(June 2) Calgary fans got a treat as the Dodgers marked their entry into the Foothills-Wheatbelt League with an entertaining double-header split with Granum. The White Sox took the opener 7-5 in 11 innings while Calgary won the nightcap 4-2 on Ken Mitchell's two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.
In the opener, Granum score twice in the 9th to tie then plated two runs in the 11th to squeak out the victory. Willie Walasko got the win.
Walasko (1-0) and Carlson
Nagle (0-1) and Heffel
Mitchell's homer broke open what had been a super pitching duel between Bentley MacEwen of Granum and Don Kirk of the Dodgers. Kirk tossed a three-hitter with 18 strikeouts and no walks. MacEwen allowed six hits and fanned 17. Calgary playing-manager Glen Tuckett, as a pinch hitter, led off the bottom of the 9th with a walk. With one out, Don White reached on a error. After Hank Bassen flied out for the second out, Mitchell blasted one high above the light standards over the left field fence. Bill Fennessey, the 1956 homer run leader, had a home run in each game.
MacEwen (0-1) and Carlson
Kirk (1-0) and Abel
(June 2) Vulcan opened the season with victories in both ends of a double-header with Picture Butte, 11-4 and 13-3. Chuck Dailey picked up the win in the first game and contributed a three-run homer and a single. Ronnie Laughlin, a young third baseman acquired by the Elks from Drumheller, had three singles. Indians catcher Hans Pung also had three singles.
Dailey (1-0), Norman (8) and Burley
Attrill (0-1), Reiter (6) and Pung
Laughlin paced the Elks in the second game with a triple and three singles. Doug Marquardt held the Indians to seven hits in picking up the win.
Marquardt (1-0) and Burley
Johnson (0-1), Reiter (2), Ichino (6) and Pung
(June 2) Lethbridge's Earl Ingarfield had six hits and drove in eleven runs as the Miners and Medicine Hat Orphans split their season-opening twin-bill. Orphans won the opener 10-9 in 11 innings while the Miners walked away with a 13-6 decision in the second game.
Winning pitching Don Schwedelsky tied the first game with a homer in the 9th. Elroy Schaufele and Bud Syverson homered in the 11th for the win. Ingarfield knocked in four runs with a homer and two singles. Jocko Tarnava, who with Mike Vaselenak, switched from Lethbridge to the Orphans just before the game, had an inside-the-park homer, triple and single for Medicine Hat.
Schwedelsky (W) and Tingley
Speyer (L), Kucheran (11) and Moore
Ingarfield blasted a grand-slam homer and two singles to knock in seven runs as the Miners won the second game 13-6. Rookie Jerry Kjeldgaard went the distance on a seven-hitter for the win.
Ziebart (L) and Tingley
Kjeldgaard (W) and Phillips
(June 5) Gerry Knutson pitched a two-hitter and fanned 11 as Calgary thumped Medicine Hat 11-1. Playing-manager Glen Tuckett drove in three runs for the Dodgers with a pair of hits. Calgary had just nine hits but took advantage of eight errors by the Orphans.
Knutson (W) and Abel
Leonard (L), Schwedelsky (6) and Tingley
(June 5) Granum exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the 8th and final inning to score a 16-14 win over Vulcan . The wind-blown affair featured thirty-three hits, seven homers and eight errors. Gord Wesley's grand slam was the winning blow. John Vaselenak had four hits, including a homer for the White Sox. Darwin Walkingshaw had the other Sox homer while Vulcan got circuit blows from Art Alvarez, Itch Horton, Dale Sorenson and Chuck Dailey.
Dailey (L) and Burley
Tymchyna, Walasko (2), MacEwen (W) (5) and Carlson
(June 5) Harry Watson's Picture Butte Indians registered their first win of the young season Wednesday, holding off a late challenge by Lethbridge to post a 7-6 triumph. The Indians built up a 7-2 lead before the Miners broke loose for four in the bottom of the sixth. The game was called after seven because of darkness. Larry Lovewell, an import from Coalinga College in California, allowed 12 hits but managed to go the distance for the win. He helped out at the dish with three hits. Picture Butte got the eventual winning mark in the top of the sixth when shortstop Owen Goto doubled and raced him on Lovewell's single.
Lovewell (W) and Pung
Speyer (L) and Phillips
(June 12) Playing in weather more suited to football, the Calgary Dodgers took advantage of a porous Medicine Hat defense to clobber the visitors 14-5 in a game called after five innings because of the cold and rain. The Orphans actually took the lead with four runs in the first inning but the Dodgers roared back in the third sending 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven times. Winning pitcher Ken Ramsey helped his own cause with a two-run homer. Harold Noble and Denny Totland also had four-baggers for the winners. Medicine Hat made nine errors.
Seedo (L), Burcher (5) and Tarnava
Ramsey (W) and Heffel
(June 12) Two big home runs highlighted an 8-6 win for Lethbridge over Picture Butte Indians Wednesday. Veteran Mitch Sztaba cranked a grand slam and Johnny Klem banged a two-run shot. Sztaba, who went into the game with just one hit in 14 at bats, also added a single. Rookie Jerry Kjeldgaard, although hampered by wildness, worked eight innings for the win, his second. The Indians collected three hits off Kjeldgaard in the first inning then could managed just one more until their three-run uprising in the ninth.
Kjeldgaard (W), Kucheran (9) and Phillips
Harrison (L), Attrill (9) and Pung
(June 15) Vulcan Elks downed Calgary 8-4 in an exhibition match in Milo. Four Vulcan pitchers - Tom LePan, Chuck Dailey, Doug Marquardt and Art Alvarez -- combined to hold the Dodgers to seven hits. Ike Ikeda went the distance for the Dodgers allowing nine safeties. Vulcan took the lead in the Foothills-Wheatbelt League with a 4-0 mark.
LePan, Dailey, Marquardt, Alvarez and xxx
Ikeda (L) and xxx
(June 16) Calgary swept a pair from Picture Butte, 13-11 and 5-1, to push their record to five wins in six games.
In the opener, Dodgers scored ten runs in the 7th to take a 13-2 lead but nearly blew it as the Indians rallied for eight runs in the 8th and had the tying runs on base in the 8th before Ike Ikeda came on in relief to preserve the Calgary win. Denny Totland, Marty Hurd and Baz Nagle had homers for the Dodgers.
Lovewell (L), T Hanoian (7), Harrison (7) and xxx
Nagle (W), Knutson (8), Ikeda (9) and xxx
Dodgers scored four runs in the first inning of the second game and went on to a 5-1 victory as Don Kirk bested Orv Motley on the hill.
Motley (L) and xxx
Kirk (2-0) and xxx
(June 16) The defending champion Granum White Sox whipped the Miners 10-0 and 10-1 in a double-header in Lethbridge. Six-foot-seven right-hander Dave Gambee tossed a six-hit shutout in the first game and right-hander Ken Burns held the Miners to just three hits in the second contest. Bill Fennessey had a homer and five singles on the day. Gord Wesley had a pair of singles in each game while Jim Lester had three hits on the day and drove in three runs in the opener.
Gambee (W) and Koentopp
Weremy (L) and Deak
Burns (W) and Adams, Koentopp (3)
Warnick (L), Kucheran (7) and Moore
(June 16) Medicine Hat scored five runs in the top of the 1st inning and went on to beat Vulcan 8-6 in the first game of a double-header. Elks won the second game, 8-2.
Catcher Jocko Tarnava paced the Orphans to their win with three hits and a stolen base. Art Alvarez had three hits for Vulcan.
Schwedelsky (W) and Tarnava
Marquardt (L), Norman (1) and Burley
Chuck Dailey pitched and batted the Elks to their second game victory. Dailey scattered ten hits and won the game with a three-run homer, his third of the season. Alvarez again had three hits for the Elks.
Sedoo (L) and Wilson
Dailey (W) and Scornaienchi
(June 19) 19-year-old right-hander Gary Harrison threw a sparkling two-hitter to lead Picture Butte to a 4-0 win over Calgary. Harrison had a no-hitter into the 6th inning when Dennis Totland broke the spell with a single. The Fresno, California product faced just 33 batters in the contest which wrapped up in just an hour and 58 minutes. A three-run second inning, on singles by Harrison and Floyd Gillies and three Calgary errors, was all the Indians needed. The victory stopped Calgary's winning streak at five.
