1959 Game Reports, British Columbia Interior      

1959 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley 
1959 BC Interior 
1959 Vancouver Island 

OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE

After being rebuffed a year previous, a West Kootenay entry from Trail, the Smoke Eaters, was accepted as a member of the 1959 Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League. This partially offset the loss of two of the 1958 weak-sisters, the Princeton Royals and Kamloops Jay-Rays. Trail games, both home and on the road, within the seven-team loop, were scheduled as back-to-back Saturday and Sunday events. The Kelowna and Vernon teams, known in 1958 as the Orioles and Clippers respectively, both found sponsorship by rival breweries in 1959 and came to be known as the Labatts and Carlings. 

Kamloops Okonots
Kelowna Labatts
Oliver OBC’s
Penticton Red Sox
Summerland Macs
Trail Smoke Eaters
Vernon Carlings

(April 12)  It took 14 innings to decide a winner but the Vernon Carlings finally edged the homestanding Summerland Macs 5 to 4 in a tight and spectacular Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League opener. The Macs rallied to snare a three-spot in the bottom-of-the-ninth canto to force extra innings after the Carlings had led throughout. Had it not been for a sensational two-out catch by Vernon outfielder Vern Blaney to retire the side, the Summerlanders could easily had plated another counter for the walkoff win. As it was, however, neither of the the combatants was able to push a run across during the first four rounds of overtime. In the top of the 14th, after Tony Brummet netted a single, the Carlings caught a break when consecutive wild pitches allowed him to advance to the hot corner sack. He then touched the platter with the lead and ultimate winning marker on a single from Jim Duncan. Starting twirler  Jim Staff tossed into the 12th frame for the Vernonites, allowing 13 safeties while ringing up nine strikeouts. Ron Miciuk, playing in his first game in senior company, took over mound duties in that stanza after Staff found himself in a jam with runners at the corners and calmly retired the side without any damage. He then blanked the Macs in the next two spasms to earn the hillock decision. 

Staff, Miciuk (W) (12) and Schmidt
xxx, xxx (L) and Egely

(April 12)  The hosting Oliver OBC’s defeated the Kelowna Orioles 3 to 2 in 10-inning thriller as the 1959 Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League got underway. Winning pitcher Gary Driessen came on in relief in the eighth inning, hit a double in the bottom-of-the-tenth frame and was singled home by catcher Dan Pinske with the winning run. The OBC’s had a 7 to 5 edge in base hits although Kelowna’s Frank Fritz, with a pair of singles, was the lone player in the skirmish to manufacture plural hit totals. Bill Martino smashed a solo four-bagger for the winners.

Scott, L. Schaefer (L) (8) and Culos
Esche, Driessen (W) (8) and Pinske

(April 19)  Dick Archer pitched a four-hitter to lead the Penticton Red Sox to a 4 to 1 win over the invading Trail Smoke Eaters, the newest entry in the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League. Penticton had only two hits in the contest but capitalized on a two-run double by Gord Mundle in the fifth frame to overcome a 1 to 0 deficit and move ahead to stay. Costly Smokie errors and a spell of wildness by reliever Lou DeRosa in the eighth panel gave the winners a pair of insurance tallies. Flychaser Jack “Busher” McIntyre had two of Trail’s four safeties.

Seaman (L), DeRosa (L), A. Bilesky (8) and Hackett, G. McIntyre (6)
Archer (W) and A. Richards

(April 19)  A three-run rally in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning enabled the Oliver OBC’s to edge the Summerland Macs 6 to 5. Summerland’s had nine base hits and committed one error. Oliver cracked out ten safeties and booted the ball on four occasions.

(April 19)  The defending OMBL champions from Kelowna, now known as the Labatts, went through a succession of Kamloops’ pitchers in the opening frame, before Okonots’ veteran Len Gatin was able to quell the fire after the Beermen had put up a ten-spot, en route to an 11 to 7 conquest of the Okies. A bases-loaded double by Greg Jablonski and a liner over third base by Al Schaefer were all the hits that Kelowna needed in the first inning as the Kamloops chuckers gifted them with five counters on the walk route and one on a passed ball before Gatin took to the hill and settled things down. The Okonots scored all their runs in the seventh panel, four coming off winning tosser Jack Denbow and the other trio as a result of Buck Buchanan’s three-run circuit-jack off reliever Les Schaeffer. Catcher Stan Kato of the Okies emerged as the game’s most consistent swatsmith, banging out a double and two singles.

Schollen (L), Motokado (1), Savage (1), Gatin (1) and Kato
Denbow (W), L. Schaefer (7) and Culos

(April 26)  Gary Driessen, veteran import tosser with the Oliver OBC’s, spun a one-hitter at Polson Park that allowed the invading Oliverites to take a 4 to 1 decision from the hosting Vernon Carlings. The clash was scheduled as the first part of a doubleheader but rain forced postponement of the late tussle. The lone run plated by the Beermen occurred in the opening stanza and was of the unearned variety. Vernon second baseman Johnny Kashuba laced a one-bagger in the fifth inning to spoil Driessen’s bid for a no-hitter. The winners racked up six base hits off the deliveries of losing twirler Jim Staff.

Driessen (W) and Pinske
Staff (L), DeRosa (8) and Schmidt, Dye (8)

(April 26)  The homestanding Penticton Red Sox swept a brace of OMBL games from the slow-starting Kamloops Okonots, bouncing the winless Okies 9 to 5 to begin the afternoon and then staging a late rally for a 7 to 5 conquest in the late event. Behind the able pitching of Dick Getz and the power hitting of Gord Mundle and Al Richards, who both hammered four-baggers, the Penticton crew had little trouble in capturing the opener. Catcher Stan Kato poled a four-bagger for Kamloops.

Savage (L), Gatin (5) and Anderson, Kato (4)
Getz (W) and A. Richards

In the finale, a Kamloops home game in lieu of an opening weekend rain-out, winning slab artist Bud Englesby belted a double in the sixth spasm and an eighth-inning solo home run which broke a 5 – 5 tie and sent the Scarlet Hose on to victory. An insurance counter in the ninth panel sealed the deal. Buck Buchanan had a round-tripper for the Okies.  

Englesby (W) and A. Richards
Schollen, Gatin (L) (3) and Kato

(May 3)  An inability to deliver timely base knocks when bingles meant bacon led to a 4 to 0 setback for the Vernon Carlings at the hands of the Kelowna Labatts. In this clash of the Breweries held at Elks Stadium in the Orchard City, the Vernon pastimers actually outhit their hosts by a six to five margin despite being blanked. The game was scoreless until the seventh inning when Kelowna’s Wayne North singled and scored on catcher Johnny Culos’ three-bagger. The Labatt receiver then flashed across the pan on an error by Vernon shortstop Jim Duncan for a second run. The Regatta City nine came back for another brace in the eighth when losing southpaw Tony DeRosa walked Gerry Goyer just before Al Schaefer dialed long distance for a two-run round-tripper. Top swatsmith in the fracas was Carling backstop Tony Brummet who laced a trio of singles. Les Schaefer went the route for the triumphant Kelowna nine.

DeRosa (L) and Brummet
L. Schaefer (W) and Culos

(May 3)  The Kamloops Okonots climbed out of the musty OMBL cellar as playing-manager Len Gatin tossed an eight-hitter to lead the Okies to their first win of the campaign, a 7 to 3 conquest of the Summerland Macs. Gatin notched 11 whiffs while losing moundsman Bill Chapman, in his first season of senior competition, fanned the same number and was nicked for just four Okie safeties but experienced difficulties in finding the plate, walking eight and plunking one batter. A five-run outburst in the fourth chapter set the wheels in motion for the Kamloops conquest. Al Hooker launched a two-run tater for the Macs.

Chapman (L) and Egely
Gatin (W) and Kato

(May 3)  The Oliver OBC’s maintained their unblemished record atop the circuit by blanking the Penticton Red Sox 3 to 0 for their fourth successive triumph. Besides pitching two-hit ball, winning flinger Gary Driessen launched a solo four-bagger in the opening stanza. The winners then added a pair in the sixth when Driessen singled and touched home on a two-run dinger by Harold Cox.

Driessen (W) and xxx
Englesby (L) and xxx

(May 10)  A three-run circuit-clout and two singles collected by first baseman Tony Brummet sparked the Vernon Carlings to a 12 to 2 thrashing of the Summerland Macs at Polson Park. The Carlings took a 3 to 0 lead in the opening inning and never experienced much of a threat from the visitors. Big Ron Miciuk, up from junior ranks this season, earned his second mound win of the campaign although he didn’t complete the start. Jim Staff took over for the lanky rookie part way through the fifth and preserved the win. Handed the loss was Summerland’s Al Hooker who was driven to the showers in the fifth while the Vernonites were pushing across a five-spot. Chasing Brummet for the hitting stakes in this contest were flychasers Vern Blaney, Jim Tooley and Ken Kulak along with catcher Bill Schmidt of the winners as well as Summerland’s Sandy Jomori and Harold Biollo, all of whom clipped the orb for a pair of safe swats.

Miciuk (W), Staff (5) and Schmidt
Hooker (L), Chapman (5) and Egely

(May 10)  In a rain-soaked twin-bill at Penticton, the invading Kamloops Okonots picked up two victories over the Red Sox by scores of 6 to 0 and 12 to 5.  Ron Lund, starry hurler from last season’s now-defunct Princeton Royals, pitched his first game for the Okonots in the matinée tilt. In earning the whitewash win, Lund limited the Orchard City squad to just three hits. Kamloops plated all six of their markers in the sixth episode.

Lund (W) and xxx
Archer (L) and Menville

The second game was a long, drawn-out affair in which proceedings were halted twice because of the rain. The Okonots, with Len Gatin on the bump, creamed the orb for 14 safeties while the Sox nicked Gatin’s offerings for 11 base knocks.

Gatin (W) and xxx
Getz (L) and xxx

(May 17)  The Vernon Carlings had to hang on for a 5 to 4 win over the visiting Kamloops Okonots after getting out of the gate with a good start. A four-spot by the homesters in their opening turn at bat overshadowed singletons plated by the Okies in the first and second panels and put them ahead to stay. They added another counter in the fourth but drew goose eggs thereafter. Facing a 5 to 2 deficit, the invaders chipped away at the Vernon lead with counters in each of the seventh and eighth chapters, making things uncomfortable for winning pitcher Ron Miciuk. With regular chuckers Jim Staff and Tony DeRosa missing from the lineup, the big rookie flinger had to endure the full distance. He completed the task, allowing 13 hits while fanning seven. Meanwhile, his mates collected eight safeties off playing-manager Len Gatin and reliever Ron Lund of the Okonots. Lund and Kamloops’ shortstop Bill Lennox led all willow wielders in this skirmish, each registering a triad of base knocks. With a brace of bingles apiece were Ray Adams and Jim Duncan of the Beermen as well as Al Collier of the vanquished nine.

Gatin (L), Lund (5) and Campbell
Miciuk (W) and Schmidt

(May 17)  The league-leading Oliver OBC’s came from behind to score three ninth-inning runs to edge the hosting Summerland Macs 6 to 4. Gary Driessen allowed six hits in hurling the hillock triumph while losing chucker Bill Chapman was nicked for eight safeties.

Driessen (W) and xxx
Chapman (L) and Egely

(May 17)  The Trail Smoke Eaters and the Penticton Red Sox divided an OMBL double-dip in the Smelter City.
The Red Sox walloped three home runs in the opener for an 8 to 6 victory. Outfielder Charlie Preen pounded a brace of taters for the Pentictonites while keystone sacker Charlie Richards went yard for a lone dinger. Preen also pulled off the defensive play of the afternoon when he hauled in a long drive in the deepest part of the middle pasture off the bat of Trail’s Addie Tambellini in the seventh inning.

Englesby (W) and A. Richards
Seaman (L), DeRosa (6), J. Ferguson (6) and Hackett, G. McIntyre (9) 

The Smokies came from behind with seven runs in the middle innings of the nightcap to emerge with a 7 to 3 conquest, making former Summerland and Nelson moundsman,“Lefty” Gould, the winner. Catcher George McIntyre of the Silver City nine stole home once in the fourth inning and attempted it again in the fifth, luring losing twirler Dick Getz into a balk which allowed him to scoot home free.

Getz (L) and A. Richards
Gould (W) and G. McIntyre

(May 24)  The Vernon Carlings appeared to have their OMBL game with the Penticton Red Sox in the bag as they held a 6 to 4 lead heading into the bottom-of-the-ninth inning. However, successive doubles by catcher Al Richards and third sacker Gordie Mundle plus a costly throwing error by backstop Tony Brummet allowed the Peach City nine to prevail 7 to 6. The Carlings had a five-run margin as late as the seventh inning but when starting moundsman Tony DeRosa began to show signs of tiring in that frame, which resulted in a pitching change, the Scarlet Stockings had already begun their dramatic comeback. The fatal ninth started with Crimson Hose first baseman Jim Andrews drawing a base on balls and coming home on Richards’ third double of the game. Mundle  repeated the feat to score Richards and joyously crossed the plate as Brummet’s errant peg to Ray Adams at the hot corner went sailing into the outer pasture. Penticton picked up a dozen hits off the combined offerings of DeRosa and losing flinger Jim Staff. Four big time errors also weighed heavily in the Red Sox’ favor. Winning chucker “Bud” Englesby was tagged for eight Vernon hits in going the full distance. Richards had a perfect five-for-five outing at the dish for the victors.

DeRosa, Staff (L) (7) and Brummet
Englesby (W) and A. Richards

(May 24)  First baseman Keith “Buck” Buchanan dialed long distance on three occasions, smacking a triad of four-ply clouts as the Kamloops Okonots bombed the Kelowna Labatts nine 10 to 1. Playing-skipper Len Gatin went the route on the rubber for the Okies, punching out ten, walking three and allowing five Kelowna safeties. The only run he surrendered was a solo four-bagger to first baseman Don Holmes. Kamloops blasted losing southpaw Jack Denbow and reliever Ray Scott for 14 base raps in the one-sided affair.

Denbow (L), Scott and Culos
Gatin (W) and Kato

(May 24)  Trail and the Summerland Macs split an OMBL doubleheader at Summerland. The Smoke Eaters blew a five-run lead in the sixth inning and lost the first game 10 to 8 but came back strongly in the second encounter for an 11 to 3 victory. Bob Seaman pitched in both games for Trail, losing the initial encounter in a brief relief appearance but copping a complete-game victory in the late event.  The Macs walloped six of their nine safeties in the sixth panel of the opener to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. The West Kootenay squad protested the result of the first game and originally had their protest upheld, only to eventually have the decision reversed.

DeRosa, Seaman (L) (6), J. Ferguson (6) and G. McIntyre
Hooker, Bonthoux (4), King (W) (6) Chapman (7) and G. Parker

Trail concentrated its scoring in the first three chapters of the finale, scoring 10 of their 11 runs. Addie Tambellini had two doubles and George McIntyre three RBI’s for the winners in this contest.

Seaman (W) and G. McIntyre
Chapman (L), King (3), Cristante (3) and G. Parker 

(May 31)  Displaying focused hitting power in the clutch, the Vernon Carlings gained a 10 to 7 victory over the winless Summerland Macs in OMBL action at Polson Park. The Macs belied their lowly league position by shelling two Vernon pitchers from the hill while rapping out 16 hits, but the Carlings strung their ten safeties together for a comfortable edge. Hero of the day for the Vernonites was second baseman Johnny Kashuba who cracked two homers over the left field fence and finished with three-for-five batting figures. Big rookie chucker Ron Miciuk racked up his fourth win against no losses as he took over mound chores from starter Jim Staff in the second inning. However, he ran into trouble in the eighth and had to watch from the sidelines as portsider Tony DeRosa preserved the win. Bill Chapman, the first of two Summerland tossers, was snagged with the loss. The clubs traded singletons in the first and treys in the second before the Beermen went ahead to stay with a deuce in the third. A four-spot in the fifth stanza followed and put them well in front. Middle pasture patroller Dan Pinske along with catcher George Parker and initial sacker Larry Lemke of the vanquished nine all stung the sphere for three safe swats. Aside from Kashuba’s stellar production from the batter’s box, Vernon offensive punch was provided by Ken Kulak and Russ Keckalo who both picked up a brace of bingles.

Chapman (L), Sheeley (5) and Parker
Staff, Miciuk (W) (2), DeRosa (8) and Schmidt

(May 31)  The Oliver OBC’s continued their unbeaten streak with a pair of victories over the Kamloops Okonots.
The OBC’s, behind the superb pitching of ace moundsman Gary Driessen, squeezed by the Okies 2 to 1 in the initial tussle as Driessen ran his mound record to 5 – 0 for the season.  Oliver prevailed 8 to 2 in the wind-up match as Ron Lund, a recent addition from the Okonots, picked up the hillock triumph against his former mates.

(June 6-7)  Cashing in on one of their biggest hitting sprees in many seasons, the Vernon Carlings swept a two-game weekend series from the Trail Smoke Eaters in the Smelter City. On Saturday night, under the lights at Butler Park, the Brewers claimed a 12 to 8 victory. Then, in the Sunday afternoon encounter, they brought out the heavy artillery, hammering out 25 hits in a 21 to 8 rout of the hosts. Seven different Trail chuckers were blasted from the hill over the two games with eleven pitching changes being made.  Vernon hurler Tony DeRosa, playing in his hometown, started on the bump in the opener but was relieved by Jim Staff in the seventh with the Smokies in front in what had shaped up as a see-saw battle. However, seven Carling runs in the last two innings, when the Smoke Eaters’ pitching completely collapsed, gave Staff his first win of the season. DeRosa allowed five of the six Trail hits, one of which was a homer by outfielder Bill Johnson. Catcher Tony Brummet was the top swatsmith for Vernon in this encounter with a triad of base raps.

T. DeRosa, Staff (W) (7) and Brummet, Dye (5), Schmidt (9)
Gould, J. Ferguson (7), Seaman (8), L. DeRosa (L) (8) and Hackett

The get-away game was a blowout from start to finish. With a hefty cushion resulting from his mates’ superb offensive display, rookie Ron Miciuk picked up his fifth hillock triumph although he handed over the ball to Tony DeRosa in the sixth to finish off the annihilation in mop-up fashion. Creaming the pill for a quartet of safeties apiece were Bill Schmidt and Ken Kulak while Jim Duncan, Tony Brummet, Ray Adams and DeRosa all checked in with a trio of base knocks. One of Brummet’s swats was a four-ply clout. Trail’s Ab Cronie also had a round-tripper, a three-run blast in the fifth panel.

