PRINCE ALBERT
Semi-finals :
(August 30) It took ten innings for the Bighouse Boys to knock M & C from the playoff picture. The Penitentiary nine did it the hard way, coming from behind and tying the game with a pair of eighth innings runs before emerging as 3 to 2 winners. Chuck Legault led off the bottom of the tenth with a single. He scampered down to second base on a wild pitch by losing tosser Arch Hunter, was sacrificed to third on a well-placed bunt and scored the winner, beating a throw to the plate on an infield grounder. M & C outhit the House of Correction by a 10 to 9 margin. Catcher Carson led the Pen at bat with two hits while Don Menzies of the Repairmen led both clubs with the stick, combing winning flinger Nastiuk for four safeties.
Hunter (L) and Munroe
Nastiuk (W) and Carson
(August 30) On the brink of elimination with two out in the ninth and in arrears by three counters, the Bohemians suddenly came to life, scoring three times to tie the Army Blitzers 6 – 6. Darkness prevented further play. George Menzies’ triple drove in the tying marker and set up another sudden-death fixture. Mossman and “Mooch” Morash led the Army hitters with two safeties each while Johnny Boden, Menzies and outfielder Bamford all singled twice for the Brewers.
Belfry and Porterfield
D. Morash and Mossman
(September 6) The Army Blitzers ran roughshod over the Bohemians 17 to 4, eliminating the Brew Crew from the Prince Albert Commercial League playoffs. Army tagged a brace of Bohemian hurlers for 13 base hits. The fourth inning was the telling blow for the losers as seven opposition runs crossed the platter. A. Phillips led the winners at the plate with three safeties while first sacker Leach had a brace of base blows for the losers.
Belfry (L), Hossack (4) and Porterfield, Wilson (4)
J. Phillips (W) and Mossman
Finals :
(September 6) Taking the diamond again right after their semi-final victory, the Blitzers took a one-game lead in the best-of-three final series by eking out an 11 to 10 over the Penitentiary Guards. The Jailhouse club outhit the Army by two smacks, 13 to 11, and the Military Men had to come from behind in the final inning to win the game. Three Khaki hurlers worked the game while Nastiuk went the route for the Pen Men. The last of the trio of Army flingers, J. Phillips, was credited with his second pitching win of the day. Left Fielder Moroz drove in the tying run and scored the winner on second baseman Campbell’s hard infield grounder that went through shortstop. Campbell led all swatters with three base blows while Moroz contributed a double and single.
Nastiuk (L) and Carson
Britton, D. Morash (5), J. Phillips (W) (6) and Mossman, Walker (7)
(September 13) The Army Blitzers, snappy representatives from No. 122 Basic Training Centre, were crowned the 1942 Prince Albert Commercial League champions as they concluded their best-of-three final series in straight games with a convincing 8 to 1 victory over the Penitentiary team. After trailing for two innings, the hard-hitting Khaki club found the range and blasted losing chucker Nastiuk’s offerings for a total of 15 safeties. The fifth proved to be the big inning for the Blitzers when “Mooch” Morash blasted a bases-loaded triple to clean the sacks and later scored the fourth counter of the frame for the victors on a single by winning hurler J. Phillips. Third sacker, W. Gordon, had a double and three singles for the champions.
J. Phillips (W) and Lovgren
Nastiuk (L) and Carson
SASKATOON CITY LEAGUE
Semi-Final Playoffs
(August 20) The Tigers took a one-game lead in the City Baseball League semi-finals at Cairns Field when they swamped the Tech Aeronauts 8 to 1 behind the fine four-hit pitching of veteran Gar Parsons. Displaying pinpoint control, Parsons struck out seven Aeros and did not issue a single base on balls. Losing twirler Lloyd Bradley allowed the winners 12 hits, walked three and fanned seven. Lorne Dietrick lit up Bradley for three singles while Parsons had a double and single. Also contributing to the victor’s offensive production were Jackie Coughlin with a brace of one-baggers and Hal Laycoe who walloped a solo circuit-clout into deep centre field. Andy Fisher had two of the Aeronauts four safeties.
Bradley (L) and Stout
G. Parsons (W) and Dubyk
(August 23) A fourth-inning bases-empty home run by Max Bentley was the only run of the game and gave the Cubs a 1 to 0 win over the No. 4 Service Flying Training School at Cairns Field in the opening game of their semi-final series. The game was a vintage pitching battle between Johnny Folk of the S.F.T.S. team and big “Lefty” Skarban of the Baby Bears. Both twirlers gave up only four hits. Skarban, the winner, allowed three walks and struck out five. Folk walked a pair and whiffed three. Reg Bentley singled twice for the winners while George Vandale duplicated his feat for the Flyers.
Folk (L) and Hanson
Skarban (W) and Bamford
(August 24) Behind the steady pitching of Johnny Maroniuk, the No. 4 Service Flying Training School evened their semi-final series with the Saskatoon Cubs with a 6 to 1 victory. The Airmen outhit their Hub City rivals 7 to 5 and had the game in hand at all times. Maroniuk, the clever southpaw, fanned eight and issued one base on balls. Ed Gillespie and George Vandale both lit up loser “Ace” Corbin for a double and single. Bill Mills led the Cubs with the lumber, smaking a triple to go along with a one-bagger.
