10) Westerns and Longshoremen failed to settle first place Friday night as they battled to a 3-3 tie in the final game of the regular schedule. The game was called after six innings because of darkness. The teams will meet in a sudden-death playoff tonight to break the deadlock. Longshoremen scored in the last of the 6th to fight back from a 3-2 deficit. Dave Skelnick singled in Ken Mitchell with the tying marker.
Wilson, Curby (3) and Taylor
Forsythe, Craig (2) and Ross
(August 13) Longshoremen edged Western Bridge 2-1 Monday in a sudden-death playoff to determine first place in the Industrial League. Nick Craig and Ron Curby tangled in the mound duel, each throwing a three-hitter. Curby fanned nine and walked two but Craig with four strikeouts and one walk, picked up the win.
Curby (L) and Bill Taylor
Craig (W) and Al Miller
Playoffs :
(August 14) Lyle Levy pounded a game-winning homer in the 7th inning as CYO nipped Longshoremen 2-1 in the opening game of a best-of-five semi-final series. Rod MacKay fired a two-hitter for the win. Ken Digby allowed just three hits in taking the loss.
MacKay (W) and Keeley
Digby (L) and Miller
(August 16) Home runs by Webb and Al Miller gave Longshoremen a 2-0 win over CYO Thursday to even the semi-final series at a game apiece. Nick Craig fired a two-hitter to register the win.
Craig (W) and Miller
Gurniak (L) and Keeley
(August 17) In the first game of their semi-final series, Western Bridge handed Nisei their worst beating of the season, a 15-0 trouncing that lasted just five innings. Western scored six times in the first frame, featuring Bill Taylor's two-run homer, and romped to the easy victory, rapping out a dozen hits while Ron Curby fired a two-hitter for the winners.
Curby (W) and Bill Taylor
Franks (L), McCullough (5) and Oikawa, Okano (5)
(August 19) Pitcher Ron Montgomery, named league MVP in a pre-game ceremony, led Nisei to 5-1 and 7-6 victories over Westerns in their semi-final series at Powell Grounds. In other regular season awards, Westerns Ron Curby was named best pitcher with a 9-1 record and Westerns Frank Kozak the top hitter with a .427 average. Montgomery fired a two-hitter in the first game and relieved in the second to stop a Westerns rally. Frank Kika belted a homer for Nisei in the first game.
Montgomery (W) and Oikawa
Wilson (L), Curby (7) and Taylor
Drummond (W), Montgomery (5) and G. Oikawa, D. Oikawa (5)
Zailo (L), Curby (2) and Kozak
(August 20) Jack Alton sparked CYO to a 7-2 win over Longshoremen to advance to the league final. CYO won the best-of-five series three games to one. Alton clubbed a three-run triple in the 4th inning. Ernie Gurniak hurled the victory allowing just four hits.
Ken Digby (L), Nick Craig (3), Ron Hemmerling (4) and Al Miller
Gurniak (W) and George Keeley
(August 21) Western Bridge downed Nisei 7-2 Tuesday to even their semi-final series at two games apiece. Frank Kozak belted a homer to led the Westerns attack. Don Wilson gave up seven hits for the win.
Wilson (W) and Taylor
McCullough (L), Drummond (4) and Okano
(August 22) Bill Taylor drove in five runs Wednesday night to pace Western Bridge to a 9-3 win over Nisei and victory in their semi-final series. Bridge will meet CYO in the league final with the first game tonight. Taylor started with a two-run double in the 2nd. He added a two-run single in the 4th and later a sacrifice fly. Losing pitcher Ken Homma had a home run for Nisei.
Homma (L), Drummond (2) and Oikawa
Zailo, Wilson (3) and Taylor
(August 23) CYO took the opening game of the Industrial League's best-of-seven final downing Western Bridge 2-0 Thursday night. Rod MacKay, 8-8 during the regular season, gave up just four hits in hurling the shutout. Lyle Levy's two-run double down the left field line opened the scoring in the first inning. Leo Mulhern knocked in Gord Addison with the third run with a single in the 4th.