Miciuk (W), T. DeRosa (6) and Schmidt
J. Ferguson (L), Dorey (6), Gould (6), Seaman (7), L. DeRosa (8), J. McIntyre (8), A. Bilesky (9) and G. McIntyre, Hackett (8)

(June 7)  The Oliver OBC’s unbeaten record in the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League was shattered in Kamloops as they dropped a doubleheader to the Okonots by scores of 7 to 4 and 8 to 2. Buck Buchanan belted a grand-slam home run for the Okies and teammate Jack Fowles a bases-empty shot in the lid-lifter as Oliver’s Gary Driessen was nailed with his first mound setback of the campaign. Backed by some outstanding defensive play by his mates, portsider Bill Geefs went the distance for the winners, holding the league-leaders to six hits, three of which were solo round-trippers, two by Elroy Jacobs and one by Harold Cox.

Driessen (L) and Cade
Geefs (W) and Kato

Len Gatin, Okies’ skipper, handled mound chores for Kamloops in the late tussle and limited the OBC’s to a half-dozen bingles. Buck Buchanan went yard for his seventh dinger of the season in support of Gatin in this fracas while teammates Bob Saklofsky and Al Collier also connected for round-trippers. Losing tosser Bill Martino smashed a tater for the OBC’s.

Martino (L), Schnider (1), Driessen (4) and Cade
Gatin (W) and Anderson

(June 7) The Penticton Red Sox failed to field a full compliment of players for their scheduled game in Kelowna and were declared as 9 to 0 default losers to the Labatts.

Standings               W      L       Pct.      GBL
Oliver OBC’s            7      2      .778       ---
Vernon Carlings         6      3      .667      1.0
Penticton Red Sox       5      4      .556      2.0
Kamloops Okonots        6      6      .500      2.5
Kelowna Labatts         2      2      .500      2.5
Trail Smoke Eaters      2      5      .286      4.0
Summerland Macs         1      7      .125      5.5 

(June 13)  Five members of the Trail Smoke Eaters baseball club and a sports writer had a narrow escape from serious injury early this morning when the car bringing them to the Okanagan for weekend baseball action hit a deer north of Kettle Falls WA. All occupants of the car – driver “Lefty” Gould, Addie Tambellini, Jim Bilesky, “Sonny” Hackett, Lou DeRosa and sports writer George McBurnie of the Trail Times – emerged with minor scratches as the deer landed on the windshield, shattering it. With the car being inoperative, the party had to reach a phone and call back to Trail and ask for help in completing the trip. After a Good Samaritan from the Silver City volunteered his time and automobile, the group patiently awaited for his arrival and continued on to Kelowna where they played Saturday night before embarking to Vernon for a Sunday doubleheader. 

(June 13)  The Kelowna Labatts laid a 14 to 4 shellacking on a shaken-up band of Trail Smoke Eaters, still somewhat dazed by what occurred in transit to a number of their key players. The Beermen concentrated their offensive attack on punching short singles and, by the end of the second inning, had collected ten runs on nine hits, chasing loser Bob Seaman in the process. Frank Fritz deposited the horsehide for a two-run homer for the victors while Ab Cronie poled his second four-bagger in as many games for the Smokies.

Seaman (L), A. Bilesky (2) and G. McIntyre, Hackett (2)
L. Schaefer (W), Scott (8) and Culos, Holmes (7)

(June 14)  Welcoming their thoroughly-beaten foes of a weekend previous, the Trail Smoke Eaters, to Polson Park with open arms, the Vernon Carlings proceeded to take another twin-bill win from the team whose number they seem to have. On this occasion, however, the games were competitive and the scores all in single digits. To begin proceedings, the hosts doubled the Smokies 4 to 2 in a seven-inning opener as Tony DeRosa, facing many of his long-time friends and even his first cousin Lou, fashioned a three-hitter. Jumping into an early 7 to 0 lead in the finale, the Vernonites hung on for a 7 to 5 conquest, making it four-for-four against the West Kootenay nine.
In tossing the complete-game win in the matinée affair, DeRosa whiffed four and won his own game by stroking a sixth-inning single that plated Russ Keckalo to break a 3 – 3 tie. The Carlings registered seven safe swats against a tandem of Silver City slabmen. Charged with the loss was “Lefty” Gould who turned things over to Jack Ferguson in the sixth when Vernon staged their uprising. Not one batter from either side managed to acquire plural hit totals in this affair.

Gould (L), J. Ferguson (6) and Hackett
T. DeRosa (W) and Schmidt  

Although never in the lead at any time, the Smokies had a slim 9 to 8 advantage in base hits over the course of the second match. Facing a huge early deficit, the Smeltermen rode the solid relief pitching of playing-manager Andy Bilesky to stay in the game while whittling away at the Vernon lead, finally closing the gap to 7 to 5 in the eighth and coming within a few feet of going into the lead when Addie Tambellini’s long fly ball, with two mates aboard, was snagged at the base of the outfield fence by Jim Tooley. Jim Staff went the route to earn the victory while Trail starting hurler Lou DeRosa absorbed the loss. Smoke Eater catcher “Sonny” Hackett nailed the horsehide for three safe swats, including a double, to lead the hit parade. Cuffing a pair of base raps each were his teammate Harold Jones and Vern Blaney of the winning nine.

L. DeRosa (L), A. Bilesky (1) and Hackett
Staff (W) and Brummet

(June 14)  Len Gatin pitched a six-hit shutout as the Kamloops Okonots blanked the lowly Summerland Macs 6 to 0 in the Apple Town. The Okies raked nine safeties off the slants of loser Bill Chapman.

Gatin (W) and Kato
Chapman (L) and Egely

(June 14)  Oliver bounced back from their initial two setbacks of the season to get past the Penticton Red Sox 6 to 2. A four-run outburst in the seventh inning propelled the OBC’s to the triumph. Gary Driessen, the league’s most productive hurler, pitched a five-hitter for the mound decision, fanning 11 along the way. Oliver swatters got to loser Bud Englesby for ten safe blows.

Englesby (L) and xxx
Driessen (W) and Cade 

(June 17)  In a friendly, exhibition encounter at Butler Park, the Trail Smoke Eaters of the OMBL hammered the Fruitvale entry on the West Kootenay Baseball League 17 to 2. The three hurlers used by the Smokies fanned a total of 15 Fruitvale batters. Pinoke McIntyre drilled three safe swats for the winners, including a double. Addie Tambellini ripped the apple for a triple and single while Merillo Geronazzo contributed a two-bagger and a single. Leading the Fruitvale batting attack was Bruno DeRosa with three safeties while teammate Merv Aiken had a pair.

Paugh (L), Williamson (4), MacDonald/McDonald (6), Jablonski (8) and DeBruyn
Seaman (W), DeRosa (5), J. Ferguson (8) and G. McIntyre, Hackett (6)

(June 18)  Rookie southpaw Carlton Sheeley fanned ten and stymied the Kelowna swatsmiths on three hits as the lowly Summerland Macs prevailed over the hosting Labatts nine 4 to 1. Only a solo homer by shortstop Leo Petty of the Regatta City aggregation kept Sheeley from recording a shutout. Losing chucker Ray Scott had a no-hitter going for five full innings but ran into a two-out rally in the sixth which netted the Macs three large counters. He went the route and finished with a five-hitter and 13 punchouts. Summerland’s Olie/Ollie Egely was the only player in the game to clip the horsehide for a brace of safeties, both singles, which accounted for three RBI’s.

Sheeley (W) and Pinske, Egely (7)
Scott (L) and Culos

(June 20-21)  Although idle over the weekend, the Vernon Carlings took over first place in the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League when the previous leaders, the Oliver OBC’s, dropped a pair of squeakers to the Trail Smoke Eaters at the Smelter City by 4 to 3 and 7 to 6 scores. Winning flinger Bob Seaman, who fanned nine while scattering nine hits, belted a double in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning of the Saturday game which plated the winning tally and hung the defeat on Oliver ace Gary Driessen. Oliver outhit the Smelter Towners 7 to 5 but imploded defensively, committing five critical errors. Shortstop Harold Cox of the OBC’s had the game’s only home run, a two-run shot in the fourth panel.

Driessen (L) and Cade
Seaman (W) and Hackett

The Silver City diamondeers clipped the orb for 14 safeties in the late event, three of them doubles off the bat of “Pinoke” McIntyre. However, it took a final-inning error at shortstop on Ab Cronie’s routine ground ball that allowed McIntyre to touch the dish with the winning counter. Reliever “Lefty” Gould picked up the pitching win, allowing only four hits while blanking the OBC’s after entering the game in the second inning when the Smokies were in arrears 6 to 0. Making the victory more sweet for the Smelter Towners was the fact they once again tagged the defeat upon Gary Driessen, considered the loop’s top hurler. John Vanderburgh led the Oliver swatters with three singles.

Schnider, Driessen (L) (6) and Cade
A. Bilesky, Gould (W) (2) and G. McIntyre, Hackett (8)

(June 21)  The Penticton Red Sox stung the pill for 17 base blows in manhandling the Kelowna Labatts 16 to 0 in the Peach City. Winning chucker Bud Englesby allowed four hits to his former Kelowna teammates. Starter Les Schaefer, the first of three chuckers for the Beermen, was saddled with the defeat. In addition to their heavy hitting, the Sox also sparkled defensively, reeling off three double plays. Charlie Preen ripped a screaming triple and a home run for the Crimson Stockings.

Standings               W       L        Pct.     GBL
Vernon Carlings         8       3       .727     ----
Oliver OBC’s            8       4       .667      0.5
Penticton Red Sox       6       5       .545      2.0
Kamloops Okonots        7       6       .538      2.0
Kelowna Labatts         3       4       .429      3.0
Trail Smoke Eaters      4       8       .333      4.5
Summerland Macs         2       8       .200      5.5

(June 25)  Booting the ball more often than they hit it, the Kelowna Labatts fell 10 to 2 to the second-place Oliver OBC’s at Elks Stadium. Kelowna gleaned only three safeties off ex-teammate Bill Martino and committed eight errors in an inept performance. Two of the Labs’ triad of hits were solo homers, one each by Gerry Goyer and Wayne North. Oliver had five hits off loser Jack Denbow including two-run circuit-clouts by Paul Eisenhut and Elroy Jacobs. Martino mowed down 15 Labatt batters via the strikeout route in an impressive mound performance.

(June 26)  A two-run rally in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning wasn’t quite enough as the hosting Summerland Macs fell 4 to 3 to the Penticton Red Sox. The Scarlet Hose collected nine base hits, including a home run by Lloyd Burgart, in support of winning chucker Bud Englesby. Portsider Carlton Sheeley of the Macs was nailed with the loss.

(July 1)  Len Gatin’s right arm proved just too much for the Vernon Carlings as he kept the Kamloops Okonots’ winning streak intact by pitching the Okies to a 5 to 3 verdict over the Brew Crew. Gatin sent the first 13 batters he faced back to the bench empty handed before he relaxed control and walked Jack Wheelhouse. The Vernon hopes were dampened as he quickly recovered and set another six bats down in order. It wasn’t until the seventh that the Carlings registered a hit and this was just a Texas Leaguer that was blooped over short. Meanwhile, his mates opened the scoring in the fifth when two unearned counters crossed the dish after Carlings’ catcher Bill Schmidt dropped a third strike with the sacks full and, when scrambling after the pill, threw wild to losing pitcher Tony DeRosa who was covering the plate. They added another three in the sixth, once again with the aid of Vernon miscues. That ended the scoring for the ultimate winners who had a five-run cushion at this point. Of the five Kamloops’ tallies, only one was scored as being earned. Gatin began to show signs of tiring after Schmidt’s dying quail in the seventh. Consecutive walks to Tony Brummet and Jack Wheelhouse preceded a hard shot to right which plated Brummet with the shutout-breaker. The scoring ended in the eighth when DeRosa and Jim Tooley, who both had singled and advanced to third and second respectively on an infield ground out, were driven home on successive singles by Ray Adams, Brummet and Wheelhouse. Gatin poured on the coal in the ninth, retiring the visitors in order. Both pitchers of record ended the fracas with identical strikeout totals at five, walks issued at three and hits surrendered at seven but it was the stellar start that Gatin had in this game plus the costly mistakes made by the losers that made the difference in the final result. The only two baton swingers to mash out more than one base knock in this contest were Jack Fowles and power-hitting “Buck” Buchanan of the Okonots. 

DeRosa (L) and Schmidt, Blaney (7)   
Gatin (W) and Kato 

(July 1)  The hosting Trail Smoke Eaters of the OMBL split an exhibition doubleheader against the Larson Air Force Base of Moses Lake WA. Larson took the opener 7 to 6 while the Smokies captured the nightcap 7 to 2.
The American Fly Boys outfoxed Smoke Eaters’ starting pitcher Jack Ferguson in the matinée contest with a successful bunting attack in the fifth inning which netted them a trio of tallies and put them in front to stay. Trail’s Bill Johnson had a two-run four-bagger in this joust.

Hydrick (W) and Goss
J. Ferguson (L), Gould (6) and Hackett

Winning tosser Bob Seaman scattered three Larson safeties over seven innings of mound toil in the sunset tussle before handing the horsehide over to Howie Esche who fanned four of the six Air Base batters he faced in the final two frames. “Busher” McIntyre and Bill Johnson paced the victors at the platter with a brace of safe swats each.

Sherwinski (L), Cruz (4) and Walls
Seaman (W), Esche (8) and G. McIntyre, Hackett (8)

(July 1)  Kelowna Dominion Day tournament - The Kelowna Labatts defeated the Oliver OBC’s 5 to 3, in an all-Okanagan final game, to cop top prize money in the four-team tourney. In an all-coast clash for third and fourth money, the Port Coquitlam Hotels nine edged the South Burnaby Athletics 3 to 2. First-round matches had the Labatts defeating South Burnaby 14 to 11, despite their pitchers giving up seven homers to swatsmiths from the A’s, while Oliver staged a come-from-behind 8 to 6 victory over the Hotelmen.  

(July 4)  Kelowna Independence Day tournament -  Spanking a packed Spokane Builders squad 8 to 2 before a large crowd in the tourney final, the hosting Kelowna Labatts captured top tournament loot for the second time in just a few days. Leo Petty’s back-to-back home runs in the sixth and seventh spasms of the finale brought in six counters for the winners. To reach the final in the event staged in commemoration of the American national holiday, the Beerman eliminated the Almira WA Athletics 11 to 6 while the Builders had knocked off the Kimberley Dynamos 5 to 0. Kimberley came back to wallop Almira 10 to 4 to annex third-place money.

(July 4-5)  It was a disastrous weekend for the Kamloops Okonots in their sojourn to the Smelter City. The Okies forfeited the Saturday evening opener to the Trail Smoke Eaters in the seventh inning as an injury to one of their players reduced their already-shortened line-up down to only eight men. Having already used two pitchers from their 11-player travelling roster when third baseman Al Collier was struck in the face by a pitched ball and taken to the hospital for treatment, the score reverted back to the sixth inning with Trail leading 12 to 6.  Catcher Sonny Hackett led the Trail batting attack with three hits including a homer and six RBI’s. Len Gatin was charged with the loss.

Gatin (L), Geefs (3), J. Fowles (5) and Kato
DeRosa , Gould (W) (3), Esche (7) and Hackett, G. McIntyre (7)

Sunday afternoon, the Okonots dropped a narrow 3 to 2 decision to the Silver City nine. Pinoke McIntyre’s pinch-hit double in the bottom-of-the-eighth inning scored the winning tally for the Smokies. Once again, Len Gatin was saddled with the mound defeat as Bob Seaman grabbed the win with a six-hitter.

Gatin (L) and Kato
Seaman (W) and G. McIntyre

(July 5)  The Oliver OBC’s stung the horsehide for 13 base blows in recording a 10 to 3 blowout of the Summerland Macs. Winning pitcher Gary Driessen was touched for eight Summerland safeties in going the route while Carleton Sheeley of the Macs was stung with the loss.

(July 9)  The Kelowna Labatts continued their winning ways of late, handing the visiting Vernon Carlings a 6 to 2 setback. Ray Scott struck out ten in earning the mound victory for the Regatta City nine while Jim Staff was saddled with the loss. Pacing the Kelowna offensive attack was playing-manager Hank Tostenson who launched a three-run homer in the fourth inning. With the victory, the Labatts moved past the idle Trail squad into fifth place in the OMBL standings.

(July 10)  The Penticton Red Sox overcame a 6 to 5 deficit, scoring twice in the seventh panel to squeeze out a 7 to 6 triumph over the cellar-dwelling Summerland Macs. Lloyd Burgart’s two-run circuit-clout in the sixth had moved the Sox to within one run of the Macs. Bud Englesby, who relieved starter Chuck Preen in the third inning, was the winning pitcher.

Standings               W       L       Pct.     GBL
Oliver OBC’s           10       4      .714     ----
Vernon Carlings         8       5      .615     1.5
Penticton Red Sox       8       5      .615     1.5
Kamloops Okonots        8       8      .500     3.0
Kelowna Labatts         4       5      .444     3.5
Trail Smoke Eaters      6       8      .429     4.0
Summerland Macs         2      11      .154     7.5

(July 11)  The Trail Smoke Eaters dropped a 12 to 6 decision to the hosting Kelowna Labatts in the first game of their three-game weekend swing through the Okanagan. The game was close until the eighth frame when the Labatts exploded for a six-spot to break a 6 – 6 tie. The winners slammed four dingers in the contest as Greg Jablonski connected for a pair while Gerry Goyer, with a grand-slam clout, and Hank Tostenson belted one each. Tostenson also laced the orb for three singles in addition to his tater. Ab Cronie slammed a four-bagger for the visitors. Ray Scott grabbed the hillock victory while Andy Bilesky of the Smokies was nailed with the defeat. 

DeRosa, A. Bilesky (L) (7) and G. McIntyre
L. Schaefer, Scott (W) (4) and Culos

(July 12)  At Summerland’s MacDonald Park, the Kelowna Labatts edged the Macs 5 to 4 in ten innings to move into third place in the OMBL standings. Joe Kaiser’s smash down the first base line drove in Wayne North with the winning counter in the overtime session. Leo Petty had a solo dinger in the opening stanza for the Brewery Boys while Al Hooker launched a two-run tater for the Macs in the third panel. Kelowna southpaw Jack Denbow picked up the hurling decision at the expense of Summerland’s Johnny Buck.

