(June 6) Edmonton Eskimos announced the signing of six Canadians for the 1958 season. The Esks, with several players to be delayed because of the collegiate playoffs, bolstered the club by the acquisition of pitchers Gerald Dale (Ike) Eikerman of Duhamel, Ron Babiuk of the Campion Pipeliners and Ron Gates of WIldwood and infielders Gene Kinasewich, Herb Sewers and Ed .
(June 8) Jerry Adair belted a grand slam homer on opening day to lead the Oilers to a 12-1 trouncing of Regina at Williston. Dick Pudina also homered for the winners. Al Eisle pitched a five-hitter to gain the victory.
Risinger, Jones (7) and Walling
Eisle and Williams
(June 8) Lloydminster-North Battleford opened the 1958 season with a win as Paul Williams held the Eskimos to seven hits and the Combines scored a 7-4 victory before nearly 2-thousand fans at Lloydminster. Williams fanned eight and walked only one. John McLane and John Ford each had two hits for the Combines with Ford collecting four runs batted in. Wildness hurt Eskimo starter Art Schirmer who allowed eleven walks and hit a batter.
Schirmer, Babiuk (7) and Equals
Williams and Tanner
(June 10) A three-run homer by Bob Bodine in the sixth inning and a two-run blast by Dick Pudina in the seventh powered Williston to their second straight win over Regina, 9-3. The game drew just 116 shivering fans. Jerry Adair, who led the Oiler offense the previous day, pitched a six-hitter to gain the win. John Kellner had a homer for the Braves.
Shirley and Walling
Adair and Williams
(June 10) Gene Kinasewich drove in two runs with a single in the ninth as Edmonton shaded the Combines 5-4 in Lloydminster. John McLane knocked in three runs with a sixth inning homer for Lloydminster-North Battleford. Paul Springer was a hard luck loser. He gave up only six hits and fanned eleven but three errors accounted for four unearned runs. Dale Eikerman picked up the win in relief.
Gates, Eikerman (5) and Equals
Springer and Tanner
(June 10) 23-year-old Bill Poole, from the University of Tulsa, held Saskatoon to four hits as Moose Jaw whipped the Commodores 10-2 as the two teams launched the new season at Saskatoon. Poole fanned eight and walked eight. Left fielder Homer Garner belted a three-run homer in the fourth to give the Mallards a lead they never relinquished. 12-fans braved cool temperatures to watch the opener.
Poole and Strother
Bowes and Jackson
(June 10) It was reported that Ernie Nevers, star hurler with Moose Jaw in 1957, had signed a pro contract with Kansas City. Nevers, with a 5-0 mark with the University of Missouri, won 15 games in '57 pitching for Moose Jaw and with the Canadian entry in the Global World Series.
(June 11) An outstanding relief effort by Jim Robertson cooled off the Eskimos and the Lloydminster-North Battleford Combines ruined the Edmonton home opener with a 12-9 victory. Robertson, brought into the game in the 8th inning, after three Edmonton runs had narrowed the Combines' margin to 11-9, struck out five consecutive batters. Curly Williams was the hitting star for the winners with three hits and three runs batted in. Roger Tomlinson of Edmonton had the only homer and added a triple. Combines had five steals in the game, two by Roberto Zayas. More then 3-thousand fans sat in on the contest despite cool weather.
Griggs, Robertson (8) and Tanner
Aldridge, Babiuk (5), Eikerman (6), Gates (8) and Equals
(June 11) Williston's Mark Sanford gave up 10 hits and 11 walks but was an easy winner as the Oilers pounded Regina pitching for 14 hits and took advantage of nine errors on the way to a 13-5 victory. Dennis Healy had a double and two singles for the Oilers.
Sanford and Williams
Bass, Riddell (4) and Walling
(June 11) Saskatoon swept a double-header from Moose Jaw, 8-2 and 12-0. Gene Graves pitched a six-hitter in the first game and Lew Hobson tossed a two-hitter in the nightcap. Commodores got just three hits in the opener but the Mallards' Jim Stevens walked nine and hit two batters and the Moose Jaw defense committed four errors. Saskatoon got 17 hits in the second game led by shortstop Dan Adams who had four hits and knocked in four runs.
Stevens and Strother
Graves and Jackson
Riggs, Pemberton (6) and Strother
Hobson and Jackson
(June 12) Ed Tanner had four hits and John McLane poked a homer and batted in five runs to lead Lloydminster-North Battleford to a 16-11 win at Edmonton. Combines scored seven in the seventh and four more in the eighth to build up a 16-3 lead. Eskimos had nine errors.
Robertson, R Williams (8), Griggs (9) and Tanner
Zacharuk, Eikerman (7), Babiuk (8) and Equals
(June 12) Regina notched its first win as AC Miller had five hits to pace the Braves to a 10-7 win over Williston. Gerald Walling added three hits for the winners. Jerry Adair had three hits for the Oilers.
Eisele and Williams
Lange and Walling
(June 12) Shortstop Dan Adams' bases-loaded triple in the seventh was the key hit as Saskatoon scored a 4-3 win over Moose Jaw. The blast broke up a tight pitching duel between Commodores' Buzz Bartylla and the Mallards' Dave Kosteniuk. Art Shahzade drove in Adams with a sac fly for what proved to be the winner.
Bartylla, Yates (9) and Jackson
Kosteniuk and Strother
(June 13) The Eskimos pounded out 13 hits to slip by Lloydminster-North Battleford 8-7 before 14-hundred fans at Edmonton. Combines scored twice in ninth but John Aldridge got pinch-hitter Bennie Griggs to ground out with the bases loaded. John McLane of the Combines led the hitters with three safeties including a triple.
P Williams, R Williams (8) and Tanner
Schirmer, Zacharuk (9), Aldridge (9) and Dollar
(June 13) The Mallards shaded Saskatoon 4-3 before a disappointing turnout of just 300 in Moose Jaw. Eloyd Robinson of the Commodores had three hits.
Doepker and Jackson
Garner, Poole (9) and Strother
(June 13) Friday the 13th was a lucky day for Regina. The Braves scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to top Williston 10-9. A two-run double by pinch-hitter Higginio Alvarez and a run-scoring single by Quinton Gray were the key blows for the Braves. Carl Washburn had three hits for Regina. Al Leap had a double and two singles for the Oilers. Steve Bach's grand slam homer was the big hit for Williston. Roland Jones picked up the win in a route-going performance.
Lund, Moore (2), Leap (7) and Williams
Jones and Walling
(June 14) Jim Stevens and Peter Riggs combined on a five-hitter as Moose Jaw beat Saskatoon 6-2.
Yates, Hobson (4) and Jackson
Stevens, Riggs (8) and Strother
(June 15) The Combines bashed out 14 hits to trounce Moose Jaw 15-4 to move into first place, a half game up on the idle Williston Oilers. Roberto Zayas had a triple and three singles, Leon Wilson smashed a pair of triples and a single and Curly Williams chipped in with two doubles. Mallards got their runs on two, two-run homers from Fig Newton and Jerry Coody. Combines rang up seven steals. Bennie Griggs went the distance to pick up his second win holding the Mallards to five hits.
Poole, Riggs (4), Pemberton (7) and Strother
Griggs and Tanner
(June 15) A three-run rally in the eighth inning gave Edmonton an 8-7 victory over Regina. Roger Tomlinson drove in two runs to tie then scored the winner on Art Chapman's double. Second baseman Jimmy Johnson led the Esks with three hits. Carl Washburn of the Braves had the only homer. Wally Zacharuk was the winner in relief.
Riddell and Walling
Tatro, Zacharuk (6), Schrimer (9) and Dollar
(June 16) Paul Springer scattered 10 hits as the Combines took a 7-2 decision from the Mallards at Lloydminster. Moose Jaw's Dave Kosteniuk gave up just seven hits but issued ten bases on balls.
Kosteniuk and Strother
Springer and Tanner
(June 16) Williston erupted for 11 runs in the sixth inning and went on to whip Saskatoon 16-4. Jerry Adair pitched a six-hitter and was the key man at the plate with three hits.
