1952 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1952 BC Interior
1952 Vancouver Island

VICTORIA SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE

1952 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League teams
Chinooks
Eagles
Farmer Construction
Harris Cyclers
Master Plumbers
Oak Bay Oaks

(May 27) Southpaw Bill Garner twirled a two-hitter Tuesday leading Farmer Construction to a 7-0 shutout over the Oak Bay Oaks in the opening game of the 1952 Senior Amateur League season at Royal Athletic Park. Garner fanned 11 and walked four. Frank Graham allowed just six hits in taking the loss but handed out seven free passes and was hurt by loose defensive play.

Garner (W) and xxx
Graham (L) and xxx

(May 30) Farmer Construction announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Peter Scott who pitched in the Boston Red Sox farm system last season. The 22-year-old had a 25-5 record in two seasons in the semi-pro Okanagan-International League and saw limited service last summer with Red Sox farm clubs at Marion in the Ohio-Indiana League and Kingston in the Coastal Plains League. He was signed by Cleveland this season and optioned to Wichita of the Western League but quit to go into business.

(May 30) The Chinooks made their first start in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League a winning one Friday night, 14-4 over the Eagles. Ed Sheppard set the pace for the Chinooks with a pair of doubles and two singles. Paul Beck picked up the pitching win with relief help from Stan Davies.

Beck (W), Davies (5) and xxx
Thompson (L) and xxx

(May 31) In a twin-bill at Royal Athletic Park Saturday, Chinooks trounced the Oak Bay Oaks 20-5 and Master Plumbers downed Harris Cyclers 8-2.

(June 6) Victoria Eagles picked up their first win of the season Friday with a 5-1 triumph over Master Plumbers. Art Green fired a four-hitter for the winners. He also excelled at the plate with three hits in three trips.

Terry Campbell, Ron Smith (2) and Karen O'Neil
Art Green (W) and Ray Leason

(June 7) Harris Cycles got the winning marker in the ninth inning in a 10-9 decision over Oak Bay which fell apart on defense, making ten errors. Gerry Sylvester went the distance for the Cycles giving up six hits. Ron Lidstone and Russ Hearn each had a pair of hits for the winners. Walt Pederson clubbed a homer for Oak Bay and Frank Graham poked a triple.

Gerry Sylvester (W) and Beaulac
Frank Graham, Kerry McKenzie (L) (5) and Walt Pederson

(June 8) Chinooks won their third straight by whipping the Plumbers 16-4 at Beacon Hill. Stan Davies went the route for the win helped by a homer by Eddie Sheppard.

Davies (L) and xxx
Lionel Smith (L) and xxx

(June 10) Farmer Construction crushed the Eagles 12-3. Bill Garner allowed just six hits in going the distance for the pitching win. Ron Martin collected a double and two singles to lead the Farmer's while Pete Scott added a double and single.

Garner (W) and Shields
Thompson (L) and Leason, McIntosh (6)

(June 14) Chinooks scored six runs in the first three innings and racked up their fourth straight win Saturday trimming Farmer Construction 7-4. Paul Beck managed to go the distance for the win in spite of issuing 13 bases on balls. Bill Garner pitched well for the losers but was hurt by six miscues by his mates. Ed Dorohoy's two-run triple was the big blow of the second inning when the Chinooks jumped into a 4-1 advantage.

Garner (L) and Shields
Beck (W) and Kubicek

(June 14) Eagles notched their second win of the season downing Harris Cycles 11-5 behind Bill Evans' four-hit pitching. A six-run sixth inning proved to be decisive.

Evans (W) and McIntosh
Thompson (L), Mitchell (6) and Johnston

(June 17) Jim Thompson held Oak Bay to six hits as the Eagles whipped the Oaks 13-3 Tuesday. Eagles pounced on Oaks starter Norm Dixon for three runs in the fifth and another four in the sixth, highlighted by George Hall's two-run homer. Bill Robinson, Craig Massie and Thompson each had two hits for the winners.

Jim Thompson (W) and Ray Leason
Norm Dixon (L), Garry McKenzie (5) and Ken Cooper

(June 20) Norm Forbes made an auspicious debut in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League Friday pitching a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts while leading the offense with a homer and two singles as Farmer's crushed the Plumbers 11-4. Catcher John Shields also smacked a four-bagger for the winners and Stu Mitchell added three hits.

Forbes (W) and Shields
K.Sepala, L.Smith (5) and K.O'Neil

Chinooks             4 - 0
Farmer Construction 3 - 1
Eagles               3 - 2
Plumbers             2 - 3
Harris Cycle         1 - 2
Oak Bay Oaks         0 - 5

(June 21) With a 21-hit attack, Chinooks clobbered Harris Cycles 21-4 Saturday. Ken Wright slammed four hits in five trips and Ken Higgs had three, one of them a triple. Doug Peden also had a three-bagger. Chinooks knocked Gerry Sylvester from the mound with a 10-run outburst in the second inning then torched his successor, Ray Ramsey, for 11 more runs.

Stan Davies (W), Don McKinnon (5) and George Favory
Gerry Sylvester, Ray Ramsey (3) and Dennis Beaulac

(June 22) Norm Forbes blasted a triple, double and single Sunday to pace Farmer Construction to a 15-6 win over the winless Oak Bay Oaks.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(June 23) Batting statistics show Ken Wright of the Chinooks as the league's top batter with a .583 mark, ahead of teammate Ed Sheppard at .565. Stu Mitchell of Farmer's is third with a .466 average. Tim Walker of Harris Cycles is batting .421 and Eddie Dorohoy of Chinooks sits at an even .400.

(June 24) With their sixth straight victory, Chinooks maintained their league lead with a 7-2 win over the Eagles. Eddie Dorohoy cracked a pair of doubles and a single to lead a 13-hit attack. Cliff Hume and Paul Beck shared the hurling duties for the winners limiting the Eagles to five hits, three of them by George Hall.

Hume (W), Beck (6) and Ed Kubicek
Jim Thompson and Art Cornish

(June 27) Harris Cycles took a 3-0 lead after four innings and held on to top Master Plumbers 3-2 Friday. Ray Ramsey held the Plumbers to five hits to best Pete Winters in the pitchers' duel. Winters allowed just four hits but walked six.

Pete Winters (L) and Karen O'Neil
Ray Ramsay (W) and Dennis Beaulac

(June 29 - July 1) Courtenay Tournament Chinooks, leaders in the Victoria Senior League, took first money in the annual Dominion Day $1,000 Tournament in Courtenay. Chinooks topped Courtenay 12-3 in the final as Paul Beck tossed a six-hitter for the winners while the Chinooks were racking up 11 hits. Ken Wright had three of them knocking in five runs. Den McGee also had three safeties and Eddie Dorohoy, a defensive standout in the tourney, added a triple. The Victoria club advanced to the final downing Campbell River 8-3 with Doug Peden driving in three runs with a triple and double. Don McKinnon fired a seven-hitter for the pitching win. Chinooks edged Cumberland 1-0 in their opener behind the 13 strikeout performance of Bill Prior.

(July 1) Art Green overcame control troubles to pitch shutout ball for seven innings in a 7-2 victory for the Eagles over the Plumbers. Green, who walked ten, allowed just two hits and had blanked the visitors until the eighth when a hit, four walks and an error produced the Plumbers two markers. Green whiffed 13.

Ron Smith (L), Lionel Smith (7) and Tom Duncan
Art Green (W) and Archie McIntosh

(July 1) Oak Bay scored four times in the final frame to down Harris Cycle 8-4 for the Oaks first win of the season after six straight losses. Gary McKenzie, who came on in relief in the fifth inning, received credit for the pitching win.

Frank Graham, Garry McKenzie (W) (5) and Sullivan
Al Thompson, Gerry Sylvester (L) (7) and Johnston, Denny Beaulac (8)

Chinooks             6 - 0
Farmer Construction 4 - 1
Eagles               4 - 3
Harris Cycle         2 - 4
Plumbers             2 - 5
Oak Bay Oaks         1 - 6

(July 5) In a double-header at Royal Athletic Park Saturday, Plumbers shaded Oak Bay 7-6 and Farmer's topped the Eagles 7-3. In the afternoon contest, Plumbers got a run in the eighth frame to break a 6-6 deadlock. Catcher Karen O'Neil singled to bring in Tommy Duncan from second base with the winning run. The Oaks had overcome a 6-1 deficit with a five run outburst in the sixth inning. Ron Smith, who hurled shutout ball for the last three innings gained the pitching win. Duncan led the winners with three hits.

Pete Winters, Ron Smith (W) (6) and Karen O'Neil
Dickson, Pete Dawe (L) (5) and Sullivan

Farmer's had just five hits but took advantage of ten walks and four errors by the Eagles to notch the 7-3 decision. Bill Garner picked up his third win in four starts as the construction crew sewed up the win with four runs in the fourth inning. Archie McIntosh had a double and single for the winners. Dave Wakelyn had a pair for the Eagles.

Bill Evans (L) and Archie McIntosh
Bill Garner (W) and Jack Shields

(July 8) Eagles pushed across six runs in the eighth inning to break open a tight contest in a 12-6 triumph over Harris Cycle. Jim Thompson yielded 12 hits and five walks but managed to go the distance for the pitching win. He fanned ten. Stewart Stout, who pitched a no-hitter recently for Saanich in juvenile league play, took the loss.

Stewart Stout (L), Ray Ramsey (8) and Dennis Beaulac
Jim Thompson (W) and Archie McIntosh, Herb Wetherall (6)

(July 9) Chinooks demolished the Oak Bay Oaks 30-4 Wednesday to remain unbeaten with an 8-0 record.

(July 10) Farmer Construction pasted Harris Cycle 16-1 at Beacon Hill Park Thursday to move to within a game and a half of the first-place Chinooks. Norm Forbes led the winners with a two-run homer, triple and single. Pete Ash also had a four-bagger. Ed Corbett held the losers to seven hits in going the distance for the pitching win. The game marked the first appearance for outfielder Bernie Anderson in the Farmer's lineup. Anderson was released by the Victoria Tyees of the professional Western International League on Wednesday.

Gerry Sylvester (L), Ron McMillan (5), Stewart Stout (8) and Johnstone, Beaulac (3)
Ed Corbett (W) and Shields

(July 11) A three-run eighth inning carried Farmer Construction to a 5-3 win over the Chinooks to move Farmer's to just a half-game back of the league-leaders. Doug Stewart batted in the winning markers with a single following a walk, single, error and sacrifice. Norm Forbes allowed 11 hits but received errorless support in going the route for the pitching win. He fanned 12 and walked a pair. Don McKinnon, on the hill for the Chinooks, yielded just six hits and racked up 11 strikeouts but he walked five and the team made five errors, four by first basemen Ken Wright. Ed Sheppard had four hits, including a pair of doubles, for the Chinooks.

McKinnon (L) and Kubicek
Forbes (W) and Shields

Chinooks             8 - 1
Farmer Construction 7 - 1
Eagles               5 - 4
Plumbers             3 - 6
Harris Cycle         2 - 6
Oak Bay Oaks         1 - 8

(July 12) Although out-hit in both games, Port Angeles Stags swept a twin bill from the Victoria All-Stars Saturday at Athletic Park, 12-10 and 4-3 to take a commanding two-game lead in the best-of-five series for the Hart Trophy emblematic of baseball supremacy between the two cities. Stags pounced on Victoria starter Bill Garner for six runs before a man was retired in the opening frame of the first game to give the visitors a huge lead in the 12-10 triumph. Courtenay Johnstone, who relieved in the third inning when Victoria tied the count at 8-8, went the rest of the way for the mound victory. Rookie Wright had a huge afternoon for Victoria with five hits, including a pair of two-baggers. Bernie Anderson added three hits, one a triple.

Bernie Abbott, Courtenay Johnstone (W) (3) and Al Thornell
Bill Garner (L), Eddie Corbett (1) and Jack Shields

Garner came back in the nightcap and was solid for seven innings, allowing just one run. He ran into trouble in the eighth and Norm Forbes relieved with one run in and two on bases but had control troubles and walked in the tying and winning runs. Hink Henderson paced the winners with two hits while Eddie Sheppard and Stu Mitchell each had a pair for Victoria.