Knutson (L), Ikeda (6) and Abel
Harrison (W) and Pung
(June 19) Granum used home runs and stolen bases to down Lethbridge 7-4. John Vaselenak belted a pair of homers and Bill Fennessey had one as the White Sox notched their third straight win over the Miners. In the 7th, the Sox stole five bases, as Fennessey, Jim Lester and Vaselenak ran wild and the Sox scored a pair of runs. Johnny Klem had a homer for the Miners.
Warnick (L) and xxx
MacEwen (W), Burns (7) and Koentopp
(June 19) Vulcan Elks scored early and often in pounding Medicine hat 13-6. Jim Houck led the Elks smacking a pair of round trippers and a single driving in four runs. He scored three times. Second sacker Art Alvarez added a pair of hits and three runs. First baseman Don Jantzie had two hits and two runs. With the exception of the seventh inning when the Superiors rang up four runs, Chuck Dailey pitched steady ball for Vulcan allowing seven hits overall. He walked five and fanned nine.
Ziebart (L), Schwedelsky (5) and Wilson, Tingley
Dailey (W) and Scornaienchi
(June 21) Tom McIntosh tossed a one-hitter and fanned 18 as Calgary beat Red Deer 13-2 in an exhibition match at Buffalo Stadium. McIntosh lost his no-hit bid with two outs in the 8th when Jim Berlando blooped a hit into left field. McIntosh walked seven and hit three batters. Marty Hurd homered for the Dodgers.
Gazely (L), Martin (3), Makos (7) and Demmons
McIntosh (W) and Heffel
(June 21) Clarence Yanosik, playing-manager of Lethbridge Miners was the batting leader in the Foothills-Wheatbelt circuit with a .500 average, 14 hits in 28 at bats. Bill Fennessey of Granum was second at .480, followed by Joe Tarnava of Medicine Hat, at .464.
Four pitchers had 2-0 marks, Jerry Kjeldgaard of Miners, Don Schwedelsky of Medicine Hat, Willie Walasko of Granum and Don Kirk of Calgary. Chuck Dailey of Vulcan, with three wins in four decisions, led the loop in innings pitched with 32 1/3. Fennessey's four homers were tops.
(June 21) Granum White Sox notched their 5th straight win as they down Vulcan 5-0 behind Willie Walasko's four-hitter. Second baseman Gord Wesley paced the Sox with three hits. Walasko sparked a three-run 4th inning with a two-run single.
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Marquardt (L) and Scorn
Granum 6-1
Calgary 5-2
Vulcan 4-3
Lethbridge 2-5
Medicine Hat 2-5
Picture Butte 2-5
(June 23) Picture Butte pounded out 36 hits to overwhelm Medicine Hat, 19-2 and 13-1. Orv Motley pitched and batted the Indians to the opening game win. He tossed a six-hitter and helped at the plate with four hits, including a pair of doubles, and three RBI. He also scored four times. Bobby Lee drove in four with a triple, double and single. Lee, Larry Hanoian, and George Menzies each collected three hits as every one in the Picture Butte lineup had at least one safety.
Motley (W) and Pung
Burcher (L), Ziebart (2) and Wilson, Tingley (3)
Again, in the second contest, the pitcher was also the hitter. Terry Hanoian tossed a five-hitter for the mound win and reached base five times, twice with hits, scoring four runs. Bobby Lee had three more hits, one a triple, to total six for the day. Lee knocked in three. Hanoian fanned seven and walked four.
T Hanoian (W) and L Hanoian
Leonard (L), Schwedelsky (4) and Tingley
(June 23) Calgary grabbed a share of first place with 12-9 and 15-3 victories over the Lethbridge Miners. Dodgers came back from a 9-5 deficit with four runs in the 7th and three in the 8th to win the opener. There were seven home runs in the twin-bill, six by the Dodgers. Don White had a pair with singletons from Marty Hurd, Harold Noble, Dave Abel and Ken Mitchell. Clarence Yanosik had the lone homer for Lethbridge. Abel's three-run homer in the 8th proved to be the decisive blow in the first game.
Kjeldgaard, Kucheran (7), Warnick (L) (7) and Moore
Ramsey, Ikeda (W) (7) and Abel
Granum and Calgary each had 7-2 records to share top spot. Vulcan, at 5-4, was in third place.
Don Kirk scattered eight hits and fanned 15 as the Dodgers swamped the Miners 13-3 in the nightcap. It gave Kirk 43 strikeouts in 27 innings so far in the season.
Warnick (L), Speyer (6) and Phillips, Moore (5)
Kirk (3-0) and Abel
(June 23) The White Sox and Vulcan split a pair in Granum. Chuck Dailey won his fourth in the opener as the Elks won, 4-2. Dave Gambee, who shutout Lethbridge last Sunday, took the loss.
Dailey (W) and Burley
Gambee (L) and Koentopp
Bentley MacEwen pitched a five-hit shutout as Granum won the second game, 5-0. It was MacEwen's third win. He fanned 12 and walked three. Jim Lester and Ron Mertus each had two hits for the Sox.
Houck (L) and Burley
MacEwen (W) and Carlson
(June 26) Lethbridge Miners received a superb relief performance from Frank Speyer to down the Superiors 9-3 in Medicine Hat. The win moved the Miners into 5th place, with a 3-7 record, ahead of the Superiors, at 3-8. Calgary and Granum top the circuit with 7-2 marks, ahead of Vulcan at 5-4 and Picture Butte which had won 4 of 9.
Speyer, hit hard in his first two starts, relieved Bert Nyrose in the first inning and allowed just four hits in 8 2/3s innings. Rudy Leonard dropped his third straight for Medicine Hat. Jocko Tarnava paced the Miners with a triple and two singles.
Nyrose, Speyer (W) (1) and Moore
Leonard (L), Adams (3), Leonard (4) and Brown, Leonard (3), Adams (4)
GR 7-2
CG 7-2
VU 5-4
PB 4-5
LB 3-7
MH 2-8
Lacombe Tournament :
(June 27) Granum White Sox whipped Grand Centre 8-3 to win top prize in the Lacombe tournament. White Sox got four runs, three on a homer by John Vaselenak, in the first inning and coasted to the victory. Dave Gambee went the distance on the hill. The Sox won the Lacombe event in 1955 and shared top prize last year when the final was rained out.
Gambee (W) and Koentopp
Furibondo (L) and Demeriez
Sox made the final with an 8-3 victory over Sandpoint, Idaho. John Vaselenak provided the big blow, a grand slam homer in the 7th. Willie Walasko held Sandpoint to eight hits.
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Bloxom (L) and Eilmes
Grand Centre scored three in the bottom of the 9th to shade Campion 7-6 in the other semi-final. Grand Centre lost pitching star Allie Molyneaux in the 5th inning when he broke a leg sliding into second base.
Babiuk, Doucette (L) (6) and Kulka
Molyneaux, Makos (5), Furibondo (W) (8) and Demeriez
An estimated 45-hundred fans sat in for each of the final two games with about 35-hundred taking in the opening semi-final. While rains and hail were pouring down just a few miles on all sides of Lacombe, the tournament experienced near perfect baseball weather. A windstorm blew up in the seventh inning of the final with a few drops arriving in the ninth. Minutes after the game ended, rain came down in streaks.
(June 26) Two upsets marked the opening day of the Lacombe tournament. Campion Pipeliners topped Picture Butte 3-1 and Grand Centre downed Calgary 6-2. Granum remained in the title hunt with a 7-0 win over Moose Jaw Lakers and the only American entry, Sandpoint Beavers from Idaho, shutout the Central Alberta All-Stars 3-0.
John Doucette, former hurler with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada League, stranded 12 men in going the distance for the Pipeliners. Fred MacDonald paced Campion with three hits. Hans Pung had a pair of doubles for Picture Butte.
Harrison (L), Motley (4) and Pung
Doucette (W) and Kulka
Grand Centre scored three in the 2nd and coasted to their 6-2 win over Calgary. Jim Ryan led off the frame with a homer. Pete Furibondo tossed a three-hitter for the winners.
Nagle (L), Ikeda (7) and Abel
Furibonda (W) and Demeriez
Don Nieland tossed a seven-hitter for Sandpoint. The Beavers got just four hits off Red Schneck. They got the only run they needed in the first inning on a walk, stolen base and a single by Nick August.
Neiland (W) and Eilmes
Schneck (L) and Dana, Mantle (7)
Granum also scored early to beat Moose Jaw. White Sox got three walks and a double by Gord Wesley in the opening frame to plate two runs.