Bowes, Bartylla (5), Yates (5) and Jackson
Adair and Williams
(June 16) Reliever Howard Bass got the Braves out of a jam in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a 7-5 win for Regina over the Eskimos before 28-hundred fans at Edmonton. Bass came on in relief of starter Norwood Lange with two on and two out in the final frame. Bass faced Bob Williams who had belted a homer, double, single and a sacrifice fly. He got Williams to ground out to end the threat. John Kellner's 9th inning triple drove in the winning run. He added an insurance marker by scoring on a suicide squeeze. Roger Tomlinson knocked in a pair for the Eskimos with a triple and double.
Lange, Bass (9) and Walling
Gates, Zacharuk (2), Aldridge (9) and Dollar
(June 17) Leon Wilson and John McLane belted two-run homers in the sixth inning to carry Lloydminster-North Battleford to a 9-8 win over Moose Jaw. It was the third straight win for the Combines over the Mallards. Fig Newton had a homer for Moose Jaw.
Garner, Riggs (4) and Strother
Robertson, R Williams (4), Ford (6) and Tanner
(June 17) Saskatoon scored four in the top of the ninth then held off a rally by the Oilers to beat Williston 9-8. Ike Jackson and Art Shahzade each had three hits for the Commodores as did Jerry Adair and Al Leap for the Oilers. Bob Bodine and Steve Bach had homers for Williston.
Graves, Doepker (9) and Jackson
Eisele, Leap (9) and Williams
(June 17) Roland Jones tossed a four-hitter to lead the Braves to a 3-1 win over the Eskimos in Edmonton. It was the Esks' third straight loss. In winning his second game of the season, Jones got home run support from John Kellner and Quinton Gray.
Already the Renfrew regulars are comparing Roger Tomlinson with some of the great Eskimo shortstops of the past ... Tomlinson who hails from Wayne Tucker's home state of Utah, is being mentioned in the same breath as Bobby Lillis and Whitey Thomson ... He has that good arm, goes well either to right or left, and since Lillis, the Esks have never had such a fine-hitting shortstop except possibly Len Farrell ... Roger has a good edge over Farrell afield, or so the early returns would have it ... Tomlinson hits with power, and had quite a rash or extra-basers during the Esks; first home stand." (Edmonton Journal, June 18, 1958)
Jones and Walling
Eikerman, Aldridge (7) and Dollar
(June 18) The Commodores, who beat Williston with a four-run ninth inning on Tuesday, did it again Wednesday. The four markers gave Saskatoon a 17-14 win over the Oilers before 500 fans at Williston. Ron Boone and Dave Albin paced the offensive. Boone had four hits and Albin three. Dick Doepker picked up the win in relief. Zoonie McLean, Dennis Healy and Jerry Adair each had three hits for the Oilers.
Hobson, Doepker (5) and Jackson
Sanford, Lund (7), Eisele (9) and Williams
( ) Dick Pudina of Williston, with a .478 batting average, was the leading hitter in the first release of league statistics. Teammates Jerry Adair, .435, and Al Leap, .421, grabbed the next two spots. Quinton Gray of Regina was 4th at .391 and Ed Tanner of Lloydminster-North Battleford followed at .381. John McLane of the Combines was tied for the homer run lead with Pudina, each with two, and topped the league in RBI with 11.
(June 19) Regina spotted the Combines a 5-0 lead in the first inning then roared back to whip Lloydminster-North Battleford 18-6 before 700 fans in Regina. Pee Wee Miller had four hits to lead the Braves. John Kellner knocked in six runs with three hits.
P Williams, Ford (1), R Williams (6), Robertson (8) and Tanner
Riddell and Walling
(June 19) Buzz Bartylla, a 20-year-old lefty from Arizona, fired a three-hitter as Saskatoon crunched the Eskimos 13-0 at Cairns Field. Bartylla fanned 12 and walked three. Pete Estrada, who had a pair of doubles, drove in five runs in extended his hitting streak to ten games. Art Shahzade had three hits for the Commodores, including a bases-clearing double.
Schrimer, Eikerman (5) and Dollar
Bartylla and Jackson
(June 19) Jim Stevens fanned 18 batters to tie a Western Canada Baseball league record as Moose Jaw topped Williston 8-7. The mark was set last season by another Mallard, Larry Miller. Stevens allowed eight hits and showed shaky control, walking eleven. He was replaced by Homer Garner with two outs in the ninth. Garner got Al Leap to fly out to end a threat. Leap had earlier boomed a 420-foot bases-loaded homer to bring the Oilers back into contention. Fig Newton had a triple and double for the Mallards.
Moore and Williams
Stevens, Garner (9) and Strother
(June 20) Veteran Bennie Griggs went the distance for his third win of the young season as Lloydminster-North Battleford beat Regina 6-2 to stay atop the league standings. Leon Wilson paced the Combines with three hits.
Griggs and Tanner
Arnold, Morciego (6) and Walling
(June 20) Frank Neri had a homer two singles and three walks to lead Moose Jaw as the Mallards clubbed the visiting Williston Oilers 14-4. Bob Foster added a pair of triples for the winners. Jerry Adair had three hits for the Oilers. Bill Poole held Williston to seven hits while the Mallards had 13.
Leap and Williams
Poole and Strother
(June 20) Ike Jackson slugged a pair of homers to pace the Commodores to a 10-4 win over Edmonton at Saskatoon. Playing-manager Wayne Tucker homered for Edmonton. Jackie Bowes scattered ten hits to pick up the win.
Tatro, Schrimer (7) and Dollar
Bowes and Jackson
(June 21) Regina scored six runs in the first three innings and coasted to a 9-3 win over Lloydminster-North Battleford. Roland Jones won for the third straight time. Mike Dayne went the distance for the Combines.
Dayne and Tanner
Jones and Walling
(June 21) Morris Yates, an 18-year-old high school student from Visalia, California, tossed a four-hitter to lead Saskatoon to a 5-1 win over Edmonton and top spot in the league standings, a half game up on the Lloydminster-North Battleford Combines who lost to Regina. Eloyd Robinson's two-run homer was all the offense Yates required.
Aldridge and Zubak
Yates and Jackson
(June 21) Fig Newton's two-run homer in the seventh carried Moose Jaw to its third straight win over Williston, 8-7. Jerry Adair had a homer for the Oilers.
Bach and Williams
Kosteniuk, Garner (9) and Strother
(June 22) Reinforced with five players from the University of Southern California, the Williston Oilers trounced the Combines 12-3 before more than 11-hundred fans at Williston. One of the newcomers, Jim Barudoni, scattered 11 hits in going all the way for the win. Another new face in the lineup, catcher Bill Heath, had three doubles. Jerry Adair punched out a two-run homer to run hit hitting streak to 12 games. John McLane, a USC player with the Combines, had a homer.
Springer, Arnold (2) and Tanner
Barudoni and Heath
(June 23) Jerry Adair of Williston surged to the top of the batting race with a .475 mark according to statistics covering games through June 23rd. Adair increased his average 40 points since the last release. Butch Dollar of Edmonton was second with a mark of .440, followed by Lou Pryor of Regina with .414, John McLane of Lloydminster-North Battleford with .408 and Ron Boone of Saskatoon with .395. Bob Bodine of Williston had the most homers, 5. The free-swinging outfielder struck out 20 times in his first 40 at bats. McLane had the most runs batted in, 24.
(June 23) Saskatoon handed the Eskimos their sixth straight setback by beating Edmonton 6-1 before 21-hundred fans at Renfrew Park. Gene Graves chalked up his third win without a loss in pitching a five-hitter. Pete Estrada of the Commodores belted an inside-the-park homer in the eighth inning to run his hitting streak to 13 games.
Graves and Jackson
Gardner and Dollar
Eskimos announced the signing of pitcher Ralph Vold who started the season with Phoenix of the Pacific Coast League. Edmonton also introduced a new third baseman, Don Biasotti from USC.