"Ball" Barr (W) and Al Thornell
Bill Garner (L), Norm Forbes (8) and Al Kubicek

(July 13) Farmer Construction climbed into a first place tie with Chinooks in the Senior Amateur League Sunday downing Harris Cycle 12-2 at Beacon Hill Park. Bernie Anderson took to the mound for the construction crew and came through with a neat five-hitter. He whiffed ten and issued just a single free pass. Pete Ash smashed a homer for the winners. Stu Mitchell and Jack Shields each picked up three hits. Tim Walker had two for the losers.

Bernie Anderson (W) and Jack Shields
Ray Ramsay (L) and Dennis Beaulac

(July 15) Farmer Construction and Chinooks both notched wins Tuesday to remain in a tie for first place each with nine wins in ten games. Farmer's crushed the Plumbers 17-4 in a six-inning contest at Macdonald Park as Bill Garner tossed a four-hitter. Plumbers had a 3-1 lead in the first inning but Farmer's took the lead with three in the fourth, four in the fifth and nine in the sixth. The winners had just eight hits but capitalized on 15 walks and four errors. Norm Forbes was the big gun with a pair of homers. Don Donahue had a triple and single.

Bill Garner (W) and Jack Shields
Lionel Smith (L) and Karen O'Neil

Chinooks kept paced with an easy 12-2 victory over Harris Cycle at Athletic Park. Doug Peden had four safeties to pace a 16-hit attack. Rookie Wright and Ed Sheppard each had three. Don McKinnon and Cliff Hume combined on a five-hitter and compiled 14 strikeouts.

Lloyd Cann (L) and Gerry Sylvester
Don McKinnon (W), Cliff Hume (6) and Al Kubicek

(July 16) Art Green and Jim Thompson combined on a four-hitter Tuesday at Royal Athletic Park to pitch the Eagles to a 9-2 victory over the tail-end Oak Bay Oaks. A near riot broke out in the sixth inning when Green hit Jack Harding for the second time and forced the Oaks player to retire from the game. Oak Bay took exception and before order could be restored umpire Roy Snider had sent four players to the showers. Skip McMillan, playing his first game of the season for the Oaks came up with the fielding gem of the contest. He made a long running catch off Dave Wakelyn with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

Art Green (W), Jim Thompson (6) and Archie McIntosh
Pete Dawe (L), Frank Graham (8) and Barry Sullivan

(July 18) Farmer Construction scored four times in the first inning and coasted to an easy 14-6 victory over Oak Bay to take over sole possession of first place, a half-game ahead of the idle Chinooks. Norm Forbes and Bernie Anderson led a 16-hit offensive. Forbes clouted a three-run homer in the third frame and added a single and double. Anderson also had three hits. Skip McMillan clouted a pair of doubles and a single for the Oaks.

Ed Corbett (W) and Jack Shields
Pete Dixon (L), Pete Dawe (3) and Rod Sullivan

Farmer Construction 10 - 1
Chinooks             9 - 1
Eagles               6 - 4
Plumbers             3 - 7
Harris Cycle         2 - 8
Oak Bay Oaks         1 - 10

(July 19) Chinooks vaulted back into a first place deadlock with Farmer Construction Saturday afternoon by gaining a 9-1 decision from the Eagles at Athletic Park. Eddie Dorohoy was the leading sticker for the winners with four hits, including a double. Ken Wright added three singles. Paul Beck and Don McKinnon combined on a two-hitter for the Chinooks, allowing only a first-inning run before tossing eight shutout frames. The pair set down 15 by strikeouts. Peter Kirchner made his first start of the season for the Eagles and was touched for 13 hits while fanning 11.

Paul Beck (W), Don McKinnon and Al Kubicek
Pete Kirchner (L), Bill Evans (8) and Art Cornish

(July 19) A seven-run fourth inning by Harris Cycle put the game out of reach as the Plumbers went down to an 11-2 defeat. Ray Ramsey had his best effort of the season twirling a seven-hitter with eight strikeouts.

Lionel Smith (L) and Tom Duncan
Ray Ramsay (W) and Ted Johnston

(July 25) Trailing 5-1 in the fourth inning, Farmer Construction put together back-to-back three-run frames to down Harris Cycle 9-6 to retake first place in the Victoria Senior Amateur League. A sterling relief effort by Bill Garner and the collapse of the Harris defense in the fifth and sixth innings brought about the Farmer's victory.

Stewart Stout (L) and Ted Johnstone
Eddie Corbett, Bill Garner (W) (3) and Bernie Anderson

(July 26) The Eagles unleashed an 18-hit attack, which included three home runs and four triples, in trouncing the Plumbers 18-8 Saturday at Macdonald Park. George Robinson smacked a pair of homers and a triple for the winners. Dave Wakelyn also had a four-bagger and Bob Fowler had five hits, two of them for three bases. Mark Carley ran wild on the basepaths. He reached safely six times, including three singles, and pilfered six bases. Wakelyn stole home in the seventh inning. The teams combined for 12 errors, eight by the Plumbers.

Jim Thompson (W) and Herb Wetherall
Pete Winters (L), Lionel Smith (3) and Karen O'Neil

(July 27) More than 5,500 spectators jammed Royal Athletic Park Sunday for Amateur Baseball Day in Victoria. The event which featured a midget league game and a massed drill team before the exhibition between the Amateur League All-Stars and the Victoria Tyees. Although the pro club dropped a 10-9 decision to the All-Stars, it didn't seem to matter to the fans who really enjoyed the hilarity-filled contest. Tyees ran up a 7-0 lead in the first five innings before the pro club put the accent on fun. At one point the Tyees playing-manager Cec Garriott took over mound duties and tried a Satchel Paige like gambit sending all his fielders, with the exception of catcher Ron Bottler, off the diamond. Rookie Wright then hit what ordinarily would have been a single to left but easily trotted around all the bags as Garriott chased after the ball. Two unearned runs in the eighth inning proved enough for the 10-9 win for the All-Stars.

Forbes, McKinnon (4), Beck (W) (6) and Shields, Kubicek
Towns, Garriott (L) (6) and R.Bottler

(July 29) Chinooks climbed into a first-place tie with Farmer Construction Tuesday by slaughtering the Master Plumbers 21-2 at Athletic Park. Rookie Wright and Ed Sheppard led the winners' 18-hit attack. Sheppard connected for a grand-slam homer and an inside-the-park home run to spark a nine-run rally in the fourth inning. Wright slammed three doubles and a single.

Don McKinnon, Paul Beck (4) and Al Kubicek
Tony Bishop (L), Lionel Smith (4) and Karen O'Neil

Farmer Construction 11 - 1
Chinooks            11 - 1
Eagles               7 - 5
Harris Cycle         3 - 9
Plumbers             3 - 10
Oak Bay Oaks         1 - 10

(July 30) Harris Cycles overcame an early 3-0 deficit to explode for 19 runs to whip Oak Bay Oaks 19-7 Wednesday at Royal Athletic Park. A grand-slam homer by Tim Walker in the fifth and a two-run home run by Bill Barker in the sixth highlighted the offense in the six-inning game.

Sylvester (W) and Johnston
Dawe (L), Graham (5), Dickson (6) and Sullivan

(August 1) Farmer Construction slipped into top spot in the league standings trimming the Eagles 9-3 Friday. Bill Garner held the Eagles to four hits while collecting 11 strikeouts. He was in trouble only in the fourth frame when two hits, an error and a wild pitch plated three runs.

Bill Garner (W) and Jack Shields
Art Green (L) and Herb Wetherall

(August 2) Plumbers pushed across two runs in the top of the tenth inning to edge the Oak Bay Oaks 5-4. Lionel Smith singled to knock in the winning marker.

Kasimar Sapala, Lionel Smith (W) (4) and Karen O'Neil
Frank Graham, Pete Dixon (1) and Bob Lindel

(August 2) Farmer Construction fell behind 4-2 after two innings but strongly rebounded to dump the Chinooks 15-9 to all but wrap up first place in the Senior Amateur Baseball League. With the teams in a 4-4 draw after six innings, Farmer's broke loose for 11 runs in the final three innings to rip the game wide open. Norm Forbes went the distance for the construction crew and was in plenty of trouble but finished with a flourish striking out the side in the ninth for a total of 16. Bernie Anderson smacked a three-run homer over the centre field wall in the ninth, the first -out-of-the-park homer of the season. Farmer's manager Ed Ash was ejected in the seventh inning after a disputed call at second base.

Norm Forbes (W) and John Shields
Don McKinnon, Paul Beck (L) (6) and Al Kubicek

Farmer Construction 13 - 1
Chinooks            11 - 2
Eagles               7 - 6
Harris Cycle         4 - 9
Plumbers             4 - 10
Oak Bay Oaks         1 - 12

(August 6) A three run rally in the bottom of the seventh and final inning carried the Eagles to a 7-5 come-back win over Harris Cycle. Eagles had just three hits off Ray Ramsay, but four Harris errors helped the winners. Tim Walker and Pete Lambrick both tagged home runs for the losers and Russ Hearn added a triple and single.

Ray Ramsay (L) and Ted Johnstone
Pete Kirchner (W) and Art Cornish

(August 8) Eagles wound up their regular schedule Friday defaulting their final game to the cellar-dwelling Oak Bay Oaks.

(August 9) Port Angeles Stags edged the Victoria All-Stars 6-5 Saturday to capture the Hart Trophy in three straight games. The Hart is emblematic of amateur baseball supremacy between the two cities. Southpaw Eric Gard, recently released by the Victoria Tyees, went the route for Victoria but was tagged with the loss when the Stags pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Victoria Eagles won the trophy in 1951.

Gard (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(August 12) Harris Cycles and Master Plumbers will tangle in a sudden-death playoff to decide the fourth and final playoff spot. The two teams finished the season with identical 4-10 records. League president Wally Thompson announced that the final two games on the schedule had been canceled in order to open the playoffs as soon as possible.

(August 12) Harris Cycle plated three runs in the fifth inning to grab an 8-5 decision from the Master Plumbers in a sudden-death playoff for fourth place. The game was called after six innings because of darkness. Al Thompson tossed a seven-hitter for the win. Phil Lambrick led the winners with three singles and a walk.

Al Thompson (L) and Ted Johnstone
Lionel Smith, Ron Smith (W) (5) and Karen O'Neil

Farmer Construction 13 - 1
Chinooks            12 - 2
Eagles               8 - 7
Harris Cycle         5 - 10
Plumbers             4 - 11
Oak Bay Oaks         2 - 13

PLAYOFFS

(August 13) Chinooks took the opening game of their semi-final series with the Eagles notching a 5-3 victory Wednesday at Royal Athletic Park. The best-of-three series continues on Saturday. Paul Beck and Don McKinnon combined to hold the Eagles to two hits as the Chinooks grabbed a 4-0 lead before the Eagles rallied with three runs in the seventh inning without the aid of a hit. Cedric Robb was nailed at the plate trying to steal home to end the promising rally. Denny McGee led the winners with a triple and single. Talkative Eddie Dorohoy, the Chinooks second baseman, was tossed from the game in the eighth inning after arguing a close play at first base.

Jim Thompson, Pete Kirchner (7) and Herb Wetherall
Paul Beck, Don McKinnon and Al Kubicek

(August 15) Farmer Construction, the pennant winners, captured the opening game of their semi-final series by trimming Harris Cycles 10-4. Darkness forced the game to be cut short to seven innings. Farmer's wrapped it up early sending 15 men to the plate in the first frame scoring eight times. Bill Garner fired a two-hitter for the pitching win.

Ray Ramsey (L) and Sylvester
Bill Garner (W) and Jack Shields

(August 17) It will be the Chinooks against Farmer Construction in the final of the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League. Chinooks trampled the Eagles 17-0 Sunday while Farmer's got by Harris Cycles 7-5. Pounding the offerings of three Eagles' hurlers for 16 hits, the Chinooks breezed to the win getting nine unearned runs in the first three innings as the Eagles booted the ball nine times. Playing manager Doug Peden cracked a three-run homer over the left-centre field fence to spark a five-run outburst in the second frame. Cliff Hume allowed just two hits in the seven-inning contest to register the shutout.