Burns (W) and Koentopp
Dayne (L) and Hunchuk, Lyscek (5)
(June 28) Clarence Yanosik, the playing-manager of the Lethbridge Miners, continued to top the hitting derby in the Foothills-Wheatbelt league. Although dipping several points during the week, Yanosik sported a .473 average, well ahead of runner-up Jocko Tarnava, also of the Miners, at .418. Next were Bobby Lee of Picture Butte at .408, Jim Lester of Granum at .408 and Harold Noble of Calgary at .400. Bill Fennessey of Granum had the lead in homers, with four.
Don Kirk of Calgary was the top pitcher, with a 3-0 mark, and 43 strikeouts in 27 innings.
(June 30) Granum White Sox won both ends of a double-header with Medicine Hat, coasting to an 11-5 win in the first game and scoring in the bottom of the 10th to shade the Superiors 8-7 in the second.
Sox put away the opener in the first inning as they scored six times. Jim McDonald's homer was the key hit. Dave Gambee went the distance for the win. Dodger's pitcher Don Schwedelsky was the hitting star for Calgary with a two-run homer and three singles.
Attrill (L), Schwedelsky (1) and Adams
Gambee (W) and Koentopp
In the second game, Granum scored twice in the bottom of the 9th to send the game into extra innings. One of the runs came on a homer by Bill Fennessey. Gord Vejprava had a double and two singles for the Sox while Bud Syverson, who had two doubles in the first game, clouted a pair of doubles and two singles. Elroy Schaufele had a homer and a single. Bentley MacEwen picked up the win in relief.
Leonard (L) and Schwedelsky
Mertus, Walkingshaw (7), MacEwen (W) (10) and Carlson
(June 30) Calgary Dodgers took a pair from the Elks in Vulcan, 6-5 and 12-3. Ken Mitchell had four hits for the Dodgers in the opener and Don Kirk went the distance on the hill for his fourth win.
Kirk (4-0) and Abel
Dailey (L), Marquardt (2) and Scorn
George Knudson held the Elks to eight hits in the second game while his teammates belted out 13 and took advantage of five Vulcan errors for the 12-3 victory.
Knudson (W) and Heffel
Dailey (L), Gowler (8) and Burley
(July 1) Granum moved into sole possession of first place with a double-header sweep of Calgary, 19-3 and 8-3. Sox clubbed two grand slam homers, by Bill Fennessey and Jim Lester, to bury the Dodgers in the opener. Fennessey had two homers and a single. Sox also had home runs from Willie Walasko and Larry Koentopp. Dennis Totland's three-run homer accounted for all the Calgary scoring. Walasko allowed just five hits in picking up the win.
Ikeda (L), Kirk (4) and Abel
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Calgary got the early lead in the second game, scoring three runs in the first inning on a walk, single by Hank Bassen and doubles by Ken Mitchell and Don White. The Sox responded with eight runs in the 6th on six singles, four walks and an error. Bentley MacEwen tossed a six-hitter for the win.
McIntosh (L) and Heffel
MacEwen (W) and Koentopp
(July 1) The hometown Indians erupted in the 6th inning of both games to sweep a twin-bill from Lethbridge. Picture Butte plated eight runs in the 6th inning of the opener to win 12-6 and followed with a seven-run 6th inning in the second game to walk away with a 15-1 decision. In the big inning in each game, the Indians got four walks, three hits and an error. Bobby Lee smashed a homer, double and two singles for the winners while Mako Tashima added a circuit shot. For the Miners, Mitch Sztaba and Earl Ingarfield each had three hits. Larry Moore had a homer for Lethbridge.
Kjeldgaard, Warnick (5) (L), Speyer (8) and Moore
T Hanoian, Motley (W) (5) and Pung
Picture Butte got just nine hits in the second game, but took advantage of fifteen walks and four hit batsmen to trounce the Miners. Gary Harrison tossed a three-hitter and fanned seven to pick up the win for the Indians. Lee had a double and single and a steal of home. Sztaba's 5th inning homer accounted for the lone Miners' run.
Warnick (L), Speyer (6), Kjeldgaard (7), Stasiuk (8) and Moore
Harrison (W) and Pung
GR 11-2
CG 9-4
PB 6-5
VU 5-6
LB 3-9
MH 2-10
(July 3) 35 runs, 29 hits, 12 errors. That was the total from the slugfest in Calgary where Vulcan topped the Dodgers 19-16 in spite of a seven-run 9th inning by the home club. Playing-manager Marty Norman paced the Elks with four hits, including a homer and a double. Itch Horton also had a homer. Ken Mitchell and Gerry Knudson smashed circuit blows for Calgary.
Houck, Marquardt (W) (3), Dailey (8) and Scorn
McIntosh (L), Knudson (2), Hurd (8) and Abel
(July 3) Granum got homers from Gord Vejprava, John Vaselenak and Bill Fennessey in downing Picture Butte 13-5. Owen Goto homered for the Indians. Ken Burns scattered ten hits to get the win.
Burcher (L), Sedoo (4), Lovewell (4) and Pung
Burns (W) and Koentopp
(July 3) After six straight defeats, Lethbridge lefty Al Warnick finally hit the win column with a nifty three-hitter as the Miners dumped Medicine Hat 7-1. Warnick fanned nine and walked three in a route-going performance.
Warnick (W) and
Schwedelsky (L), Wilson (9) and
(July 5) Medicine Hat Superiors clobbered Gleichen 20-0 in an exhibition tilt Friday at Athletic Park. Superiors collected 11 hits off three Mercury hurlers and took advantage of 14 Gleichen errors. The Superiors played error-free. Jim Attrill, a newcomer to the club from Picture Butte, started on the hill and gained credit for the win. He gave way to Rudy Leonard in the fourth who turned mound duties over to Mike Weisbeck in the sixth. Larry Plante was the starter for Gleichen, relieved by Bog Genrich in the second. Ed Plante relieved in the sixth. Mel Wilson led the winners with a double and single.
L,Plante (L), Genrich (2), E.Plane (6) and xxx
Attrill (W), Leonard (5), Weisback (6) and xxx
(July 7) Medicine Hat split a pair of one-run games with Vulcan Elks at Athletic Park. Superiors took the opener 4-3 in 11 innings behind Rudy Leonard's hurling but dropped the second game 6-5. Mel Wilson was the hitting star in the first game with a pinch hit single in the 9th and a double in the 11th to score Jimmy Brown with the winning marker. Leonard held the Elks to nine hits.
Marquardt (L) and Scornaienchi
Leonard (W) and Adams
Marty Norman's 9th inning homer proved to be the difference as Vulcan shaded Medicine Hat 6-5 in the second game. The Elks, who blew a 3-0 first inning advantage, regained the lead with a pair in the fourth. Superiors scored a singleton in the fifth to trail 5-4. Each team scored in the ninth with Norman's circuit clout the winning blow. Chuck Dailey allowed nine hits in going the distance for the win.
Dailey (W) and Burley
Attrill, Ziebart (L) (1) and Adams
"(Phil) Risinger, lithe as a ballerina but hard as rawhide ad quick as lightning, is especailly impressive. The wiry shortstop covers more ground than a circus tent and is probably the steadiest player on the club." (Medicine Hat News, July 8, 1957)
(July 7) At Picture Butte, the Indians upset first-place Granum, 7-3 and 7-6 in double-header action. Indians erupted for five early runs in the opener to salt away the victory. They got a two-run homer in the 1st inning by Bobby Lee and three runs in the 2nd on an error, a single by Owen Goto, a Larry Hanoian double and singles by Lee and Hans Pung. Orv Motley tossed a six-hitter for the win. Johnny Vaselenak accounted for all the Granum scoring with a three-run homer in the 4th.
Gambee (L), MacEwen (2) and Koentopp
Motley (W) and Pung
Four homers powered the Indians to the second game win. Floyd Gillies had two, with single blasts from Terry Hanoian and Pung. Indians notched the winner in the 8th inning on a double by Pung, single from Mike Vaselenak and a wild ptich by Willie Walasko. Larry Lovewell picked up the win in relief of starter Gary Harrison.
Walasko (L) and Carlson
Harrison , Lovewell (W) (6) and Pung
(July 7) Calgary moved to within a game of the league-leading Granum White Sox with a double-header sweep in Lethbridge. Dodgers trounced the Miners 14-2 in the first game as Don Kirk won his 5th straight, and followed up with an 8-4 win in the second contest.