(June 23) Catcher Bill Heath was a one-man wrecking crew as the Oilers whipped Lloydminster-North Battleford 15-4. Heath, who had three doubles in Sunday's game, clouted a two-run homer, a double and a pair of singles. Jerry Adair helped out with a triple and a pair of doubles. Leon Wilson had three hits for the Combines.
P Williams and Tanner
Blakeslee and Heath
(June 23) Moose Jaw scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to salvage a 14-14 tie with Regina. The error-filled contest was called after eight innings because of darkness. Playing-manager Cliff Pemberton was the game's best hitter with a three-run homer, a double and two singles. Gerald Walling had a two-run homer for the Braves.
Lange, Bass (4) and Walling
Riggs, Garner (2), Gregory (7), Kosteniuk (8) and Strother
(June 24) In his first start for Edmonton, Ralph Vold tossed a five-hitter as the Eskimos broke a six-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over Saskatoon. Catcher Butch Dollar paced the Eskimos with a triple and two doubles. Pete Estrada homered for the Commodores.
Hobson and Jackson
Vold and Dollar
(June 24) Bill Thom and Bennie Griggs hooked up in a pitchers' duel in Williston as the Oilers pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Combines, their third straight win over Lloydminster-North Battleford. Steve Bach's two-run triple in the eighth was the key blow. Thom allowed just three hits in gaining the win. Griggs gave up just five. Curly Williams had a homer for Lloydminster-North Battleford. Jerry Adair was held hitless for the first time in 14 games this season.
Griggs and Tanner
Thom and Heath
(June 24) Regina spotted Moose Jaw a one-run lead in the first inning then roared back to demolish the Mallards 22-9. AC Miller drove in five runs for the Braves. The only homer went to Moose Jaw's Cliff Pemberton.
Poole, Pemberton (4) and Strother
Riddell and Walling
(June 25) Edmonton scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth, with the tying and winning runs crossing the plate on walks, to beat Saskatoon 5-4 before 42-hundred fans at Renfrew Park. Roger Tomlinson, who had three hits, delivered a clutch two-run single. Bruce Gardner, in relief of starter Pat Gillick, picked up the win. The pair blanked the Commodores' Peter Estrada stopping his hitting streak at 14 games.
Popkin and Jackson
Gillick, Gardner (6) and Dollar
(June 25) Roland Jones held Moose Jaw to six hits as Regina topped the Mallards 4-3 after having lost a 15-14 decision to Moose Jaw in the completion of an earlier tie game. Jones struck out eight and walked two in winning for the fourth time. Leroy Gregory took the loss for the Braves. He allowed seven hits, fanned 13 and walked five. The winning run scored in the eighth inning on Quinton Gray's single. In the completion contest, Frank Neri drove in Steve Strother with the winning run in the 11th inning.
Lange, Bass (4), Jones (9) and Walling
Riggs, Garner (2), Gregory (7), Kosteniuk (8) and Strother
Jones and Walling
Gregory and Strother
(June 26) Oh what a homecoming. Cliff Pemberton returned to Saskatoon in a Mallards' uniform and blasted two homers, a double and a single to lead Moose Jaw to a 9-6 win over the Commodores. He scored four times and batted in three. Dave Kosteniuk picked up the win.
Kosteniuk and Strother
Doepker and Jackson
(June 27) Saskatoon bunted its way to a 6-5 win over Moose Jaw. The Commodores used the bunt to tie 4-4, go ahead 5-4 and score the winning run. In the eighth inning, playing manager Roy Taylor laid one down the first base line to score Ike Jackson and, with the bases loaded, Dan Adams followed suit to score Dave Albin. In the bottom of the ninth, Ron Boone's bunt scored Pete Estrada with the winner. A dust storm held the crowd down to about 1-thousand.
Riggs, Garner (8) and Strother
Bartylla, Yates (4) and Jackson
(June 27) Edmonton slapped out 14 hits and got a solid pitching performance from Art Schrimer to top Regina 8-4 before a shirt-sleeve crowd of more than 1,000 at Taylor Field. Playing manager Wayne Tucker knocked in three runs to lead the Eskimos. Third sacker Don Biasotti went 3-3.
Schrimer and Dollar
Bass, Morciego (8) and Walling
(June 27) Jerry Adair had a grand slam homer and Zoonie McLean poked a bases-loaded double to pace the Oilers to a 9-4 win over Lloydminster-North Battleford. It was the Oilers fourth win in four games with the Combines. Lloydminster-North Battleford had homers from Leon Wilson and Monte Bond. Tom Bergeron and John McLane each had three hits for the Combines.
Conroy and Heath, Bach (5)
Arnold and Tanner
(June 27) Mike Dayne, scheduled to join the Lloydminster-North Battleford Combines, may have ended his pitching career after breaking his ankle and "the major bone of the leg above the knee" in a tournament game in Lacombe.
(June 28) Combines pulled out an 8-6 win over Williston on two big hits in the sixth inning. John McLane belted a bases-loaded double and Monte Bond followed with a triple to give Lloydminster-North Battleford four runs. The Oilers had grabbed the lead in the top of the inning on Jerry Adair's three-run homer. Johnny Ford had three hits for the Combines. The victory moved the Combines into a tie with Williston for second place, two games back of Saskatoon.
Eisele, Blakeslee (6) and Bach
Robertson and Tanner
(June 28) Pete Estrada and Ron Boone each had three hits to pace Saskatoon to an 8-6 win over Moose Jaw. Estrada had a homer, double and single while Boone had one extra-base blow, a triple. Gene Graves went the distance to record his fourth win without a loss.
Poole, Garner (2), Gregory (7) and Strother
Graves and Johnson
(June 28) Don Biasotti poked a 9th inning homer to lead Edmonton to a 4-2 win over Regina. Jim Johnson and Art Chapman each had three hits. Bruce Gardner went the distance for the win. Higgie Alvarez homered for Regina. Gardner was tagged for 12 hits in gaining his second win of the season.
Gardner and Dollar
Riddell and Walling
(June 29) Roland Jones won his fifth decision as Regina had 13 hits in downing Edmonton 10-5. Carl Washburn had a two-run homer and single for the Braves while Higgie Alvarez chipped in with a triple and single. Braves set a league record with five double plays.
Aldridge, Zacharuk (5), Schrimer (6), Gillick (8) and Dollar, Zubak (9)
Jones and Walling
(June 29) Jerry Adair led a 14 hit attack with three safeties as Williston whipped the Combines 10-3. Bob Smith held Lloydminster-North Battleford to seven hits to pick up the win.
Smith and Bach
Springer and Tanner
(June 30) Saskatoon scored three runs in the 7th inning to beat the Combines 6-4. Ron Boone poked a homer and double for the Commodores. Johnny Ford and Leon Wilson each had three hits for Lloydminster-North Battleford. Lew Hobson, with 9th inning help from Morris Yates, picked up the win.
Griggs and Tanner
Hobson, Yates (9) and Johnson
(June 30) Bob Foster's two-run single in the 8th inning sparked Moose Jaw to a 7-5 win over Regina. Jim Stevens got the win with a six-hitter.
Morciego and Walling
Stevens and Strother
(July 1) Regina moved into second place in the league standings as the Braves took a pair from the Mallards, 18-7 and 8-6. Braves smashed out 25 hits in the opener, with pitcher Howard Bass collecting five and Quinton Gray, four. Louie Pryor, Higgie Alvarez and Gerald Walling each had three. Fuzz Martin led Moose Jaw with four. The teams combined for 25 runs and 41 hits. In the second game, the Braves built up a 5-0 lead after three innings and held on for the win. Alvarez had a two-run homer for Regina while Cliff Pemberton and Suge Carter each had three hits for Moose Jaw.