(July 12)  An eleven-inning 5 to 4 road conquest of the Penticton Red Sox by the the Vernon Carlings ended the two-game losing streak of the Brewery Boys and moved them to within a shade of the idle Oliver OBC’s for the top rung in the circuit. It was first baseman Russ Keckalo’s hungry two-bagger in the top of the second overtime session that set the Vernon victory machine in motion. After a shaky “Bud” Englesby walked Tony Brummet, the winning RBI fittingly fell to displaced pitcher Tony DeRosa, operating in right field since departing the slab in the fifth. His only hit of the tussle, a timely one to be sure, sent Keckalo joyously across the plate. Winning pitcher Jim Staff, who pitched shutout ball for the Carlings after talking over for DeRosa, slammed the door again in the bottom of the 11th to garner the win. For the 6-2/3 frames that he was on the hillock, Staff was touched for just one hit. The winners piled up a decided 11 to 5 edge in base hits acquired despite the close score. The leading swatsmith in this tightly-contested affair was Vernon backstop Bill Schmidt who slammed a double and two singles. Teammate Tony Brummet had a homer in the fourth with the bases clean.   

DeRosa, Staff (W) (5) and Schmidt
Englesby (L) and A. Richards

(July 12) Playing on their home turf at Riverside Park, the Kamloops Okonots avenged their double-loss of a week previous to the Trail Smoke Eaters when they swept both ends of an OMBL doubleheader from the Silver City visitors by scores of 10 to 6 and 7 to 6. A four-run, third-inning outburst in the opener, highlighted by Stan Kato’s homer, provided the Okies with the margin they needed to claim victory. Kamloops pounded out 14 hits in this skirmish while the Smokies clipped the horsehide for seven safeties. Skipper Len Gatin of the Okonots picked up the hillock verdict at the expense of Trail starter Jack Ferguson. Jack Fowles went four-for-four at the plate for the winners while Trail’s “Busher” McIntyre creamed the apple for a triad of safe swats.

J. Ferguson (L), Gould (4) and Hackett
Gatin (W) and Kato

The concluding contest was a see-saw affair with the lead changing hands several times. A bases-empty home run by Trail’s Merillo Geranazzo and a two-run shot by Bill Lennox of the Okonots were instrumental in the offensive thrusts for each squad in the middle innings while, defensively, Kamloops was busy reeling off two twin-killings to one for the visitors. Heading into the final frame, the foes were deadlocked at 6 – 6. Winning pitcher Jack Olson retired the Smokies without any damage and, in their half of the stanza, the homesters went to work as Stan Kato singled, moved to second base on a fielder’s choice, scampered to third on a wild pitch by loser Andy Bilesky and, after the sacks became full, scored the winning counter when Bob Saklofsky laid down a well-placed squeeze bunt to end the game. Addie Tambellini and “Busher” McIntyre of the vanquished nine were the game’s leading offensive stars, each pounding the pill for a trio of base knocks.

A. Bilesky (L) and G. McIntyre
Geefs, Olson (W) (3) and Anderson, Kato (8)

(July 14)  The Vernon Carlings of the OMBL rocketed the Fairchild Air Force Base diamond troopers from Spokane WA into orbit with a 16-hit barrage that saw them take an 11 to 5 decision over the American Fly Boys in  a specially-arranged exhibition tilt as part of the Vernon Days celebrations. The Kelowna Labatts also took part in the festivities, doubling the Fairchild squad 8 to 4 in the twilight part of the event. Despite the lopsided score in the opener, the Carlings had to overcome a five-run deficit in the second inning to post the victory. The win was credited to Tony DeRosa while Larry Whalen was saddled with the loss. Russ Keckalo had four hits for the victors.

Whalen (L), Rollins (3) and Buchanan
DeRosa (W), Staff (6) and xxx

Kelowna’s pint-sized Hromi Ito pounded the apple for a perfect four-for-four during the first eight innings of the sunset portion of the festival, then beat out a well-placed bunt in his fifth time up. Bob Radies earned the mound victory by firing a three-hitter.

Radies (W)  and Culos
Coffee (L), Keller (1) and xxx

(July 16)  The Penticton Red Sox outlasted the Kelowna Labatts 13 to 12 in an OMBL slugfest that produced 36 hits, 19 of them by the Scarlet Stockings. Trailing 12 to 9 after seven full innings, the Peach City squad narrowed the gap to a pair with a singleton in the top-of-the-eighth and then ran up a three-spot in the ninth to forge ahead for good. With one out, outfielder Larry Hale singled, moved around to third following a double by winning pitcher Bud Englesby and kept on running to score when losing hurler Les Schaefer, covering the plate, missed the ball thrown to him from Kelowna catcher Johnny Culos on the errant relay from the outfield. Charlie Richards' hit then plated Englesby with the tying maker and Charlie Preen drove in Richards with the lead tally. Englesby proceeded to set the Brewery Boys down one-two-three in the last-of-the-ninth to seal the deal for the Sox. Slim Al Richards, Penticton's 17-year-old backstop, clouted a three-run homer for the victors while shortpatcher Leo Petty did the same for the Labatts.

Englesby (W) and A. Richards
Denbow, Scott (4), L. Schaefer (L) and Culos

(July 17)  After a slow start, the Penticton Red Sox continued their heavy-hitting of a day previous, tallying a total of 15 markers in the sixth and seventh innings, and walloped the cellar-dwelling Summerland Macs 18 to 7. 

(July 18-19)  Reliever Les Hufty was the hero as the Trail Smoke Eaters edged the visiting Kelowna Labatts 3 to 2 Saturday evening and 6 to 5 Sunday afternoon at Butler Park.  Hufty teamed with winning tosser Bob Seaman in the Saturday event, garnering the save with a late-inning appearance on the hill. Jack “Busher” McIntyre belted a solo dinger for the winners in this weekend opener while teammate Harold Jones stung the sphere for a double and single.

L. Schaefer (L), Denbow (4) and Holmes, Culos (7)
Seaman (W), Hufty (8) and Hackett

Hufty, once more in the role of a fireman, fanned Kelowna’s Les Schaefer, in a critical ninth-inning situation, for the final out in the Sunday affair, preserving the slim Trail victory for Bob Seaman. Pacing the Smokies’ 10-hit arsenal were Addie Tambellini, Leo Mailey and Bill Johnson with two singles each. Mailey’s brace of one-baggers drove in a counter on each occasion.

Scott (L), Radies (6) and Culos
Gould, Seaman (W) (2), Hufty (9) and G. McIntyre

(July 19)  The high-flying Oliver OBC’s inflicted a crippling double-header loss on the invading Vernon Carlings in their quest for the penthouse suite in the OMBL. The Oliverites humiliated the visitors 6 to 0 in the curtain-raiser and then completed the sweep with an 11 to 4 thumping of the Beermen in the wrap-up encounter. With the twin-triumphs, the OBC’s opened up a two-game lead over the Penticton Red Sox atop the circuit. Meanwhile, the Carlings dropped from the runner-up position into fourth place in the loop. With veteran import Gary Driessen flinging a five-hit shutout in the seven-inning opener, the Carlings appeared mentally ill-prepared for the important clash and posed no threat throughout. A disputed call that went against them seemed to cause a loss of focus, resulting in a series of miscues, both mentally and physically. Bill Martino displayed his renowned tactics at the plate for the winners, clipping the offerings of losing hurler Jim Staff for a three-for-three output, while Tony Brummet’s two-for-three was easily the best for Vernon.

Staff (L) and Schmidt
Driessen (W) and Cade

Shelling starter and loser Tony DeRosa from the bump early in the late tilt, the OBC’s went on to rack up 14 safeties off a trio of Vernon tossers while winning pitcher Bill Martino was limiting the Carlings to eight safeties. Third baseman Jack Cleveland was especially hot with the lumber for the victors, accumulating five base knocks. Next best with the stick was Richie Schnider who collected four hits. Martino was no slouch either, gathering three more safeties to go along with his trey in the matinée joust. Russ Keckalo was tops with the bludgeon for the vanquished nine, lighting up Martino for a solo homer and a brace of one-baggers. Jim Moro checked in with three singles.

DeRosa (L), Miciuk (3), Staff (8) and Brummet 
Martino (W) and Cade 

(July 19)  Taking advantage of ten bases on balls for seven counters in the sixth inning, the Kamloops Okonots held on and nosed out the hosting Summerland Macs 8 to 7 despite being outswatted 11 to 8 by the losers. Playing-manager Len Gatin of the Okies notched the hillock victory while Al Hooker was nicked with the defeat.

Gatin (W) and Kato
Hooker (L), Pariseau (6), Hooker (6) and Pinske

Standings               W      L      Pct.    GBL
Oliver OBC’s           12      4      .750    ----
Penticton Red Sox      10      6      .625    2.0
Kamloops Okonots       11      8      .579    2.5
Vernon Carlings         9      7      .563    3.0
Kelowna Labatts         6      8      .429    5.0
Trail Smoke Eaters      8     11      .421    5.5
Summerland Macs         2     14      .125   10.0

(July 24)  The league-leading Oliver OBC's scored two runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Kelowna Labatts 5-3, dropping Kelowna into sixth place in the standings.

(July 25)  A leaping circus catch by Penticton shortstop Lloyd Burgart, which he converted into a double play, turned back a last-inning rally by the Trail Smoke Eaters and saved the day for the Red Sox as they held on for a narrow 12 to 11 OMBL victory. Trail had stormed back from a 12 to 6 deficit to trim the margin to a single counter when the Smokies’ Hugh “Pinoke” McIntyre slashed out a screaming line drive, with two runners aboard, which Burgart snared by vaulting high in the air with perfect timing. The Smoke Eater runner at the keystone sack was easily doubled up for the final out of the contest. “Bud” Englesby, with relief assistance in the ninth from Doug Moore, notched the pitching win. Trail used three hurlers with starter Bob Seaman absorbing the loss. Charlie Preen clipped Seaman for a first-inning solo homer.

Seaman (L), Gould, A. Bilesky and xxx
Englesby (W), Moore (9) and xxx

(July 26)  A subdued and harmonious band of Vernon Carlings, having shaken off the stigma of their poor performance of a week previous, moved back onto the winning trail by doubling the visiting Penticton Red Sox 8 to 4 at Polson Park. It was an important win for the Vernonites as it moved them, by a few percentage points, past the idle Kamloops Okonots into third place in the OMBL. Carlings’ starter, big Ron Miciuk, pitched into the eighth to pick up his sixth win. The rookie tosser was nicked for eight safeties before turning the ball over to Jim Staff. Miciuk was aided by a solid infield defense that turned a pair of slick double-plays. Loser Doug Moore, using a combination of slow and even slower stuff from various arm angles, presented no mystery to the Carls who laid claim to ten safe swats. Outfielder Bill Roth of the winning nine had a two-run double in the third and added two more hits later in the skirmish in going three-for-five.     

D. Moore (L) and A. Richards
Miciuk (W), Staff (8) and Schmidt

(July 26)  The Oliver OBC’s defeated the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters 5 to 0 and 5 to 2 in an OMBL doubleheader.
The league’s leading pitcher, Gary Driessen, pitched the OBC’s to the whitewash triumph in the opener, stymying the Silver City nine on five hits.

J. Ferguson (L) and xxx
Driessen (W) and xxx

Bill Martino, with relief help from Driessen in the sixth inning, was the winning pitcher in the second game. The OBC’s outswatted the visitors by an 11 to 8 margin in this affair.

J. Ferguson (L) and xxx
Martino (W), Driessen (6) and xxx

(July 26)  The Kamloops Okonots clung tenaciously to their third-place spot in the OMBL by downing the Summerland Macs 10 to 8 in a haphazard performance at Riverside Park. In the process, Okonot first sacker Buck Buchanan slammed two more home runs to stretch his league-leading total to nine. The Kamloops nine rapped out 11 hits as powerful Jack Fowles launched a third Okie homer and middle pasture patroller Bob Saklofsky contributed a brace of two-baggers. Fred Kato picked up a brace of safeties for the vanquished nine.

Buck (L), Hooker (7) and Pinske, Egely (3)
Gatin (W), Geefs (6) and Kato

(July 30)  The Kelowna Labatts edged towards the final playoff spot in the OMBL with a 9 to 6 victory over the fourth-place Penticton Red Sox. Bob Campbell slammed a two-run homer in the third to ignite the fifth-place Labatts on their way to the win. Penticton’s Lloyd Burgart duplicated the feat in the fourth but Kelowna added six more counters in the next pair of frames to salt away the victory. Jack Denbow picked up the hillock triumph for the Brew Crew while Bud Englesby was charged with the loss. Leo Petty and Hank Tostenson stroked three safeties apiece for the winners while Penticton’s Charlie Preen matched that output.

Englesby (L) and xxx
Denbow (W), L. Schaefer (6) and Culos

(July 31)  A first-inning, grand-slam home run by shortstop Leo Petty put the Kelowna Labatts ahead for keeps as they went on to defeat the Penticton Red Sox 7 to 6 in Okanagan-Mainline League play. It was the second win in two nights for the Regatta City nine. Ray Scott went the route on the hill for the Labatts to earn the win on a six-hitter while Jim Andrews, starting flinger for the Scarlet Stockings, was charged with the loss. Trailing 8 to 4 as they came to bat for the final time, the Sox threatened to tie the game but fell just short, after scoring three times on a two-run round-tripper by Charlie Richards and an unearned tally by Steve Hunter, when Lloyd Burgart hit into a game-ending double play.

Scott (W) and Culos
Andrews (L), Englesby (8) and xxx

(August 1)  A successful squeeze bunt by Trail’s Hugh “Pinoke” McIntyre in the tenth inning allowed winning pitcher Bob Seaman to score from third base as the hosting Smoke Eaters snatched a come-from-behind 8 to 7 win over the surprisingly-tough Fairchild WA Air Force Base Radarts in a weekend exhibition clash at Butler Park. The Smokies overcame a 7 to 4 deficit by plating a three-spot in the bottom-of-the-ninth, forcing overtime. A double by Jim Bilesky, a sacrifice fly and a single off the bat of Skip Ferguson, all sandwiched around a pair of crucial Fairchild errors gave the Smelter City nine the opening they needed to knot the count. The visitors had home runs by George Wells and Bob Senske in the fracas.

Jenkins, Keller (L) (4) and Buchanan
Gould, Seaman (W) (4) and Hackett

(August 2)  Kamloops Okonots’ home run specialist Jack Fowles made one mighty swipe in the first inning, but it produced three runs, good enough to carry the Okies to a 3 to 2 win over the visiting Vernon Carlings. Young Vernon chucker Jim Staff allowed only one more hit after Fowles’ four-ply clout, making for a thrilling pitcher’s duel with Kamloops’ veteran playing-manager Len Gatin. Both moundsmen went the distance and both relinquished just three hits. Fowles touched Staff for a single later in the game to emerge with hitting laurels for the battle.

Staff (L) and Brummet
Gatin (W) and Anderson

(August 2)  The invading Kelowna Labatts had the top-dog Oliver OBC’s on the ropes but an eighth-inning meltdown allowed the OBC’s to plate a four-spot and emerge as 7 to 5 victors. An error at home plate, a wild pitch and a crucial walk all contributed to the Kelowna collapse which let the Oliverites off the hook. The Beermen had a healthy 13 to 8 margin in base hits as Al Schaefer shelled Gary Driessen for a three-run homer while teammates Leo Petty and Frank Fritz both stung the sphere for three safeties. Johnny Lingor nailed a solo four-ply clout and a double for the winners.  

L. Schaeffer, Denbow (8), Scott (L) (8) and Radies
Driessen (W) and Cade

(August 2)  The Summerland Macs provided their fans with a rare OMBL victory, sending Penticton to their fourth straight loss, by downing the Red Sox 5 to 2. Al Hooker notched the hillock triumph with a six-hitter

Englesby (L) and xxx
Hooker (W) and xxx

(August 6)  The defending OMBL champion Kelowna Labatts showed some of their old form, sparkling their way to an 8 to 2 victory over the Summerland Macs before 1,200 fans at Elks Stadium. The win eased the Brewery Boys into fourth place in the standings. Showing up with their batons in hand, the Labs whaled young Johnny Pariseau of the Macs for seven hits and collected another six off reliever Al Hooker. Winning pitcher Ray Scott whiffed eleven Summerland batters, holding the Apple Towners to five hits. Gerry Goyer, the rangy second baseman of the Regatta City nine, banged out four safeties, one of them a two-run homer, while driving in four runs. Goyer teamed with shortstop Leo Petty to provide faultless middle-infield defense and came within a whisker of a second round-tripper in the fourth panel when his screaming RBI double hit the scoreboard.

Pariseau (L), Hooker (7) and xxx
Scott (W) and Culos, Radies (8)

(August 8)  Bob Radies held the Larson Air Force Base nine of Moses Lake WA to seven scattered safeties as the Kelowna Labatts edged the American Fly Boys 3 to 3 in an exhibition encounter. Hromi Ito led the victors at the dish with a solo circuit-clout and a single.  

(August 8-9)  The Trail Smoke Eaters, out of the playoffs and with nothing to gain or lose, swept a weekend double-dip from the visiting Summerland Macs. Trail followed up its 14 to 3 blowout victory Saturday night with an 8 to 3 triumph Sunday afternoon.  Trail’s Adolf Tambellini raked Summerland pitching for four safeties, including a triple, in the Saturday affair.

Addie Tambellini’s bat was again the starting spark for the Silver City squad in Sunday’s clash. His second triple of the weekend drove in Leo Mailey with the tying counter in the third stanza, erasing a 2 to 1 Macs’ lead. Tambellini then scored the go-ahead marker in the same frame when Ab Cronie sent him home with a singleton. Complete-game winner Bob Seaman, although weak at times, gave up only five scattered hits while Trail collected ten base raps off loser Al Hooker and reliever Mel Ball.

(August 9)  It was Polson Park for thrills where the hosting Vernon Carlings rallied for two runs in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning to annex a 4 to 3 OMBL walkoff win from the Kelowna Labatts. With the bases loaded and nursing a 3 to 2 lead, Kelowna twirler Ray Scott was summoned to the bump to replace Les Schaeffer who had created a one-out jam by walking Vernon’s Jack Wheelhouse and giving up back-to-back singles to Jim Staff and Tony DeRosa. Scott delivered just two pitches, the first to pinch-hitter Ray Adams who promptly nailed a one-bagger which pushed home Wheelhouse with the tying marker. Next to step into the batter’s box was Jim Moro who grounded Scott’s second and final pitch straight at Labatt shortpatcher Leo Petty. For some unknown reason, perhaps thinking that two had been retired, Petty experienced a brain freeze. Instead of throwing home for the force out or going for the 6-4-3 double play, Petty scooped up the pill and threw to first base while Staff triumphantly sprinted in from third with the winner. Credited with the win was Staff who took over from starter Ron Miciuk in the sixth. Miciuk gave up six of Kelowna’s nine hits. The Carlings rang up ten hits, nine of which were yielded by losing slabman Schaeffer. Tony DeRosa, who has taken over the leadoff spot in Vernon’s batting order of late while patrolling the outer garden, slapped out three hits. For the Labatts, Wayne North, Frank Fritz and Greg Jablonski all checked in with a brace of base raps while Petty partially atoned for his blunder by nailing a solo dinger in the fourth.  