Hume (W) and Kubicek
Kirchner (L), Green (4), Evans (6) and Wetherall, Robinson (4)

(August 17) Farmer's had their hands full with the stubborn Harris Cycles. A three-run rally by Harris in the third frame sent starter Eddie Corbett to the showers and brought on southpaw Bill Garner. The winners broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth with an unearned run off 17-year-old Stewart Stout and sewed it up in the ninth with a pair of runs. Farmer's Norm Forbes was tossed from the game in the first inning after making an uncomplimentary remark to umpire Pat Tyrell.

Corbett, Garner (W) (3) and Shields
Stout (L) and Sylvester

(August 19) Paul Beck recovered from a shaky start when he gave up four runs in the first two innings to blank Farmer Construction over the last seven frames as Chinooks took the opening game of the final series 10-4. Beck allowed just one hit, a first inning double by Bernie Anderson, but had control troubles walking seven. Eddie Sheppard led the winners with a pair of triples and a double. Playing-manager Doug Peden added four singles. Chinooks collected 15 hits off Norm Forbes.

Beck (W) and Kubicek
Forbes (L) and Shields

(August 20) Chinooks took a commanding two game lead in the best-of-five Victoria Senior Amateur League final series Wednesday taking a 5-4 decision from Farmer Construction. Don McKinnon set down the construction crew on just four hits, three of them coming in the opening frame when Farmer's took a 2-0 lead. Lefty Bill Garner matched McKinnon but was the victim of five errors by his teammates. Third sacker Norm Forbes had a rough night making four of the miscues. Don Donahue's single plated both Farmer runs in the first inning but the lead was short lived. Chinooks notched an unearned run in the bottom of the first then tied the score in the third when Eddie Sheppard's triple brought in Ken Higgs who had singled. They got the winner in the seventh when Higgs reached on an error, stole second and completed the circuit on successive outfield flies. Three walks in the eighth loaded the sacks for Farmer's and Verne Evans rifled a single to plate a pair but Forbes was thrown out at the plate to end the rally. McKinnon finished with a flourish fanning the side in the ninth on 12 pitches.

Bill Garner (L) and Jack Shields
Don McKinnon (W) and Al Kubicek

(August 21) Farmer Construction fell into an early 4-0 hole but roared back Thursday to down Chinooks 7-5 in the third game of the best-of-five series. Chinooks lead two games to one. Bernie Anderson took the mound for Farmer's and held the Chinooks to six hits with three of their runs unearned. Chinooks held a 5-2 edge before Farmer's started to roll. In the sixth, with one out, a walk to Verne Evans, a double by Don Donahue and singles by Jack Shields, Ron Martin and Anderson plated four runs. Three more singles in the eighth provided Farmer's with an insurance marker. Chinooks put the tying runs on base in the ninth but a smart double play got Anderson out of trouble. Norm Forbes, who was shifted to centre field, handled seven chances flawlessly and pulled off the fielding gem of the evening making a one-handed stab of Doug Peden's drive to the fence.

Stan Davies (L) and Al Kubicek
Bernie Anderson (W) and Jack Shields

(August 24) Chinooks captured the Rithet Cup, emblematic of Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball supremacy, Sunday splitting a double-header with Farmer Construction. Farmer's took the first game 14-9 to tie the series at two games apiece but Chinooks came back to take the deciding contest 10-6.

Bernie Anderson paced Farmer's to the first-game victory with a double, two singles and two walks. Bill Garner breezed to the win as his mates hammered Paul Beck for four runs in the first, added two in the second, six in the sixth and another pair in the seventh.

Anderson (W) and xxx
Beck (L) and xxx

Southpaw Don McKinnon bested Farmer's ace Norm Forbes in the tie-breaker. Chinooks broke a 6-6 draw in the top of the ninth with a four-run rally for the championship. Ed Dorohoy led off with an infield single, stole second and scored the winning counter on a single by Rookie Wright. A balk and three walks added two more runs and a triple steal sent Russ Karadimas in with the final tally.

Forbes (L) and xxx
McKinnon (W) and xxx

(September 1) Courtenay Labour Day Tournament Courtenay Legion won the annual Courtenay Labour Day Tournament Monday defeating Campbell River 3-2 in a five-inning final. Two Victoria teams were entered but failed to reach the final round. Chinooks beat Powell River 7-2 but then were eliminated by Campbell River in the semi-finals. Farmer Construction was beaten by Union Bay 5-3 in first round action.

COMOX DISTRICT LEAGUE

Campbell River Athletics
Campbell River Cougars
Comox Valley Tigers
Courtenay Legion
Cumberland Cubs
Union Bay Braves

Comox District Baseball League teams played a limited number of interlocking games with teams from the Mid-Island Baseball League in 1952

(May 4) Cumberland Cubs fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but scored four late runs to edge Comox Tigers 4-3 Sunday in the opening game of the Comox District Baseball League. Charlie Boyd, the Cubs starter, had a rough first frame as he walked Hawkins, gave up a triple to Jackson and a single to Paul Hlady to fall behind 2-0. Fred Clifford, on the hill for the Tigers, blanked Cumberland for six frames before Moncrief singled to drive in F.Cochrane with the Cubs' first run. They added two more in the eighth when Boyd rapped a double to plate Billy Rallison and later scored on a squeeze play. Cubs notched what proved to be the winning run in the ninth when Pearse, who had walked, came home on Moncrief's two-bagger. The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the ninth with a singleton as Clifford knocked in Gordon Pratt but fell just short. Boyd allowed just four hits and fanned 14 in registering the pitching win. Clifford yielded six hits, seven walks and had 11 strikeouts.

Boyd (W) and Moncrief
Clifford (L) and D.James

(May 4) With five runs in the first inning Campbell River Athletics of the Comox District League went on to trounce Nanaimo Sport Centres of the Mid-Island loop 12-5 in the first game of an opening day, inter-league, double-header at Caledonia Grounds. The home club notched a 14-13 win in the second game. Ty Conti's fourth inning homer highlighted a 14-hit A's attack in the first game.. Don Marshall pitched shutout ball for five innings before giving up five late runs after the A's had taken a 12-0 lead.

Marshall (W) and Telosky
Webb (L), Rowledge and Malli

Robbie Robinson lashed a long single in the bottom of the eighth and final inning to score Bruce Pausche with the winning run as Nanaimo shaded the Athletics 14-13 in the second game. Sport Centres collected 13 hits off three Campbell River hurlers. Pausche had singled and advanced on a sacrifice and an error.

Fiscus, Ross and Telosky
Rowledge, Proteau, Sutherland and Malli, Pausche

(May 7) Comox Tigers came from behind in the ninth to edge Courtenay Legion 5-3 at Lewis Park Wednesday. Trailing 3-2, Tigers rallied for three in the final frame with the winning run coming home on an error. Gordon Pratt tossed a five-hitter for the win. Tilly Briggs of Courtenay had a one-hitter for six innings before weakening in the late going.

Briggs (L), Woods (9) and J.Montgomery
Pratt (W) and Vaton

(May 11) Union Bay, with one of the largest ever opening day crowds on hand, hammered Cumberland Cubs 6-0 Sunday.

J.Ellis (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx

(May 11) At Courtenay Sunday, the hometown Legionnaires got a win and a tie in an inter-league twin bill against Duncan. In the first game, Courtenay fell behind 4-0 before roaring back with 11 unanswered markers to take the 11-4 decision. A six-run outburst in the ninth sealed the deal. Each team had ten hits, but Duncan made seven errors. The teams battled to a 5-5, 10-inning draw in the second game as darkness prevented further play. Reliever Earl Woods blanked Duncan over the last five frames to register the pitching win in the opener. Legion began its comeback in the fifth with a three-run rally - one on a fielder's choice, a second on a steal of home and the third on Lyle McKenzie's single. They put the game on ice with a six-run outburst in the eighth, highlighted by Junior Chalmers' bases-loaded triple.

Koppa (L), K.Williams (8) and S.Dame
T.Briggs, E.Woods (W) (5) and xxx

Courtenay came from behind with a pair in the seventh inning to salvage a 5-5 tie in the second game. Legion, scoring singletons in each of the first three frames, took a 3-1 lead before Duncan rallied for four in the fourth. Spit Quinn relieved starter Doc Gordon and pitched shutout ball in six-plus innings of work. Legion got two gift runs in the seventh for the tie. With Downey and Junior Chalmers drawing walks, pinch-hitter Earl Woods lofted the ball between third base and left field and the ball fell between two fielders as both runners romped home.

E.Miskiman, L.Rodger (6) and Branting
Doc Gordon, Quinn (4) and xxx

(May 14) Cumberland baseball fans were treated to a Comox District League thriller Wednesday night as Courtenay Legion shaded Cumberland Cubs 2-1 at Recreation Park. Cubs broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning as Billy Rallison doubled in the first run. Legion replied with a pair in the sixth. Freddie Orr led off with a single to centre and Downey brought him home with a two-bagger. Then, as Junior Chalmers was thrown out at first, Downey scored with the winning marker. In chalking up the pitching win Doc Gordon struck out 13 and walked three. Charlie Boyd had eight strikeouts and a pair of walks. Both allowed just four hits.

Gordon (W) and xxx
Boyd (L) and xxx

(May 18) In an inter-league double-bill at Parksville Sunday, Courtenay Legion and the Loggers each came away with a victory. Parksville took the opener 11-6 and Legion rebounded for a 12-7 triumph in the nightcap. Courtenay took a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the opening game highlighted by Junior Chalmers' two-run homer, but saw the Loggers explode for six runs in their half of the opening frame. After the Legion scored in the seventh to come within a run of the Loggers, Parksville put the game away with three in their half of the seventh and another in the eighth. Legion out-hit the winners 12 to 9, but made five costly errors. The game produced a weird defensive play. In the third inning, Legion's Lyle McKenzie sent a long drive to deep right field. In going after the ball, the Parksville outfielder tripped head over heels over a pile of sand. Getting to his feet he had no idea where the ball had landed, but a spectator retrieved it and threw it to him and as a result McKenzie was held to a triple. The umpire let the play stand. McKenzie later scored on an error.

Briggs (L), McIvor (1) and R.Moore
Charlesworth (W) and Powell

Courtenay scored in each of the first three frames of the second game and led all the way in a 12-7 victory. Junior Chalmers, with a homer in the first game, led a 12-hit attack with a four safeties. Freddy Orr poked a homer. Katrichak smacked a three-run homer for Parksville. Earl Woods pitched into the seventh inning for the win. Bobby Prior took the loss.

Woods (W), Quinn (7) and McKenzie
Prior (L), Ford and Powell

(May 18) Union Bay Braves swept both games of Sunday's twin bill downing the error-prone Comox Tigers 10-1 and 13-7. Braves pounded Comox starter Gordon Pratt for six hits and four runs in the first inning and coasted to the first game triumph. Ron Pratt fanned 12 in going the route for the pitching win. Paul Hlady whiffed 14 in his relief stint. Tigers made six errors to the Braves' one.

Ron Pratt (W) and xxx
Gordon Pratt (L), Paul Hlady (2) and xxx

In the second game, Union Bay again got off to a big lead scoring ten runs in the first four innings. Bob McKay went seven innings on the mound for the Braves to pick up the win. He gave up six hits and fanned seven. Fred Clifford took the loss. Clifford and five relievers gave up a total of 14 hits.

Bob McKay (W), Bob Geary and xxx
Clifford (L), Reid, xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx

(May 24) In a pair of inter-league contests Saturday, Courtenay Legion came away with an 8-6 victory over Nanaimo in the second game of a twin bill after the teams fought to a 10-10 draw in the opener.

xxx and xxx
Briggs, Rowledge (6) and xxx

xxx and xxx
Rowledge (L), Easterbrook (7) and xxx

(June 1) Courtenay Legion shaded Union Bay 4-2 Sunday in a game marked by several disputes, leading to one ejection. Lyle McKenzie gave Courtenay the early lead with a homer in the second inning. Union Bay took the lead on Adamson's two-run circuit blow. The Legion tied the count in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to Freddy Orr and notched the winner and an insurance marker in the eighth. Junior Chalmers opened with a two-bagger and scored on a double by Moore. A fielder's choice brought in the final run. Bob "Shorty" McIvor allowed just four hits to post the pitching victory.