Gregory, Poole (5) and Strother
Bass and Walling
Kosteniuk and Strother
Riddell, Jones (7) and Gray
(July 1) Pitching was on the menu in Edmonton as the Eskimos and Williston split a double-header. The Oilers took advantage of three ninth inning errors by Edmonton to score a pair and take a 3-1 victory in the first game. Jim Barudoni pitched a four-hitter for the win. He fanned nine and walked two. Oilers had just five hits off three Edmonton hurlers. Esks won the second game 3-0 behind four-hit pitching by Ralph Vold. A two-run homer in the 5th inning by Tom Satriano was the winning blow for the Eskimos.
Barudoni and Bach
Tatro, Schrimer (7), Gardner (9) and Dollar
Thom and Bach
Vold and Zubak
(July 1) Jackie Bowes, released by Saskatoon the previous week, allowed just five hits in pitching Lloydminster-North Battleford to a 6-0 win over the Commodores. Curly Williams led the attack with a triple and single good for three RBI. 31-hundred fans took in the action at Cairns Field.
Bowes and Tanner
Popkin and Johnson
(July 2) Dick Pudina's single in the 11th inning sent Steve Bach home with the winning run as Williston shaded the Eskimos 9-8 at Edmonton. Playing-manager Zoonie McLean knocked in four runs for the Oilers. Tom Satriano led the Esks with a double and three singles. Don Biasotti had a pair of doubles
Blakeslee, Smith (4) and Bach
Gillick, Vold (5) and Zubak
(July 3) Norwood Lange fashioned a six-hitter as Regina beat Williston 8-3. All the runs against Lange were unearned. Braves got two-run homers from John Kellner and Carl Washburn.
Lange and Walling
Eisele, Blakeslee (4) and Bach
(July 3) Eloyd Robinson drove in six runs with two homers, a double and a single to pace Saskatoon to an 11-7 win over Lloydminster-North Battleford. Pete Estrada also had four hits, including a homer for the Commodores. Ed Tanner homered for the Combines. Commodores announced that outfielder Dave Albin had suffered a fractured hand Tuesday when hit by a pitch and would be lost for the rest of the season.
Bartylla, Hobson (6) and Johnson
Arnold, Springer (4) and Tanner
(July 3) Edmonton and Moose Jaw fought to a 2-2 tie in a game called at the end of nine innings. The Mallards Pete Riggs allowed just two hits, fanned eight and walked seven. Bruce Gardner, for the Esks, gave up eight hits while striking out seven and walking four.
Gardner and Dollar
Riggs and Strother
(July 4) Gerald Walling belted a pair of two-run homers to give Regina a 6-3 win over Williston and a split of their twin-bill in Montana. Roland Jones pitched a seven-hitter for the win, his sixth. Oilers won the first game 14-2 behind the pitching of Jim Barudoni who won his third straight decision. The contests were played in Plentywood and Sidney, Montana.
Morciego, Mistele (8) and Walling
Barudoni and Heath
Jones and Walling
Thom and Heath
(July 4) The Mallards took a pair from Edmonton at Moose Jaw, 3-2 and 19-8. In the opener, a continuation of Thursday's 2-2 tie, Frank Neri belted a homer in the 12th for the victory. Pete Riggs and Dave Kosteniuk combined on a three-hitter for the Mallards. In the second game, Moose Jaw collected 18 hits to overcome a 5-0 first inning deficit and whip the Eskimos 19-8. Cliff Pemberton had a triple, double and single. Fig Newton drove in five runs with a triple and two singles. Bob Foster had four RBI and Fuzz Martin added three singles. Art Chapman and Don Biasotti each had a double and single for the Esks.
Gardner and Dollar
Riggs, Kosteniuk (9) and Strother
Schrimer, Aldridge (2), Gillick (6), Satriano (7) and Dollar
Stevens, Poole (1), Riggs (4) and Strother
(July 4) John McLane hit a two-run double in the eighth inning to give the Combines a 5-5 tie with Saskatoon. Leon Wilson accounted for the other Lloydminster-North Battleford runs with a three-run homer in the sixth.
Griggs and Tanner
Doepker, Yates (8) and Johnson
(July 5) Lloydminster-North Battleford beat Saskatoon in both games of a double-header, 7-6 in the completion of Friday's 5-5 tie, and 14-3 in the regularly scheduled contest. Commodores first batter in the completion game, Eloyd Robinson, belted Bennie Griggs' first pitch for a homer. But, the Combines came back with two in the bottom of the inning to take the victory. The winning run scored on a walk. In the second game, Lloydminster-North Battleford scored five in the first inning and never looked back. Jackie Bowes beat his former club for the second time.
Doepker, Yates (8), Hobson (9) and Johnson
Griggs and Tanner
Graves, Yates (1) and Johnson
Bowes, Robertson (8) and Tanner
The two losses dropped the Commodores into a first place tie with Regina, each with records of 13-10, one game up on Williston and a game and a half up on Lloydminster-North Battleford.
(July 6) Zoonie McLean had a homer and double to lead Williston to a 5-3 win over Edmonton. Bob Smith allowed ten hits but went all the way for the victory. Pat Gillick was the loser.
Gillick and Dollar
Smith and Heath
(July 6) In a game played at Melfort, Saskatoon took advantage of a Regina throwing error in the eighth inning to score a 5-4 win before more than 1-thousand fans. The victory moved Saskatoon back into sole possession of first place. Pete Estrada, who scored the winning run, had a three-run homer and a single for the Commodores. Gene Graves picked up the win, his fifth, in relief.
Hobson, Graves (7) and Johnson
Riddell and Walling
(July 7) Bob Blakeslee shutout Edmonton on five hits as the Oilers took a 6-0 decision at Williston. Steve Bach helped at the plate with four singles, good for 3 RBI. It was Edmonton's fifth straight defeat and left them in the league basement seven games back of Saskatoon.
Eikerman, Schrimer (5) and Zubak
Blakeslee and Heath
(July 7) Ike Jackson pounded out four hits and Ron Boone drove in five in support of Norm Popkin's seven-hitter as Saskatoon beat Regina 7-1. Eloyd Robinson contributed three hits and scored four times. For Jackson, it gave him 13 hits in his last 21 trips to the plate.
Popkin and Johnson
Bass, Cullison (2), Wall (8) and Walling
(July 8 ) Regina's Higgie Alvarez took over the lead in the batting race according to the latest statistics, through games of July 7th. Alvarez jumped to .420 to take the lead over Williston's Jerry Adair, at .396. Cliff Pemberton of Moose Jaw held third spot with a .383 average followed by Louie Pryor of Regina, .372, and Pete Estrada of Saskatoon, .370. Adair maintained the lead in hits with 44. He also topped the circuit in homers, with six, and runs batted in, with 33. Tom Bergeron of Lloydminster-North Battleford was the top base stealer, with seven.
(July 8) Roland Jones won his seventh of the season, a two-hitter, as Regina topped the league-leading Commodores 4-3. Pee Wee Miller scored on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth for the winning run.
Bartylla, Graves (9) and Johnson
Jones and Walling
(July 9) 18-year-old pitcher Morris Yates had two hits, drove in a pair and played outstanding defense as Saskatoon beat the Braves 5-3. Yates was filling in for injured right fielder Ike Jackson. Lew Hobson picked up the win, his third, scattering nine hits. Newcomer Fred Dunbar took the loss.
Hobson and Johnson
Dunbar and Walling
(July 10) Williston moved into a tie for first place with Saskatoon as Bill Heath blasted a two-run homer over the right field wall in the ninth inning to give the Oilers a 3-2 win over the Commodores before 17-hundred fans at Saskatoon. Heath also had two triples and a single. Eloyd Robinson homered for Saskatoon and Pete Estrada had three hits.
Barudoni, Evans (9) and Heath
Graves and Johnson
(July 11) Dick Doepker tossed a five-hitter to lead the Commodores to a 2-1 victory over Williston. The young right-hander fanned eight and walked four. The only run against him was a ninth inning homer by Bob Smith.
Thom and Heath
Doepker and Johnson
(July 11) Ralph Vold pitched a five-hitter and had the game's only homer as Edmonton ended a five game losing streak beating Moose Jaw 4-2 before 23-hundred fans at Edmonton.