Schaeffer (L), Scott (9) and Culos
Miciuk, Staff (W) (6) and Schmidt

(August 10)  A successful squeeze bunt by catcher Sonny Hackett down the first-base line and a mad dash from the hot corner sack by pinch-runner Andy Bilesky lifted the Trail Smoke Eaters a 4 to 3 victory over the Fairchild WA Air Force Base pastimers in an exhibition tilt that stretched over 11 fascinating innings. The Smokies could have won it several times during the regulation distance but shot themselves in the foot with some inept base running. After a shaky start, winning pitcher Jack Ferguson got stronger as the game progressed and limited the potent Air Force swatsmiths to just two hits after the fifth inning. Over the 11 inning route, he was touched for nine safeties while contributing to the Trail offense with two singles and a walk off losing tosser Larry Whelan.

(August 14)  A four-run outburst in the fifth inning by the league-leading Oliver OBC’s spelled defeat for the slump-ridden Penticton Red Sox who dropped a 6 to 3 decision on their home turf. Oliver’s starry Gary Driessen earned credit for the win, tossing a three-hitter, while “Bud” Englesby was charged with the loss.

(August 15)  A typical valley squall in Kelowna played havoc with the horsehide at the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League’s second annual all-star game. Fly balls were tricky and the pitching unpredictable as old man Wind played umpire-in-chief. Like true all-stars, the players survived it and, after nine innings, the North had won its second straight classic by a 5 to 4 score. Players from the Kamloops Okonots made an impact. It was Buck Buchanan’s solo homer in the bottom-of-the-fifth inning which gave the North a come-from-behind victory. Len Gatin clinched it when he strode to the mound with the bases loaded in the sixth, snuffing out a potential South rally and finishing the game with only one hit garnered off his slants. Vernon’s Tony Brummet also had a fine game, cracking out four straight hits including a first-inning double which figured in a three-run explosion by the North. The Southerners scored all their runs in the third inning to take a short-lived lead. Singles by Oliver players Bruno Ceccon, Gary Driessen and Richie Schnider as well as Ollie Egely of Summerland did most of the damage.

Englesby, Driessen (1), Hooker (L) (4), Martino (7) and A. Richards
Staff, Scott (W) (3), Gatin (6) and Brummet

(August 16)  The Vernon Carlings lowered the boom on the free-falling Penticton Red Sox’ hopes of making the playoffs by crushing the Peach City nine 10 to 4 in a heavy-hitting OMBL fracas at Polson Park. The teams traded singletons in the first inning and it wasn’t until the fifth frame that the Vernon offensive machine took over, cashing in their opportunities for six runs off losing moundsman “Bud” Englesby. Throughout the event, the Brewery Boys outswatted their southern visitors 13 base knocks to 10. Jim Staff went the distance, recording his fifth victory against an equal number of losses. The Carlings’ Russ Keckalo had the most productive time with the stick for either squad, cuffing the horsehide for three safeties. Collecting a pair of safe swats each were Tony DeRosa, Ray Adams and Johnny Kashuba of the winning nine as well as Penticton’s Al Richards and first sacker Herb Moore

Englesby (L) and A. Richards
Staff (W) and Brummet

(August 16)  Lacking in solid pitching depth beyond ace chucker Len Gatin, the Kamloops Okonots almost threw away a 10 to 2 lead but managed to hang on and defeat the Kelowna Labatts 10 to 9. Gatin, who had tossed 3-1/3 innings in the all-star affair less than 24 hours previous, pulled himself from the Riverside Stadium tussle in the eighth with his team well in front. The move almost backfired as relievers Bill Geefs and Jack Olson, along with regular first sacker Buck Buchanan, were totally ineffective and, in the ninth, allowed the Labatts to come within a run of tying things up before Buchanan recorded the final out. A pair of 375-foot Kelowna home runs were pounded out in the contest, a solo blast in the fifth by shortstop Leo Petty and a three-run shot in the ninth by third baseman Frank Fritz. League-leading batter Jack Fowles of the Okies fattened his average with a brace of singles and a double to pace the winners’ 16-hit attack.

Scott (L), L. Schaefer (7) and Culos
Gatin (W), Geefs (8), Olson (8), Buchanan (8) and Kato

(August 16)  The Oliver OBC’s clinched the 1959 Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League’s regular-season pennant by whipping the hosting Summerland Macs 9 to 3. The win was propelled by the pitching of Gary Driessen and helped by Paul Eisenhut’s home run. The OBC’s out-hit the Macs by a 12 to 5 margin and committed one error to two by Summerland.

Standings               W       L       Pct.    GBL
Oliver OBC’s           17       5      .773     ----
Kamloops Okonots       14       8      .636     3.0
Vernon Carlings        12       8      .600     4.0 
Penticton Red Sox      11      12      .478     6.5
Kelowna Labatts        10      11      .476     6.5
Trail Smoke Eaters     10      14      .417     8.0
Summerland Macs         3      19      .136    14.0

(August 20)  The Kelowna Labatts kept their playoff hopes burning by downing the Kamloops Okonots 9 to 5 before a reported 1,200 fans in the Orchard City. The Beermen had nine hits to six for the Okies. Despite the loss, home run leader Buck Buchanan of Kamloops stretched his season’s total to ten with a three-run seventh-inning clout. Frank Fritz pounded out a brace of taters for Kelowna, both two-run blasts. Gerry Goyer also nailed a four-bagger for the Labatts.

Gatin (L), Geefs (6) and xxx
Denbow (W) and xxx

(August 22)  A power surge consisting of three eighth-inning home runs lifted the Kelowna Labatts to a 5 to 3 conquest of the Summerland Macs and earned the Labs a berth in the OMBL playoffs. Entering the eighth in arrears by a 2 to 1 count, the Brewery Boys were having trouble unraveling the offerings of Summerland tosser Al Hooker. However, after Johnny Culos rapped a lead-off dinger to square things at 2 - 2, Hank Tostenson singled and the long-distance whaling continued with a two-run blast by Leo Petty and a bases-empty, 400-footer off the bat of Frank Fritz. Just to keep things interesting, Harold Biollo of the Macs rapped one over the wall in the bottom-of-the-eighth but Bob Radies, in relief of winning flinger Ray Scott, set the Apple Towners down in the ninth when they were shaping up for a comeback.

(August 23)  The Vernon Carlings moved into second spot in the OMBL, by percentage points, with their 9 to 5 clobbering of the hapless Summerland Macs at MacDonald Park. Lanky Ron Miciuk pitched into the eighth canto to earn his seventh mound victory. Jim Staff  came on in relief to preserve the win. The tandem surrendered a combined ten hits to their hosts. The Macs also used a pair of chuckers whose slants were raked for nine base raps. Top swatsmiths in the affair were Summerland keystone sacker Geordie Taylor and middle pasture patroller Jim Dooley of the Brewmen who both registered a triad of base knocks. 

Miciuk (W), Staff (8) and Schmidt
Buck (L), Ball (3) and xxx 

(August 23)  The Oliver OBC’s, who clinched the regular-season pennant a week ago, edged the Penticton Red Sox 1 to 0 to extinguish all playoff aspirations for the Sox. The game was a pitcher’s duel with Oliver’s Gary Driessen and Bud Englesby of the Scarlet Stockings, both giving up just four hits. Back-to-back doubles by Bill Martino and Richie Schnider in the sixth produced the contest’s lone run.

(August 26)  The Vernon Carlings turned on a sparking brand of baseball to blank the Kamloops Okonots 4 to 0 behind the three-hit pitching of Jim Staff. The contest was halted after 5-1/2 innings because of darkness. With the win, the Carlings claimed sole possession of second place in the OMBL. The Carlings gave a flawless display of defensive work in preserving the shutout win for Staff. Losing flinger Len Gatin was equal to the task with Staff as he also gave up just three base hits. The Vernonites pounced on the few openings afforded them to produce runs. After Gatin walked a pair in the third frame, Tony DeRosa delivered a run-producing single. Three more tallies were chalked up in the fifth, only one of which was driven in by a hit. The first of the trio resulted when Kamloops’ catcher Stan Kato, upon receiving a great throw from outfielder Len Fowles, dropped the ball at the dish as base-runner Jack Thompson, who appeared to be dead on arrival, went into a slide. Tony DeRosa’s two-bagger drove in Jim Staff for a second counter and then DeRosa, who stole third, touched home on a passed ball. DeRosa’s two hits, a single to go along with his run-producing double, topped the Vernon offense, Jack Fowles’ pair of bloopy singles were the best output offered by the Okies.

Gatin (L) and Kato
Staff (W) and Schmidt, Kashuba (4)

(August 28)  Jim Staff hurled his fourth straight victory in OMBL play as the Vernon Carlings trimmed the Kelowna Labatts 5 to 2 at Polson Park in an abbreviated tilt curtained by darkness after 5-1/2 innings. Vernon’s win gave them undisputed possession of second place in the standings. Staff scattered four hits as he improved his record to seven and five. Losing pitcher Jack Denbow was nicked for seven of the Carlings’ nine hits before getting the hook in favor of Bob Radies in the fifth. Johnny Kashuba stung the apple for a trio of safeties to lead the home club’s offense. 

Denbow (L), Radies (5) and Culos
Staff (W) and Brummet

(August 30)  The Vernon Carlings ended the OMBL regular season on a disappointing note, dropping a 4 to 1 decision to the pennant-winning Oliver OBC’s before a large crowd at Polson Park. The win was Oliver’s fourth in as many games against the second-place Carlings this season. The OBC’s also ruined rookie pitcher Ron Miciuk’s bid for an undefeated season. The 19-year old right hander saw his record dip to 7 – 1. The winner was former Kelownian Bill Martino who held the Vernonites to two hits before turning things over to Richie Schnider for the last two frames. The two combined to limit the Carlings to four hits, two of which were garnered by catcher Bill Schmidt, back behind the plate after splitting a finger two games ago. Martino and his batterymate, catcher Jim Cade, did most of the damage with the lumber for the winners. Cade ripped three bingles while Martino was good for a pair.

Martino (W), Schnider (8) and Cade
Miciuk (L), Staff (9) and Schmidt

(September 5-6-7)  Kamloops Labor Day weekend invitational tournament

PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS  (best-of-three series)  Kamloops vs Oliver and Kelowna vs Vernon

(September 13)  Dame Fortune beamed benevolently on the Kelowna Labatts in their 7 to 6 annexation of the opening game in their semi-final series with the hosting Vernon Carlings. Outhit by a 10 to 7 margin, the Orchard City nine were fortuitous in that starter and winner Ray Scott, along with ninth-inning reliever Bob Radies, were able to strand 17 Vernon baserunners in this playoff battle between the opposing Brewery-sponsored squads. It was a see-saw battle in which the hosts tied the score at 6 – 6 in the bottom-of-the-eighth panel when Tony DeRosa and Russ Keckalo both singled and Tony Brummet batted in DeRosa. In the top-of-the-ninth, the Labatts regained a one-run advantage when Leo Petty, who had singled and advanced to second when Gerry Goyer was walked, scampered home with the ultimate winner when playing-manager Hank Tostenson blooped a dying quail over shortstop. Things looked good for the Vernonites, when they loaded the sacks without surrendering an out, to begin the bottom-of-the ninth stanza. Coach Vern Dye decided to send in a pinch-hitter for Bill Schmidt at this point, Schmidt having drawn the collar in four previous attempts. With the enthusiastic home crowd behind him, Dye chose himself to assume that role. Digging in at the plate, Dye lit into reliever Radies’ first pitch and sent a blazing grasscutter straight at third baseman Frank Fritz who said thank you very much as he cleanly fielded the pill and relayed it home for a force out, catcher Johnny Culos, in turn, firing to first for a crucial double play. Tony DeRosa then ended the game with a fly out. Shortstop Goyer of the triumphant nine and Vernon’s Brummet led their respective aggregations at the dish with three-hit performances. One of Goyer’s blows was a four-sacker with one runner aboard. 

Scott (W), Radies (9) and Culos
Staff (L) and Brummet

(September 13)  A bad bit of sun and five errors spelled the difference as the Kamloops Okonots were doubled 6 to 3 by the Oliver OBC’s in the first game of their best-of-three semi-final series. The sun robbed Okie centre fielder Barry McDowell of an easy third out and, instead, two Oliver runs scored in the first inning after two Kamloops errors had put runners aboard. Another couple of miscues in the second frame brought in a third OBC run while a further disastrous boot in the seventh by the Okonots plated two more counters for the pennant-winners. Bill Martino started on the mound for the winners but got into a minor fourth-inning jam and was pulled as pitching ace, Gary Driessen, took over for the balance of the contest. Rubber-armed Len Gatin went the route for Kamloops and took the loss. All three tossers were far from their best as the OBC’s lit up Gatin for a dozen safeties while the Oliver tandem of chuckers was nicked for ten bingles. Martino, who moved to the middle pasture after being derricked from the hill, led the visitors offensively with three singles. Jack Fowles nailed a bases-empty dinger and a one bagger for the Okies while brother Len Fowles ripped a double and single.

Martino (W), Driessen (4) and Cade
Gatin (L) and Anderson

(September 17)  With a 3 to 1 victory in game two, the upstart Kelowna Labatts eliminated the favored Vernon Carlings to advance to the OMBL finals. As was the case in the first tussle, the Carlings made a last-ditch attempt at tying the score in in the ninth inning, loading the bases after a two-out double by Jim Moro followed by consecutive walks to Ken Kulak and Johnny Kashuba. With the pressure on him, complete-game winning pitcher Ray Scott regained his composure and, on a three-and-two count, enticed Vernon batter Bill Roth to hit a sinker that bounded to keystone sacker Gerry Goyer who made the routine toss to first for the final out and the end of the series. Kelowna had taken a 1 to 0 lead in the opening stanza when Leo Petty blooped a soft double into right field and raced around to score on Frank Fritz’ single. The Carlings knotted the count in the second after Moro reached first on Goyer’s bobble, moved into scoring position on Jack Thompson’s bunt and touched home when Johnny Kashuba drilled a one-bagger. The Labatts broke the deadlock in the sixth after Goyer was hit by a Ron Miciuk’ pitch, advanced to third on Hank Tostenson’s base blow and sneaked home on fielder’s choice ground out, making it 2 to 1. In the eighth, the Regatta City contingent was given an unearned gift insurance counter as Greg Jablonski kept chugging around the 90 foot basepaths after his ground ball was tossed by Vernon second baseman Kashuba in the dirt past first baseman Russ Keckalo. Without slowing down, Jablonski moved to second and headed for third as Keckalo threw the retrieved baseball wildly in that direction allowing the Kelowna outfielder to continue homeward bound for what has been referred to as a Little League homer.

Miciuk (L), Staff (7) and Brummet
Scott (W) and Culos 

(September 20)  A rubber-armed skipper and a brother connection, certified with lumber and glove, broke the back of the pennant-winning Oliver OBC’s, leading the Kamloops Okonots to a 3 to 2 and 6 to 1 doubleheader sweep of their hosts and a berth in the OMBL finals against the Kelowna Labatts. Iron-man Len Gatin pitched in 14 of the 18 innings played in the double-dip, earning victories in both contests. Left fielder Jack Fowles pitched four innings of scoreless relief in the finale, went 6 for 9 at the dish over the course of the day, scored three times and, defensively, had two putouts and three assists. His brother Len Fowles nicked the apple for three safeties in nine tries, scored a triad of counters, put out five and assisted on seven outs. The Okonots outhit their foes in both contests with margins of  6 to 5 and 10 to 7.

Gatin (W) and Anderson
Driessen (L) and Cade

Gatin (W), J. Fowles (6) and xxx
Martino (L) and Cade

FINALS  (best-of-three series)  Kelowna vs Kamloops

(September 27)  The Kamloops Okonots , despite being outswatted by a 13 to 8 margin, grabbed a one-game lead in the OMBL finals by trouncing the shorthanded Kelowna Labatts 7 to 3 at Riverside Park. With five of their regulars unavailable for the opener, the Labatts weren’t able to bunch their hits with consistency and played sub-par defensively. Meanwhile, the Okonots provided perfect defensive play behind winning tosser Len Gatin and made the most of their offensive opportunities. In addition to posting the mound triumph, Gatin had three base blows, one of which was a three-run homer in the third panel which put Kamloops ahead 6 to 1. Earlier in that frame, OMBL batting champion Jack Fowles had gone yard with a solo tater. Ray Scott went the route for the Brewery Boys, absorbing the loss. Top willow wielder for the Regatta City nine was flychaser Greg Jablonski who nailed a double in addition to a pair of one-baggers.

Scott (L) and Culos
Gatin (W) and Anderson

(October 1) Facing elimination, the Kelowna Labatts overcame a 4 to 0 third-inning deficit and went on to square the best-of-three OMBL finals at a game apiece by downing the Kamloops Okonots 12 to 8. The Beermen stung the sphere for ten safeties while the Okies had eleven. A four-run outburst in the seventh panel followed by a three-spot in the eighth delivered the victory to Kelowna. Outfielder Greg Jablonski and third baseman Al Schaefer blasted home runs for the winners with Jablonski’s clout scoring three. Hank Tostenson had a brace of safeties which produced four RBI’s. Jack Fowles of the Okonots was the top swatsmith in the contest, going four-for-five at the platter while home run king “Buck” Buchanan pounded out a two-run dinger. Kamloops’ second baseman Bill Lennox picked up four RBI’s.  

Gatin (L), J. Fowles (7) and Anderson
Denbow, Scott (W) (3), A. Schaefer (9)

(October 4)  The Kamloops Okonots won their second OMBL title in ten years when the disposed of last season’s playoff champions, the Kelowna Labatts, 5 to 4 in an exciting rubber match at Riverside Park. The two teams were deadlocked at 1 – 1 entering the seventh stanza when the invaders from the Orchard City erupted for a three-spot, two of which came on Hromi Ito’s four-bagger and the other on an RBI single by Hank Tostenson. Facing a 4 to 1 deficit, the Okies responded in their half of the panel after Kelowna shortpatcher Leo Petty made two consecutive errors putting runners at first and second. “Buck” Buchanan then drew a walk, his third of the game, to load the sacks. Hot corner custodian Joe Motokado followed with a Texas Leaguer to the left garden which plated a deuce. The tying counter crossed the pan when Bill Lennox grounded out. Stan Kato then emerged as the hero when he doubled off the right-centre field wall as Motokado touched the plate with what turned out to be the winning tally as triumphant tosser Len Gatin blanked the visitors in their final two turns at bat. Catcher Bob Anderson of the victors clipped the Labatt pitching tandem of loser Jack Denbow and reliever Al Schaefer for a double and single, the same offensive output that was produced by Petty off Gatin’s slants.  