MacKay (W) and Keeley
Gary Zailo, Ron Curby (4) and Kozak
(August 25) CYO and Westerns battled to a 3-3 draw Saturday night in a game called after five innings because of darkness.
Don Wilson and Bill Taylor
Ernie Gurniak and George Keeley
(August 26) CYO crushed Western Bridge 10-1 Sunday to moved into a 2-0 lead in their final series. Ed Wild and Rod MacKay combined to held the Westerns to three hits.
Wild, Rod MacKay (4) and Keeley
Gary Zailo, Bill Sibson (5) and Bill Taylor
(August 27) CYO dumped Western Bridge 3-0 to move to within a game of the league title. CYO leads the final set three games to none with one tied. Errors in the first and fifth led to two CYO runs with Jack Alton and Glen Stover getting the gift runs. Catcher George Keeley scored on a single by first sacker Harvey Craig in the third. Rod MacKay held the Westerns to four hits in hurling the shutout.
Don Wilson (L), Chick Venturato (6) and Bill Taylor
MacKay (W) and Keeley
(August 28) Western Bridge clobbered CYO 8-1 Tuesday to stave off elimination in the Industrial League final series. Westerns scored three in the first inning and coasted to the win behind five-hit pitching by Chick Venturato.
Ernie Gurniak (L) and George Keeley
Chick Venturato (W) and Taylor
(August 29) Western Bridge exploded for 11 runs in the top of the first inning en route to a 12-2 shellacking of CYO for their second win in the final series. Westerns had just seven hits but took advantage of six CYO errors.
Curby, Zailo (2) and Kozak
xxx, Gednish (1), Addison (4) and Keeley
NORTHEST INTERNATIONAL SEMI-PRO BASEBALL LEAGUE
(May 12) The Northwest International Semi-Pro Baseball League opens Sunday at Central Park with Vancouver White Spots up against South Burnaby Athletics. Games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. Other teams in the league are Seattle Greenland Cafe, Tacoma Studs, Bellingham Bells, Deming Loggers and Victoria's Farmer Construction.
(May 13) South Burnaby shaded the Vancouver White Spots 2-1 in the season opener of the Northwest Semi-Pro Baseball League Sunday. Bill Kinder's first inning double drove in Jim Kelly and Gary Sinclair with the South Burnaby runs.
Norm Allen, Alee Roth (5) and Sparrow, Ivan Eriksson (5)
John Ruck (W) and Ivan Spees
(May 22) Before more than 2,400 fans, Victoria's Farmer Construction and Bellingham Bells split an exhibition double-header at Royal Athletic Park with the visitors winning the opener 6-5 and the home crew taking the nightcap 9-8 in an extra inning. The first game featured superior defensive play by the visitors with the Bells turning three rally-killing double plays as they twice came from behind to win putting across the deciding run in the ninth inning. In the night game, it was the Farmers who battled from behind twice tying the score with three-run rallies and pulling even in the ninth with two more markers. They got the winner in the 10th on four walks, the last one to Lowell Hodges on a full count with two out. Three of their runs came home on balks by Bells' starter Pat Hollinsworth.
Bob Wales (W) and Gary Kohives
Lowell Hodges (L) and Jim Harford
Pat Hollingsworth, Dick Minice (7), Bruce Randall (10) and Gary Kohives
Ron Lund, Bill Garner (8) and Jack Shields, Doug Patterson (9)
(May 26) Rain forced postponement of Saturday's game between Deming and the Farmers.
(May 28) Centre fielder Davies belted a homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Burnaby a 4-3 victory over Victoria in the opener of a double-header for Farmers who also dropped the second game, 4-2 at Bellingham. Burnaby collected just four hits in the first game but a costly error set up the winners for three runs in the fourth inning. Bill Garner allowed just five hits to the Bells in the second game but two of them were homers by Art Minice. Dick Aaronson and Humphries held Farmers off the scoreboard until the ninth when they plated both their runs.