McIvor (W) and McKenzie, Montgomery
McKay, R.Pratt (L) and Kennedy

(June 7) In a benefit game for the injured players fund, Courtenay Legion edged the Campbell River Cougars 2-1 Saturday at Lewis Park. The game was scoreless until the seventh when the Cougars' pitcher Leroy Spiers singled in the first run. Legion tied the count in the bottom of the seventh when Spit Quinn singled, moved up on a walk and sacrifice and came home on a wild pick-off throw to second base. Legion got the winner in the eighth on a controversial play. With Ray Downey at third base, Dick Downey went after an outside pitch and fell across the plate apparently impeding the Cougar backstop from making a play on Ray Downey who romped home. Quinn held the Cougars to five hits in registering the pitching win.

Spiers (L) , Enns and McDonald
Quinn (W) and Montgomery, McKenzie

(June 8) Nanaimo breezed into town Sunday and stopped long enough to sweep a double-header from the Comox Valley Tigers, 5-1 and 12-5 at Lewis Park. The Tigers, who play their home games at Courtenay, found Nanaimo too tough to handle as the Sport Centres pounded Tigers' pitching for 13 hits in the first game and 14 in the second. 17-year-old Don Cameron was a main factor in the opening game triumph. His stinging triple in the first scored Red Naylor and Cameron came home on Mario Negrin's well-placed single. Bert Webb, on the hill for the visitors, allowed a run in the first frame on two singles and a ground out then blanked the Tigers the rest of the way. Webb allowed just four hits and had eight strikeouts and one free pass. Paul Hlady, who yielded 13 hits and three walks, took the loss.

Webb (W) and Malli
Hlady (L) and James

With the teams tied 4-4 after three innings in the second contest, Nanaimo broke the game open with eight runs in the middle innings. Catcher Bruce Pausche poked a double and a brace of singles for the winners, scoring twice. Russ Rowledge gave up 11 hits but managed to go all the way on the hill for Nanaimo. Comox hurt its chances by making eight errors.

Rowledge (W) and Pausche
Pratt (L), Clifford (7) and James

(June 8) Courtenay Legion split an exhibition double-header with Powell River Sunday at the paper-mill city winning the first game 13-8 and losing the second 4-3. In the opener, the hosts took the lead with runs in second and third innings but Courtenay roared back with a five-run fourth, which included a four-bagger by Jerry Montgomery, and added three more in the fifth, two coming on Ray Downey's circuit clout.

Briggs (W), Doc Gordon (6) and xxx
Adamson (L) and xxx

In the second game, Powell River was shutout for six innings before coming from behind to edge Courtenay 4-3. Adamson's triple in the ninth scored Trevision with the winning run.

McIvor (L) and xxx
C.Dickey (W) and xxx

(June 15) Duncan's hurlers surrendered just one run Sunday as the Athletics swept Union Bay of the Comox District League 4-0 and 9-1 in an inter-league tilt.. Lyell Rodger tossed a six-hit shutout in the first game while shortstop Joe Gergel paced a 12-hit offensive with three safeties. Ken Cessford had a pair of hits and two runs. All Duncan's runs were unearned as the Braves made five errors and had three wild pitches.

Tony Folk and Ken Williams teamed up on a three-hitter in the second game. Charlie Stroulger and Roy Schappert each produced three hits in another 12-hit attack for Duncan.

xxx and xxx
L.Rodger (W) and S.Dame

Lund (L), Geary (1), McKay (6) and xxx
Folk (W), K.Williams (7) and Branting

Earl Robinson, Nanaimo shortstop, had a tryout with the Vancouver Caps, but failed to stick. Don Gray, shortstop for Alberni, went to the Victoria Tyees with the same result.

(June 15) Cumberland Cubs, reportedly dropping out of the Comox District League after the loss of key players, came up with a thrilling ninth inning rally to edge Courtenay Legion 6-5 at Cumberland Sunday. Billy Rallison's two out single with the bases loaded was the winning blow. Cubs trailed 5-3 going into their final at bats. With one out pinch-hitter Brown singled to centre and Norm Pearse, another pinch-hitter, walked. Jimmy Ellis was safe on an error to fill the sacks. Tim Tobacco reached on an error by pitcher Doc Gordon as Brown scored. Catcher Lyle McKenzie replaced Gordon on the mount and made a smart defensive play to throw out a runner at home for the second out, but with two strikes, Rallison poked a single to left to give Cubs the victory. Jimmy Ellis pitched steady ball to pick up the win.

Gordon (L), McKenzie (9) and xxx
J.Ellis (W) and xxx

(June 15) Campbell River Athletics trimmed the Comox Valley Tigers 11-4 Sunday at Lewis Park. A five-run seventh inning for the A's put the game out of reach. Joe Kanik led off the big inning with a walk and both Johnny Haramboure and Marshall were hit by pitches to load the bases. Ty Conti knocked in the first run with a sharp single. Don Cameron and Turcotte followed, each with two-run singles. Lefty Bud Fiscus, who relieved in the third inning, was credited with the win.

Ross, Fiscus (W) (5) and xxx
Clifford (L), Hlady (7) and xxx

(June 21) In a 12-inning thriller at Lewis Park, Comox Valley Tigers edged Campbell River Cougars 4-3. After Schilling reached first on a passed ball after striking out, Smith laced one to right field to bring in the winning marker. After falling behind 1-0, Tigers went to town in the second inning on three errors and five passed balls to take a 3-1 lead. Cougars scored in the fourth and the sixth to make it 3-3.

Jenkinson (L) and xxx
G. Pratt (W) and xxx

(June 22) Union Bay Braves edged the visiting Comox Valley Tigers 3-2 Sunday coming back from a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the seventh inning for the victory. Two of the runs came home when Jack Younger cracked an inside-the-park homer with a runner aboard. In an evening exhibition game, Braves beat the Tigers 6-5 as Richardson drove in the winner with a triple in the bottom of the ninth frame.

Reid (L) and xxx
Geary (W) and xxx

(June 22) Playing at home, the Campbell River Athletics continued their success taking both games of Sunday's double-header from Courtenay Legion, 10-7 and 3-2. The A's pounded out 16 hits in the opener, scoring five times in the first inning on four hits and five Legion errors. They added singletons in the fifth and sixth and Andy Telosky's homer highlighted a three-run outburst in the seventh. Don Marshall allowed ten hits but went the distance for the win.

Quinn (L), McIvor (1) and xxx
Don Marshall (W) and xxx

In the nightcap, most of the action was in the first inning as Courtenay got a run in the top of the first and Campbell River came back to take the lead in their half of the initial stanza on Don Cameron's three-run homer. Spit Quinn and Bud Fiscus then settled down to a pitching duel. Legion got another run in the seventh but the A's held on for the 3-2 triumph. Fiscus gave up eight hits in picking up the win. Quinn, knocked out in the first inning of the opening game, went the route for the losers giving up six hits.

Quinn (L) and xxx
Fiscus (W) and xxx

COMOX DISTRICT LEAGUE
Campbell River A's 13 - 1
Courtenay Legion      8 - 6 5.0
Union Bay Braves      5 - 7 7.0
Campbell River C's    2 - 6 8.0
Comox Tigers          3 - 10   9.5
Cumberland Cubs       3 - 11 10.0

MID-ISLAND LEAGUE
Nanaimo             13 - 4
Duncan               8 - 6 3.5
Chemainus            8 - 6   3.5
Alberni              6 - 9 6.0
Parksville           4 - 11 8.0

(June 28 - July 1) Courtenay Native Sons Tournament

Victoria Chinooks crushed Courtenay Legion 12-3 to take top money in the Courtenay Native Sons Tournament. Chinooks got a run in the first inning and four more in the third and coasted to the victory. Paul Beck held the Legion to six hits in going all the way for the winners.

Beck (W) and xxx
McIvor (L), Woods (5), Quinn (6) and xxx

Nanaimo kicked off the event turning back Union Bay 6-4 Saturday night. After Union Bay had jumped into a 2-0 lead, Nanaimo blasted Ron Pratt from the hill in the fifth inning when they scored all six of their runs. Bert Webb went the route for Nanaimo yielding 12 hits to pick up the win.

R.Pratt (L), G.Pratt (5) and xxx
Webb (W) and xxx

Sunday morning, Courtenay Legion shutout the Parksville Loggers 6-0 behind Shorty McIvor's three-hitter. McIvor also knocked in the winning run smacking a triple with Freddy Orr on first base.

xxx and xxx
McIvor (W) and xxx

Sunday afternoon saw an outstanding contest when Victoria Chinooks eked out a 1-0 win over the Cumberland Cubs. The game was delayed for 45 minutes after the fourth inning due to rain. The only run came in the bottom of the seventh inning on Doug Peden's triple and a fly to right by Al Kubicek. Bill Prior fired a three hitter and fanned 13.

Walker (L) and xxx
Prior (W) and xxx

Campbell River moved into the semi-final round by defeating Chemainus Red Sox 5-4 in ten innings. Johnny Haramboure drove in Turcotte with the winning run. Chemainus took advantage of a wild spell by Joe Kanik as he walked three batters to lead to a pair of runs and a 4-4 tie.

Woolf (L) and xxx
Kanik (W) and xxx

Courtenay Legion took an 8-0 lead then held off a late Nanaimo offensive to notch an 8 to 5 victory in a contest delayed by rain and darkness. Umpire Gummy Leach stopped play for over an hour in the fourth inning and then suspended play after six innings because of darkness. Play resumed Tuesday afternoon.

xxx and xxx
xxx (L), Webb (4) and xxx

In Tuesday's semi-final action, Victoria Chinooks fell behind by three runs in the top of the first inning but responded with a pair in the bottom of the initial stanza and four in the second to go on to top Campbell River Athletics 8-3. Chinooks wrapped up the scoring with two in the eight on Doug Peden's three-bagger and a sacrifice fly.

Jenkinson (L), Fiscus (2) and xxx
McKinnon (W) and xxx

(July 3) Johnny Haramboure of Campbell River Athletics is the batting leader in the Comox District Baseball League according to statistics released by Johnny Langlois. Haramboure, with 28 hits, has a .475 average to best teammates Sam Telosky, at .460, and Ty Conti, .432. Charlie Boyd of the Cumberland Cubs has compiled a .400 mark in 25 at bats, the same as Harry Thulin of the Cougars. Jeffrey of Comox Valley Tigers has a .400 average in 15 at bats. R.Thulin of the Cougars is tops overall at .545, but in just 11 times at bat. The statistics include games up to and including June 25th.

(July 5) At Lewis Park Saturday, Campbell River Athletics downed Courtenay Legion 8-3. Each team scored three times in the first inning before the A's began to dominate and cruise to the win. Lefty Bud Fiscus picked up the pitching win with an eight-hitter while the A's pounded a pair of Legion hurlers for 15 hits.

Fiscus (W) and xxx
Gordon (L), Woods (3) and xxx

(July 6) Union Bay scored a pair in the first inning and survived four errors to top Courtenay Legion 5-1. Legion out-hit the winners 7 to 6. Ron Pratt picked up the pitching win striking out seven and walking three. Allen Kennedy had a triple for the Braves and Earl Woods had one for Courtenay.

R.Pratt (W) and xxx
Clifford (L) and xxx

(July 12) Campbell River Athletics ran their record to 15-1 when they trounced Comox Valley Tigers 11-4 Saturday in spite of having just one more hit than the Tigers and making seven errors. A five-run seventh inning proved to be the difference. A's had 13 hits.

xxx and xxx
Hlady (L), G.Pratt (7) and xxx

(July 13) 11th inning doubles by Joe Kanik and Telosky brought in the winning run as Campbell River Athletics shaded Union Bay 6-5. Bud Fiscus, who relieved in the ninth, picked up the pitching win.

Ross, Fiscus (W) (9) and xxx
Geary (L) and xxx

(July 13) Nanaimo Sport Centres whipped the Campbell River Cougars 17-0 and 11-5 in inter-league double-header action Sunday in Nanaimo. Bert Webb blanked the Cougars on four hits in the opener while his teammates pounded out 17 hits in the seven inning contest. The Rivermen had a weakened lineup as a result of the lumbermen's strike.