Denbow (L), A. Schaefer (7) and Culos
Gatin (W) and Anderson 


NORTH OKANAGAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

The eleven-team North Okanagan Baseball circuit of a year previous was reduced to six teams in 1959.

Celista Shuswatters
Enderby Oil Kings
Falkland Broncs
Salmon Arm Merchants
Sicamous Eagles
Six Mile

Regular Season

(May 3)  The Salmon Arm Merchants spoiled the home opener of the Falkland Broncs by taking a 10 to 4 North Okanagan Baseball League victory. Playing-manager Fred Spelay got Salmon Arm rolling with a two-run single in the opening canto and the visitors led from start to finish. Falkland’s only two earned runs were driven in on a single by A. Ricard. The Merchants pounded out 14 hits during the contest and the Broncs nicked route-going winner Duane Weber for six. Weber’s batterymate, catcher Al Andrews, led all willow wielders with a pair of two-baggers and a single. Losing flinger Denny Culling clipped the orb for a double and one-bagger.

Weber (W) and Andrews
Culling (L) and xxx

(May 10)  The Sicamous Eagles and Salmon Arm Merchants divided 20 hits equally but it was the Retailers who came away happy in their debut at home as they set down the Big Birds 10 to 6. Frigid temperatures hampered the efforts of moundsmen Pete Nowoczin and Duane Weber although less so in Weber’s case as he gave up fewer extra-base blows and more effectively spaced those raps he surrendered. Catcher Al Andrews batted in three runs for the victors with two doubles.

P. Nowoczin (L) and Rokosh
Weber (W) and Andrews

(May 10)  The Celista Shuswatters kayoed the Enderby Oil Kings 11 to 4 in an NOBL clash on the North Shore.

(May 17)  Errors nearly outnumbered base hits in a rain-spattered NOBL game that saw the invading Salmon Arm Merchants stop the Enderby Oil Kings 13 to 8. First sacker Keith Hughes made his Merchant pitching debut and came out the winner with some relief help from Duane Weber. Salmon Arm found Oil King starting twirler R. Parr to their liking and got to him for three runs before he was driven to the showers in the first inning after facing only four batters. Wayne Smith toiled on the hill for the remainder of the tussle. Playing-manager Fred Stinson belted a round-tripper for the winners.

Hughes (W), Weber (7) and Andrews
Parr (L), Smith (1) and xxx

(May 24)  The hot-handed Salmon Arm Merchants stretched their league-leading unbeaten streak to four games when they defeated Six Mile 17 to 6 at Centenoka Stadium. It was the slick relief pitching of Keith Hughes who saved the day after he came to the rescue of starting hurler Duane Weber in the top of the first inning when the Six Milers had built up a 5 to 0 cushion. Hughes blanked the visitors for eight innings then gave up one counter in the finale, the only damage the visitors were able to render against his air-tight chucking. Six Mile changed pitchers and field positions at random in a futile attempt to stem the Salmon Arm batting tide. Lloyd Wilson was painted with the loss. Barry Damgaard had three safeties for the Retailers  while playing-skipper Fred Spelay nicked the horsehide for two doubles. Speedy catcher Al Andrews was lightning on the base paths, swiping no less than five sacks.

Wilson (L), xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
Weber, Hughes (1) and Andrews

(May 24)  The visiting Sicamous Eagles toppled the Enderby Oil Kings 10 to 5 in an NOBL scuffle.

(May 31)  The invading Salmon Arm Merchants broke loose for 11 runs in the first inning and coasted to a 21 to 4 annihilation of the Celista Shuswatters on the North Shore. In claiming their fifth successive victory of the campaign, the defending NOBL titlists banged out 20 base blows and were the recipients of seven free passes. Shortstop Fred Spelay and catcher Al Andrews both raked a brace of Celista chuckers for five safe swats as Spelay accumulated eight RBI’s.

Weber (W) and Andrews
Chambers (L , C. Dalin (1), Chambers (1), C. Dalin (9) and W. Dalin

Standings                 W     L      Pts.
Salmon Arm Merchants      5     0      10
Sicamous Eagles           3     1       6
Enderby Oil Kings         2     3       4
Celista Shuswappers       2     3       4
Falkland Broncs           1     3       2
Six Mile                  1     4       2

(June 7)  Continuing with their torrid offensive output, the Salmon Arm Merchants blasted 19 base knocks in setting down the Celista Shuswatters 10 to 6 in the return match of their home-and-home showdown. Duane Weber grabbed the mound decision after coming to the aid of Merchant starter Keith Hughes in the fifth panel to douse a Celista rally that had squared the contest at 5 – 5. Fred Spelay added five successive singles to his impressive batting total of the previous week. Losing hurler Chris Dalin led the Shuswatters with three safeties.

C. Dalin (L) and W. Dalin
Hughes, Weber (W) (5) and Andrews

(June 7)  The Sicamous Eagles edged Six Mile 9 to 8 in an NOBL game played at Sicamous.

(June 14)  The Salmon Arm Merchants slugged their way to an 11 to 5 conquest of the Falkland Broncs at Salmon Arm’s Centenoka Stadium. In earning their seventh straight win, the Retailers slammed 13 hits and got plenty of help from the error-prone Broncs who committed no fewer than 10 miscues. Duane Weber spaced seven hits and whiffed three in going the route for the mound victory. Denny Culling and Hector Lewis toiled on the bump for the Falkland nine. Barry Damgaard and “Lefty” Rolin led the merchant bats with two hits apiece. Damgaard also headed a crime syndicate that stole eight bases during the afternoon. He brashly stole home under Lewis’ nose in the seventh.

Culling (L), Lewis (7) and xxx
Weber (W) and Andrews

(June 21)  Tall right hander Keith Hughes pitched 4-2/3 innings of effective relief as the Salmon Arm Merchants triumphed 16 to 10 over the homestanding Sicamous Eagles in NOBL action.

Weber, Hughes (W) (4) and Andrews
xxx (L) and xxx

(July 12)  The Salmon Arm Merchants maintained their unbroken victory record by defeating the host Six Mile aggregation 9 to 2.

Weber, Hughes (W) (5) and Andrews
Clough (L), Wilson and xxx

(June 17)  The visiting Vernon Carlings of the Okanagan Mainline Baseball League seemed to experience more trouble with the mosquitoes than the hosting Salmon Arm Merchants as they blasted the Retailers 17 to 6 in an exhibition match at Centenoka Stadium. The Beermen had just an 11 to 9 edge in base hits but it was the inept defensive performance by the NOBL leaders that did them in. The Merchants had hoped to base the outcome of the game on their chances of entering the Okanagan Mainline circuit next season but that prospect seemed to fizzle like a firefly in a cloudburst. Salmon Arm starter Keith Hughes was tabbed with the loss. Ron Miciuk, unbeaten to date in the OMBL, held the homesters to two runs on four hits in four innings. Vernon’s other chucker, John Kashuba, finished up and was given credit for the victory.

(June 19)  It took ten innings, playing in ferocious heat, for the Salmon Arm Merchants to dispose of the hosting Falkland Broncs 6 to 2. The number of runs each team plated matched the output in the base hits recorded by each club. Key blows in the overtime session which turned the tide for the winners came off the bats of Barry Damgaard, a triple, and Al Andrews, a two-bagger. Relief tossers, the Merchants’ Duane Weber and Falkland’s Denny Culling, were the pitchers of record.  

Damgaard, Weber (W) (6) and Andrews
xxx, Culling (L) (6) and xxx

(July 26)  Time and tide finally caught up with the Salmon Arm Merchants as their ten-game NOBL win skein was snipped by the Sicamous Eagles who posted a 7 to 4 extra-inning victory at Centenoka Stadium. The Eagles, who grabbed a 4 to 3 lead in the ninth inning only to have Salmon Arm tie the contest, hit relief hurler Duane Weber hard in the tenth. Pete Nowoczin allowed eight hits in gaining the complete-game win.

P. Nowoczin (W) and Rokosh
Hughes, Weber (L) (10)  and Andrews

(July 26)  A bottom-of-the-ninth tally allowed the homestanding Celista Shuswatters to nose out the Enderby Oil Kings 9 to 8. Ed Chambers’ sacrifice fly platted Gerry Bauer to give the Shuswatters the decision. Bauer had reached base on a walk and had worked his way to the hot corner station with a pair of stolen bases. Jack Chambers, playing with a knee brace following an injury sustained in a game against Salmon Arm on May 31, was the winning pitcher after coming to the aid of starter Gabe Anthony in the third.

(August 2)  The Salmon Arm Merchants didn’t let losing become a habit as they squeezed by the Enderby Oil Kings 5 to 3. The Retailers made the best of the five base raps they acquired, utilizing walks and errors by the Oil Kings to expand their run total. Duane Weber, who scattered six hits over the distance, was the winner over Wayne Smith.

Smith (L) and xxx
Weber (W) and Andrews

(August 9)  The Celista Shuswatters found their bats in the seventh inning and, as a result, plundered the Six Mile diamondeers 5 to 3. The game was tight as a drum until the seventh panel when Six Mile took a 2 to 1 lead. R. Williams started things with a single and scored when Norm Smith’s base hit got by the middle pasture patroller of the Shuswatters. Celista, going all out in the last half of the seventh racked up four counters as a double by George Bauer and singles off the bats of Dorn Speed, Chris Dalin and Bill Dalin were telling blows which paid dividends. Still fighting in the top of the eighth, Six Mile’s Fred Lewis hit a triple to right field and chopped Celista’s lead to two runs when brother Wally Lewis lofted a sacrifice fly. The deficit remained at a deuce in the top of the final canto when Shuswatter flinger Jack Chambers whiffed a pair of Six Milers, Albert Houri and M. Williams, the punchouts being sandwiched around a second-out infield pop up. Chambers recorded seven breezes to spin the win. Lloyd Wilson, who was relieved by C. Clough in the seventh, was the loser. 

(August 9)  Plating a pair of tallies in the eighth panel and a singleton in the ninth, the Salmon Arm Merchants hung on for a 14 to 12 win over the revenge-bent Enderby Oil Kings in an offensively-charged NOBL encounter. The hosting Oilers blew a massive early lead but made things interesting near the end. Leading swatters for the victors were Ron Jacob with a quartet of base raps and Fred Stinson with a trio. George Wynn nailed a two-run circuit-clout for the vanquished nine.

MacPherson, Hughes (W) (1) and Andrews
xxx, Parr (L) and xxx

(August 9)  The Sicamous Eagles, after sweeping a doubleheader from the Falkland Broncs, with a comfortable margin in each contest, laid claim to the runner-up spot in the NOBL standings. 

(August 16)  Failing to disappoint a large home crowd at Centenoka Stadium, the Salmon Arm Merchants clinched the 1959 NOBL pennant by capturing a 6 to 2 verdict from Six Mile. Barry Damgaard solidified his selection by the fans as the team’s MVP by hitting an inside-the-park home run and making some fine catches in the outer garden. 

(August 16)  Paced by the explosive bat of Chris Dalin, the Celista Shuswatters blackjacked the Falkland Broncs 11 to 4. Dalin walloped three home runs plus a single to bring his RBI total in the game to six. Pitcher Gabriel Anthony also helped the Celista cause with a two-run double.  

(August 16)  By defeating the Enderby Oil Kings 8 to 1, the Sicamous Eagles solidified their grip on second place in the NOBL. Albert Mucha handled the pitching chores for the Eagles.

(August 23)  Closing out the 1959 NOBL regular schedule, the Salmon Arm Merchants never missed a beat and flattened the hosting Celista Shuswatters 10 to 1. Pitcher Keith Hughes allowed the Shuswatters one run in the opening stanza and then settled down to throw nothing but goose eggs over the next eight frames, finishing with a six-hitter. Fred Stinson and Roy Rees each drove in two runs for the winners.

Hughes (W) and Andrews
Anthony (L), xxx (2) and W. Dalin

Playoffs
Semi-Finals  (sudden-death) Enderby vs Salmon Arm and Celista vs Sicamous

(August 30)  The Sicamous Eagles gained a berth in the NOBL finals by disposing of the Celista Shuswatters 6 to 3.

(August 30)  The sudden-death semi-final staged at Centenoka Stadium proved to be a quick kill for the pennant-winning Salmon Arm Merchants who plated a five-spot in their first turn at bat en route to a 12 to 3 pasting of the Enderby Oil Kings. Keith Hughes posted his second mound win in a row over the Kings with a six-hit performance. The Retailers sent losing twirler Wayne Smith to the showers after one inning on the hill and continued their assault on reliever “Smoky” Parr, combing the Enderby duo for 12 safeties. Al Andrews knocked in four counters for the victors and Fred Stinson picked up a triad of RBI’s.

Smith (L), Parr (2) and xxx
Hughes (W) and Andrews

Finals  (best-of-three series) Sicamous Eagles vs Salmon Arm Merchants

(September 13)  Desire and hustle, along with some solid swatting, brought the Sicamous Eagles to an opening-game 8 to 4 victory over the Salmon Arm Merchants in the NOBL final series. The Feathered Clan punched out a dozen base blows and grabbed a 6 to 0 lead after five frames, derricking losing flinger Duane Weber from the rubber along the way. Winning moundsman Pete Nowoczin turned in an eight-hitter and received major offensive support from outfielder George Maier who singled in three successive innings, driving in four runs. Merchants’ first sacker “Lefty” Rolin, who also had three safeties, suffered neck injuries and a concussion in the ninth inning when accidentally kicked in the head by a Sicamous base runner and is out of the series.

P. Nowoczin (W) and Rokosh
Weber (L), Hughes (2) and Andrews

(September 20)  Who gets to pop the cork on the championship champagne, which is chilling on ice, still remains a mystery in the NOBL finals. The Salmon Arm Merchants brought the 1959 series right down to the wire by snipping the Sicamous Eagles 4 to 3 in the second game of the best-of-three showdown. The Retailers led all the way in this joust but their lead was narrowed to a single run when the Eagles notched a brace in the eighth. Al Andrews accounted for all four of the Salmon Arm tallies with a first-inning two-run triple followed by RBI doubles in the second and third. Winning tosser Keith Hughes, meanwhile, was busy stymying the Big Birds on four safe swats, two off the bat of losing twirler Pete Nowoczin. Playing-manager Fred Stinson of the victors reached base on three occasions, each time with a one-bagger, and scored two runs.

Hughes (W) and Andrews
P. Nowoczin (L) and Rokosh

(September 27)  In arrears by a 3 to 2 count after five innings had been played, the Salmon Arm Merchants exploded for six markers in the sixth canto and went on to rout the Sicamous Merchants 9 to 5 to capture the 1959 NOSL finals two games to one. Moundsman Keith Hughes took care of the Eagles with his second four-hit pitching assignment of the series. Hughes didn’t surrender more than one safety in a single inning although he did run into control difficulties throughout the clash, issuing five walks and plunking three batters. The Retailers, meanwhile, were able to amass a dozen safe blows off the slants of losing twirler Pete Nowoczin and reliever Orval Forgaard. The Sicamous duo did manage to combine for 15 strikeouts, however. Leading the victors’ 12-hit attack was Duane Weber with a trio of safe swats. Collecting a brace of bingles apiece were Fred Stinson, Al Andrews, Fred Spelay and Ron Jacob. Fly chaser George Maier had two of the four Sicamous hits.

Hughes (W) and Andrews
P. Nowoczin (L), Forgaard (6) and Rokosh


SHUSWAP-OKANAGAN MONASHEE BASEBALL LEAGUE

This short-season junior loop took on a seventh team in 1959. Joining the two-time defending champion Vernon Timberwolves and holdover clubs from five other districts was a youthful group of baseballers representing the Regatta City, the Kelowna Cyclones.

Enderby Merchants
Kelowna Cyclones
Lumby Loggers
Rutland Red Caps
Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers
Vernon Timberwolves
Winfield

REGULAR SEASON

(April 26)  Vernon downed Winfield 4 to 1.

(April 26)  Rutland clobbered invading Enderby 16 to 1 at Centennial Park. Jim Gray’s lusty three-bagger started off a barrage of hits that netted the Red Caps ten runs before they were finally retired in the first inning. That offensive outburst pretty well settled the issue. Wayne Hornung was the winning pitcher, retiring in favor of reliever Bruce Clement in the fifth. Enderby’s Schulte was saddled with the hillock defeat. Slamming three of Rutland’s 15 hits was Verne Kroschinsky.

(April 26)  Down by a 3 to 2 count entering the final frame, the Kelowna Cyclones rallied for a pair to edge the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers 5 to 4. Brian Ryder earned the mound victory, going the route on the bump for the Regatta City nine.

(April 29)  The defending champion Vernon Timberwolves mounted a well-earned 4 to 1 conquest of the visiting Winfield squad. Fine defensive work by Don McCall and Bob Weir sent the vanquished nine home with only one tally. Kaye Saunders started on the bump for the Wolves and went the first six frames. Reg Main relieved in the seventh.

(April 30)  Three runs in their final turn at bat allowed the hosting Kelowna Cyclones to escape with a narrow 9 to 8 win over Winfield in a SOK’M match called after five innings. Brian Ryder came on in relief of starting moundsman Danny Coe to register the hillock verdict. Clement and Morrison had hits for Winfield in their three-run first inning. Eddie Sehn drove in Ed Kielbiski for the Cyclones only run of that frame. Winfield plated another three-spot in the second panel, the big blow being a three-bagger by Clement. A single by Dale Armeneau and a pair of walks added up to two runs for Kelowna in the bottom-of-the-second, reducing Winfield’s lead to 6 to 3. The invaders upped the count to 8 to 3 in the fourth when Aiko tripled Steve Dungate home and later crossed the plate himself. In their half of the stanza, the Cyclones took advantage of three walks, a Winfield error and a triple by Rich Hartwick to make it an 8 to 6 ball game. Then, after blanking the Winfield squad in the top of the fifth, the Regatta City nine came back with three tallies on singles by Armeneau and Sehn and a two-base hit by Kielbiski to pull out the narrow victory.