Beck, Hodges (L) (8) and Harford
Ruck (W) and Spees
Garner (L) and Harford
Aaronson, Humphries (W) (6) and Callas
(June 2) After dropping a 6-3 decision to Seattle in the first game of a double-header, Victoria scraped out a 9-8 victory in the second game when Ron Lund, the third pitcher for the Farmers got a strike out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to end the threat after Seattle had scored three times. Paul Beck, who came in to relieve starter Lowell Hodges in the first frame, after the visitors had scored three, went six innings, allowing just two hits, before running into trouble in the eighth. Seattle got the first game win with three runs in the eighth stanza, handing the pitching win to teenage reliever Joe Lains.
Bob McGruder, Joe Lains (7) and Don Anderson
Bill Garner (L) and Jim Harford
Stan Martysus, Lyle Richardson (3), Joe Lains (4) and Don Anderson
Lowell Hodges, Paul Beck (W) (1), Don Lund (8) and Jim Harford
(June 12) Bob Roberts hurled a three-hit shutout for Bellingham as the Bells dumped South Burnaby A's 6-0 in Northwest International Semi-Pro action at Central Park Tuesday. Roberts fanned nine and walked a pair. Ray Minice led a 14-hit attack with a fourth-inning homer.
Bob Roberts (W) and xxx
Johnny Ruck (L) and Ivan Spees
Bellingham 3 - 0
Burnaby 2 - 2 1.5
Seattle 1 - 1 1.5
Tacoma 0 - 0 1.5
Victoria 2 - 3 2.0
Vancouver 1 - 2 2.0
Deming 0 - 1 2.0
(June 14) A seven-run fifth inning carried Farmer Construction to an 11-8 win over Vancouver White Spots Thursday at Royal Athletic Park. Ron Lund, the Courtenay right-hander, made his farewell appearance for the Farmers and picked up the win going six innings. A three-run double by Jim Harford and a two-run homer by Norm Curran featured the fifth inning uprising. Curran went three-for-four, added two singles to his four-bagger.
Norm Allan, Alec Bass (5) and Ed Sparrow
Ron Lund (W), Paul Beck (7), Bill Garner (9) and Jim Harford
(June 16) With solid hurling and good defense, Farmer Construction took a pair from previously unbeaten Bellingham Bells, 3-1 in the afternoon game and 5-3 in the nightcap. Bill Garner twirled a five-hitter with a walk and nine strikeouts for the Farmers while Bernie Anderson provided the offense with a three-run homer. Darrel Burke yielded just six hits to the Farmers.
Victoria took the second game with three runs in the eighth inning. Bill Prior, who relieved starter Paul Beck in the eighth, picked up the win. John Marshall, the tobacco-chewing former Victoria pitcher, stole the show in the night affair although he came away as the losing hurler. He took to the mound for the Bells in the third inning with a 3-0 count on Ron Karadimus and fanned him on three pitches then whiffed four of the next five men he faced. He was the only Bellingham batter with two hits and called his shot in his first appearance, pointing his bat at the centre field fence then bouncing the first pitch off the fence for a single.
Darrell Burke (L) and Gary Kohives
Bill Garner (W) and Jim Harford
Bob Sutherland, John Marshall (3) and Dick Martin
Paul Beck, Bill Prior and Jim Harford, Jack Shields (9)
(June 17) Tacoma and South Burnaby battled to a 2-2 draw.
Walski, Brady (6) and Grant
K. Spees and I. Spees
(June 17) Tacoma scored early and often Sunday in trouncing White Spots 15-2 behind a 16-hit attack. The visitors scored four in the first inning, added four more in the second and had a five-run outburst in the 6th. They had single runs in the 3rd and 7th. George Kritsonis and Brian Bell split the hurling for the winners.
Kritsonis, Bell (5) and Dodge
McLennan, Morris (4), Allen (5) and Sparrow, Eriksson (2)
(June 18) Tacoma ran its unbeaten streak to four games over the weekend while Seattle moved into third place by winning a pair from Deming. The Cheney Studs played three games on Sunday, defeating Vancouver 13-2, Burnaby 3-2 and Bellingham 7-3. Seattle edged Deming 1-0 and 4-3 in a twin-bill at Seattle.