Kosteniuk, Gregory (5) and Strother
Vold and Dollar
(July 11) Lloydminster-North Battleford pushed across three runs in the bottom of the eighth to score a 7-4 win over Regina. Bennie Griggs went the distance for the win.
Lange, Morciego (8) and Gray
Griggs and Tanner
(July 12) Ken Guffey and Mike Castanon drove in the runs and Bob Smith pitched a shutout as Williston regained a share of the top spot in the Western Canada Baseball League with a 2-0 win over Saskatoon.
Popkin and Heath
Smith and Johnson
(July 12) Higgie Alvarez and Gerald Walling smacked homers as Regina overcame a 3-0 deficit to down Lloydminster-North Battleford 5-4. Roland Jones got his 8th win. The game was called after six innings because of darkness.
Jones and Walling
Bowes and Tanner
(July 12) Playing-manager Cliff Pemberton drove in pitcher Leroy Gregory with the winning run in the 11th inning as Moose Jaw shaded the Eskimos 4-3 at Edmonton. Pemberton and Suge Carter each had two RBI for the Mallards. Jimmy Johnson and Don Biasotti had three hits apiece for Edmonton.
Stevens, Gregory (6) and Strother
McQuade, Gillick (7), Vold (11) and Zubak
(July 13) Bruce Gardner tossed a three-hitter and struck out 15 to lead Edmonton to a 12-4 win over Moose Jaw. While only two of the runs against Gardner were earned, the lefthander issued six walks and hit four batters. Esks exploded for six runs in the third inning to salt away the contest. Don Biasotti had two hits and drove in three runs for the winners. Roger Tomlinson had a homer for Edmonton.
Johnson, Poole (4) and Strother
Gardner and Dollar
(July 14) Dale Eikerman, back on the Edmonton roster after the Esks dropped import pitchers Jon Tatro, Art Schirmer and John Aldridge, held Lloydminster - North Battleford to four hits and Edmonton downed the Combines 6-0. Tom Satriano had two hits and two RBI for Edmonton.
Springer and Tanner
Eikerman and Dollar
(July 15) Regina got two runs in the seventh on a triple by Quinton Gray, a single by Gerry Walling and AC Miller's double to beat Saskatoon 4-3 and move to within a half a game of the Commodores and Oilers in the WCBL standings.
Cullison, Jones (9) and Walling
Bartylla, Graves (9) and Johnson
(July 15) Pete Riggs, with ninth inning help from Frank Johnson, two-hit the Oilers as Moose Jaw beat Williston, 8-3. The Mallards scored all their runs in the first three innings. Cliff Pemberton's three-run homer in the first was the key blow.
Blakeslee and Heath
Riggs, Johnson (9) and Strother
(July 15) Ralph Vold scattered ten hits for his fourth win as Edmonton beat Lloydminster-North Battleford 5-3. He struck out nine and walked only one. Vold helped up at the plate with a triple and single Art Chapman drove in three runs for the Eskimos. The win, Edmonton's fourth in five games, moved the Eskimos to within a game and a half of the fifth place Combines.
Robertson and Tanner
Vold and Dollar
(July 16) Norm Forsythe made his debut with Edmonton a winning one as he held the Combines to seven hits and the Eskimos notched a 7-3 win at Renfrew Park. The Eskimos scored six runs, only one of them earned, in an error-filled fifth inning.
Griggs and Tanner
Forsythe and Dollar
(July 16) Saskatoon consolidated its hold on first place with a double-header sweep of Regina, 10-5 and 9-3.
Jim Johnson and Ron Boone each had three hits to pace the Commodores in the opener as Lew Hobson went the distance to pick up the win. AC Miller was the top hitter for the Braves with three hits including a two-run homer.
Boone also had three hits in the second game. Gene Graves pitched a six-hitter for the win, his sixth. Higgie Alvarez had a homer for Regina.
Jones and Walling
Hobson and Johnson
Dunbar, Lange (2), Morciego (4) and Gray
Graves and Johnson
(July 16) Moose Jaw took a pair from Williston, 8-5 and 11-4. Suge Carter had three hits for the Mallards in the opener. In the nightcap, Leroy Gregory tossed a six-hitter for the win.
Imlay and Heath
Stevens, Kosteniuk (8) and Strother
Evans, Smith (8) and Heath
Gregory and Strother
(July 17) Regina got a new manager and a victory. Braves' owner Denny Evenson replaced Bob Mistele with Roland Jones. The club turned to Canadian southpaw Vic Wall, ace of the Southey Red Sox of the Southern League in its match with Saskatoon. Wall, in his first starting assignment, held the Commodores to eight hits and the Braves took a 5-4 victory.
Yates, Popkin (7) and Johnson
Wall and Walling
(July 17) The Combines put together two big innings, a five-run sixth and a six-run eighth, to whip Edmonton 12-3 at Lloydminster. Curly Williams, Art Stone and Johnny Ford each had three hits for the Combines while John McLane and Ed Tanner each chipped in with a pair. Jackie Bowes went the distance for his fourth win of the season. Tom Satriano and Roger Tomlinson each had three hits for Edmonton. Satriano and Len Gabrielson had homers.
McQuade, Gillick (6) and Dollar
Bowes and Tanner
(July 17) Bill Heath pounded out four hits and Ken Guffey added a homer and a double to lead Williston to an 8-4 win over Moose Jaw. The Oilers climbed to within one game of league-leading Saskatoon. Jim Barudoni won his fifth game without a loss.
Johnson, Poole (8) and Strother
Barudoni and Heath
(July 18) Bill Thom blanked Moose Jaw on six hits as Williston topped the Mallards 3-0. Zoonie McLean provided all the offense needed with a two-run homer.
Riggs, Kosteniuk (5) and Strother
Thom and Heath
(July 18) Lloydminster-North Battleford pushed across two runs in the sixth to edge Edmonton 4-3. Alton Arnold, with relief help from Bennie Griggs, was the winning pitcher. Tom Bergeron and Art Stone each had two hits for the Combines.
Gardner and Zubak
Arnold, Griggs (8) and Tanner
(July 18) Pete Estrada knocked in two runs with a 10th inning, bases-loaded single to give Saskatoon a 7-5 win over Regina. Estrada also had a homer. Ike Jackson socked a three-run homer for the Commodores in the fourth. Higgie Alvarez led the Braves with a homer and two singles.
Doepker, Graves (8) and Johnson
Cullison, Dunbar (8), Morciego (10) and Walling
(July 19) Saskatoon erupted for three runs in the top of the ninth then held off a Regina rally to beat the Braves 4-3. Eloyd Robinson's two-run triple was the key hit.
Bartylla and Johnson
Erhardt, Morciego (9) and Walling
(July 19) Steve Strother's ninth inning homer gave Moose Jaw a 5-4 win over Williston handing Bob Smith his first loss after four straight wins.
Gregory, Riggs (8) and Strother
Smith and Heath
(July 19) Edmonton and the Combines split a pair at North Battleford. Eskimos won the opener 11-5 getting a three-run homer from Tom Satriano. Don Biasotti and Len Gabrielson each had three hits. Jack McQuade was the winner in relief.
Johnny Ford had four hits, a triple, double and two singles, to pace the Combines to a 15-7 win in the second game. Ken Nelson added a three-run homer. Roger Tomlinson had a homer for the Eskimos.
Eikerman, McQuade (5) and Dollar
Robertson, Springer (3), Ford (6) and Tanner
Gillick, Eikerman (6) and Zubak
Griggs and Tanner
(July 20) A four-run rally in the 8th gave the Commodores an 8-7 win over Edmonton before 17-hundred fans at Saskatoon. Manager Roy Taylor had three hits for Saskatoon.
Vold and Dollar
Popkin, Graves (3) and Johnson
(July 20) Jim Stevens pitched a five-hit shutout and his Moose Jaw teammates crushed Combines' pitching for 15 hits as the Mallards clobbered Lloydminster-North Battleford 11-0. Cliff Pemberton led the offensive with a homer, double and single. He scored three times and drove in three runs. Suge Carter also had three hits and Steve Strother belted a homer.