(May 3)  The Vernon Timberwolves had no trouble in their SOK’M match with Enderby, knocking the Merchants for a loop in a 15 to 4 rout. Winning pitcher Reg Main and reliever Kaye Saunders shared mound duties for the Wolves. Top dog with the baton for the winners was Jim Nolan who banged out four safeties. Main registered a trio of safe swats while Brian Bloomfield and Don McCall chipped in with a brace of safeties each. 

(May 3)  The invading Kelowna Cyclones roughed up homestanding Salmon Arm, knocking Co-op Clipper pitchers for a loop, in administering a 12 to 1 battering. Dale Armeneau tossed a four-hitter and fanned six in copping the complete-game mound decision. Eddie Sehn smacked two doubles and a single for the victors while Rich Hartwick contributed three singles and Ed Kielbiski a pair.

(May 3)  Rutland pitcher Bruce Clement threw a seven inning no-hit, no-run game in which the Red Caps walloped the Lumby Loggers 8 to 0. Six Lumby batters managed to get on base, three by walks and another trio on errors. The Red Caps netted six base knocks with Verne Kroschinsky’s sixth-inning triple being the longest clout.

(May 5)  In a twilight fixture at Kelowna, the Rutland Red Caps tripped the highly-touted Kelowna Cyclones 9 to 8 in a see-saw SOK’M fixture, a win which boosted the Red Caps into a first-place tie with the Vernon Timberwolves. Bruce Clement snuffed out a sixth-inning Kelowna rally, which had netted a brace of counters, when he ascended the hillock as a reliever after teammate Bob McKinley had put the Caps in front with a bases-clearing home run. The Rutland hurler immediately took charge as he retired the side with three straight strikeouts. However, the Cyclones managed to knot the count 8 – 8 after the sixth stanza, setting the stage for an unearned seventh-inning Red Caps’ run which settled the issue.

(May 7)  Lumby @ Winfield

(May 8)  Jim Forman went all the way on the bump in twirling the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers to their first victory of the campaign, a 5 to 3 conquest of the Enderby Merchants. Bunching five of their eight hits into the final two innings, the Clippers’ decisive tallies were the work of Ron Okada whose single drove in runs four and five. Daryl Koskimaki paced Enderby with a brace of safeties, the same offensive output achieved by Forman, Okada and Charlie McCarthy of the Clips. Chucker Norm Robinson of the Merchants was nailed with the hurling loss.

(May 10)  The Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers suffered their second one-run defeat of the season, a 5 to 4 setback at the hands of the defending SOK’M titlists, the Vernon Timberwolves. Vernon’s Gerry Nain gave up 11 hits on the way to the pitching triumph while Ron Erickson was lit up for a dozen safeties in absorbing the loss. With two retired in the last frame, the Timberwolves’ G. Weir took on the hero’s mantle, singling in the winning tally. Nolan who had set the stage with a double crossed the dish with the deciding marker.

(May 10)  Kelowna @ Lumby – rained out

(May 10)  Winfield broke into the win column, registering a 5 to 3 conquest of Enderby.

(May 14)  The Kelowna Cyclones dropped the strong Rutland entry into third place in the SOK’M standings by trouncing the previously unbeaten Red Caps 16 to 2.The Caps lit into the offerings of Wayne Horning and Bruce Clement for 15 base blows in the one-sided contest. Dale Armeneau picked up the mound win for Rutland and was ably supported by teammates Eddie Sehn and Ed Kielbiski who both drilled a trio of safeties. Supplying power for the Cyclones were Fred Nahornoff with a brace of triples each and Gerald Robertson with a double and three-bagger.

(May 15)  The Vernon Timberwolves continued their mastery over the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers, taking the Clips into camp 8 to 6 at Centenoka Stadium. The Wolves were down 2 to 1 in the opening frame but two-run scoring efforts in each of the second, third and fourth panels plus a singleton in the fifth put them ahead to stay. Winning flinger Kaye Saunders shackled the Clippers on six hits and struck out the side in the seventh stanza to stifle a Salmon Arm comeback at three runs. Starter and loser Jim Forman went four innings before giving way to Ron Erickson. The pair yielded eight hits to the Vernonites.

Standings                   W     L      Pct.
Vernon Timberwolves         5     0     1.000
Kelowna Cyclones            4     1      .800
Rutland Red Caps            3     1      .750
Lumby Loggers               2     2      .500
Winfield                    1     3      .250
Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers   1     4      .200
Enderby Merchants           0     5      .000

(May 17)  Playing at Winfield, the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers picked up their second win of the season, beating the homesters 9 to 7. Three runs in the seventh chapter erased a 7 to 6 deficit. Ron Erickson earned the hillock victory over Winfield’s Don Piaco. Ken Hecker had a pair of RBI singles for the winners, driving in three runs in total.

(May 17)  Kelowna @ Vernon

(May 17)  Rutland @ Enderby – postponed

(May 19)  Vernon @ Kelowna – postponed

(May 24)  The Lumby Loggers found Salmon Arm Clippers’ pitcher Jim Forman just a little too stingy in SOK’M league action at Lumby. Forman held the Loggers to three hits and fanned 13 as the Clippers prevailed 4 to 2. Back-to-back triples by Mitsuka and Ken Hecker in the sixth inning plated the winning and insurance counters for the Clips. Shumka gave up six hits in going the distance for the vanquished nine.

(May 24)  Vernon Timberwolves 4  Rutland Chiefs 3

(May 24)  Enderby Merchants 6  Winfield 3

(May 26)  Winfield @ Kelowna

(May 27)  Playing in a drizzling rain, the Rutland Red Caps defeated visiting Winfield 17 to 11. Errors were plentiful on the wet diamond. Top swatsmiths in the sloppily-played affair were Winfield’s Holitzki and Jim Moorman of the Red Caps who both registered three safeties.

(May 27)  Lumby @ Enderby

(May 28)  The Vernon Timberwolves clouted their way to a 13 to 7 victory over the hosting Rutland Red Caps. Kaye Saunders, who came to the rescue of starter Reg Main in the third stanza, was credited with the hillock triumph. Rutland starter Wayne Horning was nicked with the loss. Main and Jim Nolan both had a brace of base raps for the Wolves while Verne Kroschinsky ripped a trio of knocks for the Caps.

(May 31)  The Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers knocked off Winfield 4 to 3 as winning flinger Jim Forman tossed a one-hitter. 

(May 31)  Overcoming an 8 to 1 deficit, the Kelowna Cyclones put together a seven-run seventh-inning to knot the count and then, after falling behind 9 to 8 in the top-of-the-eighth panel, plated a singleton in their half of the chapter and another in the ninth to squeak out an 10 to 9 decision over the Enderby Merchants. Reliever Dale Armeneau picked up the pitching victory while Gerald Robertson stroked a two-bagger, his third base knock of the game, to plate Eddie Sehn with the winning counter. The Cyclones collected ten hits off Enderby’s Norm Robinson but had some trouble with him as he retired 13 of them by strikeouts.  

(May 31)  A five-run outburst in the fourth inning lifted the invading Rutland Red Caps to an 8 to 5 decision over the Lumby Loggers in SOK’M action. Bruce Clement got the pitching win but needed last-inning relief help from Wayne Horning who came through with a pair of game-saving strikeouts with the bases loaded. Rutland combed loser Bob Shumka, who fanned ten, for 11 safeties. Horning was the biggest Thorn in Shumka’s side, lighting the Lumby hurler up for a triple, two doubles and a single. Red Cap teammate Jim Gray followed with three safe swats. Bruce Kineshanko was best with the baton for the Loggers, stroking the apple for a triple and double.

(June 3)  The Lumby Loggers’ drive for fourth place in the SOK’M circuit was temporarily halted at Polson Park where the undefeated Vernon Timberwolves humbled the Lumberjacks 9 to 3. Working on the slab for the Wolves was Reg Main who received credit for the win.

(June 3)  The Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers trounced the hosting Enderby Merchants 16 to 7 for their fourth straight win. Ron Erickson pitched the win for the Mainliners.

(June 7)  Jim Forman came within two outs of pitching a no-hit, no-run game when he held the Rutland Red Caps to only one hit as the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers won a 6 to 0 SOK’M contest at Rutland. It was the second one-hitter for Forman in two weeks, the previous near-perfect stint being registered against Winfield on May 31. In the Rutland whitewash, Forman struck out 11 and walked three. Rutland’s Adrien Rieger singled in the ninth inning to stop his bid for a no-no. The Clips scored the only tally they really needed in the opening canto when fly chaser Brian Morris tripled and scampered home on Ron Erickson’s single.

(June 7)  The Kelowna Cyclones put together a four-run eighth inning to down the Enderby Merchants 9 to 6. Doubles by Art Weniger and Dale Armeneau were the key blows in the outburst. Armeneau pitched a five-hitter for the Cyclones while Schulte and Norm Robinson shared the mound chores for the Merchants. Keystone sacker Gerald Robertson pounded out the game’s lone circuit-clout, a solo shot in the second frame.

(June 7)  Lumby Loggers 2   Winfield 1

Standings to June 7         W     L       Pct.
Vernon Timberwolves         9     0     1.000
Kelowna Cyclones            7     2      .778  
Salmon Arm Clippers         6     4      .600
Rutland Red Caps            5     4      .556
Lumby Loggers               3     6      .333
Enderby Merchants           2     8      .200
Winfield                    1     9      .100

(June 9)  A hard-luck band of Winfield diamond troopers once again met defeat by a one-run margin when they dropped a 5 to 4 squeaker to the Rutland Red Caps. The win for Caps lifted them into a tie with Salmon Arm for third spot in the SOK’M loop. Both teams registered just four hits. Bruce Clement and Wayne Horning shared the pitching duties for the Red Caps while Steve Dungate went the route for Winfield. Dungate had a brace of safe swats, his second being a bases-clearing double that produced three RBI’s. Bob McKinley and Verne Kroschinsky each stroked a brace of bingles for the victors. 

(June 11)  Vernon @ Winfield 

(June 12)  The Lumby Loggers’ last-ditch drive for a playoff berth received a boost when they got past the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers 5 to 3.

(June 14)  Rallying in the late stages of the game with four hits and a sacrifice fly which produced three runs, the Salmon Arm Co-op Merchants ended the SOK’M regular season with a 5 to 3 conquest of the Rutland Red Caps. Winning flinger Ron Erickson tossed a tidy four-hitter and drove in the go-ahead counter with a timely bingle. The Caps used two chuckers, starter and loser Bruce Clement as well as reliever Wayne Horning. The duo was nicked for ten Clipper safeties.

(June 14)  At Enderby, the Vernon Timberwolves clinched top spot in the SOK’M circuit, taking the measure of their northern neighbors 5 to 3.

(June 14)  Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, the Lumby Loggers went out with a fight, stopping the Kelowna Cyclones 9 to 4. The setback for the Cyclones prevented them from consolidating the runner-up spot in the SOK’M Baseball League. Winning chucker Brian Kin tamed the Cyclones on five hits and led the 16-hit offensive splurge against losing tosser Brian Ryder by clipping the orb for three safeties. His batterymate, catcher Blaney, came through with a brace of bingles.

(June 16)  Kelowna @ Lumby – cancelled

(June 19)  The Vernon Timberwolves made it a clean sweep of their SOK’M opponents when they closed out the schedule with a 14 to 6 victory over the Kelowna Cyclones in the Orchard City.

(June 19)  The Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers moved closer to second spot in the SOK’M circuit when they defeated the visiting Rutland Red Caps 5 to 3. A three-run fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Larry Millar/Miller, secured the victory for the Clippers. Ron Erickson bested Bruce Clement to cop the mound win. Fly chaser Brian Morris and Mitsuka secured two hits apiece for Salmon Arm while the Red Caps’ Adrien Rieger and Bill Cripps did likewise.

(June 20)  Playing on their home turf, the Rutland Red Caps wound up their schedule of play by beating the Enderby Merchants 8 to 4. The Caps were awarded third place over Salmon Arm in the final SOK’M standings on the basis of their superior runs average.

Final Standings                W      L       Pct.
Vernon Timberwolves           12      0      1.000
Kelowna Cyclones               7      4      .636
Rutland Red Caps               7      5      .583
Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers      7      5      .583
Lumby Loggers                  5      6      .455
Enderby Merchants              2     10      .167
Winfield                       1     11      .083 

PLAYOFFS
Semi-finals  (sudden-death)


(June 21)  The heavy-hitting Kelowna Cyclones thumped the Salmon Arm Co-op Clippers 14 to 4 to qualify for a berth against the Vernon Timberwolves in the SOK’M championship series. The Clippers were weakened when they lost the services of ace pitcher Ron Erickson due to an injury in the opening inning. The Kelowna club, fronted by complete-game winning pitcher Brian Ryder as well as hard-hitting Eddie Sehn, was assured of victory when they exploded for eight first-inning counters on the basis of five hits and three Salmon Arm errors. Sehn was the top dog with the willow, spanking the sphere for two triples and a double. Ed Kielbiski and Dale Armeneau followed with three one-baggers apiece while Ryder helped his own cause by belting a triple and double.

(June 22)  The Vernon Timberwolves, league winners with 12 straight victories, advanced to the 1959 SOK’M finals by crushing the Rutland Chiefs 14 to 1. The Wolves’ Reg Main rang up 11 punchouts while allowing five scattered hits in going the distance for the win.

Finals  (best-of-three series)

(June 26)  An underdog band of Kelowna Cyclones snapped Vernon’s 13-game unbeaten streak by doubling the Timberwolves 8 to 4 to grab a one-game lead in the SOK’M championship finals. Kaye Saunders started on the hill for the Vernonites but was roughed up early by the southerners who piled up a seven-run advantage, primarily on the strength of a towering homer by Ed Kielbiski and a booming triple off the bat of Gerald Robertson. Kelowna chucker Dale Armeneau, with his array of sweeping roundhouse slants, kept the Wolves off the scoreboard until the later part of the game. Reg Main took over for Saunders on the bump and muted the Cyclone bats but by then the damage had been done and there was no turning back. 

(June 28)  A 6 to 3 victory by the Kelowna Cyclones, the new kids on the block, lifted the Regatta City nine to the 1959 SOK’M title. It was the second consecutive setback for the pennant-winning Vernon Timberwolves who held the overall league championship for the past two seasons. Brian Ryder of the Cyclones out dueled Vernon’s Reg Main as both chuckers went the distance.


CENTRAL INTERIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE

In spite of being the dominant team in the Central Interior Baseball League, the on-field success of the Prince George Athletics’ senior-level club took a distinct back seat to both softball and lacrosse in Prince George during the spring and summer of 1959. With the exception of the $1,000 prize money tournament in early July, little more than final scores for the senior baseballers ever appeared in editions of the Prince George Citizen. The Quesnel Cariboo Observer, on the other hand, was much more generous in coverage of the Central Interior Baseball League. With the Prince George aggregation being the runaway leaders in the circuit, play within the floundering 1959 loop fizzled to a halt in late July. A major casualty of the league’s collapse and the concatenated lack of interest in the Cariboo area was the $2,000 Quesnel Labor Day tournament for 1959 which was cancelled.

Prince George Athletics
Quesnel Lumbermen
Williams Lake Maple Leafs

(June 7)  The Quesnel Lumbermen, with a young and frisky team, are off and running in the Central Interior Baseball League after dumping the Williams Lake Maple Leafs twice, by scores of 11 to 0 and 15 to 4.
Veteran left-hander George Dye pitched a masterful two-hit shutout in the opener, striking out 13 and issuing nary a walk. Newcomer Bud Baldwin stroked three safeties for the winners. The only two hits for the Leafs were garnered by Gallant, both singles.

xxx (L) and xxx
Dye (W) and Hyde

The second game was a 3 – 3 tie at the end of five but then the roof fell in on Williams Lake in the sixth when the Lumbermen put up a four-spot and added to their total in the seventh and eighth to seal the deal. Speedballer Larry Travers pitched the final four frames for the winners, surrendering but one run, in earning the hillock decision. Bud Baldwin again had a three-hit performance at the dish for Quesnel, driving in a trio of counters. 

Vennard (L), Davidson (8)  and xxx
Johnston, Travers (W) (5) and Hyde

(June 13)  A Central Interior Baseball League match was suspended without a final result with the Quesnel Lumbermen and Williams Lake Maple Leafs deadlocked at 5 – 5 after seven innings. Albert Johnston of the Lumbermen and the Leafs’ Jerry Dodge were the hillock foes when the game was suspended. It will probably be completed in two weeks’ time as part of a scheduled doubleheader.

Johnston and Hyde
Dodge and xxx

(June 14)  The Prince George Athletics hammered the Williams Lake Maple Leafs 21 to 3 in the curtain-raiser of a two-game set at Prince George’s Industrial diamond. The hosts then proceeded to blank the Lakers 3 to 0 in the windup event.  A grand-slam home run off the bat of the A’s Frank Bencher was the highlight of the opening-game blowout.

(June 21)  The powerful Prince George Athletics, with a sprinkling of a few former Willow River stars in their lineup, took both ends of a Central Interior League twin-bill from the hosting Quesnel Lumbermen, winning the opener 8 to 5 and taking the nightcap 4 to 0. Ray McKinchuk, with relief help from Ivan Lareaux, took the mound decision from Quesnel’s Larry Travers in the matinée contest. The A’s broke the game open with a trey in the third and a deuce in the fourth.

McKinchuk (W), Lareaux (6) and xxx
Travers (L), Johnston (4) and xxx

Both teams raked five safe swats off the opposing hurler in the late affair but the Prince George club was more efficient in bunching their safeties when bingles meant bacon. Winning flinger Alex Bellos fanned nine and was nicked for three safeties in his five frames on the bump. Big George Dye went the route for the Lumbermen, whiffing eleven.

Bellos (W), Smale (6) and xxx
Dye (L) and xxx

(June 28)  The homestanding Quesnel Lumbermen played a pair of Central Interior League games against the Williams Lake Maple Leafs yet came away with three victories. Prior to the start of their scheduled doubleheader, which the Lumbermen swept by 8 to 4 and 12 to 2 margins, the two teams agreed that the first run scored in the opening game of the twin-bill would decide the outcome of the suspended game which ended in a 5 – 5 tie on June 13th. The Quesnel nine then came up with a four-run outburst in their first turn at bat as Bob Boyd touched home with the game-winner which gave the hosts a 6 to 5 triumph.  The Lumbermen never trailed in the regularly-scheduled matinée tilt as Larry Travers out dueled Harley Davidson. Boyd collected two hits and teammate Dave Beath had a two-run triple. Heading the Maple Leafs’ batting attack was Jerry Dodge who clipped the orb for four safeties.