Kirk allowed just six hits, one of them a two-run homer by Mitch Sztaba. Dodgers jumped into a three-run lead in the first inning on a lead-off triple by Denny Totland, Hank Bassen's RBI groundout and Marty Hurd's two-run homer. Totland added three singles to his homer and Dave Abel had four singles. Ken Mitchell added a two-run homer in the 9th.
Kirk (5-0) and xxx
Ray Scott (L), Kjeldgaard (6) and xxx
In the second game, again Calgary took the early lead on Bassen's two-run homer in the first. They put in away with a three-run 2nd inning. Dodger newcomer Leroy Gregory allowed twelve hits but went the distance for the win.
Gregory (W) and xxx
Warnick (L), Kjeldgaard (8) and
Granum 12 - 4
Calgary 11 - 5 1.0
Picture Butte 8 - 6 3.0
Vulcan 7 - 7 4.0
Lethbridge 4 - 11 7.5
Medicine Hat 3 - 12 8.5
(July 9) Granum whipped Medicine Hat 14-1 behind the four-hit pitching of Dave Gambee. White Sox collected 13 hits and took advantage of seven 'Hat errors. Gordie Vejprava rapped three hits, one a triple, for the winners. Jim McDonald knocked in four runs with a pair of two-baggers. Jim Lester had a homer for Granum.
Gambee (W) and Koentopp, Carlson (8)
Wilson (L), Leonard (5) and Adams
(July 10) Bobby Lee of Picture Butte surged into the lead in the batting race with a .432 mark. Jim Houck of Vulcan moved into second spot at .400 while Clarence Yanosik dropped to third place with a .383 average. Harold Noble of Calgary, at .372, and John Vaselenak of Granum, at ..369, rounded out the top five.
Bill Fennessey of Granum topped the loop in four categories -- with 8 homers, 25 runs, 10 stolen bases and 24 hits. Don Kirk of Calgary and Chuck Dailey of Vulcan each had five wins to top the pitchers.
(July 10) Calgary got a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 9th to score the winning run in a come-back win over Picture Butte. The Indians had scored four in the top of the inning to take a 6-5 lead. Marty Hurd walked on four straight pitches to force in Leroy Gregory with the deciding marker.
Burcher, Lovewell (L) (9) and Pung
McIntosh, Knutson (W) (9) and Abel
(July 10 ) A three-run 7th inning carried Vulcan to an 8-4 win over Lethbridge Miners. Augie Scornaienchi paced the Elks with a double and a pair of singles. Art Alvarez and Jim Houck each added three singles. Marty Norman, in relief of starter Doug Marquardt, picked up the win.
Marquardt, Norman (W) (5) and Burley
Scott (L), Kjeldgaard (7), Warnick (8) and Tarnava
GR 13-4
CG 12-5
VU 8-7
PB 8-7
LB 4-12
MH 3-13
Calgary Tournament :
(July 12) Calgary received outstanding pitching from Leroy Gregory and Gerry Knutson to capture top prize of $700 in the second annual Calgary Buffalo tournament.
Gregory pitched a two-hitter in the final as the Dodgers bounced Picture Butte 9-1. Harold Noble's 5th inning grand slam was the major blow.
Harrison (L), Motley (5), Sedoo (6) and Pung
Gregory (W) and Abel
Dodgers reached the final with an 8-1 triumph over Kimberley as Knutson tossed a four-hitter. Marty Hurd's three-run homer in the 3rd provided enough for the victory.
Johnson (L), Gehringer (6) and McCarthy
Knudson (W) and Abel, Heffel (5)
Picture Butte won a final berth with a 16-4 win over Medicine Hat. The Indians erased a 4-2 deficit with eight runs in the 7th and added six more in the 8th. Owen Goto's three-run homer keyed the Indians 7th inning explosion.
Davidson (L), Leonard (7) and Adams
Harrison, Lovewell (W) (6) and Pung
(July 11) Calgary exploded for five runs in the 9th to score an 8-6 win over Granum, the defending tournament champions. The contest featured a 19-strikeout performance by Calgary's Don Kirk and six homers. Harold Noble's single to centre drove in the winning run. Calgary got circuit blows from Ken Mitchell, Dave Abel and Kirk. Larry Koentopp, Darwin Walkingshaw and Jim McDonald poked homers for the White Sox. Kirk, who recorded four strikeouts in the 9th as Abel allowed a third strike to get past him, fanned John Vaselenak five times.
Kirk (6-0) and Abel
Walasko (L), Burns (9) and Koentopp
Picture Butte also came from well behind to notch a tournament victory, 8-7 over Vulcan. The Indians, who trailed 7-1 at one point, scored the winner in the bottom of the 9th as Hans Pung singled with the bases loaded. Marty Norman homered for the Elks.
Dailey, Houck (L) (7) and Scornaienchi
Harrison, Motley (W) (4) and L Hanoian, Pung (6)
Medicine Hat ousted Gleichen Indians 4-2 behind the pitching of Don Schwedelsky. Phil Risinger had three hits.
Koshuba (L) and Warrick
Schwedelsky (W) and Adams
Kimberley Dynamos whipped Edmonton Outlaws 7-1.
Holliston (W) and K Kuntz
M Yeske (L) and Mullins
( ) In the first trade of the season, Picture Butte acquired two pitchers, Gerry Sedoo and Jerry Burcher from Medicine Hat for pitcher Jim Attrill, who had been optioned by the Indians to Carmangay Eagles of the Foothills League. Superiors also announced the signing of shortstop Phil Risinger from Omaha Braves of the American Association.
(July 14) Lethbridge Miners scored a double upset, taking both ends of a twin-bill from the defending Foothills-Wheatbelt champion White Sox, 5-1 and 7-6 in Granum. The losses dropped the Sox into a tie for first place with the Calgary Dodgers who split their double-header with Vulcan. Picture Butte took over sole possession of third spot taking two games from the Medicine Hat Superiors.
Earl Ingarfield's homer in the third, with Al Warnick and Jocko Tarnava aboard, was all the Miners needed in the opener. Les Colwill added some insurance with a homer in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the fifth. Warnick went the distance for the win holding Granum to six hits.
Miners were out-hit 10-5 in the second game but erupted for five runs in the sixth inning to take the victory. Johnny Klem provided the lumber for Lethbridge, with a run-scoring double in the first, and a three-run double in the sixth. Gord Vejprava led the Sox with two doubles and a single.
Warnick (W) and Moore
Burns (L), Gillick (5) and Koentopp
Kjeldgaard, Scott (W) (3), Warnick (7) and Moore
Gambee (L), Gillick (7) and Carlson, Koentopp (7)
(July 14) Doug Marquardt scattered six hits as Vulcan downed Calgary 7-3 in the first game of a twin-bill Marty Norman, Art Alvarez and Arnie Scorneienchi belted homers for the winners.
Marquardt (W) and Burley
Ramsey (L) , Gregory (6) and Heffel
Dodgers scored six runs, on three walks, three errors and two hits, in the 7th inning to down Vulcan 11-4 in the second game. Southpaw Tom McIntosh spaced eight Vulcan hits to take the victory. Harold Noble homered for Calgary as did Art Alvarez for the Elks.
Dailey (L), Norman (8) and Burley
McIntosh (W) and Abel
(July 14) Picture Butte took both ends of a double-header from Medicine Hat, 6-4 and 9-3, to move into sole possession of third place in the Foothills-Wheatbelt league standings. A four-run 7th inning carried the Indians to the first game victory while a five-run outburst in the opening frame of the second game provided more than enough for the win. Howard Branch drove in three runs with a double and two singles. Phil Risinger had four hits on the day.
Leonard, Ziebart (L) (3) and Adams
T Hanoian (W), Motley (9) and L Hanoian
Schwedelsky (L), Davidson (7) and Adams
Burcher (W) and L Hanoian
GR 13-6
CG 13-6
PB 10-7
VU 9-8
LB 6-12
MH 3-15
( ) Bobby Lee of Picture Butte continued as the league's top hitter with a .436 average, well ahead of Jim Lester of Granum and Dave Abel of Calgary tied at .378. John Vaselenak of Granum was tops the home run derby with 10, while Marty Hurd of Calgary had the most RBIs, 28. Don Kirk of Calgary, with a 7-0 record, topped the pitchers.