(June 22) In a game shortened to eight innings because of darkness, Burnaby scored in the bottom of the final frame to salvage a 5-5 tie with Farmer Construction. Earlier Bill Kinder hit a home run for Burnaby to tie the count at 4-4 in the sixth. Roy Wakabayashi allowed seven hits and seven walks in his mound work for Burnabay.
Jacobson, Hodges (2), Garner (8) and Shields
Wakabayashi and Priestley
(June 23) Vancouver White Spots and Victoria split a twin-bill. The White Spots crushed the Islanders 15-5 in the first game. Ian McLennan allowed just one run until the 8th in pitching the distance for the win. Bill Gilmore smacked a three-run homer to spark the onslaught, helped by seven Victoria errors.
McLennan (W) and Eriksson, Sparrow (8)
Garner (L), Beck (8) and Harford
Victoria rebounded to take the second game 4-1 with an 11-hit attack. Bill Prior fired a four-hitter for the winners. Curby was the loser. Centre fielder Bernie Anderson paced the winners with a two-run triple and a pair of singles. Catcher Jim Harford contributed a brace of two-baggers.
Curby (L) and Sparrow
Prior (W) and Harford
(June 24) Walt Clough scattered five hits, all singles, as Seattle topped Burnaby A's 6-1 Sunday.
Clough (W) and Anderson
Ruck (L), Barton (6) and I. Spees
(June 29) Bill Prior provided both the pitching and the hitting as Victoria edged White Spots 2-0 to grab third place in the Northwest International Semi-Pro League. Prior hurled a two-hitter and fanned six in his mound duties. At the plate, he provided all the offense needed with a homer in the second inning. Kim Elliott was impressive with a three-hitter for the White Spots. He struck out eight and walked two.
Bill Prior (W) and Jack Shields
Kim Elliott (L) and Ed Sparrow
(June 30) South Burnaby broke up an outstanding pitching duel scoring three times in the 11th inning to down Victoria's Farmer Construction 4-1 to salvage a split in Saturday's double-header. Don Donahue held the Athletics to four hits over the first ten innings of the second game but tired in the 11th giving up a double to Bill Kinder and a single to Roy Wakabayashi. Bill Garner, who had fired a three-hitter to blank Burnaby 7-0 in the first game, came on in relief and filled the bases with a walk and the winning run scored on an infield out. Two insurance runs came home on a single by Ivan Spees. Farmers had tied the scored at 1-1 in the seventh on a homer by Charlie Boyd and had two golden opportunites to take the lead leaving the bases loaded, without scoring, in the ninth and tenth. Stu Mitchell poled three hits for Victoria in the first game and Bernie Anderson and Pete Ash each had two safeties.
Ken Spees, Roy Wakabayashi and Ivan Spees
Bill Garner (W) and Jim Harford
Brad Barton and Ivan Spees
Don Donahue (L), Bill Garner (11) and Jim Harford
Tacoma 5 - 1 .833
Seattle 6 - 2 .750
Victoria 8 - 5 .615
Bellingham 5 - 4 .556
Burnaby 3 - 7 .300
Vancouver 3 - 8 .273
Deming
1 - 4 .200
(July 7) Farmer Construction missed a chance to take over first place in the standings Saturday dropping an 11-8 decision to Seattle Greenland Cafe in the second game of a double-header at Victoria. Farmers went into the twin-bill trailing Seattle by a game-and-a-half and needed a sweep to assume the top rung. Paul Beck and Bill Garner combined a a one-hitter as Farmers won the opener 3-2. Beck allowed a run in the first inning then retired the next 15 straight batters. A pair of errors let in another Seattle run in the seventh before Garner took over and ended the threat and set down the side in order in the last two innings. Victoria got what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning on Jim Harford's third straight hit and a double by Charlie Boyd. In the evening contest, Ed Ash's construction crew had a 5-1 lead after three innings but Seattle exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning on a pair of walks, five hits and an error. Farmers rallied for a pair in the bottom of the ninth with none out but high school lefty Joe Lains put an end to the threat fanning a pair and getting a pop fly.