Davidson (L) and xxx
Travers (W) and xxx

Portsider George Dye tossed a two-hitter with a dozen punchouts in the finale of the day. Both of the Leafs’ safe swats in their drubbing were picked up by Wayne Olsen. Dye, Bob Boyd and first baseman George Crutchley each stroked two base knocks for the winners with Crutchley’s pair of raps both being two-baggers.

Laird (L) and xxx
Dye (W) and xxx

(July 1)  Bill Ross homered as the Prince George Athletics bombed the Quesnel Lumbermen 9 to 1 in Central Interior League action.

xxx (L) and xxx
Smale (W) and xxx

(July 4-5)  Prince George $1,000 summer baseball tournament

(July 18-19)  Terrace Tournament

(July 26)  The first-place Prince George Athletics maintained their unblemished Central Interior League record by taking a brace of contests from the Quesnel Lumbermen by counts of 15 to 7 and 3 to 2.

Rodonets (L) and xxx
Lareaux (W) and xxx

Ken Blumenshire’s solo four-bagger in the bottom-of-the-ninth stanza in the sunset affair broke a 2 – 2 tie and provided the A’s with the walkoff triumph.

Dye (L) and xxx
Kapahahn (W) and Stettner


WEST KOOTENAY BASEBALL LEAGUE

After two seasons without a senior-level league in place, an alliance of four clubs (Nelson, New Denver, Castlegar and Fruitvale) came together to form the 1959 West Kootenay Baseball League. Neither Trail nor Rossland entered the circuit, however, as Trail opted to join the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League while Rossland did not organize a senior team but had a crack junior-age contingent, the nucleus of which would have been competitive in senior competition.

Castlegar Caribou
Fruitvale
Nelson Outlaws
New Denver-Silverton

(May 31)  The Nelson Outlaws opened the 1959 West Kootenay Baseball League season by taking a hard-fought doubleheader from the invading New Denver-Silverton nine by scores of 6 to 3 and 3 to 2.

The final score in the opener was somewhat deceiving in that losing pitcher Ken Gordon of the Slocan nine punched out ten batters and yielded just five safeties. Unfortunately for Gordon, the hits he surrendered were bunched in the fourth and seventh frames when the victors did all their offensive damage. Winning flinger Blair Olson was pulled in the seventh at which point he had chalked up nine strikeouts while giving up three hits and two walks. The Twin Towners had the tying run at the plate in the ninth when reliever Les Hufty enticed his brother, Frank, to hit into a game-ending ground out. Lorne Shockey and Loren Bay were best with the lumber for the Outlaws, each stroking a double and single.

Gordon (L) and N. Hayashi
Olson (W), Catonio (7), Hufty (9) and Fofonoff

It took a two-run homer by Nelson’s Charlie Burdett in the sixth inning for the Outlaws to overcome a 2 to 1 deficit and snatch the nightcap victory. Hard-luck losing chucker “Bo” Gillis allowed the Lakesiders only two hits while his mates were collecting seven off the slants of winner Les Hufty. The Valleymen had led for most of the game after plating a pair of opening-inning counters following a walk to flychaser L. Erickson and singles by Andy Avison and Nobby Hayashi.

Gillis (L) and N. Hayashi
Hufty (W) and Stewart, Fofonoff

(June 4)  The Nelson Outlaws were outhit by an 11 to 10 margin but still managed to come away with an 8 to 4 victory over the Castlegar Caribou. Les Hufty snatched the mound triumph, besting Lou DeRosa of the Caribou who smacked the game’s only home run.

Hufty (W) and xxx
DeRosa (L) and Guesford

(June 7)  Playing at Silverton, the Castlegar Caribou and the hosting New Denver-Silverton squad divided a doubleheader. The home squad took the opener 17 to 9 while the Caribou rallied to win the second game 10 to 6.
The winners knocked losing flinger Nick Karzaniewski around for 17 safe swats in the matinée event including a four-bagger by outfielder L. Erickson. Winning moundsman Ken Gordon stifled the Caribou on four hits, all singles.

Karzaniewski (L) and xxx
Gordon (W) and N. Hayashi

Danny Geronazzo went the route on the hillock for the Caribou in the finale as his mates staged a two-out, seven-run explosion in the seventh stanza to gain the split. Don Guesford’s circuit-clout highlighted the outburst which included singles by Roger Archambault, Gib Lind and Ed Conroy as well as three walks and an error. Outer pasture patrollers Kenje Hayashi and L. Erickson had two safeties each for the vanquished nine while Castlegar’s Lind replicated the feat. 

Geronazzo (W) and Guesford
xxx (L) and N. Hayashi

(June 10)  The hosting Fruitvale entry in the WKBL saddled the Nelson Outlaws with their first setback of the campaign, sending the Law Breakers down to a 7 to 5 defeat. The visitors got off to a rousing start as they put together five hits in the first inning to score four times but Fruitvale chucker “Whitey” Paugh tightened up and allowed the Nelsonites only four additional hits during the remainder of the game while chalking up 11 strikeouts. Fruitvale’s Ron Molina furnished the highlight of the clash when he cracked out a grand-slam homer in the second inning off losing slabman Joe Postnikoff which tied the score. A fielder’s choice in the fifth frame allowed Reg Dutton of the Beaver Valley nine to cross the plate for a 5 to 4 lead. The Outlaws knotted the count once more when playing-manager Ron Nash came through with a fence-busting triple and scored on Earl Farenholtz’s sacrifice fly. Fruitvale broke the tie in the eighth with a brace of counters on a sacrifice fly by Paugh and a one-bagger by Merv Aiken. First sacker Primo Secco and Dutton both ripped three singles for the winners. 

Postnikoff (L) and Fofonoff
Paugh (W) and Driscoll

(June 11)  The Nelson Outlaws of the WKBL outplayed and out gunned the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters of the OMBL, blanking the Silver City nine 3 to 0 in an inter-league exhibition joust. Blair Olson went the full route on the bump for the Lakesiders, allowing only three meagre one-base hits while walking six and fanning three. The Outlaws did all their offensive damage in the third inning. Walks to Clem Stone and Bernie Monteleone preceded a one-bagger by Loren Bay which brought Stone home. Monteleone then crossed the dish on a deep sacrifice fly by Joe Postnikoff. Lorne Shockey followed by drawing a free pass, swiping the keystone sack and coming all the way around to plate a third Nelson counter on a wild pitch.

Gould, Seaman (L), DeRosa, Ferguson and xxx
Olson (W) and xxx

(June 14)  The visiting Castlegar Caribou not only dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the Nelson Outlaws, but they did it the hard and painful way, losing each match by a thin one-run margin. The final outcomes were 6 to 5 and 5 to 4 Nelson victories.

Danny Geronozzo’s homer off Outlaw starter Stan Grill with Harry Plotnikoff aboard in the first inning of the opener put the invaders in front 2 to 0. They increased their margin to 3 to 0 in the top-of-the-second panel on an infield error, a two-bagger by Norm Logan and a single by Bill Stefoniuk. After that, it was all downhill for the Antlered Tribe as the Lakesiders got to Ed Conroy and loser Chuck Thring for deuces in the second, third and fifth stanzas, the last pair of runs coming on a two-run, inside-the-park homer by Loren Bay. Single counters in the third and ninth panels still left the Castlegar crew in arrears by one. 

Conroy, Thring (L) (3) and xxx
Grill, Postnikoff (W) (3), Hufty (7) and xxx

After the Caribou picked up a three-spot in the top-of-the-seventh chapter of the finale to tie the score at 4 – 4, the Outlaws plated the winning counter when outfielder Lorne Shockey singled, got away with two steals and came home ahead of the throw to the dish following a sacrifice fly by winning chucker Les Hufty. Up until that point, losing tosser Danny Geronozzo’s “nothing-ball” had the Law Breakers over-swinging and consistently popping up for easy outs. The Castlegar flinger collected only two strikeouts during the clash but held the Nelsonites down to three hits while walking just two. His only bad inning was the opener when Clem Stone singled and scored on Bernie Monteleone’s four-bagger. A third Nelson tally resulted on an RBI single by Charlie Burdett later in the frame.

Geronazzo (L) and xxx
Hufty (W) and xxx

(June 14)  It was a black day for New Denver-Silverton of the WKBL as the Slocaners dropped both ends of a doubleheader in their home park, 10 to 3 and 12 to 2, to the Fruitvale diamondeers. The Beaver Valley aggregation collected 18 hits in the opener to six for the hosting nine. Starter Ray Williamson was credited with the win while Ken Gordon suffered the loss.

Williamson (W), Pollock (5) and xxx
Gordon (L), Nelson (7) and xxx

Reliever Tony Jablonski of Fruitvale earned the mound decision in the second encounter as his mates continued their heavy hitting, banging out a dozen safeties off losing chucker “Bo” Gillis and reliever Ken Mori.

MacDonald, Jablonski (W) (3) and xxx
Gillis (L), Mori (5) and xxx

Standings                 W      L      Pct.   
Fruitvale                 3      0     1.000   
Nelson                    5      1      .833   
Castlegar                 1      4      .200    
New Denver-Silverton      1      5      .167
   

(June 17)  In a friendly, exhibition encounter at Butler Park, the Trail Smoke Eaters of the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League hammered the Fruitvale entry on the WKBL 17 to 2. The three hurlers used by the Smokies fanned a total of 15 Fruitvale batters. Pinoke McIntyre drilled three safe swats for the winners, including a double. Addie Tambellini ripped the apple for a triple and single while Merillo Geronazzo contributed a two-bagger and a single. Leading the Fruitvale batting attack was Bruno DeRosa with three safeties while teammate Merv Aiken had a pair.

Paugh (L), Williamson (4), MacDonald/McDonald (6), Jablonski (8) and DeBruyn
Seaman (W), DeRosa (5), J. Ferguson (8) and G. McIntyre, Hackett (6)

(June 18)  A two-run, inside-the-park home run by Loren Bay in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning gave the Nelson Outlaws a 6 to 5 walkoff win over the invading Fruitvale aggregation. The Beaver Valley contingent held a 5 to 1 lead after six-and-a-half innings were in the books but the Lakesiders picked up a brace in the seventh on a two-run single by Bernie Monteleone and narrowed the gap to a singleton in the eighth, setting the stage for Bay’s heroics in the ninth. Nelson outhit the visitors by a scant 8 to 6 margin and also led in the error department, 4 to 1. Neither starting chucker, the Outlaw’s Blair Olson and Al Pollock of the visitors, were the pitchers of record as Les Hufty, who began toeing the rubber in the fourth, picked up the win at the expense of “Whitey” Paugh, who came on in relief in the seventh.  

Pollock, Paugh (L) (7) and xxx 
Olson, Hufty (W) (4) and Fofonoff

Standings                W      L      Pct.    GBL
Nelson                   6      1       .857    __
Fruitvale                3      1       .750    1.5
Castlegar                1      4       .200    4.0
New Denver-Silverton     1      5       .167    4.5

(June 21)  Fruitvale won both ends of a WKBL twin-bill, edging the hosting Castlegar Caribou 7 to 5 in the opener and overwhelming the home team 13 to 5 in the second encounter. Bill Lee led the winners at the platter in the matinée tussle, whacking out a pair of doubles and a single. Castlegar’s Norm Logan also ripped the horsehide for a triad of safeties. Stroking the apple for a pair of safe swats each were Fruitvale’s Jimmy Driscoll, Bill Thompson, Bruno DeRosa and Wood/Woods. Responding with a brace each for the Caribou were Bill Zeebin and Don Guesford. Both starters went the route as Al Laatsch, who whiffed 15 Castlegar batters, earned the decision over Mike Zaitsoff.

Laatsch (W) and Driscoll
Zaitsoff (L) and Guesford

Fruitvale exploded for nine big counters in the fifth frame of the wrap-up fracas to take control of the game. Reliever Ray Williamson earned the hillock triumph for the Beaver Valley Boys, taking the hillock verdict from starter Chuck Thring of the Antlered Herd. Roy Wood/Woods of the victors and Castlegar catcher Don Guesford led their respective clubs offensively, each collecting a pair of base hits. The Longest hit of the contest was a sixth-inning triple recorded by Harry Plotnikoff of the Caribou.

Jablonski, Williamson (W) (4) and Stewart
Thring (L), Conroy (5), Karzaniewski (5) and Guesford

(June 24)  A three-spot in the top-of-the-tenth inning broke a 7 – 7 deadlock and lifted the visiting Nelson Outlaws to a 10 to 7 conquest of the Fruitvale band of baseballers. The youthful Fruitvale squad led right up to the ninth frame when the Lakesiders knotted the count on Bernie Monteleone’s RBI single which plated Lorne Shockey. The victors collected 20 base knocks with Shockey stroking five of those hits. Les Hufty fanned ten, walked a pair and allowed a dozen Fruitvale safeties in going the distance for the mound triumph.

Hufty (W) and Fofonoff
Pollock (L), Williamson (10) and xxx

(June 25)  Leading from start to finish, the Nelson Outlaws doubled the hosting Castlegar Caribou 6 to 3. Winning pitcher Loren Bay, the Outlaws’ regular shortstop, took a turn on the hill and saw his mates stake him to a 3 to 1 margin before he returned to his normal infield spot with Blair Olson taking over on the bump for the remainder of the contest. Hits were pretty evenly split in the scuffle with the Outlaws acquiring eight to seven for the Caribou. Dave Stewart and Lorne Shockey of the winners cuffed the apple for two safeties apiece.

Bay (W), Olson (5) and xxx
Thring (L), Zaitsoff (4) and xxx

(June 28)  Playing on their home turf, the Nelson Outlaws of the WKBL repelled an American invasion when they took both ends of an exhibition double-bill from the Colville WA Air Force Base Radarts, the scores being 9 to 7 and 6 to 4. Nelson’s Bernie Monteleone went four-for-seven in the two-game set. The Nelsonites withstood a three-run ninth-inning rally by the Airmen to cop the opening clash.

Eads (L) and xxx
Postnikoff (W), Storgaard (4), Hufty (7) and xxx

Both aggregations spanked the sphere for eight hits in the finale as Les Hufty went the route to secure the mound decision.

Hizer (L) and xxx
Hufty (W) and xxx

(June 28)  Fruitvale was extended to 13 innings before taking a 9 to 8 decision from hosting New Denver-Silverton in the first game of a WKBL twin-bill. The Twin-Towners roared back to capture the second contest 12 to 3.
A single by Reg/Red Dutton, a sacrifice and catcher Stewart’s one-bagger plated the winning tally in the fourth round of overtime in the opener.

MacDonald, Williamson (4), Pollock (W) (5) and Stewart  
Mori, Gordon (L) (7) and N. Hayashi

George Nelson effectively scattered nine Fruitvale safeties in taking the second game mound verdict.

Jablonski (L), Williamson (3, Pollock (5) and Stewart
Nelson (W) and N. Hayashi

(July 1)  A posse of New Denver-Silverton diamond troopers jailed the Outlaws from Nelson by sending the Lakesiders down to a crushing 13 to 12 defeat. The Twin-Towners scored five runs in the eighth panel, overcoming a four-run deficit, in earning the win. Nelson rapped 15 safeties in the contest while the winners registered 11 base knocks off losing moundsman Blair Olson.  

(July 5)  With the aid of a few lucky breaks, the Nelson Outlaws kept their win streak on home turf unbroken by sweeping a brace of hardly-fought exhibition games from the Fairchild WA Air Base. The Law Breakers edged past the Flyers 6 to 5 in the matinée tussle and took a come-from-behind 6 to 4 victory in the late event.

Keller (L) and xxx
Hufty (W) and Fofonoff

Whalen, Keller (L) (6) and xxx
Catonio (W), Hufty (7) and Fofonoff 

(July 5)  Moundsman Sam Sheloff fashioned a three-hit shutout and a 2 to 0 victory for the Castlegar Caribou over Fruitvale in the first game of a scheduled twin-bill. The second game was called because of rain. 

Standings                 W      L      Pct.    GBL
Nelson                    8      2      .800    __
Fruitvale                 6      4      .600    2.0
New Denver-Silverton      3      6      .333    4.5
Castlegar                 2      7      .222    5.5 

(July 9)  Clawing their way out of a hole by staging a four-run eighth-inning uprising, the Nelson Outlaws bested their closest pursuer in the WKBL, the Fruitvale diamond troopers, 10 to 7 at the Civic Recreation grounds. A single by Zeke Hamilton drove in a pair of counters in that frame to erase a 7 to 6 deficit. The Lakesiders then added a pair of insurance counters to seal the deal. Catcher Larry Fofonoff belted a a solo round-tripper for the winners. The victory expands Nelson’s lead over the second-place Fruitvale aggregation to three games.

Laatsch (L), Jablonski (8) and xxx
xxx (W) and Fofonoff 

(July 12)  The homestanding Castlegar Caribou toppled New Denver-Silverton 14 to 11 and 13 to 3 in double-dip WKBL action. The matinée joust was a slugfest in which the winners collected 17 base knocks against ten for the visitors. Danny Geronazzo’s two home runs in back-to-back plate appearances highlighted the Castlegar offense. Sam Sheloff garnered the win while George Nelson was saddled with the loss.

Nelson (L) and xxx
Sheloff (W) and xxx

Mike Zaitsoff of the Caribou yielded just five hits in the late fracas to earn the pitching win. Losing flinger “Bo” Gillis was lit up for nine Castlegar safeties and gave up seven walks while his mates booted the ball on five occasions.

Gillis (L) and xxx
Zaitsoff (W) and xxx

(July 15)  Len “Whitey” Paugh scattered six hits in pitching Fruitvale to a 6 to 2 victory over the Nelson Outlaws in WKBL action. Paugh had some trouble in the first frame when he gave up four singles, but the Law Breakers managed only one run. After that, the Nelsonites were held to just two more safeties. Fruitvale plated all their tallies in two turns at bat, the first and seventh stanzas. The opening-inning counters came on a single by Stewart and doubles by Wood/Woods and Bill Thompson. A second two-bagger by Thompson was the lone hit in a four-run seventh for the Beaver Valley nine as the Outlaws imploded for four errors in that frame.

Olson (L), Catonio (5) and Fofonoff
Paugh (W) and Driscoll

(July 19)  A pair of southpaw chuckers were the secret of success for the Nelson Outlaws who came away with a brace of one-sided victories against the New Denver-Silverton nine in doubleheader action at New Denver. The Outlaws triumphed 12 to 4 in the curtain raiser and completed the sweep with a 10 to 4 conquest in the owl encounter. The victors fielded flawlessly in both skirmishes. Nelson’s Blair Olson fanned five in copping the mound verdict in the opener.