(July 17) Medicine Hat and Lethbridge played to a 6-6 tie in a game called after seven innings because of darkness. Mitch Sztaba and Johnny Klem belted homers for Lethbridge. Phil Risinger had a two-run double for the Superiors and Mel Wilson had a pair of safeties. The game is to be completed at a later date.
Davidson and Adams
Kjelgaard, Scott (6) and Moore
(July 17) Two games - Granum and Calgary and Vulcan at Picture Butte - were rained out.
(July 21) Calgary Dodgers moved into sole possession of first place with a twin shellacking of Medicine Hat 14-4 and 25-2 as the visitors pounded out 39 hits on the day. Don Kirk breezed to the win in the first game allowing six hits and striking out 13 for his sixth win without a loss. Marty Hurd carried the big stick for the winners with a grand slam homer and a pair of doubles. Hank Bassen punched out four hits. The pair would continue their heavy hitting in the second game.
Dodgers wrapped up the seven inning second contest in the second inning scoring 13 times, highlighted by a grand slam homer by Don White. Hurd rapped four hits and Bassen added three more. Gerry Knutson coasted to the win on a near three-hitter.
Kirk (W) and Abel
Schwedelsky (L), Ziebart (7) and Tingley
Knutson (W) and Abel, Hurd (4)
Davidson, Ziebart (2), Wilson (5) and Adams
(July 21) The Miners and Vulcan Elks divided a double-dip at Lethbridge taking the opener 14-5, before dropping the second game. Three towering homers, by Clarence Yanosik, Earl Ingarfield and Mitch Sztaba powered the Miners in the opener. Lefty Al Warnick held the Elks to just four hits but was challenged as he allowed the Elks six walks. Jim Houck and Ron Loughlin belted four masters for the losers. In the second game, Art Alvarez crushed a bases-loaded homer to lead the Elks. Jim Houck picked up the second game victory with late relief by Chuck Dailey.
On the day, Ingarfield of Lethbridge led the hits with a six-for-nine performance, including a homer. Sztaba was six for ten, with a four-bagger and Vulcan's Loughlin had five hits in nine trips.
Marquardt (L), Dailey (5), Horton (6) and xxx
Warnick (W) and xxx
Houck (W), Dailey (8) and xxx
Scott (L), Kucheran and xxx
(July 21) John Vaselenak blasted three homers as Granum managed a win and a tie with Picture Butte. White Sox won the opener 9-4, as Vaselenak gave them the lead with a three-run homer in the 3rd inning. Bentley MacEwen held the Indians to five hits to pick up the win.
Motley (L), Lovewell (5) and Pung
MacEwen (W) and Koentopp
Back to back homers by Vaselenak and Bill Fennessey in the bottom of the 9th inning gave Granum an 11-11 tie in the second game of the twin bill. Vaselenak had earlier belted a three-run homer and a double. Fennessey and Jim Lester also had three hits each for the Sox. Hans Pung had three hits for the Indians.
Harrison, Burcher (4) and L Hanoian
Walasko, Gillick (5), Burns (7) and Carlson, Koentopp (8)
Granum, with a 14-6 record, dropped a half-game back of first place Calgary. Dodgers took a pair from Medicine Hat to improve their record to 15-6.
(July 24) Calgary maintained it's half-game lead atop the standings trouncing Lethbridge 17-4 behind the 17-strikeout performance by newcomer Leroy Gregory, a left-hander from Fresno State University via the Regina Braves. Gregory's appearance prompted a protest by the Miners. The slight southpaw was obtained from the Braves of the Western Canada League after the cut-off deadline. Gregory breezed in all but the third frame when Mitch Sztaba clouted a three-run homer. Denny Totland and Harold Noble paced the Dodgers each with a pair of circuit clouts. Totland had five runs batted in. Dodgers have scored 67 runs in their last four games.
Scott (L), Kjelgaard (8) and Phillips
Gregory (W) and Heffel
(July 24) Granum White Sox ran wild on the bases Wednesday to down the hapless Medicine Hat Superiors 7-1. Sox stole nine bags and were helped by four 'Hat errors. Towering Dave Gambee tossed a five-hitter for the win with the run against him unearned.
Davidson (L) and Adams
Gambee (W) and Koentopp
(July 24) The third place Picture Butte Indians kept their slim lead over the Vulcan Elks in dividing Wednesday's double-header, winning 5-4, losing 12-2.
Chuck Dailey and Jim Houck combined to hold Picture Butte to five hits in the first game as Vulcan rapped out 15 hits in the 12-2 triumph. Houck and Ron Loughlin each punched out three hits. Mike Vaselanek rapped a homer and double for the losers. Indians rebounded in the second game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for the 5-4 win. Orv Motley allowed eight hits to pick up his fourth win of the season. Hans Pung smashed a two-run homer in the first inning to pace the winners. He also had a two-bagger. Catcher Augie Scornaienchi was best for Vulcan with a homer and double.
Dailey (W), Houck (7) and Scornaienchi
Burcher (L), Lovewell (2), Sedoo (8) and L.Hanoian
Marquardt, Houck (8) and Scornaienchi
Motley, Harrison (9) and Pung
(July 26) Calgary moved a game-and-a-half atop the league standings with a 7-4 win over second-place Granum before 2-thousand fans at Calgary. Tom McIntosh allowed just seven hits and fanned 14 in going the distance for the win. Denny Totland's two-run homer in the 6th was the key blow for the Dodgers.
MacEwen (L), Gillick (7) and Koentopp
McIntosh (W) and Heffel
(July 26) Lethbridge Miners took a major step toward a playoff spot with 8-7 and 7-4 wins over the Superiors in Medicine Hat. The first game was the completion of Wednesday's 6-6 deadlock. Larry Moore's 11th inning single drove in the winning run. Al Warnick picked up both wins over Bill Davidson. Warnick hurled the four innings of the opener then went the distance in the second game. Miners' Earl Ingarfield led the hitters in the nightcap with a triple and two doubles.
Davidson (L) and Adams
Kjelgaard, Scott (6), Warnick (W) (8) and Moore
Warnick (W) and Moore
Davidson (L), Ziebart (3), Leonard (9) and Adams
CG 17-6
GR 15-7
PB 11-9
VU 11-10
LB 9-14
MH 3-20
(July 28) Granum White Sox moved to within a half-game of the league-leading Calgary Dodgers by taking both games of a twin-bill from Medicine Hat, 11-2 and 3-2. Willie Walasko pitched a five-hitter for his fourth win as the Sox coasted in the opener. Rudy Leonard took the loss to drop to 1-6. John Vaselenak paced the Sox with a double and two singles.
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Leonard (L), Wilson (7) and Adams
Dave Gambee and Ken Burns combined on a two-hitter as the Sox shaded the Superiors 3-2 in the second contest. Bill Davidson allowed just five hits but took the loss.
Gambee (W), Burns (7) and Carlson
Davidson (L) and Adams
(July 28) Calgary split a pair with Picture Butte, winning the opener 9-5 as Don Kirk notched his seventh straight victory while dropping the second game 9-4 as Gary Harrison, who earlier in the season threw a two-hit shutout against Calgary, tossed a five-hitter for the Indians. Marty Hurd was the big gun for the Dodgers with a three-run homer in the opening frame of the first game and a three-run shot and a solo blast in the second game.
Calgary also got homers from John Mayes, Ken Mitchell and Harold Noble in the opener. Owen Goto led the Indians in the second contest with a homer and a single.
Kirk (7-0) and Heffel
Motley (L), Lovewell (2), Burcher (9) and Pung
Knudson (L), Gregory (6) and Heffel
Harrison (W) and Pung
(July 28) Vulcan took two from Lethbridge, 3-2 and 2-1, getting outstanding pitching efforts from Doug Marquardt and Chuck Dailey.
Kucheran (L) and Moore
Marquardt (W), Dailey (9) and Scorn
Warnick (L) and Phillips
Dailey (W) and Burley
( ) Vulcan defeated Picture Butte.