Warren Noyes (L) and Ed Naish
Paul Beck (W), Bill Garner (7) and Jim Harford
Jerry Boehm (W), Joe Lains (9) and Ed Naish
Bill Prior (L) and Jim Harford, Bernie Anderson (4)
(July 14) Luther Carr of Tacoma's Cheney Studs had a game for the scrapbook Saturday when he powered the Americans to a sweep of a double-dip over Victoria's Farmer Construction. Carr blasted a three-run homer in the ninth inning of the opener to break a 4-4 tie as Tacoma won 7-4 and the husky outfielder was even more dramatic in the second game slugging a bases-loaded homer in the ninth inning, again with two out, to hand the visitors a 7-5 victory. In the first game, Bill Prior had held Tacoma to five hits and two runs over eight innings but the roof caved in as the Studs rallied in the final frame. Pete Walski led off with a triple and scored on an error. Ron Dodge who scampered to third on the miscue, came home on a single to tie the game at 4-4. With two on, Carr belted a three-and-two pitch over the centre field wall. In the nightcap, Farmers built up a 5-2 lead in the first five stanzas but were blanked the rest of the way by reliever Mike Macauley who took over for Monty Geiger in the fourth. Geiger, who switched to the outfield, belted a homer in the sixth. Carr, who had a double earlier in the game, hit a two-and-two pitch out of the park in the ninth to erase a 5-3 Victoria lead and hand the game to the Studs, 7-5. Charlie Boyd had a three-run homer for Victoria in the first game and Jim Harford collected three hits in the second.
George Kritsonis (W), Brian Bell (9) and Jack Brady
Bill Prior (L) and Jim Harford
Monty Geiger, Mike Macauley (W) (4) and Jack Brady
Bill Garner (L) and Jim Harford
(July 21) Farmer Construction gained some revenge for last weekend's double loss to Tacoma by sweeping Saturday's twin-bill from the Cheney Studs 9-7 and 8-2 to move into a tie for second place with Deming Loggers, a game-and-a-half game back of Seattle. In the first game, Tacoma took the lead with three runs in the first inning but Charlie Boyd sparked the Farmers' three-run reply with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and then made a great running catch with the bases loaded in the second inning. Victoria banged out 13 hits and overcame a 7-5 deficit with a three-run outburst in the seventh and added a singleton in the eighth to take a 9-7 lead. Bill Prior, who relieved in the second, got a strikeout with runners on second and third to end the game. In the nightcap, southpaw Don Donahue tossed an eight-hitter and racked up 12 sttrikeouts to post the win. Luther Carr, with two game winning home runs last week against Farmers, clouted a homer over the centre field wall to end Donahue's bid for a shutout. Bernie Anderson led the winners with four singles. Lowell Hodges smacked a lead-off homer in the sixth and Mike Hodge came through with a run-scoring triple to spark a five-run first inning.
Mike McCauley, Roger Ronning (2), Pete Walski (7) and Ron Dodge
Paul Beck, Bill Prior (W) (2) and Jack Shields, Jim Harford (8)
Gary Moore (L) and Ron Dodge
Don Donahue (W) and Jim Harford
Seattle 10 - 4 --
Deming
8 - 5 1.5
Victoria 11 - 8 1.5
Tacoma 8 - 8 3.0
Bellingham 8 - 9 3.5
Vancouver 5 - 10 5.5
Burnaby 4 - 10 6.0
(July 22) Bellingham Bells and Deming Loggers handed Victoria's Farmer Construction a pair of defeats Sunday, 15-14 in 10 innings and 5-2. In a wild first game, which produced 37 hits, Farmers scored five in the top of the ninth to go ahead 14-9 only to have Deming plate a five spot in the bottom of the ninth to tie. Deming then got the win with a run in the tenth. Farmers had four homers by Charlie Boyd, Stu Mitchell, Mike Hodge and Norm Curran. Boyd's was a grand slam. Lefties Lowell Hodges and Bill Garner combined for a four hitter in the second game but four errors helped Bellingham to a 5-2 triumph. Dick Aaronson blanked the Farmers until the ninth when Victoria got both its runs.