Bowes and Tanner
Stevens and Strother
(July 21) Tom Satriano drove in five runs with a homer, double and single as Edmonton beat Saskatoon 6-1. Don Biasotti chipped in with a pair of doubles. Norm Forsythe held the Commodores to five hits.
Forsythe and Zubak
Hobson and Johnson
(July 21) Irle Flanigan and Bennie Griggs teamed up on a six-hitter as Lloydminster-North Battleford turned back Moose Jaw 4-2. Flanigan, who allowed four hits in going six innings, also drove in what proved to be the winning run with a triple.
Flanigan, Griggs (7) and Tanner
Johnson and Strother
(July 21) Williston defeated Regina 7-4 as Bob Blakeslee picked up the win. Jerry Adair had a triple and single to lead the Oilers at the plate.
Jones and Walling
Blakeslee and Heath
(July 22) Williston shortstop Jerry Adair, with a .398 batting average, regained the lead atop the batting race in the Western Canada Baseball League. The statistics covered games through July 21st, with the exception of eight games not yet sent to Howe News Bureau. Adair's teammate, catcher Bill Heath, actually had the best average, .456, but did not have enough at bats to qualify for the leadership. Moose Jaw's Cliff Pemberton moved into second place with a .371 mark, followed by Pete Estrada of Saskatoon at .366, Ron Boone, also of the Commodores, at .364, and Higgie Alvarez of Regina who dipped to .361. Alvarez and Adair shared the lead in homers, with six, and RBI, with 35. Bill Thom of Williston sported the best ERA, 1.36, while Roland Jones had the most wins, eight, and most strikeouts, 66.
(July 22) Dick Doepker scattered seven hits to lead Saskatoon to a 7-1 win over Edmonton. Jimmy Johnson drove in three runs for the Commodores with a triple and two singles.
Gardner, McQuade (5) and Zubak
Doepker and Johnson
(July 22) Lloydminster-North Battleford pounded out 17 hits to upend the Mallards 10-7 in Moose Jaw. Johnny Ford punched out a triple, double and two singles and Curly Williams had a triple and three singles to pace the Combines. Leon Wilson added an inside-the-park homer.
Arnold, Springer (7), Griggs (8) and Tanner
Poole, Riggs (5) and Strother
(July 22) Williston exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning to take a 10-7 win from Regina in the second game of a twin-bill in the American city. Braves won the first game 7-5 as Ed Williams held the Oilers to four hits in his initial start with Regina. In the second game, Ken Guffey led the Oilers with four hits. Carl Washburn hit a pair of homers for Regina. Dick Pudina and Pete Osborne also had four-baggers.
Williams and Walling
Evans and Heath
Cullison, Dunbar (8) and Gray
Imlay, Thom (2), Smith (5) and Heath
(July 23) Edmonton announced the acquisition of pitcher Jack Cocchi, from the San Francisco area. Cocchi replaces Pat Gillick on the Eskimos' roster. Gillick was reported to be heading for a Pittsburgh Pirates training camp in Calgary.
(July 23) The Combines jumped on four Moose Jaw hurlers for 14 hits in a 16-3 trouncing in Moose Jaw. Leon Wilson, with a homer and a double, and Monte Bond, who hit a triple, double and single, each had three runs batted in. Curly Williams and Art Stone each had three singles. Bennie Griggs did the mound work holding the Mallards to five hits in winning his seventh game.
Griggs and Tanner
Gregory, Kosteniuk (3), Newton (7), Martin (7) and Strother
(July 23) Jim Barudoni picked up his sixth straight win pitching Williston to a 4-1 win over Regina. He gave up just four hits.
Erhardt, Lange (7) and Walling
Barudoni and Heath
(July 24) Williston pounded Regina pitching for 19 hits on the way to demolishing the Braves 20-6 in a game played in Weyburn. Oilers had two big innings, scoring six in the third and ten in the sixth. Jerry Adair knocked in five runs with two homers and a single. Bob Bodine hit a three-run homer and two singles. The Braves got homers from Quinton Gray and Earl Huffman.
Imlay and Bach
Morciego, Dunbar (3), Alvarez (6) and Walling
(July 24) Tom Satriano had three hits and three RBI to lead Edmonton to an 8-3 win over Saskatoon. Ralph Vold picked up his 5th win. Roger Tomlinson and Don Biassotti also had three hits apiece for the Eskimos.;
Bartylla, Yates (4), Graves (4), Hobson (7) and Johnson
Vold and Zubak
(July 25) Stats ...
(July 25) Playing-manager Roy Taylor figured in all the Saskatoon runs as the Commodores shaded the Eskimos 3-2 in Edmonton. Taylor, who had three hits, drove in one run, scored the second and started the rally that resulted in the third. Norm Popkin was the winning pitcher holding the Eskimos to six hits. Eloyd Robinson had three hits and two runs batted in for Saskatoon. Don Biasotti and Wayne Tucker each had two hits for Edmonton.
Popkin and Johnson
Forsythe, McQuade (9) and Zubak
(July 25) The Combines took advantage of six walks and Monte Bond's two-run homer to notch six runs in the fourth inning and coast to an 8-3 win over Moose Jaw for their fourth straight victory.
Stevens, Kosteniuk (4), Martin (5) and Strother
Robertson, Springer (5) and Tanner
(July 25 ) For the second straight day, Williston put up 20 runs against Regina. It was 20-6. Mike Castanon led the 18-hit attack with four hits, driving in five runs. Jerry Adair also had four safeties for Williston and the Oilers' Bill Lynn had the only homer.
Thom and Bach, Heath ()
Wall, Williams (2), Dunbar (5), Lange (7) and Gray, Walling ()
(July 26 ) Leroy Gregory held the Combines to eight hits as he picked up his third win of the season as Moose Jaw scored a 7-3 win at North Battleford. Jimmy Lamantia made his league debut but was shelled from the mound in the second frame after giving up five runs. Monte Bond of the Combines had the game's only homer. Leon Wilson had three hits for the losers while Curly Williams notched a pair. Bob Foster paced the winners with a pair of doubles and Steve Strother had a double and a single.
Gregory and Strother
Lamantia, Springer (2) and Tanner
(July 26 ) Saskatoon got two gift runs in the seventh inning on a wild throw with the bases loaded to take a 9-7 decision from the Eskimos at Edmonton. Saskatoon had blown a 7-0 lead as Edmonton got three in the fourth and four in the sixth to tie. Pete Estrada led the Commodores with two doubles while the Eskimos got three hits each from Len Gabrielson and Jerry Zubak. Don Birkle drove in three runs for Saskatoon.
Graves, Hobson (6), Yates (6), Doepker (6) and Johnson
Gardner, McQuade (1) and Zubak
(July 26) Regina owner Denny Evenson levied $10 fines against each of the Braves following Regina's 20-8 and 20-6 losses to Williston. Evenson suggested the fines might be refunded if the players would "smarten up". Hours later, the Braves punched out 13 hits in downing the Oilers 8-6. Higgie Alvarez powered the Braves to the win with two homers a single and four runs batted in. Roland Jones went the distance for his eighth victory.
Blakeslee, Evans (8) and Heath
Jones and Walling
(July 27) Every Combine batter got at least one hit as Lloydminster-North Battleford trounced Moose Jaw 13-2. Tom Bergeron, John Ford, Monte Bond and Art Stone each had three safeties. Bergeron had the only homer, a lead-off blast in the first inning. Jackie Bowes pitched a seven-hitter for the win, his fifth of the season. Frank Johnson took a beating, giving up 21 hits, but went the distance for the Mallards.