CG 18-7
GR 17-7
VU 15-10
PB 12-11
LB 9-16
MH 3-22
(July 30) Larry Wood, sports columnist of the Medicine Hat News, made his picks for league all-stars. His first team :
Catcher - Dave Abel, Calgary
First base - Marty Hurd, Calgary
Second base - Art Alvarez, Vulcan
Third Base - Jim Lester, Granum
Shortstop - Owen Goto, Picture Butte
Left field - Jim Houck, Vulcan
Centre field
- Clarence Yanosik, Lethbridge
Right field - Jim MacDonald, Granum
Pitcher - Don Kirk, Calgary
Pitcher - Terry Hanoian, Picture Butte
Pitcher - Al Warnick, Lethbridge
(July 31) The new-look Calgary Dodgers whipped Lethbridge 13-3 in Dave Abel's managerial debut. Leroy Gregory held the Miners to four hits in going the distance for the win. A six-run, second inning highlighted by Denny Totland's three-run homer salted away the victory for Calgary. Hank Bassen also had a homer for the Dodgers while Clarence Yanosik accounted for all the Lethbridge scoring with a solo homer in the first and a two-run blast in the third.
Gregory (W) and Noble
Kjeldgaard (L), Warnick (2), Scott (8) and Phillips, Tarnava (4)
(July 31) A two-run homer by Hans Pung in the 10th inning - the only inning played - gave Picture Butte a 13-11 win over Granum in the completion of an earlier tied game, called because of darkness. Pung's homer, with Floyd Gillies aboard, gave Larry Lovewell the win over Dave Gambee of the Sox.
Harrison, Burcher (4), Lovewell (W) (10) and L Hanoian
Walasko, Gillick (5), Burns (7), Gambee (L) (10) and Carlson, Koentopp (8)
Granum came roaring back to take the second contest 12-2 behind Gambee's five-hitter. Bill Fennessey led the Sox offensive with a homer and three singles. Jim McDonald added four singles while Larry Koentopp had two doubles.
Gambee (W) and Koentopp
Lovewell (L), Motley (3), Menzies (7), Sedoo (7), Burcher (8) and Pung
(July 31) Vulcan maintained its hold on third place with a 5-3 win over Medicine Hat. Chuck Dailey went the distance for the win.
Davidson (L), Leonard (8) and Tingley
Dailey (W) and Burley
CG 19-7
GR 18-8
VU 15-10
PB 13-12
LB 9-17
MH 3 23
(August 1) Three, two-run homers powered Vulcan to a 7-6 win over Calgary. Chuck Dailey, pitcher turned outfielder, belted homers in the third and fifth after Augie Scornaienchi had given the Elks their first two runs in the opening frame with a blast over the left field fence.
McIntosh (L) and Heffel
Houck (W), Marquardt (8) and Scornaienchi
(August 2) Picture Butte scored four runs in the final frame to take a 13-10 slugfest from Vulcan. George Menzies knocked in the winning run with a bases-loaded double in the seventh, the final inning. Indians had come back from a 10-4 deficit with five runs in the sixth. Hans Pung had opened the scoring for the Indians with a two-run homer in the first. Augie Scornaienchi was the hitting star for the Elks with two homers, a double and a single. Art Alvarez also had a homer for Vulcan.
Horton, Alvarez (L) (6), Dailey (7) and Burley
Motley, T Hanoian (5), Burcher (W) (6) and Pung
(August 3) Granum and Lethbridge battled to a 2-2 draw at Lethbridge.
xxx and xxx
Warnick and xxx
(August 4) Picture Butte and the Miners split a twin-bill at Lethbridge. Mako Tashima blasted a pair of homers and a single to drive in five runs as the Indians captured the opener 7-3. Gary Harrison held the Miners to just five hits over eight innings and Larry Lovewell came on in the 9th to stop a bases loaded, none-out Lethbridge rally. In the second game, Vic Stasiuk's three-run homer capped a six-run first inning as the Miners went on to top the Indians 10-4. Al Warnick, who had thrown a complete game the previous day against Granum, went the distance allowing nine hits to capture the win. Earl Ingarfield had three hits for the winners to give him five hits for the day. Terry Hanoian had a homer for Picture Butte.
Harrison, Lovewell (9) and Pung
Scott and Moore
Burcher, Motley (3) and Pung
Warnick and Moore
(August 4) Hank Bassen had a homer and three singles to lead Calgary to an 8-7, 10 inning win over Medicine Hat in the first game of a double-header. His single with the bases-loaded and two out in the extra inning drove in the winning run. Ken Mitchell had sparked the Dodgers' comeback with a grand slam homer in the third after the Superiors had taken a 3-0 in the top of the inning on a two-run homer by B.J. Syverson and an RBI double by Phil Risinger.
Calgary also came from behind to win the second game, 8-3. A four-run seventh inning, highlighted by Denny Totland's two-run double and Mary Hurd's homer, put the Dodgers in front to stay.
Ziebart (L) and Adams
Gregory (W) and Heffel
Davidson (L), Ziebart (7) and Adams
Knutson (W) and Heffel
(August 4) Granum split a twin-bill with Vulcan winning 10-2, then dropping an 11-10 decision.
(August 6) Gerry Sedoo scattered six hits as Picture Butte downed Medicine Hat 8-3. Howard Branch of the Indians had the only homer. Bobby Lee had three hits. Terry Hanoian had a 3-run triple for the winners. Losing pitcher Bill Davidson had three hits, a triple and two doubles, for Medicine Hat.
Sedoo (W) and Pung
Davidson (L) and Adams
(August 7) On the final day of the regular season, Granum trounced Calgary 13-4 to tie the Dodgers for top spot in the Foothills-Wheatbelt league. But, there was controversy over which team would claim the league title.
The dispute centered on a decision by Lethbridge to forfeit a 2-2 tie game with the White Sox to Granum. With that in the Sox victory column, Granum and Calgary would each finish with 21 wins and 9 losses and the teams would meet in a playoff tonight to determine the first place finisher. But, the Dodgers had already make arrangements to hold an exhibition double-header against the Sandpoint Beavers.
In the game itself, Willie Walasko scattered 10 hits for the win and got home run support from John Vaselenak and Larry Koentopp.
McIntosh (L) and Heffel
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
(August 7) Doug Marquardt tossed a three-hit shutout as Vulcan blasted Lethbridge 11-0 in the final regular season contest for both clubs. Doug Vickers and Don Jantzie each rapped a double and single for the winners.
Kjeldgaard (L) and Tarnava
Marquardt (W) and Burley, Scornaienchi (5)
(August 7) Bobby Lee all but clinched the batting title with three hits as he led Picture Butte to a 12-6 win over the hapless Medicine Hat Superiors. Hans Pung also had three hits for the Indians.
Wilson (L), Weisbeck (3), Risinger (5) and Adams
T Hanoian (W), Burcher (5), Harrison (7) and Pung
Final Standings
Calgary 21- 9
Granum 21- 9
Vulcan 18-12 3.0
Picture Butte 17-13 4.0
Lethbridge 10-20 11.0
Medicine Hat 3-27 18.0
(August 8) In an exhibition game in Calgary, Sandpoint Beavers of Idaho downed the Dodgers 13-7 plating five runs in each of the first and seventh innings. By playing the Dodgers ignored a league edict that Calgary play Granum to sort out the final standings. Beavers pounded out 14 hits in the win with Nick August leading the way with a triple and a pair of singles. Ron Hare added a three-bagger and a single while Buck Kelly and Frank Barnes each rapped a pair of two-baggers. Marty Hurd was the big noise for the Dodgers with four hits, including a homer and double, and two walks. Jack Bloxom and Bob Blakeslee split the hurling duties for the winners.
Bloxom, Blakeslee (5) and Eilmes
Martin, Knutson (7) and Abel
Lethbridge Rotary Tournament :
(August 10) Bob Blakeslee hurled a three-hitter to lead Sandpoint Beavers to a 5-1 win over Spokane Michielli Brothers and top prize of $1,400 in the Lethbridge Rotary Tournament. More than 35-hundred fans attended the final.
Angstrom (L) and Chalich
Blakeslee (W) and Heintz
Spokane edged the Lethbridge-Vulcan All-Stars 5-3 and Sandpoint beat Granum 5-2 in semi-final action. Sandpoint got a three-hitter from Socky Red for their victory and Spokane won with a three-run seventh inning.
Davidson (L), Walasko (6) and Koentopp
Red (W) and Heintz
Baker (W) and Chalich
Dailey (L), Weremy (8) and Scornaienchi
(August 9) Two of the four Alberta clubs advanced in opening round play at the seventh annual Lethbridge Rotary Tournament.
The Lethbridge-Vulcan All-Stars got four-hit pitching from Al Warnick and upended the Trail Smoke Eaters 11-0. Mitch Sztaba had a triple and two singles for the Stars.
Warnick (W) and Scornaienchi
Seeman (L), DeRosa (1), Mohoruk (6) and Russell
Bentley MacEwen held Billings to three hits in a game called after six innings as Granum topped the Mustangs 6-2.