Morrison (L), Marshall (4) and MacDonald
Webb (W) and Malli

Nanaimo had another 17-hit effort in the second game, winning 11-5. Earl Robinson scattered ten hits for the pitching win.

Jameson (L), Marshall and MacDonald
Robinson (W) and Pausche

(July 16) Courtenay Legion scored seven runs in the last two innings Wednesday to walk off with a 13-10 victory over the Comox Valley Tigers who lost with a triple double - ten runs, ten hits and ten errors. Trailing 8-6 after seven frames, Courtenay rallied for three in the eighth helped by a a double by Junior Chalmers and a single from Coleman, In the ninth, the Legion added four more as the Comox defense went to pieces and Courtenay got a triple by Shorty McIvor and Downey stole home. Gordon Pratt smacked a homer in the bottom of the ninth for Comox and Hawkins tripled in a run but the rally fell short.

G.Pratt (L) and xxx
Clifford, Gordon (1), Woods (W) (2) and xxx

(July 16) At Campbell River, Union Bay posted a 4-2 victory behind the three-hit pitching of Ron Pratt who whiffed 13. Jenkinson took the loss.

R.Pratt (W) and xxx
Jenkinson (L) and xxx

(July 19) A four-run seventh inning carried Comox to a 5-3 win over the Union Bay Braves. With the Braves leading 2-1 thanks to hits by Pete Chernoff, the Tigers got singles by Watkins, Schilling and Paul Hlady to plate the four markers. Hlady went the distance for the pitching win. He fanned four and walked one. Chernoff was best for the losers with four of the team's 11 hits.

Hlady (W) and xxx
McKay (L) , R.Pratt (7), Geary (8) and xxx

(July 20) Ronnie Aitken twirled a five-hitter Sunday to lead Cumberland Cubs past Union Bay 2-1. Aitken, who allowed a run in the third then pitched shutout ball for six frames, walked two and struck out six. Cubs got on the scoreboard in the third as Bannerman singled to knock in Milburn who had also collected a one-bagger. The Braves tied the score in the bottom of the inning as Joe McKay scored on a triple. The winning tally came home on singles by Bill Rallison and Weir, a hit batter and a walk.

R.Aitken (W) and xxx
J.Renwick, R.Lund (L) (4) and xxx

(July 20) Shutout for eight innings, Courtenay Legion came to life in the bottom of the ninth inning to score three times to down Campbell River Cougars 3-2. Tom Jenkinson had a six-hit shutout until the Legion rally. With one out in their final turn, Earl Woods reached on an error and Lyle McKenzie was hit by a pitch. Roy Moore singled to notch the first run and pinch hitter Spit Quinn smacked one to bring in the tying and winning runs.

Jenkinson (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx

Campbell River A's 19 - 2
Courtenay Legion     12 - 8   6.5
Comox Tigers          8 - 11 10.0
Union Bay Braves      7 - 12 11.0
Cumberland Cubs       6 - 13 12.0
Campbell River C's    3 - 11 12.5

(July 23)   Courtenay Legion defeated Comox Valley Tigers 7-2 Wednesday at Lewis Park. Tigers had opened the scoring in the first inning on a Johnny Hawkins triple and Jack Smith single, but the Legion tied the count in the second on singles by Coleman and Lyle McKenzie and an error. In the third, Bezanson tripled and scored on a ground out to give Legion the lead. The Vets jumped into a 5-1 advantage as Earl Woods smacked a three-bagger with the bases loaded. They added a pair in the eighth before Tigers got a singleton in the ninth.

xxx and xxx
Gordon (W) and xxx

(July 23) At Cumberland, Union Bay blanked the hometown Cubs 10-0 to tie Comox Valley Tigers for third place in the league standings.

(July 27) In an inter-league double-header at Union Bay, the Braves came away with a win and a tie against Nanaimo. The teams battled to a 13-inning 1-1 draw in the opener as Nanaimo's Earl Robinson and Union Bay's Ron Pratt put on a show of sterling hurling. Pratt allowed just four hits, Robinson, seven. Nanaimo scored in the second inning on a walk to Mario Negrin, Ed Senini's single and a fielder's choice. Braves tied the count in the sixth when Jack Younger scored on a walk, ground out and single by Sid McKay.

Robinson and xxx
R. Pratt and xxx

In the second game, Union Bay jumped into a 5-1 lead after three frames and held off a late charge by Nanaimo to notch a 7-5 triumph. Allen Kennedy poked a two-run double for the Braves in the fifth. Jack Renwick surrendered six hits in going the distance for the winners.

xxx and xxx
Renwick (W) and xxx

(July 27) Courtenay Legion clinched second place in the league standings Sunday when they came from behind to down the Campbell River Athletics 6-5 at Lewis Park. Bezanson led the Vets comeback knocking in four runs. A's plated three runs in the first inning before the Legion replied with a pair on hits by Ray Downey and Bezanson. The Vets sent Bud Fiscus to the showers in the third when Courtenay scored two runs on hits by Bezanson and Junior Chalmers. They added two more in the fourth when they capitalized on two free passes and Bezanson knocked in both with a single. The Athletics had a golden opportunity in the sixth with the bases loaded, but came away empty handed.

Fiscus (L), Ross (3) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 30) At Lewis Park, Campbell River Cougars crushed the Comox Valley Tigers 21-2. The game was called after seven inning due to darkness.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

Campbell River A's 20 - 3
Courtenay Legion     14 - 8   5.5
Union Bay Braves      9 - 14 11.0
Campbell River C's    7 - 12 11.0
Comox Tigers          8 - 15 12.0
Cumberland Cubs       6 - 16 13.5

(August 2-3) In a three-game exhibition series over the weekend, Courtenay Legion took two of the three contests over the Powell River Rodnays. The Saturday night game saw the Legion post a 7-2 victory taking advantage of control trouble by the visitors' moundsman. Three walks in the second and another three in the third helped the Vets to four runs. Earl Woods held Powell River to six hits in going all the way for the pitching win.

xxx and xxx
Woods (W) and xxx

Sunday afternoon, Powell River came through with an 8-4 win. In the first inning Adamson scored on Hildebrand's triple and they added a run in the second on two walks and a wild pitch. Legion rebounded to tie with runs in the second and third on hits by Bezanson and Downey. Powell River broke the game wide open with four runs in the fifth on four hits and two walks and capitalized on three Courtenay errors in the sixth to add another pair. Hildebrand was the winning hurler.

Hildebrand (W) and xxx
Briggs (L) and xxx

Courtenay took the series with an easy 11-0 victory Sunday evening. Bob McIvor and Clifford combined on a two-hit shutout for the Legion.

xxx and xxx
McIvor (W), Clifford and xxx

PLAYOFFS

(August 6) Courtenay Legion downed Campbell River Cougars 6-0 Wednesday in the opening game of their semi-final series. Campbell River Athletics trounced Union Bay in the other set.

(August 10) Campbell River Athletics edged Union Bay Braves 3-2 behind the sterling pitching of Bud Fiscus to take the best-of-three semi-final series in two straight games.

Fiscus (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(August 10) The Comox District League final will feature the two Campbell River nines. The Cougars won the right to face off against the Athletics by defeating Courtenay Legion 9-3 and 16-8 in a playoff double-header at Lewis Park Sunday. Cougars took the lead in the opener with three runs in the second inning on three walks a hit batter and an error. The Legionnaires came smashing back with two runs in the third on homers by Bezanson and Dick Downey but Campbell River extended their lead with three more runs in the fourth on two hits and two walks. They rounded out the scoring with two in the fifth and one in the ninth on a triple by Thulin and double by Dunc Marshall. Don Marshall was the winning pitcher.

Clifford (L), Gordon (5) and xxx
Don Marshall (W) and xxx

In the evening game, with the series tied at a game apiece, Cougars demolished the Legion with a 21-hit attack as they racked up the 16-8 victory. Don Marshall, who relieved in the fifth inning, chalked up his second win of the day. He helped his own cause driving in eight runs with a four-for-five game at the plate. Dick Downey belted a homer for Courtenay, his second of the day.

xxx and xxx
xxx, Don Marshall (W) (5) and xxx

(August 17) In exhibition action Sunday, Courtenay Legion and Comox Tigers split a twin bill. The Tigers capitalized on seven Legion errors to take a 9-5 decision in the afternoon game while Courtenay won the nightcap 6-2. In the opener, Legion ran up a 4-0 lead before the Tigers got rolling. Three runs in each of the seventh and eight innings provided the margin of victory.

Schilling (W) and xxx
Clifford (L), Briggs (7) and xxx

Behind the four-hit pitching of Shorty McIvor, Legion bounced back to win the second game 6-2. Dick Downey opened the fourth with a triple and scored on a single by Ray Downey. They added a run in the sixth as Fred Orr walked and came around to score on a sac fly. They added three more in the seventh when McIvor and Lyle McKenzie punched out singles and Moore smacked a three-bagger. The Tigers, blanked for eight innings, got a pair in the ninth on three errors and hits by A.Smith and Gus Vesterback.

Hlady (L), Pratt (7) and xxx
McIvor (W) and xxx

(August 23) Courtenay Legion coach Lyle McKenzie decided to take a turn on the mound Saturday in an exhibition game against Cumberland Cubs and may have surprised even himself at the result - a three-hit shutout as Legion won 3-0.

xxx and xxx
McKenzie (W) and xxx

(August 28) The Comox District Free Press announced that 18-year-old Don Cameron of the Campbell River Athletics had signed a contract with the St.Louis Browns. The pitcher-outfielder reportedly received $5,000 for signing and was to finish out the season with Pocatello of the Class C Pioneer League. (He went on to play four years of pro ball, mainly at the C level. His best season was in 1954 with Pocatello when he hit .327 with 38 doubles and 16 home runs in 131 games.)

(August 28) Johnny Haramboure of the Campbell River Athletics ran away with the 1952 batting title in the Comox District League finishing with a .468 average, well ahead of teammate Joe Kanik. M.Hawkins of Comox Valley Tigers was third with a .385 average.

(August 30-September 1) Courtenay Labor Day Tournament

Courtney Legion captured the annual Courtenay Labour Day Invitational Tournament downing Campbell River 3-2 in a five-inning final contest.

Parksville defeated Comox Tigers.

Campbell River, behind the two-hit pitching of Larry Walker, crushed Nanaimo 11-1. The winners pounded out 17 hits.

Courtenay Legion took advantage of a porous Duncan defense to notch a 6-2 10-inning victory. Al Massy of the Legion and Gordie Hubbert of the A's hooked up in a pitching duel that saw the game tied 2-2 after nine innings. Duncan got a run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to the extra frame. In the tenth, Coleman reached on an error for Courtenay, Fred Orr was hit by a pitch and Massy also was safe on an error. Yet another miscue on Ray Downey's smash brought in a run and Dick Downey followed with a free pass to force in another counter. Junior Chalmers grounded out forcing in the third run of the inning and Bezanson drove in the fourth. Duncan made ten errors.

Union Bay capitalized on three hits and three errors in the fourth inning to plate four runs en route to a 5-3 win over Farmer Construction. Ron Pratt tossed shutout ball for seven innings before allowing the Victoria squad to score three in the eighth.

Victoria Chinooks scored five late runs to down Powell River 7-2. The teams were tied 2-2 through seven frames before Chinooks plated two in the eighth and three in the ninth. Paul Beck held the Rodnays to six hits in picking up the pitching win. Chinooks had a dozen safeties.

Campbell River advanced with a thrilling 8-7 12-inning triumph over Parksville which had rallied to tie the game at 4-4 with a run in the eighth and then came through with three in the bottom of the ninth after Campbell River had scored three in the top of the ninth. With one down in the 12th for Campbell River, Bud Dobson reached on an error and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a ground out. Ty Conti singled to left to break the tie. Larry Walker set the Loggers down one, two, three in the bottom of the frame for his second pitching win of the tourney.