Johnson and Strother
Bowes and Tanner
(July 27) Edmonton continued to make player moves. Outfielder Gary LaComb, who played with the Eskimos in 1956 before entering pro ball in 1957, rejoined the team. Art Chapman was given his release. Moose Jaw picked up Jimmy Johnson another player released by Edmonton while the Esks signed Ted Farley. The Mallards also picked up two players from Calgary Dodgers, pitcher Bob Henry, who pitched with Lloydminster in 1957, and outfielder Matt Encinas who replaced Fuzzy Martin, called up into the US Army.
(July 28) Jerry Adair of Williston continued to hold down the top spot in the batting race with a .396 mark according to statistics through July 27th. Cliff Pemberton, the playing-manager of the Moose Jaw Mallards remained in the runner-up spot with a .367 mark. Lloydminster-North Battleford, which had the best team batting average, .290, had six players in the top 20 -- Curly Williams at .344, Leon Wilson, .326, Monte Bond, .319, John McLane, .304, John Ford, .303 and Art Stone, .301. Williston had the top three pitchers in earned run average -- Bill Thom at 1.29, Jim Barudoni at 2.21 and Bob Smith with a 2.57 mark.
(July 28) A five-run eighth inning carried Regina to a 13-9 win over Lloydminster-North Battleford. Combines' pitchers walked in two runs then gave up a bases-loaded single to Carl Washburn. Each team had 15 hits. Washburn and Pete Osborne each had three for the Braves while Johnny Ford had four hits and Tom Bergeron three for the Combines. Quinton Gray of the Braves had the only homer.
Arnold, Springer (6), Robertson (8), Griggs (8) and Tanner
Williams, Morciego (7) and Walling
(July 28) Bill Lynn drove in five runs with a three-run homer, a double and two singles as the Oilers whipped Saskatoon 15-5. Bill Heath and Jerry Adair added homers for Williston. All the Commodores' runs came on homers. Jim Johnson and Eloyd Robinson had two-run shots while Norm Popkin had a bases-empty blow. Bob Smith was the winning pitcher, with his sixth victory.
Hobson, Doepker (5), Yates (6), Adams (7) and Johnson
Smith and Heath
(July 28) Moose Jaw exploded for six runs in the fourth inning and made them stand up for a 6-3 win over Edmonton. Pete Riggs and Leroy Gregory combined to hold the Eskimos to five hits. Shortstop Gordon Dolinar went 3-4 for the winners.
Riggs, Gregory (9) and Strother
Vold, McQuade (4), Vold (8) and Zubak
(July 29) Leon Wilson and John Ford each had three hits to lead Lloydminster-North Battleford to a 5-4 win over Regina. Bennie Griggs went the distance to pick up his eighth win.
Griggs and Tanner
Cullison, Erhardt (9) and Walling
(July 29) Saskatoon broke loose with five runs in the top of the ninth to edge Williston 11-10. Eloyd Robinson and Art Shahzade led the Commodores' 14-hit attack each with three hits. Zoonie McLean and Ken Guffey had homers for the Oilers. Lew Hobson, who failed to last five innings in a start the previous day, picked up the win in relief.
Bartylla, Graves (6), Hobson (7) and Johnson
Barudoni, Evans (7), Blakeslee (8) and Heath
(July 29) Gary LaComb, in his first game with Edmonton, scored the tying run in the 8th then knocked in the winner in the bottom of the ninth as the Eskimos shaded Moose Jaw 4-3. Bruce Gardner scattered eight hits to get the win.
Stevens, Kosteniuk (8) and Strother
Gardner and Zubak
(July 30) Curly Williams and John McLane belted homers to pace Lloydminster-North Battleford to an 11-7 win over Regina in a game played at Swift Current. Playing-manager Ken Nelson came on in relief in the second and went the rest of the way for the win.
Robertson, Nelson (2) and Tanner
Dunbar, Morciego (4) and Walling
(July 30) Saskatoon scored seven runs in the 7th inning on the way to a 10-5 win over Williston. Jim Johnson led the Commodores with four hits. Dan Adams and Pete Estrada hit homers for Saskatoon while Bill Thom and Dennis Healy had four-baggers for the Oilers. Lew Hobson won in relief for the second straight night. It was his sixth win of the season.
Graves, Hobson (2) and Johnson
Thom, Evans (7) and Heath
(July 30) Roger Tomlinson had four hits and Tom Satriano knocked in three as Edmonton topped Moose Jaw 9-6. Fuzz Martin of Moose Jaw had three hits in his farewell appearance before leaving for the US Army. Steve Strother had a homer for the Mallards.
Gregory, Henry (5) and Strother
Forsythe and Zubak
(July 31) Williston pushed across four runs in the first inning and coasted to a 9-2 win over the Commodores at Saskatoon. Bill Thom, a pitcher who played the outfield for the Oilers, led the offense with three hits -- a homer, double and single. Jerry Adair had a double and single. Bob Smith gave up 13 hits but went the distance for the win. Art Shahzade had three hits for Saskatoon.
Smith and Heath
Doepker, Yates (6) and Johnson
(July 31) Leon Wilson's second hit of the night, a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth, gave Lloydminster-North Battleford a 5-4 victory over Regina. Braves had scored in the top of the inning to break a 3-3 tie. Jackie Bowes went all the way for the win giving up 11 hits. Regina's Quinton Gray went five-for-five.
Jones and Walling
Bowes and Tanner
(August 1) Lloydminster-North Battleford scored four runs in the fifth inning and reliever Jim Robertson saved the game by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth as the Combines beat the Braves 4-2. Johnny Ford's two-run triple was the key hit for the Combines. The win, combined with the Oilers loss to Saskatoon, moved the Combines into second place, two games back of the Commodores.
Williams and Walling
Arnold, Robertson (9) and Tanner
(August 1) Ike Jackson drove in Dan Adams in the bottom of the ninth to give Saskatoon a 3-2 win over Williston. For the third time in four days, Lew Hobson picked up a victory in relief.
Barudoni, Evans (9) and Heath
Graves, Hobson (9) and Johnson
(August 1) A brilliant relief effort by Leroy Gregory held the Eskimos in check as Moose Jaw scored a 9-3 victory. Gregory, who came on in the fourth, allowed just two hits and fanned nine to get credit for the win. Jack Cocchi allowed nine hits and ten walks in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Cocchi, McQuade (6) and Zubak, Waddle (7)
Riggs, Gregory (4) and Strother
(August 2) Jim Stevens tossed a one-hitter as Moose Jaw beat Edmonton 5-1 in the first game of a double-header. The second game was called after nine innings with the scored tied 4-4. Stevens, who walked ten, lost his no-hit bid with one out in the 9th as Eskimo catcher Jerry Zubak reached safely on a slow roller to third that neither Stevens nor third sacker Jim Johnson could reach in time.
Eikerman, McQuade (7) and Zubak
Stevens and Strother
(August 2) The league's leading hitter, Jerry Adair, took to the mound for Williston and pitched the Oilers to a 6-2 win over Saskatoon. Bob Blakeslee, one of the Oilers' top pitchers, led Williston at the plate with a grand slam homer.
Adair and Health
Bartylla, Doepker (9) and Johnson
(August 2) Regina scored a 5-3 10-inning victory over Lloydminster-North Battleford in the first game of a double-header. Gerald Walling led the Braves with a two-run homer. The Combines bounced back to grab the second game, 12-11, with the winning run scoring in the bottom of the ninth on a bases-loaded walk. Braves had scored four in the top of the ninth to tie. Curly Williams belted a grand slam homer for the Combines. Bennie Griggs also had a homer and Leon Wilson had four hits. Earl Huffman bashed a three-run homer for Regina. The split, along with Williston's victory, allowed the Combines and Oilers to moved to within a game and a half of first place.
Cullison and Walling
Springer and Tanner
Dunbar, Morciego (8) and Gray
Griggs, Robertson (9), Ford (9) and Tanner
(August 3) Jackie Bowes lost a no-hit bid in the ninth as Lloydminster-North Battleford downed Williston 7-1. Bowes finished with a two-hitter for his seventh win of the season. Leon Wilson bashed two homers and a single. Curly Williams also had a homer. The Combines crept to within one game of league-leading Saskatoon. The win also pushed the Oilers into third place a game back of the Combines.