Bill Garner, Don Donahue (5) and Jack Shields
Dick Conover, Ken Jackson (1), Zender (7), Earl Silverthorne (10) and Dick Zender
Lowell Hdges, Bill Garner (2) and Jack Shields
Dick Aaronson (W) and Dick Kohlwes
(July 28) Farmer Construction dropped into fifth place in the Northwestern International League standings after dropping a pair to Bellingham at Royal Athletic Park 4-0 and 9-7. Darrel Burke fired a four-hitter for the shutout in the opener as the Bells battered Bill Prior for 14 hits. Bells held off a Victoria rally in the bottom of the ninth for a win in the second game. Bellingham had a 9-3 lead before the Farmers struck for four in the ninth and had two runners on base when Doug Patterson flied out to end the game. Bells out-hit the Farmers 14-9.
Darrell Burke (W) and Gary Kohives
Bill Prior (L) and Jim Harford
Bob Hanson (W), Bruce Randall (9) and Dick Martin
Don Donahue (L), Bill Garner (3) and Jim Harford
(August 6) Farmer Construction handed the visiting nine from Bremerton a 26-0 shellacking Monday in an exhibition game at Royal Athletic Park. Charlie Boyd led a 19-hit assault with four safeties and Bill Prior cracked a double and triple.
(August 9) With Bill Garner and Bill Prior combining on a six-hitter, Farmer Construction upset the travel-weary House of David 8-3 before 600 fans at Royal Athletic Park. Prior, who came on in relief in the fifth inning, was also the hitting star with a home run, double and single.
(August 11) In an exhibition double-header, Farmer Construction of Victoria took both games, 4-0 and 5-4 from the Seattle Stanley Shoemen. Bill Garner hurled a four-hitter for the shutout in the opener as Pete Ash paced the attack with a home run and two singles, three RBI and two runs scored. Seattle jumped on Farmer's starter Garry Ball for three runs in the first inning but the Victoria nine rebounded with four runs in the second and plated the winner in the fifth. Bill Prior, who relieved Ball in the fifth, held the visitors to one run the rest of the way to post the win.
Dick Montgomery, xxx (3) and xxx
Bill Garner (W) and Jim Harford
Doug McArthur, xxx (3) and xxx
Garry Ball, Bill Prior (W) (3) and Jack Shields
(August 18) Farmer Construction crushed Vancouver's White Spots 17-3 and 12-6 in their Northwestern International League twin-bill Saturday at Royal Athletic Park. Victoria connected for 19 hits in the first game and were helped further by ten Vancouver errors. Stu Mitchell led the attack with a triple, double and two singles. Bill Prior tossed a neat six-hitter for the win. A seven run explosion in the second inning allowed Victoria to coast to the win. In the evening encounter, southpaws Bill Garner and Don Donahue combined to strike out 19 batters in the 12-6 triumph. Pete Ash and Bernie Anderson were the offensive stars. Ash delighted the home crowd with a grand slam homer in the third and Anderson, who had three hits, belted an inisde-the-park home run in the fifth.
Bob Lasko (L), Bill Cliffe (6) and Ed Sparrow
Bill Prior (W) and Jim Harford
Ian McClennan, Bob Lasko (5) and Rick Schmid
Bill Garner (W), Don Donahue (6) and Jack Shields
(August 25) Bellingham Bells rebounded after a 19-2 trouncing in the first game to down Farmer Construction 5-4 in the second game of their double-header at Victoria. Lefty Bill Garner was outstanding in the opener tossing a four-hitter with eight strikeouts and just one walk. Victoria rapped 15 hits, including a two-run homer by Pete Ash. Every batter in the Farmer's lineup had at least one hit. Bells made it easy for the home squad by making ten errors. In the nightcap, Bellingham rallied with one out in the ninth on a triple, two doubles, a single and an error to score three times and notch the 5-4 victory.
Bob Hansen, Bruce Randall (3) and Dick Martin
Bill Garner (W) and Jim Harford
Dave Chrisman (W) and Dick Martin
Don Donahue, Bill Prior (L) (7) and Jack Shields, Jim Harford (8)