In another ding-dong battle, Courtenay Legion scored in the ninth to shade Union Bay 8-7. Coleman doubled and Lyle McKenzie followed with a one-bagger to drive in the winning run. Shorty McIvor held off the Braves in the bottom of the ninth for the victory.

The Athletics of Campbell River won a berth in the tournament final by defeating Victoria Chinooks 8-5. The A's broke a 4-4 draw in the fourth inning with three successive hits, one of them a homer by Bud Dobson, to go ahead 7-4.

(August 30-September 1) Cumberland Tournament

Chemainus Red Sox took first money in the Cumberland Tournament shutting out Victoria Plumbers 5-0 in the final. Alan Goldy fired a four-hitter for the winners. Ray Ramsay took the loss allowing just five hits. A dropped fly ball with the bases loaded in the first inning resulted in three runs for the Sox. They had filled the sacks on two hit batsmen and an error.

Port Alberni defeated Vancouver Western Bridge.

Victoria topped Vancouver 3-2. In the sixth inning L.French worked a free pass and romped home with the winning run on Duncan's single.

Chemainus rallied to dump the Cumberland Cubs 9 to 8. A six-run eighth inning for Chemainus tied the game. They got the winner in the ninth. Cubs hurlers gave up nine walks including one which led to the winning marker.

In the consolation round, Cumberland Cubs edged Vancouver Western Bridge 10-9.

Port Alberni, winners in the first round, lost a heartbreaker to Chemainus, 2-1. They missed tying the game in the sixth inning when Walz, who had doubled, missed touching third base when Williamson singled to centre to send him home. Folk pitched a four-hitter for the win.

Cumberland Cubs pounded out 13 hits in trouncing West Cumberland 15-5 in a consolation flight match.

MID-ISLAND SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE

Alberni Athletics
Chemainus Red Sox
Duncan Athletics
Nanaimo Sport Centres
Parksville Loggers

Mid-Island Baseball League teams played a limited number of interlocking games with teams from the Comox District Baseball League in 1952

Marshall (W) and Telosky
Webb (L), Rowledge and Malli

Fiscus, Ross and Telosky
Rowledge, Proteau, Sutherland and Malli, Pausche

(May 4) Duncan Athletics kicked off their season with a pair of wins Sunday downing Alberni 8-4 and 7-2. A three-run first inning set the Athletics on the road to victory in the first game. Centre fielder Doug Williams led the winners with three hits. Ken Cessford scattered ten hits in going the route for the pitching win.

K.Cessford (W) and S.Dame
A.Stolth and Crowder

Johnny Koppa fired a two-hitter in the second game as Duncan coasted to the 7-2 triumph. Ralph Branting smacked three hits to pace the Athletics' offense.

J.Koppa (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(May 4) Parksville Loggers had a good start to the season with 7-6 and 8-7 wins over Chemainus Red Sox. Loggers got the second game win with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Bob Prior and Lefty Charlesworth were the winning pitchers.

Copp (L) and Jackson
Prior (W) and Powell

Goldie (L) and Bertrand
Charlesworth (W) and Powell

(May 7) Duncan's Lyell Rodger fired a one-hitter Wednesday to highlight the Athletics 2-1 victory over Nanaimo. The only run off Rodger came in the seventh inning on a base on balls, a wild pitch and Red Naylor's single. Duncan got its first run in the sixth on two singles and an error and plated the winner on a single, sacrifice and an error. Earl "Robbie" Robinson allowed just five hits in taking the loss. Rodger, who had been a top hurler in the Duncan & District League, suffered a sore arm after joining Edmonton's semi-pro squad forcing a break from the game but appears to have regained his form. A's stranded 15 runners, twice leaving the bases loaded.

Rodger (W) and Dame
Robinson (L) and Malli

Koppa (L), K.Williams (8) and S.Dame
T.Briggs, E.Woods (W) (5) and xxx

E.Miskiman, L.Rodger (5) and Branting
Doc Gordon, Quinn (4) and xxx

(May 11) Nanaimo's Sport Centre Cleaners swept both ends of a Mid-Island double-bill Sunday downing Parksville Loggers 6-4 and 4-2 at Caledonia Park. Bert Webb was in good form in hurling the opening game win while Russ Rowledge was the winning hurler in the second game with late relief help from Mel Briggs.

Prior (L), Ford (7) and Powell
Webb (W) and Malli, Pausche

Charlesworth (L) and Caljouw
Rowledge (W), Biggs (8) and Pausche

(May 14) Bill Easterbrook tossed a nifty three-hitter at the Alberni Athletics Wednesday as Nanaimo Sport Centres notched a one-sided 9-2 victory in the Mid-Island Baseball League contest. Marty Martin, Mario Negrin and Don Smith each produced two hits for the winners.

Easterbrook (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(May 14) Chemainus Red Sox dumped Duncan Athletics 9-5 Wednesday behind solid hurling by Alan Goldie and the hitting and fielding of second baseman Vern Ferguson. Red Sox jumped ahead 8-0 before Duncan got on the scoreboard.

L.Rodger, Koppa, K.Williams and S.Dame
Goldie (W) and xxx

(May 18) Nanaimo took a pair from the Athletics right in Duncan. The Sport Centres took the opener 4-0 and followed with a 5-4 victory in the evening contest. In the first game, manager Charlie Stroulger's strategy backfired when, with men on second and third, he signaled pitcher Johnny Koppa to walk Bill Bracewell to load the bases with pitcher Bert Webb the next batter. Webb foiled the plan socking a double to clean the sacks.

Webb (W) and xxx
Koppa (L) and Branting

Nanaimo took an early 4-0 lead in the second game only to have Duncan rally to tie in the seventh. However, Red Naylor cracked a homer over the left centre fence off Tony Folk in the eighth to provide the margin of victory. Duncan missed two golden opportunities for a win loading the bases in both the seventh and ninth innings but failed to score.

xxx and xxx
Cessford, Folk (L) and Branting

(May 18) Jack Mosdell twirled a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts Sunday as Alberni clobbered Chemainus 14-0 in the first game of a double-header. They also took the second game, this time 4-3. The winners pounded out 16 hits and were helped by seven Chemainus errors.

Copp (L), Holden and Jackson
Mosdell (W) and Phillips

Goldie (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx

(May 21) Nanaimo Sport Centres rapped 14 hits to score 14 runs to trounce Chemainus 14-4 Wednesday in a seven inning contest. Bill Easterbrook survived 10 hits and six walks to go the distance to register the win. "Red" Naylor led the winners with four hits, one of them a double, and five runs batted in. Vern Ferguson rapped three hits for the Red Sox. It was the sixth straight win for Nanaimo.

Wolf (L) and Jackson
Easterbrook (W) and Malli

xxx and xxx
Briggs, Rowledge (6) and xxx

xxx and xxx
Rowledge (L), Easterbrook (7) and xxx

(May 25) Nanaimo crushed Port Alberni 22-2 in the second game of a twin-bill Sunday after taking the opener 8-3. Bert Webb tossed a four-hitter for the first game win while the Sport Centres rang up seven hits against Jack Mosdell who was coming off a no-hit performance against Chemainus.

Mosdell (L) and Phillips
Webb (W) and Malli

Alberni had a short-lived 1-0 lead in the second game before Nanaimo began a 19-hit assault which resulted in the 22-2 triumph. A six-run third inning put the game on ice. Ron Smith led the hickory parade with four hits. Bill Bracewell, Earl Robinson, Don Cameron, Ed Senini and Bruce Pausche each scored three runs. Robinson started for the Sport Centres but gave way to Bill Easterbook after three innings when Nanaimo went ahead 6-1.

Nesbitt (L), Oates, Stolth and Crowder
Earl Robinson, Easterbook (W) (3) and Pausche

(May 25) By scores of 4-3 and 8-1, Duncan Athletics swept Sunday's double dip from the Parksville Loggers. In the afternoon fixture Lyell Rodger came through with a seven-hitter for the win. He did, however, need ninth inning relief help by Tony Folk to put down a late rally by the Loggers. Folk went on to toss a three-hitter in the second game.

Joe Gergel led the A's attack in the first game with a double and two singles. Lyell Rodger had the big hit, a long triple into right field. In the night game, Charlie Stroulger was the top sticker with a double and single.

xxx and xxx
L.Rodger (W), Folk (9) and S.Dame

xxx and xxx
Folk (W) and S.Dame

(May 25) Victoria Chinooks opened their 1952 season Sunday dividing an exhibition double-header with Chemainus Red Sox. Chinooks, who played under the Eagles' banner last season, triumphed 11-5 behind Bill Prior's hurling in the seven-inning afternoon contest but dropped an 11-8 decision in the evening encounter.

Rookie Wright knocked in five runs for the Chinooks in the opener and rang up three hits in the second game. Doug Peden walloped a homer, double and single for the Chinooks in the first game while Vern Ferguson led Chemainus with four hits.

Prior (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

xxx and xxx
J.Copp, Goldie and xxx

Nanaimo       7 - 2
Parksville    3 - 4
Duncan        3 - 5
Chemainus     3 - 5
Alberni       3 - 5

(June 1) Nanaimo Sport Centres eked out a thrilling 11-10 victory in the second game to salvage a split in a double header with the Red Sox at Chemainus. Sox had an easy time in the first game winning 15-4. Nanaimo manager Joe Conti called upon Don Smith, normally his third baseman, to take to the mound in the second game as Bert Webb was unable to perform and Bill Easterbook was away getting married. Smith pitched well until the seventh when Chemainus, down 11-2, began a late rally and pulled to within a run. Ron Gibbons, the Chemainus shortstop, smacked a grand-slam homer to spark the comeback. Sport Centres had plated ten runs in a wild fifth inning to take a huge advantage. Smith, who got the pitching win, had five hits on the day.

The Red Sox sent four runs home in the first inning of the opening game, helped by three free passes, and cruised to the 15-4 triumph. Alan Goldie registered the pitching win allowing nine hits.

Rowledge (L), Sutherland, Smith and Malli
Goldie (W) and Jackson

Smith (W), Biggs and Malli
Wolf (L), Copp, Goldie and Jackson

(June 1) Duncan Athletics split Sunday's double-header at Parksville winning a thrilling afternoon game 9-8 in 10 innings before dropping the second 8-1. Duncan started with a bang. Consecutive first inning singles by Joe Gergel, Doug and Pete Williams and Ralph Banting and a two-bagger by Lyall Cornett resulted in four runs. In the third, young Branting smashed his first home run of the season, a line drive to deep right field. Parksville, down by four runs, rallied to tie 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth. The Loggers loaded the bases on two hits and a walk and Ivezich's big blow tied the game. Duncan got the winner in the tenth when Doug Williams got a walk with the bases loaded. Lyell Rodger set down Parksville in order in the bottom of the frame.

Koppa, Folk (9), Rodger (10 and xxx
xxx and xxx

Parksville scored a pair in the first stanza and coasted to the 8-1 victory ringing up ten hits off Tony Folk and capitalizing on seven Duncan errors. Lefty Charlesworth held the A's to just three hits in posting the win. Mulvehill cracked a homer for the winners.

Folk (L) and S.Dame
xxx and xxx

(June 4) Duncan got a run in the first stanza and led all the way downing Nanaimo 9-3 at Caledonia Grounds Wednesday. In the seventh, Don Smith poked a two-bagger for Nanaimo to drive in two runs and bring the Sport Centres to within a run of the Athletics. But Duncan combined three hits, a walk and three errors to plate five runs in the ninth and salt away the victory. Tony Folk scattered eight hits for the win.

Folk (W) and Dame
Rowledge (L), Easterbrook and Malli

Webb (W) and Malli
Hlady (L) and James

Rowledge (W) and Pausche
Pratt (L), Clifford (7) and James

(June 8) In double-header action at Duncan, the Duncan Athletics and Alberni Athletics divided the spoils, In the opening game, Duncan blew a 5-0 lead in going down 8-7 in 11 innings. Successive hits by Spencer, Russ Kimmel and Phillips brought in the winning marker. Joe Gergel had four hits for the losers and Pete Hawryluk went two-for-three and scored twice.

xxx and xxx
Cessford, Koppa (L) (9) and S.Dame

Duncan built up a 7-0 lead in the second game and breezed to an easy 12-3 triumph. Doug Williams cracked a bases-loaded homer in the Athletics' six-run fourth inning. The A's smacked 12 hits and received 11 walks off four Alberni hurlers. Pete Williams led the way with three hits and a pair of runs. Gergel added two more hits and two runs and Hawryluk had two safeties. Nesbitt topped Alberni with six hits for the day.