Bolingbroke (L), Mountie (4) and Bryson
MacEwen (W) and Koentopp
Calgary Dodgers were hammered 12-2 by the Spokane Michielli Brothers. Winning pitcher Gary Barnes was also a star at the plate with a triple, double and single.
Gregory (L), McIntosh (6) and Noble
Barnes (W) and Chalich
Don Nieland of Sandpoint and Orv Motley of Picture Butte put on a pitching display in the other opening match as the Americans won, 2-1. Neiland won on a four-hitter while Motley allowed just six hits in dropping the decision.
Nieland (W) and Heintz
Motley (L) and Pung
(August 12) League officials awarded Granum first place in the Foothills-Wheatbelt League. Calgary Dodgers were placed second and fined $25 for forfeiting a game they were ordered to play against the White Sox.
PLAYOFFS
(August 13) Calgary Dodgers exploded for five runs in the 5th inning and seven more in the 6th to overcome a 5-2 deficit and bomb Vulcan 14-5 in the opening game of their best-of-three semi-final series. Playing-manager Dave Abel was the big gun for the Dodgers with two doubles and a pair of singles. Don Kirk, undefeated in the regular season, was the winning pitcher in a route-going seven-hitter. He fanned ten and walked seven.
Marquardt (L), Dailey (5), Houck (6) and Scornaienchi
Kirk (W) and Abel
(August 14) Vulcan Elks turned the tables on Calgary with a 12-2 win to even their series at a game apiece. Catcher Augie Scornaienchi had three hits, two RBI and scored four times for Vulcan. Chuck Dailey, in relief, picked up the victory.
Gregory (L), Knutson (4) and Abel
Marquardt, Dailey (W) (4) and Burley
(August 14) Picture Butte drew first blood in the semi-final series with Granum with a 9-3 win. White Sox self-destructed, making six errors, allowing five bases on balls and two hit batsmen. Orv Motley scattered ten hits in going the distance for the Indians. White Sox send four pitchers to the hill -- Starter Bentley MacEwen, Pat Gillick, Ken Burns and Dave Gambee.
MacEwen (L) Gillick (2), Burns (7), Gambee (7) and Koentopp
Motley (W) and L. Hanoian
(August 15) Picture Butte's Bobby Lee captured the Foothills-Wheatbelt batting crown with a .424 average according to final statistics released by the league. Augie Scornaienchi of Vulcan finished well back with a .382 mark. Marty Hurd of Calgary was third at .378 and Jim Lester of Granum fourth at .355. Johnny Vaselenak topped the circuit in homers with 11. Hurd knocked in the most runs, 41.
(Minimum of 75 at bats)
Lee, Picture Butte .424
Scornaienchi, Vulcan .382
Hurd, Calgary .378
Lester, Granum .355
Bassen, Calgary .347
Vaselenak, Granum .347
Ingarfield, Lethbridge .345
Goto, Picture Butte .344
L Hanoian, Picture Butte .342
Houck, Vulcan .339
Fennessey, Granum .338
Yanosik, Lethbridge .333
Alvarez, Vulcan .330
Pung, Picture Butte .330
Laughlin, Vulcan .328
Jantzie, Vulcan .325
Mitchell, Calgary .322
Sztaba, Lethbridge .318
Horton, Vulcan .315
Vejprava, Granum .312
Best average: Bobby Lee, Picture Butte, .424
Most at bats: Dennis Totland, Calgary, 138
Most runs: Marty Hurd, Calgary, 40
Most hits: Ron Laughlin, Vulcan and Lee, Picture Butte, 42
Most doubles: Ken Mitchell, Calgary, 11
Most triples: Hank Bassen, Calgary, 3
Most home runs: John Vaselenak, Granum, 11
Most stolen bases: Bill Fennessey, Granum, 15
Most runs batted in: Marty Hurd, Calgary, 41
Most innings pitched: Al Warnick, Lethbridge, 113
Most games started: Chuck Dailey, Vulcan, 13
Most games completed: Warnick, 8
Most games won: Dailey, 8
Most games lost: Warnick and Bill Davidson, Medicine Hat, 8
Best pitching percentage: Don Kirk, Calgary, 7-0
Most strike outs: Warnick, 92
Most walks: Warnick, 61
(August 16) Granum blasted 16 hits, including five home runs, to trounced Picture Butte 13-3 to even their semi-final at 1-1. Bill Fennessey led the assault with a pair of four baggers. Gord Wesley, Johnny Vaselenak and Gord Vejprava had the others. Willie Walasko held the Indians to five hits and had a shutout until the Indians broke out for their three runs in the 9th.
Harrison (L), Lovewell (7), T Hanoian (8) and L Hanoian
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
(August 16) Calgary used the home run ball to shade Vulcan 6-5 in a thriller before 11-hundred fans in Calgary. The win moved the Dodgers into the final of the Foothills-Wheatbelt circuit. Marty Hurd and Dennis Totland belted two-run homers and Hurd added a solo shot. Don Kirk, working on just two days rest, allowed 10 hits but went the distance for the win. Kirk had to wriggle out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the 9th.
Dailey (L) and Scornaienchi
Kirk (W) and Abel
(August 17) White Sox blasted six homers to batter Picture Butte 22-7 to win the Foothills-Wheatbelt semi-final series. Jim Lester, Darwin Walkingshaw, Jim McDonald and Larry Koentopp all had three-run homers while Gord Vejprava and Bill Fennessey had two-run shots. Mako Tashima had a homer for the Indians. Willie Walasko, in relief of Dave Gambee and Pat Gillick, won his second game of the playoff.
Motley (L), Lovewell (6), Harrison (7) and L Hanoian
Gambee, Gillick (2), Walasko (W) (4) and Koentopp
(August 17) In exhibition action at Medicine Hat, the Superiors pounded out 20 hits to trounce Regina Cardinals 20-7. Phil Risinger led the attack with a double and two singles, Vic Link had four singles and Mike Wiesbeck had three. John Adams, Mel Wilson and Elroy Schaufele each had a pair of hits. Don Schwedelsky scattered ten hits for the win.
Resch (L), Floyd (7) and Abel
Schwedelsky (W) and Adams
(August 18) Bill Davidson had a no-hitter into the 6th inning as Medicine Hat again topped Regina Cardinals, this time 10-3. Davidson and Zeke Ziebart, who relieved in the 7th, ended up combining on a two-hitter. Phil Risinger again paced the offense belted a triple and two singles. Bill Chccalias and Mike Wiesbeck each had two hits.
Blondeau (L) and Abel
Davidson (W), Ziebart (7) and Adams
(August 18) Granum White Sox had four home runs, two by Jim Lester, to beat Calgary 12-7 in the opening game of the best-of-three league final before 15-hundred fans in Granum. Johnny Vaselenak and Larry Koentopp had the other Sox homers while Marty Hurd had a pair of circuit blows for the Dodgers. Calgary also got homers from John Mayes and Dennis Totland. Lester knocked in four runs for the Sox.
McIntosh (L), Knutson (7) and Abel
MacEwen (W) and Koentopp
(August 20) It was the wild, wild West as the Granum White Sox captured the Foothills-Wheatbelt championship and the Southern Alberta senior title with a thrilling 14-12, 10-inning, win over the Dodgers in Calgary.
The Sox, who blew a 6-0 lead, had to recover from a 10-6 deficit. Johnny Vaselenak's three-run homer with two outs in the 10th was the winning blow in a game which produced 30 hits, including 8 homers -- three by Dodgers' Ken Mitchell.
Sox took the lead with a two-run first inning and four in the third. Calgary replied with three in the third and three more in the fourth for a tie.
In the sixth, Calgary broke on top as Mitchell belted a three-run homer, one of five hits for the Dodger outfielder who ended the day with seven runs batted in. Calgary added another run in the 7th on a pair of walks and two wild pitches. Granum started its comeback in the 8th as pitcher Dave Gambee drove one out of the park with two mates aboard. Dodgers bounced back with another marker in the bottom of the inning, to take an 11-9 lead, scoring on another Gambee wild pitch.
In the top of the 9th, Bill Fennessey led off with a homer. Then, with two outs, an infield error allowed Larry Koentopp to reach first and a Darwin Walkingshaw triple plated the tying run. Gambee blanked the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning to set the stage for Vaselenak's dramatic blast.