Corbin (L) and Bamford
Maroniuk (W) and Hanson
(August 25) Veteran Archie Edwards took to the hill and gave up six well spaced hits while his Tech Aeronaut teammates were collecting ten base blows off a pair of Tiger chuckers in a game in which the Aeros tied their series with the Striped Tabbies by recording a 6 to 2 win. Control, command and location were the keys to Edwards’ success. He fanned only two Bengals but, on the other side of the coin, walked just one, relying upon his defense to get the job done. Loser of the contest, big Jim Rebalkin, gave way to Jackie Coughlin after 1 2/3 innings. Rebalkin yielded five hits in the second inning, including three consecutive singles, before getting the hook. Sparking the hitting attack for the winners was Art Affleck, Aeronaut shortstop, who had three hits, one of which was a two-bagger. Lloyd Bradley and catcher Stout both singled twice. Lorne Dietrick collected a double and single for the Tigers.
Rebalkin (L), Coughlin () and Dubyk
Archie Edwards (W) and Stout
(August 28) In the third and final game in their semi-final series, the No. 4 Service Flying Training School eliminated the defending champion Cubs from further play in the 1942 Saskatoon City Baseball League playoffs. The final score, game details and batteries were not reported in the August 29 edition of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
(August 29) The Tigers and Tech Aeronauts played to a 2 – 2 tie in the third game of their best-of-three City Baseball League semi-final at Cairns Field. The game had to be called after six innings of play because of darkness. Ross “Lefty” Arnold tossed steady ball for the Bengals, surrendering five hits while striking out seven. Les Hickman and Doug Bent shared mound duties for the Aeros. The tandem gave up six hits and had a combined three whiffs. Hal Laycoe of the Tigers was the only swatter on either side with two base blows. His teammate, third baseman Larry Sillers, belted a solo four-bagger.
Hickman, Bent (5) and Stout
Arnold and Dubyk
(September 1) The Tigers qualified for the Saskatoon City Baseball League final series with No. 4 S.F.T.S. with an 11 to 8 victory over the Tech Aeronauts in the fourth game of their semi-final series at Cairns Field. The contest, hampered by cold weather, lasted only five frames before darkness enveloped the skies and prevented further action. The pitchers and fielders from both participating teams were the most adversely affected by the low temperatures. The Tigers, picking up six runs in the first inning, were never headed and played steady ball throughout the shortened affair. The Aeronauts actually outhit the winners 9 to 8 but their main downfall was in the field where they committed no less than eight errors. Hal Laycoe, with a double and a single, was the leading Bengal swatter in this abbreviated game. Art Edwards and Andy Fisher both singled twice fot the losers.
Coughlin, Burke (W) (4) and Dubyk
Bradley (L), Vandale (4) and Stout
League Finals
(September 3) No. 4 Service Flying Training School moved out in front in the City Baseball League finals with a 4 to 2 victory over the Tigers in the first game of the best-of-three series at Cairns Field. Playing errorless ball behind the stellar pitching of Johnny Folk, No. 4 nicked Bengal twirler “Slim “ Burke for eight hits. Folk gave up four safeties while fanning seven. Burke’s effort was plagued by inept defensive work on the part of his mates who booted the ball six times. Second baseman Ed Gillespie led the victors at the dish pasting a trio of singles. Both of the Tigers’ runs came as a result of a two-run homer by Hal Laycoe. His teammate, Gar Parsons singled twice in a losing cause.
Folk (W) and Hanson
Burke (L) and Dubyk
(September 8) Showing a strong offensive display, the Tigers evened the Saskatoon City Baseball League finals with an 8 to 4 victory over No. 4 S.F.T.S. at Cairns Field. The Tigers unleashed their powerful bats in collecting 15 base hits while No. 4 aided the Bengals with their sub-par defensive display. Jackie Coughlin, the winning pitcher, gave up six hits while striking out two. Losing flinger, Johnny Folk, lasted only one inning on the hill. Portsider Johnny “Polly” Polischuk pitched the remainder of the game for the Airmen. Leading the Tigers’ 15-hit assault was Mike Dubyk, workman-like backstop, who picked up three singles. “Buck” Crawford, Hal Laycoe and Coughlin each had two singles. No player on the No. 4 team had more than one hit.
Coughlin (W) and Dubyk
Folk (L), Polischuk (2) and Hanson
(September 10) Outhitting and outfielding their rivals throughout the game, the Tigers captured the 1942 Saskatoon City Baseball League championship with an 8 to 1 victory over the No. 4 Service Flying Training School in the third and deciding game of the series. Jackie Coughlin hurled six innings of solid relief work for the Tigers to earn the mound triumph. Starter Don Ross of the Airmen was tagged with the loss. Playing-manager “Buck” Crawford wielded the big stick for the winners with a triad of base knocks, one of which was a three-bagger. Gar Parsons of the Bengals and relief twirler Johnny Polischuk of the Flyers both poked out a brace of singles.
Ross (L), Polischuk (4) and Hanson, Folk (4)
Burke, Coughlin (W) (3) and Dubyk