Mosdell (L), Stolth, Sweeney, Miles and xxx
Folk (W), E.Rodger (9) and Branting

(June 8) Chemainus got some bad news and good news as they whipped the Parksville Loggers 10-4 and 8-7 at Parksville Sunday. The Red Sox received news of Joe Copp's fractured ankle while also hearing that Doug English had been cleared to return to play for the club. Alan Goldie and Ronnie Gibbons powered the opening game victory. Goldie tossed the complete game win while Gibbons smacked a two-run homer. Goldie came back in the nightcap to relieve in the final frame. Cub Woolf went 8 and 2/3s innings for the win.

Goldie (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

Woolf (W), Goldie (9) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(June 15) The Sport Centres and Alberni split a pair playing at Nanaimo Sunday. In the first game all the scoring occured in the initial frame as Nanaimo won 3-1 in spite of being held to two hits by Osada. Bert Webb stopped Alberni on five hits and fanned nine in gaining the pitching win.

Webb (W) and Malli
Osada (L) and Phillips

In game two, Alberni plated four in their half of the first frame, helped by four walks, and romped to the 10-3 triumph. Ed Herman was a bright spot for the Sport Centres pounding a homer into the trees in deep right field. Ahead by just a run, 4-3, the Athletics put it out of reach with a five run outburst in the eighth. Jack Mosdell scattered ten hits for the win.

Armstrong (L), Easterbrook, Rowledge and Pausche
Mosdell (W) and Phillips

Tony Folk and Ken Williams teamed up on a three-hitter in the second game. Charlie Stroulger and Roy Schappert each produced three hits in another 12-hit attack for Duncan.

xxx and xxx
L.Rodger (W) and S.Dame

Lund (L), Geary (1), McKay (6) and xxx
Folk (W), K.Williams (7) and Branting

Earl Robinson, Nanaimo shortstop, had a tryout with the Vancouver Caps, but failed to stick. Don Gray, shortstop for Alberni, went to the Victoria Tyees with the same result.

(June 19) Duncan Athletics got sweet revenge in defeating the Chemainus Red Sox 7-3 Thursday thus avenging the defeat suffered at Chemainus and a billed game for which the Red Sox failed to appear. The A's had two, three-run innings, the third and the sixth. Joe Gergel and winning pitcher Tony Folk each had two hits for the winners. Pete Williams scored three times. Folk held the Sox to seven hits in registering the pitching triumph.

Woolf (L), Goldie and Ferguson
Folk (W) and S.Dame

(June 22) Duncan's trip to Alberni on Sunday proved to be a dismal failure as the club dropped both games, 6-5 and 7-3. A's had a 5-4 lead after seven innings in the first game but Alberni tied it in the eighth and notched the winner in the bottom of the ninth.

Cessford, L.Rodger (L) (7) and Branting
xxx and xxx

Alberni was out-hit 12 to 8 in the second game but ran up a 7-1 advantage before Duncan mounted a rally in the ninth which produced a pair of runs.

K.Williams (L), E.Rodger (8) and xxx
xxx and xxx

John Koppa is the leading Duncan hitter with a .375 average, topping catcher Ralph Branting and Tony Folk both at .333. Charlie Stroulger sits at .318 and Pete Hawryluk has a .306 average in games up to June 18th.

(June 22) Nanaimo Sports Centres swept both games at Parksville Sunday defeating the hometown Loggers 18-7 and 5-4 in 11 innings. Earl Robinson and Mario Negrin combined to bring in the second game winning run.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(June 22) Chemainus received outstanding pitching by Cub Woolf and Doug English as the Red Sox dumped Cumberland Cubs 7-2 and 8-1 in Sunday's twin bill. In the first game it was Woolf pitching no-hit ball into the seventh inning when Cumberland broke the spell with a pair of singles. He finished with a three-hitter and nine strikeouts, walking one. Bobby Jansch was the hitting star with three safeties in four trips. He also reached twice on errors, stole two bags and was on base with a free pass.

xxx and xxx
Woolf (W) and xxx

Doug English allowed just three singles and an unearned run in the second game as the Red Sox prevailed 8-1. Vern Ferguson rapped three singles and scored three times. Jansch continued his hot hitting with a double and a triple. He scored twice and even stole a base.

xxx and xxx
English (W) and xxx

MID-ISLAND LEAGUE
Nanaimo             13 - 4
Duncan               8 - 6 3.5
Chemainus            8 - 6   3.5
Alberni              6 - 9 6.0
Parksville           4 - 11 8.0

(June 24) Chemainus blew a 5-0 lead before rebounding with a run in the bottom of the eighth to shade Duncan 6-5 Wednesday at Chemainus. Winning pitcher Cub Woolf scored the deciding marker on a drive by shortstop Ron Gibbons who rapped three hits and scored twice to lead the winners. Woolf held the Athletics to six hits. Ralph Branting had two of them, one a three-bagger. Red Sox got eight hits and eight walks off lefty Tony Folk who appeared in his final game before leaving for Saskatchewan.

Folk (L) and S.Dame
Woolf (W) and Jackson

(June 29) Duncan Athletics clobbered league-leading Nanaimo 12-1 in a drizzle Sunday capitalizing on six hits and 16 walks handed out by a pair of Nanaimo chuckers. Lyell Rodger tossed a four-hitter for the win. Pete Williamsclouted two doubles for the winners. One was a 350-foot shot which went through a tree and landed high up on the railway trestle in left field. However, he was held at second on a ground-rule double. Despite a muddy track, Athletics stole eight bags, with Joe Gergel getting four of them.

L.Rodger (W) and Stroulger
Armstrong (L), Rowledge (7) and Malli

(June 29) In an exhibition double-header at Alberni Sunday, Farmer Construction received two fine pitching efforts but had to be content with just one victory, a 6-1 decision in the first game as Norm Forbes tossed a six-hitter and was a force at the plate with a double and triple. Bill Garner issued just five hits and whiffed ten in the second game but seven errors, five in the seventh inning, paved the way for Alberni's 3-2 triumph.

Forbes (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

Garner (L) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 1) Duncan Athletics squeezed out a 5-4 ten inning victory over Victoria's Farmer Construction Tuesday. The A's got the winning marker as Ralph Branting lined a two-two offering into left field to score Lyell Rodger from second. Farmer's got off to a quick start with three runs in the first inning but Duncan fought back to take a 4-3 lead going into the ninth. The visitors knotted the count on three errors sending the game to the extra inning. Johnny Koppa bested Norm Forbes for the hill victory. Both racked up 11 strikeouts.

Forbes (L) and xxx
Koppa (W) and xxx

(July 6) Nanaimo Sport Centres and Alberni Athletics divided their Sunday double-header. Nanaimo took the opener 6-3 behind Bert Webb's six hitter then dropped the evening encounter 5-4. Veteran Joe Conti, the team's manager, started the second game for the Sport Centres, his first game on the mound in several seasons. Nesbitt surrendered ten hits but managed to go the distance for the win.

Webb (W) and Malli
xxx and Phillips

Conti (L), Rowledge (4), Biggs (7) and Naylor
Nesbitt (W) and xxx, Crowder

(July 6) Del Bertrand was the hero for Chemainus in the opening game of their twin bill with Duncan. The second baseman scored in the ninth to tie the game at 2-2 then blasted a three run homer off Lyell Rodger in the tenth to give the Red Sox a thrilling 5-2 victory. Vern Ferguson, the first batter of the afternoon had driven a 2-0 pitch from Rodger for a homer to lead off the game. Cub Woolf tossed a six hitter to pick up the mound triumph. Pete Hawryluk ripped a pair of run-scoring doubles for Duncan.

Woolf (W) and Jackson
L.Rodger (L) and Dame

Duncan again allowed Chemainus to score in the first inning of the second game but responded quickly with four runs in the second en route to a 7-3 win. Roy Schappert opened the second with a walk and Ralph Branting followed with a double to left. Ken Cessford knocked in Schappert with a single and two more runs came home when Pete Williams tripled to right. Williams romped home on an error. Athletics added two in the fourth on Schappert's single and posted their final run in the eighth as Lyall Cornett blasted one for three bases and Charlie Stroulger followed with a single. John Koppa pitched shutout ball after the third inning to register the win.

Copp (L), Holden (4) and Jackson
Koppa (W) and Branting

(July 10) A short-handed and reshuffled band of Duncan Athletics had little trouble with Chemainus Thursday trimming the Red Sox 7-4. Johnny Koppa picked up his second week of the week with an eight-hit, no walk, performance. Pete Hawryluk, Doug Williams and Joey Gergel paced the locals with eight of the 12 hits and six of the runs. In the revamped lineup, Gergel was at second, Williams at third and Hawryluk behind the plate.

Woolf (L) and Jackson
Koppa (W) and Hawryluk

(July 13) On Sunday, at Chemainus, Duncan crushed the Red Sox 13 to 6 and 15 to 3 to strengthen their hold on second place. Ken Cessford survived second inning troubles when he gave up four runs to go the distance allowing nine hits in the first game while Johnny Koppa scattered ten hits in winning the evening encounter. Duncan put on an offensive show with 18 hits in the opener and 22 in the second game. Pete Hawryluk smacked a homer in the opener and Lyall Corbett rapped three doubles and a single. The A's fielded a new shortstop in Jim Babcock.

Cessford (W) and Hawryluk
L.Jackson and S.Jackson

Koppa (W) and Hawryluk, Stroulger (8)
Holden (L), Copp (5) and Jackson

Morrison (L), Marshall (4) and MacDonald
Webb (W) and Malli

Nanaimo had another 17-hit effort in the second game, winning 11-5. Earl Robinson scattered ten hits for the pitching win.

Jameson (L), Marshall and MacDonald
Robinson (W) and Pausche

(July 16) Bert Webb tossed his second straight shutout and 11th victory of the season Wednesday as Nanaimo Sport Centre whipped Chemainus 11-0. Last Sunday, Webb blanked Campbell River Cougars 17-0. Nanaimo collected 15 hits off a pair of Red Sox hurlers with Bill Bracewell and Don Smith leading the way each with three. Vic Malli launched the longest blow of the game, a drive into the left-field stands, but under field regulations it went for a ground rule double.

Webb (W) and Malli
Syme (L), Roe (6) and Ferguson

(July 20) Coming off an 18-inning shutout streak, Bert Webb had a rude awakening as the Chemainus Red Sox crushed Nanaimo 17-8 in the first game of a double-header. Webb was sent to the showers early as the Sox scored three in the first frame and never let up. They had just five hits but walks and errors proved costly. Nanaimo regained form in the second game pounding out 15 hits in a 12-4 triumph. Bill Easterbrook and Webb combined on an eight-hitter for the winners.

Gibbons (W) and Jackson
Webb (L), Rowledge, Easterbrook and Malli

Rowe (L), English and Jackson
Easterbrook (W), Webb (6) and Pausche

(July 20) Eric Rodger hurled his first complete game in three years Sunday in tossing a two-hitter at Alberni as Duncan scored a 4-2 win in the first game of a double-header. Athletics also won the second game, this time 9-8. In the matinee event, Duncan notched all four counters in the fifth inning. Three Alberni errors and hits by Ralph Thorne and Ralph Branting did the damage.

E.Rodger (W) and Branting
xxx and xxx

Duncan survived a six-run fifth inning by Alberni to cop the second game 9-8. After falling behind 8 to 4, the Athletics rallied for three in the sixth and a pair in the seventh to take the decision. Ken Cessford and Jim Babcock smacked three-baggers for the winners.

Koppa, Cessford (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 23) Duncan combined a walk and two hits off Nanaimo ace Bert Webb to scored a pair in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday to escape with a 3-2 victory. Tony Folk's pinch-hit double drove in the winner. Folk had just returned from Saskatchewan where he played a dozen games in the Saskatoon area while on holidays. Ralph Branting clouted a homer over the centre field fence in the second inning to give Duncan the early lead. Ken Cessford held the Sport Centres to six hits in ringing up the pitching win. Webb allowed eight safeties.