Thom, Evans (5) and Heath
Bowes and Tanner
(August 3) Edmonton took two from Moose Jaw, including the completion of a 4-4 tie game. Esks pushed across two runs in the 11th inning and held off a Mallards' rally to take a 7-5 win. Roger Tomlinson and Wayne Tucker each had three hits for the Eskimos. Bruce Gardner, who had gone nine innings the previous day, went the rest of the way for the win.
Edmonton won the regularly scheduled contest 10-5. Norm Forsythe gave up 13 hits but went all the way for the win. Tomlinson drove in five runs with a pair of doubles. Ted Farley had three RBI and Jerry Zubak had three hits. Bob Foster had three safeties for the Mallards including a three-run homer in the 9th.
Gardner and Waddle
Kosteniuk, Gregory (7) and Strother
Forsythe and Zubak
Henry, Kosteniuk (2) and Strother
(August 4) Regina lost a game and seven of its players. Jack Cocchi tossed a four-hitter and drove in three runs with a triple and a single as Edmonton beat the Braves 7-2. Cocchi fanned twelve and allowed nine bases on balls. Higgie Alvarez had three of the four hits for Regina.
After the game, seven players asked Regina owner Denny Evenson for their releases. Players seeking their releases were AC Miller, Quinton Gray, Carl Washburn, Gerald Walling, Bob Cullison, Fred Dunbar and JB Carroll. The players had complained about delays in receiving their pay cheques, the manner in which meal money for road trips was distributed, the moving of home games to "country points", the playing of an exhibition game against Esteven two weeks previous, and the mass fining of the team for indifferent play by some players. Evenson said all the players had been paid and insisted that no fines had been levied although he had threatened them with $10 fines.
Cocchi and Zubak
Wall, Ed Williams (3) and Walling
(August 4) Saskatoon increased its lead atop the Western Canada League standings with a 6-2 win over Moose Jaw. The Commodores moved to a game and a half lead over Lloydminster-North Battleford who were rained out. Lew Hobson tossed an eight-hitter for the win, his eighth. It was Hobson's fourth win in seven days.
Johnson and Strother
Hobson and Johnson
(August 5) The Oilers and Combines each came away with a win in a double-header at Lloydminster. Bob Smith hurled a six-hitter for his eighth win in the opener. Catcher Steve Bach provided the offense with four hits. Combines pounded out 14 hits in the second game to win 9-6. Bennie Griggs went the distance for his ninth win. John Ford had six hits in eight trips in the twin-bill. The result left the Combines in second place one game back of Saskatoon and a game up on third-place Williston.
Smith and Bach
Flanagan, Robertson (2) and Ford
Barudoni, Evans (3) and Bach
Griggs and Ford
(August 5) Chuck Henderson, president of the Western Baseball League, announced that the third game of the Edmonton - Regina series had been called off along with a three-game set slated to open in Edmonton. The second game of the series had been awarded to Edmonton but the subsequent games eliminated from the schedule. Henderson said the series was called off "owing to the majority of Regina ball players disregarding their contracts with the Regina Braves and leaving for their homes in the United States." Seven players -- AC Miller, Quinton Gray, Carl Washburn, Bob Cullison, Gerald Walling, JB Carroll and Roland Jones -- left for their homes Tuesday after the team owner, Denny Evenson, refused to grant them their releases.
(August 5) Pete Riggs held Saskatoon to eight hits as Moose Jaw scored an 8-2 win over the Commodores. Riggs, Frank Neri and Suge Carter each had two hits for the Mallards.
Riggs and Strother
Doepker, Bartylla (4), Adams (8) and Johnson
(August 6) Gene Graves pitched a no-hitter as Saskatoon edged Moose Jaw 2-1 before 12-hundred fans at Saskatoon. The Mallards lone run came in the fifth inning on a walk, a two-base error and a sac fly by Roberto Zayas. Graves fanned eight and walked four in gaining his ninth win, tying Bennie Griggs for the league-lead. Commodores scored the winner in the bottom of the ninth when Ike Jackson scored on an infield out. Saskatoon had eight hits off Dave Kosteniuk, four by Jackson.
Kosteniuk and Strother
Graves and Jackson
(August 7) Williston scored two in the eighth and one in the bottom of the ninth to overcome a 3-1 deficit and beat the Combines 4-3 to move back into a tie with Lloydminster-North Battleford for second place in the league standings two and a half games back of Saskatoon. Winning pitcher Bob Blakeslee knocked in the two runs in the eighth with a double. Blakeslee held the Combines to four hits.
Arnold, Springer (9) and Ford
Blakeslee and Heath
(August 7) Saskatoon clinched at least a tie for top spot in the league standings with a 14-8 win over Moose Jaw. The Commodores exploded for nine runs in the 7th and final inning to break up a 5-5 tie. The Commodores had earlier blown a 5-0 lead. Eloyd Robinson paced Saskatoon getting three hits, driving in two runs and scoring four times. Ike Jackson plated three runs in the first frame for the Commodores with a bases loaded double.
Bartylla, Doepker (3) and Jackson
Stevens, Henry (1), Gregory (7) and Strother
(August 8) Jim Barudoni pitched a five-hitter to lead Williston past the Combines, 3-2. The loss for the Combines assured Saskatoon of a first place finish. Leon Wilson accounted for both of the Lloydminster-North Battleford runs with a homer.
Bowes and Ford
Barudoni and Heath
(August 8) Moose Jaw scored six runs in the sixth inning to down Saskatoon 8-4. It would be the Mallards final game. The club announced it was withdrawing from the league because of the demise of the Regina franchise. The league president said the league's schedule would be curtailed in favour of a lengthy playoff series among the remaining four teams.
Hobson, Adams (6) and Jackson
Stevens, Kosteniuk (5) and Strother
(August 9) Williston punished Lloydminster-North Battleford pitching with 20 hits as they scored 10 runs in the first two innings and coasted to a 20-3 victory. Ken Guffey belted a three-run homer, two doubles and a run-scoring single. Steve Bach had a solo homer and three singles. Jerry Adair added a homer and a single. Leon Wilson drove in two runs for the Combines. With the win, the Oilers claimed second place in the league standings.
Springer, Griggs (1) and Ford
Thom and Heath
(August 9) Moose Jaw scored three in the second inning and went on to a 4-2 win over Saskatoon.
Bartylla, Hobson (2), Graves (6) and Jackson
Riggs, Kosteniuk (7) and Strother
(August 10) In the final game of the regular schedule, Moose Jaw overcame a 6-0 deficit to post an 8-6 win over Lloydminster-North Battleford. Jim Stevens picked up the win in relief.
Springer and Ford
Gregory, Stevens (1) and Strother
(August 9) In a tuneup for the playoffs, the Edmonton Eskimos had a weekend exhibition series against the Grande Centre All-Stars a club featuring several imports from Utah -- pitcher Jack Cravens, also an All-Conference basketball star; pitcher/first baseman Ron Ballantyne and catcher Jim Pierson from Weber Junior College in Ogden; pitcher Joe Beecroft from Provo. Pitcher Don Rabung pitched in pro ball in 1955 (8-10, 2.96) with the Yakima Bears of the Northwest League and in 1956 (8-14, 3.84) with Montgomery-Knoxville of the South Atlantic circuit. A sore arm shortened his pro career.
Edmonton won the opener 8-0 as Ralph Vold , Norm Forsythe and Bruce Gardner combined on the shutout and registered a total of 18 strikeouts.
(August 10) Edmonton downed Grande Centre 6-2 with Jack Cocchi, Dale Eikerman and Jack McQuade handling the mound duties. Don Rabung went the distance for the All-Stars. He was victimized by seven errors.
Final standings :
W L GB
Saskatoon 31 23 --
Williston 30 23 1/2
Lloyd--NB 27 25 3
Moose Jaw 25 28 5 1/2
Edmonton 22 27 6 1/2
Regina 21 30 8 1/2