Mitchell led off the bottom of the 10th with his third homer, but Gambee got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the contest and hand Granum the title. Bill Fennessey had a pair of homers for the Sox and Marty Hurd belted a two-run shot for the Dodgers.
Walasko, Gambee (W) (7) and Koentopp
Gregory, Knutson (3), McIntosh (L) (9) and Abel
MEDICINE HAT TOURNAMENT
(August 24) Medicine Hat Superiors, cellar-dwellers of the Foothills-Wheatbelt League, won their own tournament and prize money of $1,000 with a 4-0 win over the Calgary Dodgers in the tourney final. With a revamped pitching staff, Superiors allowed just two runs in their three contests. Roy Cleland, a pickup from Vauxhall, tossed a three-hitter for the shutout win in the final after Pat Gillick had five-hit Grand Centre and Bill Davidson allowed just four hits in beating St. Regis. Superiors broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning of the final as Phil Rissinger reached on an error and scampered all the way home on Elory Schaufele's two-bagger to the centre field gap. It was the only run they'd need. Mel Wilson rapped three doubles for the winners, one driving in an insurance run. He scored a pair.
Cleland (W) and Adams
MacIntosh (L), Knutson (8) and Abel
Superiors made the final with a 7-1 victory over Grand Centre Braves as Pat Gillick tossted a five-hitter and Medicine Hat rapped 11 hits off a trio of Braves' hurlers. Phil Rissinger had two hits and drove in a pair. Gillick helped his own cause with two safeties and an RBI.
Brady (L), Tesch (2), Sackht (4) and Roberts
Gillick (W) and Adams
Calgary set down the Libby Loggers 5-4 with all the scoring happening in two innings. The Dodgers broke loose for five in the first on three walks, a hit batsman, an error and Jerry Knutson's three-run double. Libby rebounded with four runs in the fifth but could get no closer in spite of out-hitting the winners six to three. Leroy Gregory was credited with the win.
Stoner (L), Bowling (1) and Estes
Gregory (W), Marquardt (5) , Weremy (8) and Abel
(August 23) The Libby, Montana, Loggers ousted pre-tournament favourite Granum White Sox from further play in the Medicine Hat Rotary Tournament. Bob Blakeslee was a pitching and batting star as the Loggers scored an 8-2 victory. He held the Sox to eight hits while helping his own cause with a double and single.
The Calgary Dodgers moved into the semi-final round with an 8-0 win over Billings as Marty Hurd went 4-4 and Joe Weremy tossed a three-hitter.
Medicine Hat Superiors downed St. Regis War Chiefs of Montana 2-1 as Bill Davidson fired a four-hitter to best Don Fornall who allowed just six hits in a losing cause.
St. Regis 1 MH 2
Fornall (L) and Bennett
Davidson (W) and Adams
Grand Centre Braves exploded for four runs in the top of the 9th inning to break a 2-2 tie, then held off a Picture Butte rally in the bottom of the 9th to win 6-4. Oscar Tesch went the distance for the win holding the Indians to six hits. Larry Lovewell was the loser in relief.
Grand C 6 Picture Butte 4
Tesch (W) and Roberts
Motley, Lovewell (L) (7) and L. Hanoian
(August 25) Granum retained its Alberta senior title downing Grande Centre Braves 15-2 and 8-5 in a playoff double-header. Willie Walasko held the Braves to four hits and fanned 11 to win the opener. Bill Fennessey led the offensive with a pair of homers and a single. Jim Lester had three hits. Grande Centre made nine costly errors. Lefty Dick Griffen took the loss.
Fennessey hit two more homers, one a grand slam, in the second game. Ken Burns and Dave Gambee handled the mound work for the Sox. Griffen, at first base for the second game, belted a three-run homer for the Braves. It was the fourth straight Alberta Senior crown for the White Sox.
Griffen (L), Dew (8) and Roberts
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Tesch (L) and Dew
Burns (W), Gambee (7) and Carlson
(August 29) Spokane Tournament : In the opening game of the Pacific Northwest semi-pro tournament, The Dalles of Oregon erupted for six runs in the first inning and coasted to a 15-3 win over Ritzville. Second sacker Davidson and third baseman Bill Sallee each drove in three runs with a pair of hits.
Schoessler (L), Grams (1) and Danekas
Olson (W) and Fandrey
The host club, the Spokane Orioles, crushed the Pasco-Kennewick Merchants 12-0 as lefty Ted Falk fired a one-hitter in a six-inning contest. He had a perfect game through five innings and ended with eight strike outs. In the first inning Falk retired the side on three pitches. Rich Carlo, who had an inside-the-park homer, drove in four runs. Catcher Bill Heath went three-for-four.
McDougal (L), Harter (1), Nelson (5) and Wyrick
Falk (W) and Heath
(August 30) Willie Walasko tossed a four hit shutout as Granum topped St. Regis Montana 12-0 in the Spokane Invitational Tournament. Walasko had a no-hitter through five innings. White Sox exploded for nine runs in the 9th to break open what had been a close contest. Bill Fennessey, on a home run tear, belted another for the Sox and added a double. Bobby Lee drove in three runs with a triple and two singles.
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Fornall (L) and Bennett
Sandpoint Packers trounced Everett 13-1 in six innings behind the three-hit pitching of Don Nieland who struck out 14 batters. The Idaho club took a 6-0 lead through the first five innings and salted away the victory with seven runs in the 6th. Cal Humphries allowed the Packers only seven hits but handed out 12 bases on balls before being relieved in the 6th. Frank Barnes drove in four runs with a pair of hits.
Nieland (W) and Eilmes
Humphries (L), Friend (6) and Atkinson
Bellingham Bells, two-time state champions, wasted little time in knocking Yakima out of the tournament. The Bells sent 18 men to the plate in the first inning, scoring 13 of them en route to a 15-1 triumph. Bellingham had just two hits in the big inning but Yakima hurlers allowed nine walks and hit two batters.
Randall (W), Hansen (4) and Anderson, Martin (4)
Dexter (L) Zickle (1), Dabiquist (1) and Day
(August 31) Spokane Orioles advanced to the quarter-final round of the Pacific Northwest International tournament by trouncing Granum 10-0 in a game ended after six innings. Tilbert Neal fired a four-hitter for the shutout.
Neal (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Bellingham was declared forfeit winner over Granum in a consolation round game. With Bellingham leading 8-7 in the 5th inning, the umpires handed the contest to the Bells because of what they termed "abusive language from the field and the Granum bench."
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
Spokane reached the final undefeated by routing Sandpoint 21-2 Sunday after shaded The Dalles 3-1 and whipping Granum 10-0 Saturday. Bellingham came through the losers' bracket having lost 12-8 to Sandpoint on Saturday but later gaining the 8-7 decision over Granum. The Bells nipped The Dalles 7-6 in 11 innings Sunday and then rallied to down Sandpoint 4-2.
Bill Heath had a homer and two singles, drove in three runs and score three to lead an 18-hit Spokane attack in the 21-2 thumping of Sandpoint. The game was called after six innings. Hendry allowed just four hits in recording the win.
Hendry (W) and Holding
Johnson (L), Bloxom (2), Richardson ((6) and Eilmes
Catcher Anderson and shortstop Hobbs each had three hits in the Bellingham win over The Dalles. Earl Silverthorne went the distance for the win.
Silverthorne (W) and Anderson
Aronson, E. Urness (L) (9) and Fandrey
Bells scored a pair in the top of the 9th for the win over Sandpoint. Hanson and Rounds combined on a six-hitter for Bellingham.
Hanson, Rounds (W) (8) and Anderson
G. Barnes (L) and Eilmes
(September 2) Spokane Orioles won their own Pacific Northwest Tournament Monday downing the Bellingham Bells 5-2 in the final at Ferris Field. Winning pitcher Ray Washburn doubled home Spokane's first two runs in the 6th. The Orioles sewed up the contest with a three-run 8th. Rich Carlo knocked in the winning run with a single.
Earl Silverthorne scored both runs for the Bells. He doubled in the 4th inning and scored on Jerry Reimer's single and in the 6th he reached on an error, advanced on a walk and scored on another error. Silverthorne was named the most valuable player of the tournament as he held down centre field for the Bells, hit over .400 and was the winning pitcher in Bellingham's 7-6 win over The Dalles. Bill Heath of Spokane was the leading hitter with seven hits in eleven official times at bat. He also drew 10 bases on balls.
Randall (L) and Anderson
Washburn (W) and Holding