Webb (L) and Malli
Cessford (W) and Branting

(July 24) Superb defense saved the day for the Chemainus Red Sox Thursday. Nanaimo loaded the bases with just one out in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings but came away empty handed as the Sox got double-plays in each of those frames to shut down the Sport Centres in a 6-5 victory.

Syme (W), Naylor (6) and Jackson
Robinson, Easterbrook (3), Biggs (6) and Pausche

MID-ISLAND LEAGUE
Nanaimo             24 - 10
Duncan              21 - 10   1.5
Chemainus           13 - 14   7.5
Alberni             12 - 16 9.0
Parksville           8 - 20 13.0

(July 27) Duncan extended its winning streak to nine games Sunday taking two games at Parksville, 9-6 and 16 to 6. Joey Gergel belted a homer in each game for the winners. Roy Schappert boomed three doubles in the afternoon game and Jim Babcock rapped two long triples. The A's s Doug Williams made two sensational catches in deep centre field. Johnny Koppa and Eric Rodger picked up the pitching wins.

Koppa (W) and xxx
Charlesworth (L) and xxx

E.Rodger (W) , Cessford (7) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 31) Duncan Athletics managed just three hits Thursday but squeezed by Nanaimo 3-2 to slip into first place in the league standings Lyall Cornett singled to plate Tony Folk with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Sport Centres had taken the lead with two runs in the top of the ninth on three hits and a walk. A potential third run was cut down at the plate on a relay from Pete Hawryluk in right field to first baseman Charlie Stroulger to catcher Ralph Branting on Bill Bracewell's two-bagger. Folk pitched eight shutout innings before running into trouble in the ninth. Overall he allowed eight hits. Bracewell had four of them.

Webb (L) and Malli
Folk (W) and Branting

(August 2) The last-place Parksville Loggers gave Nanaimo a scare Saturday taking an early 6-4 lead before ace Bert Webb was called upon to halt the uprising and the Sport Centres went on to a 10-6 triumph. "The team wound up the evening with a beach picnic at Rathtrevor with girl friends and wives. The gals showed their prowess at dishing up hot-dogs and all the trimmings."

xxx and xxx
xxx, Webb (W) and xxx

(August 3) Farmer Construction, the leaders of the Victoria Senior League, got a win and a tie in an exhibition double-bill at Nanaimo Sunday. The smooth Victorians copped the afternoon game 8-7 with the teams battling to a 5-5 draw in the night contest. In the nightcap, the Sport Centres unveiled a new pitcher in Roy Whitehead who took the mound for the first time since 1949 when he twirled for Kamloops.

Garner, Corbett (3) and Shields
Smith, Rowledge (8) and Pausche

Anderson and Shields
Whitehead, Robinson (5), Webb (9) and Pausche

(August 3) Joey Gergel's home run with Johnny Koppa on base provided the Athletics with an 8-7 win over Parksville in the matinee performance of a twin-bill at Duncan. The A's demolished the Loggers 19 - 1 in the nightcap rapping out 18 hits, three each by Lyall Cornett, Ralph Thorne and Ken Cessford. Cornett scored five times. Thorne also had three safeties in the first game. The Loggers made six errors in each game. Koppa won the first contest giving up nine hits and Cessford allowed just six in the evening.

Prior (L) and Powell
Koppa (W) and Branting

Charlesworth (L), xxx and Calijouw, Powell
Cessford (W) and Hawryluk, Branting

(August 7) Duncan Athletics clinched first place in the Mid-Island Baseball League Thursday edged Nanaimo 7-6. The A's ran up a 6-1 lead before the Sport Centres rallied with a run in the seventh and four in the bottom of the ninth. Ken Cessford relieved starter Tony Folk in the ninth to strand the tying run at third base. Lyall Cornett and Doug Williams each produced a triple and single. Roy Schappert scored three times. Bill Bracewell and Earl Robinson each collected two hits for Nanaimo.

Folk (W) , Cessford (9) and Hawryluk
Webb (L) and Malli

MIBL Playoffs

(August 10) Duncan and Alberni split the opening games of their semi-final series. Athletics took the opener 3-2 and Alberni surprised with a 17 hit attack for an easy 15 to 2 triumph in the second game. Ken Cessford tossed an eight hitter for the win in the afternoon affair. Miles, normally a light hitter, powered the Alberni win with five hits in the second game, including a home run, three doubles and a single. He scored five times. Winning hurler Jack Mosdell collected three hits.

Nesbitt (L) and Phillips
Cessford (W) and Hawryluk

Mosdell (W) and Crowder
Folk (L), E. Rodger, Koppa and Branting

(August 10) Chemainus eliminated Nanaimo from further play taking both games of Sunday's double-header 10-9 and 8-4 to win the best-of-three series in two straight games. A three run outburst in the top of the ninth gave the Red Sox the win in the matinee encounter. Allan Goldie was the winning pitcher in both games, going four innings in relief in the opener and tossing a seven-hitter in the second game. Chemainus pounded out 17 hits for the evening game win.

Woolf, Goldie (W) (5), Gibbons (9) and Jackson
Robinson, Webb (L) (6) and Malli

Smith (L), Robinson (6) and Malli
Goldie (W) and Jackson

(August 14) In a thriller at Alberni Wednesday, Duncan came from behind with two runs in the eighth and another pair in the ninth to best Alberni 4-2 and win the semi-final series two games to one. Trailing 2-0, Duncan's Lyall Corbett and Doug Williams scored on an error and Pete Hawryluk's single to tie the contest. In the ninth, Charlie Stroulger reached with a single and Tony Folk with an error before Cornett drove both home with a two-bagger, his third hit of the game. Folk scattered eight hits and fanned 13 in a complete game effort for the win, besting Jack Mosdell who allowed ten hits.

Folk (W) and Hawryluk
Mosdell (L) and Crowder

(August 17) Duncan got outstanding pitching, back-to-back five-hitters, by Ken Cessford and Johnny Koppa in downing Chemainus 4-0 and 4-1 in the opening games of the best-of-five final series. The Athletics held the Sox off the scoreboard until the ninth inning of the second game. Cessford fired the first game shutout as his mates took a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Pete Hawryluk rapped a bases-loaded double. Joey Gergel starred in the field participating in three double plays. Young Lyall Cornett powered the Athletics in the second game with three hits, one a homer, the first of his career, and three runs. Ron Gibbons accounted for the only Chemainus run with a homer in the ninth.

Woolf (L) and Jackson
Cessford (W) and Hawryluk

Goldie (L) and Jackson
Koppa (W) and Branting

(August 24) Duncan Athletics captured the Mid-Island Baseball League championship Sunday in a laugher, slaughtering Chemainus 16-0 to take the final in three straight games. Tony Folk was brilliant on the hill for the A's firing a two-hitter. The Sox managed just one run in 27 innings in the final series off Duncan pitching. Duncan battered three Red Sox hurlers for 20 hits, the biggest was a grand slam homer by Ken Cessford. Roy Schappert went five for five and knocked in four runs for the winners. Cessford, who had five runs batted in, Doug Williams and Charlie Stroulger each produced three hits. League Vice-President Al Dyer presented the McBride Memorial Trophy emblematic of the league championship. The Duncan nine also won the H.R. MacMillan Trophy for their playoff triumph.

Folk (W) and xxx
Woolf (L), English (4), Goldie (5) and xxx

(September 7) Johnny Koppa and Ken Cessford pitched and batted Duncan Athletics to a double win, 6-5 and 2-0, over the Victoria Chinooks in exhibition action at Athletic Park on Sunday. In the first game, Koppa held the visitors to nine hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. At the plate, Koppa tied the score in the sixth with a triple and his single in the eighth scored Ralph Branting, who had doubled, with the winning run. Ed Sheppard of the Chinooks was the game's top swatter with a triple, double and single and three runs batted in. In the third inning, Victoria's Paul Beck retired the side on just three pitches. Lyall Cornett flied out to left, Jim Babcock singled and then Doug Williams hit into a double play. In the fourth, Koppa struck out the side on ten pitches.

In the second game, Cessford had a rough first inning as a single, walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases with just one out. But Cessford recovered his form and fired a two-hit shutout while also launching the biggest blow of the day, a home run in the seventh inning which broke up a scoreless duel. Stan Davis and Pete Kirchner allowed just six hits for Victoria.

Beck (L) and Kubicek
Koppa (W) and Branting

Davis (L), Kirchner (8) and Kubicek
Cessford (W) and Stroulger

Vancouver Island Semi-Finals

(September 14) Duncan Athletics defeated Campbell River Cougars 6-5 and 12-5 Sunday to take a commanding lead in the best-of-five series for the up-Island title. Ken Cessford, the heavy-hitting outfielder and moundsman, received credit for both victories. Duncan got off to a quick start in the first inning of the matinee event. An outfield drop of a fly ball with the bases loaded and three straight hits off Smoothie Marshall led to five runs. Marshall righted the ship and pitched shutout ball until the bottom of the ninth. Duncan's Tony Folk, on the other hand, was in control until the top of the ninth when the Cougars fought back to tie the contest at 5-5. Tom Jenkinson blasted a two-run homer and Folk then walked the next three batters forcing manager Charlie Stroulger to bring in Cessford from right field. The big right-hander walked Garry Borgfjord on four pitches forcing in the tying run. Cessford followed with a wild pitch and Harry Thulin broke for home but catcher Pete Hawryluk quickly recovered the ball and threw to Cessford who made the tag for the third out. In the last of the ninth, Roy Schappert's squeeze bunt brought in Joe Gergel with the winner. Bud Dobson had a homer and double for the Cougars.

Cessford tossed an eight-hitter and cracked a two-run homer to lead a 16-hit attack in the second game. In the two games, Cessford led all hitters with six safeties in seven at bats. Doug Williams collected five hits and four runs and Stroulger had four hits and four runs.

Marshall (L) and McDonald
Folk, Cessford (W) (9) and Hawryluk

Spiers (L), Enns and McDonald
Cessford (W) and Branting

(September 21) By defeating Campbell River in the second game of Sunday's double-header, the Duncan Athletics are one step away from the Vancouver Island baseball championship. The A's go up against the Victoria Chinooks for the title. After losing the first game to the Cougars on Sunday, 10-9, Duncan stormed back to squash the northern nine 11-3 behind Ken Cessford's pitching. Athletics won the series three games to one with Cessford appearing in all four games picking up the win in all three Duncan victories. Cougars went on a six-run rampage in the seventh inning of the first game to take a 10-6 lead and held off an eighth inning rally by Duncan for the win.

Lyall Cornett cracked three hits and Cessford had a pair to pace Duncan in the second game, called after seven innings due to darkness. Cessford yielded eight hits and two walks while fanning eight.

Folk (L), L.Rodger, E.Rodger, Cessford and Branting
Don Marshall (W) and McDonald

Cessford (W) and Branting
Jenkinson (L), Spiers (2), Enns (3) and McDonald

1952 Vancouver Island championship finals

(September 28) Duncan Athletics are the 1952 Vancouver Island Senior Amateur champions defeating the Victoria Chinooks in an abbreviated two-game series. In a hockey-like total point series, Duncan won the first game 11-8 and the teams tied 3-3 in the second, both seven-inning affairs. Duncan, which trailed 2-0 and then 6-4 scored four times in the fifth inning on two hits and four walks to go in front to stay. Roy Schappert knocked in four runs for the Athletics. Joe Gergel got on base five times through four walks and an error. Ken Cessford held Victoria to five hits, walked four and fanned eight. Victoria's three hurlers combined to issue 12 walks. Each team made four errors.

John Koppa allowed just three hits in the second game but two of them were homers,by Ed Sheppard and Alan "Rookie" Wright as the teams battled to the 3-3 draw. Koppa fanned seven and walked a pair. Cliff Hume surrendered five hits, walked four and fanned ten.

Beck (L), Kirchner (L) (4), Hume (6) and Kubicek
Cessford (W) and xxx

Hume and Kubicek
Koppa and Branting