Olson (W) and Nash
Nelson (L) and Isaakson

Stan Grill breezed to the hillock decision in the windup clash.

Grill (W) and Fofonoff
Gordon (L), Mori (8) and N. Hayashi

(July 19)  Fruitvale roared to 19 to 1 and 16 to 2 thrashings of the Castlegar Caribou in doubleheader play at Fruitvale. Fruitvale’s Ray Williamson struck out 11 and banged out three hits, two of which were doubles, in support of his opening game mound effort. The victors had 21 base blows including a triple and two doubles by Bill Thompson. Norm Logan belted a triple for Castlegar.

Zaitsoff (L), Karzaniewski (8) and Stefoniuk
Williamson (W) and Stewart/Stuart

Tony Jablonski pitched the second-game win for the victors and also had a hand in the hitting department, creaming the orb for three safeties. Teammates Rocky Cull walloped a home run and two-bagger and Ron Molina a triple and double. The Caribou managed just three hits, including a three-bagger by Bill Stefoniuk.

Karzaniewski (L), Thring (3), Russell (4) and Muirhead
Jablonski (W) and Stewart/Stuart

Standings                W      L      Pct.    GBL
Nelson                  11      3     .786    __
Fruitvale                9      5     .643    2.0
Castlegar                4      9     .308    6.5 
New Denver-Silverton     3     10     .231    7.5

(July 30)  Scoring all six of their markers in the third inning, the invading balltossers from Fruitvale doubled the homestanding Nelson Outlaws 6 to 3 in WKBL action. The victors were outswatted by an 11 to 9 margin but winning pitcher Ray Williamson, who whiffed six, was aided with superb defensive work by his mates, including a timely double-play. Losing flinger Les Hufty fanned seven and held the Fruitvale nine scoreless for all but the disastrous third when the winners nicked him for six safeties and their half-dozen counters. 

Williamson (W) and xxx
Hufty (L) and xxx

(August 2)  The visiting New Denver-Silverton squad knocked off the Fruitvale nine 12 to 10 in WKBL play.

(August 2)  The Nelson Outlaws strengthened their firm grip on the top rung of the West Kootenay Baseball League by taking both ends of a doubleheader at Castlegar. In the first game, the Outlaws walloped the Caribou 17 to 7 while, in the second tilt, it took a four-run explosion in the top-of-the-final stanza for the Lakesiders to prevail by a 9 to 5 count.  Nelson pitcher Blair Olson was the recipient of a slugging spree by his mates in the lid-lifter. After falling behind 4 to 1 to Castlegar in the opening panel on the strength of Norm Logan’s bases-loaded four-bagger, the Outlaws went to work with the lumber and won the game handily. Home runs by Loren Bay, Charlie Burdett and Ron Nash highlighted a six-run bombardment in the eighth inning. Bay and Burdett all finished with four-hit performances.

Olson (W) and xxx
xxx (L), xxx and xxx

Three hits, three walks and sacrifice flies by Lorne Shockey and Wood in their final turn at bat broke a 5 – 5 tie and lifted the Nelsonites to victory in the sunset event. Winning tosser Les Hufty surrendered five hits and breezed an equal number in going the route while Mike Zaitsoff, the losing flinger, gave up eight hits and rang up six punchouts..

Hufty (W) and xxx
Zaitsoff (L) and xxx

(August 13)  It was only an exhibition encounter but the Rossland Capilanos, a junior-aged team, proved that they were competitive against senior opposition when they took a 3 to 1 verdict from the second-place Fruitvale nine of the WKBL.

(August 15)  In a benefit game played at Silverton for injured first baseman Hank Turik of the New Denver-Silverton baseballers, the Nelson Outlaws came from behind to defeat  their Valley hosts 16 to 6.  

(August 16)  A junior contingent of baseballers, sporting an impressive 28 win, one loss record over this season and last, split a twin-bill with the hosting Nelson Outlaws, runaway leaders in the WKBL. The highly-touted Rossland junior Capilanos were doubled 4 to 2 by the Law Breakers in the afternoon contest at the Civic Recreation grounds but prevailed 2 to 1 in the evening finale.  Portsider Blair Olson of the Lakesiders handcuffed the Mile-High Kids on four hits while whiffing ten in the opener during which his hit-hungry mates were chalking up 14 safeties off losing chucker Ken Smith of the Caps.

Smith (L) and xxx
Olson (W) and xxx

In the second game, Loren Bay pitched the first five innings for Nelson but moved to his familiar infield spot with the Lakesiders in arrears 2 to 0 when his teammates were unable mount any semblance of an offense. Bay was able, however, to finally put the Outlaws on the scoreboard when he connected for a solo dinger in his last turn at bat. 

Bay (L) Hufty (6) and xxx
Zanussi (W) and xxx

PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (best of-three series)

(August 23)  The Fruitvale band of diamond troopers captured both ends of a playoff doubleheader from the third-place New Denver-Silverton nine at Butler Park in Trail. Final scores in the twin-bill sweep were not published. The Beaver Valley entry now advances to face the pennant-winning Nelson Outlaws in a best-three-out of-five final series for the 1959 WKBL crown.

FINALS (best-of-five series)

(August 30)  The Nelson Outlaws went two steps closer to the 1959 WKBL championship by taking 6 to 3 and 10 to 9 verdicts from the youthful Fruitvale aggregation as the league finals got underway in the Lakeside City.
The initial Nelson victory was achieved primarily through a five-run outburst in the second inning after the Law Breakers had fallen behind 3 to 0 in the opening episode. A bases-empty tater by Charlie Burdett in the seventh panel gave the winners an additional insurance counter. Les Hufty, with an eight-hitter, bested Al Pollock, who yielded nine safeties, in taking the hillock decision.

Pollock (L) and xxx
Hufty (W) and xxx

Trailing 9 to 4 as they came to bat in the bottom-of-the-eighth inning of the nightcap, the pennant-winners went to work with the lumber and mounted a comeback of six runs to forge ahead for good. The Outlaws outhit the Fruitvale squad by an 11 to 7 margin and were the beneficiaries of 11 free passes. Charlie Burdett ripped his second dinger of the day in this contest for the Nelsonites and was easily the big man with the stick for the day, accumulating five hits in seven times at bat in the two-game set.

Paugh, Jablonski, Williamson (8) and xxx
Olson, Hufty and xxx

(September 3)  Once again, the Nelson Outlaws proved they are a come-from-behind team as they knocked over Fruitvale 11 to 5 in the third game of the finals at Butler Park in Trail to annex the 1959 WKBL crown in three straight games. Down 5 to 4 as they entered the eighth inning, the Outlaws put on one of those big innings they have been pulling off all season. The result was a three-spot, highlighted by Loren Bay’s second triple of the game and a squeeze bunt by Joe Postnikoff which plated Bay with the go-ahead counter. That the rampaging Lakesiders added four additional insurance markers in the ninth was anti-climactic. For winning pitcher Les Hufty, it was another great mound performance. The stocky right hander allowed Fruitvale only seven hits, of which Ron Molina managed to get three, and kept the home team well in check, especially in the later innings. “Whitey” Paugh started on the bump for the Beaver Valley nine but was derricked in the eighth panel for Al Pollock when the Law Breakers started to get to his curves. Primo Secco rapped out a homer for Fruitvale.

Hufty (W) and Fofonoff
Paugh (L), Pollock (8) and xxx

KOOTENAY CHAMPIONSHIP

(September 6)  Rain washed out a scheduled doubleheader in Creston that was to have had the homestanding Creston Cruisers, pennant-winners in the East Kootenay Baseball League, lock horns with the West Kootenay Baseball League champions, the Nelson Outlaws, for the overall Kootenay championship.


ARROW LAKES / SLOCAN

Nothing was reported within 1959 editions of the Arrow Lakes News indicating either senior or junior baseball activity that campaign.


EAST KOOTENAY SENIOR LEAGUE

Cranbrook Cubs
Creston Cruisers
Fernie Falcons
Kimberley Dynamos
Kimberley Hobos
Windermere Wilders


(Sunday, exact date unknown) 
Game 1  Creston Cruisers 10     Kimberley Dynamos 3
Kimberley – Bobby Cox – four consecutive hits; Elmer Garinger – home run

Dixon (L), Carter (7) and McCarthy
Drysdale (W) and Folkman

Game 2  Kimberley Dynamos 8     Creston Cruisers 3  
Kimberley – Elmer Garinger – 3 for 4 including a double with three RBI’s; Charlie McCarthy – 3 for 4 (all singles) with two RBI’s.

Nash (W) and McCarthy
Mesenchuk (L) and Folkman

(unknown date)  Cranbrook Cubs 6     Kimberley Dynamos 4

Doll (W) and xxx
Dixon (L) and xxx

(Sunday, unknown date )
Game 1  Kimberley Dynamos 4     Windermere Wilders Warriors 3
WP – Harvey Nash – gave up six safeties in complete-game win
LP – Elgin Smith – pitched a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts

Game 2  Kimberley Dynamos 9     Windermere Wilders Warriors 2
WP – Bobby Cox with relief help from Derrel Dixon
Kimberley – Harvey Nash – 3 singles and a triple


(May 14)  The Kimberley Dynamos doubled their city-cousins, the Kimberley Hobos, 10 to 5 in the home opener for the Bums. The Generators rocked a trio of Hobo slabsters for 11 base knocks while the losers managed just four safeties off winning heaver Eric Bodin. “Buzz” Mellor paced the victors at the dish, spanking the sphere for three base knocks. Jim Nelson of the vanquished nine had the honor of launching the first home run of the campaign. 

Bodin (W). Cox (8) and McCarthy
Fisher (L), Blayney (5), M. Johnson (9) and Ratcliffe

(May 17)  The invading Kimberley Dynamos divided the spoils with the hometown Cruisers in an EKSBL twin-bill played in Creston. The Dynies triumphed 14 to 6 in the opener but were nosed out 3 to 2 in the late tilt. Mel Folkman started on the hill for the Cruisers in the matinee event but was shelled from the bump in the fifth when Kimberley sent nine runners across the plate on seven hits. The big blow was a grand-slam homer by Ray Merryfield off a pitch by fireballing Ed Mesenchuk.

 In the abbreviated seven-inning nightcap, Creston’s John Drysdale and Bob Cox of the Dynamos locked horns in a classic pitching duel. Drysdale gave up three hits while Cox limited the Cruisers to just one safety. The hosts got the jump in the opening panel when a walk, an error and a triple, Creston’s only hit, was good for two markers. The Generators responded with a singleton in their half of the panel and the score remained 2 – 1 until the seventh when the Cruisers advanced a runner to third base on a walk, a sacrifice and a wild pitch. A smartly executed squeeze bunt by Vine sent what proved to be the deciding tally across the dish. Kimberley tried valiantly in their half of the round to knot the count but fell one run short. Eric “Ike” Bodin’s sacrifice fly drove in Elmer Garinger, who had tripled, with the second counter for the vanquished nine.

STANDINGS *              W      L      Pts.
Kimberley Dynamos        2      1        3
Creston Cruisers         1      1        2
Cranbrook Cubs           1      1        2
Fernie Falcons           1      1        2
Windemere Wilders        1      1        2
Kimberley Hobos          1      2        2

*games between the two Kimberley teams worth one point for a win

(May 19)  Eric “Ike” Bodin rang up a dozen punchouts while limiting the arch-rival Hobos to just five singles, two of which were of the scratchy variety, as the Dynamos whitewashed the Tramps 5 to 0 in an all-Kimberly EKSBL affair at Coronation Park. The win entrenched Dynamos in first place in the young ELSBL season. In hurling the impressive shutout win, Bodin did not issue a single walk. The Dynies picked up eight hits off the slants of losing hurler Ron “Slicker” Brown, including a towering fifth-frame, solo home run by Les Lilley. The Dynamo outfielder also had a single while teammate Elmer Garinger laced a pair of line singles.

R. Brown (L) and Ratcliffe
Bodin (W) and McCarthy     

(May 24)  Eric "Ike" Bodin tossed a shutout as the Kimberley Dynamos blanked the Kimberley Hobos 5-0. Slicker Brown took the loss.

At Cranbrook the Cubs pleased the home crowd with a 9-7 deicison over Fernie. Jim Brehm clouted a homer for the winners.

(May 31) Fernie Falcons dumped Windermere in both ends of Sunday's double-header at Fernie, 9-6 and 5-1. Jack Marasco was the winning hurler in the opener surviving 10 hits to best Glen Smith. In the seven-inning nightcap, Fernie got four of their eight hits in the bottom of the sixth frame to score three times and break up a pitchers' duel between Lefty Wilf Ashmore of Fernie and Bruce Kohurst of Windermere. Ashmore allowed just five hits and the run against him was unearned.

G.Smith (L) and xxx
J.Marasco (W) and xxx

B.Kohurst (L) and xxx
W.Ashmore (W) and xxx

(May 31) In exhibition action at Cranbrook, the hometown Cubs crushed the Coleman Outlaws 10-2 in the first of two and the teams played to a 9-9 tie in the second. Chuck Sleith and Miles Desharnals handled the pitching chores for Cranbrook. Joe Bubnich took the loss for Coleman in the first game. The highlight of the second was a bases-loaded home run by Bim Brehms in the second inning which produced a 6-6 tie and the teams see-sawed from there.

(June 4)  Big “Ike” Bodin, ace slab artist of the Kimberley Dynamos, silenced the Kimberley Hobos on one hit as the Dynies blanked the Sorenson’s squad 2 to 0 at Coronation Park. Bodin retired the first 18 batters to face him, gave up a walk in the seventh then saw his no-hit bid vanish in the eighth episode when Jim Nelson led off with a single. He faced just 29 batters throughout the tilt, just two over the minimum. Both tallies registered by the Generators against losing heaver Dave Blayney, who scattered eight hits, were of the unearned variety.

Blayney (L) and Ratcliffe
Bodin (W) and McCarthy

(June 7)  The hosting Kimberley Hobos took both ends of an EKSBL twin-bill from the Fernie Falcons, rollicking to a convincing 10 to 3 victory in the matinée tilt while edging the Falcons by a narrow 5 to 4 count in the hard-fought nightcap.

Mel Johnson effectively scattered nine Fernie hits while ringing up an equal number of punchouts in the curtain-raiser. Meanwhile, his clubmates were lighting up complete-game losing twirler Jack Marasco for a dozen base blows. “Moose” Ronquist was the big noise with the hickory for the Tramps, drilling three safe swats including a triple.    

Marasco (L) and McNamera
M. Johnson (W) and E. Brown, Ratcliffe

The sunset skirmish was a real ding-dong battle which was won in the final frame with some smart station-to-station ball. With the score knotted at 4 – 4, John Stone reached first safely and moved into scoring position when pinch-hitter Ed Johnson followed with a single. Kimberley manager Dave McLay sent Neil Henderson in to pinch-run for Johnson and immediately flashed the sign for a double steal. The thefts worked to perfection, leaving runners at second and third. Colin Patterson then laid down a perfect squeeze bunt as Stone came roaring over the pan with the walkoff winner. Newcomer John Fitzgerald, who ascended the knoll in the third panel in relief of starter Dave Blayney, copped the pitching win as Fernie’s Wilf Ashmore, who went the route, was dinged with the defeat.  

Ashmore (L) and McNamera
Blayney, Fitzgerald (W) (3) and Ratcliffe

(June 7)   Kimberley Dynamos routed the home squad at Windermere 8-2 and 11-0 to attain the league lead and Cranbrook Cubs dropped to second place when they split a pair at Creston, losing the opener 6-1 then winning 5-4 in the evening.

(June 7) Kimberley Hobos swept a Sunday double-header from Fernie Falcons 10-4 and 5-4.

(June 10) Kimberley Dynamos extended their lead atop the standings Tuesday with an 8-3 victory over Cranbrook Cubs. It was Ike Bodin's fourth consecutive pitching win against no losses. Wally Tymchyna took the loss. Bodin struck out 13 Cub batters and had superlative offensive support as his mates banged out 14 hits. Sandy Livingstone had three base knocks for the Dynamos.

Bodin (W) and McCarthy
Tymchyna (L) and Somoya

(June 11) Cranbrook Cubs downed Kimberley Dynamos 6-4 Thursday at Coronation park as Vern Doll fashioned his fourth pitching win in four starts. Derrel Dixon was the losing moundsman.

(June 13-14)  Kimberley Tournament

(June 22) 
STANDINGS               W     L      Pts.
Kimberley Dynamos *    10     2      16
Cranbrook Cubs          5     3      10
Creston Cruisers        5     5      10
Fernie Falcons          4     5       8
Kimberley Hobos *       4     7       8
Windemere Wilders       2     8       4

*games between the two Kimberley teams worth one point for a win

(June 25)  The Kimberley Dynamos pinned back the ears of their city cousins, the Kimberley Hobos, 5 to 3. It was the fourth consecutive triumph for the Dynamos over their inter-city rivals this campaign. For a while it appeared that the Hobos had finally overcome the jinx the Dynamos and Eric “Ike” Bodin had cast over them this season in their all-Kimberley EKSBL jousts. With a 3 – 2 lead after seven innings, hopes were high that the tables were about to be turned but the Generators came back with a trey in the eighth episode as the Tramps were unable to weather the storm. Bodin registered his fourth straight heaving triumph over the Bums who are still having difficulty mounting any sustained offense this season. With John Fitzgerald on the hill for the Hobos, Les Lilley belted a run-scoring triple in the third and added a solo dinger in the sixth to give the Dynamos a 2 – 0 lead. In their half of the sixth, the Hobos put together a walk, a hit and a smartly-engineered double steal to cut the deficit to a single run. Then, in the seventh, the Hobos went out in front by plating a deuce on a pair of Dynamo errors, a single and a fielders choice. In the process, however, Fitzgerald was lifted for a pinch-hitter as hard-luck Mel Johnson assumed the heaving chores in the top-of-the-eighth. The Dynamos got to Johnson for a brace of one-baggers, assisted by a couple of Hobo fielding miscues, which netted two runs. Bob Fisher was summoned to the knoll at this point and was greeted with another single which was good for the third Dynamo counter of the inning. That was virtually the ball game as the Hobos were unable to mount any threat during their remaining outs.   

Bodin (W) and McCarthy
Fitzgerald, M. Johnson (L) (8), Fisher (8) and Ratcliffe 

(July 2)  Behind some superb relief pitching by Mel Johnson and the sharp bat of Jim Putsey, the Kimberley Hobos snapped a long losing streak when they clipped the front-running Cranbrook Cubs by a score of 6 to 1 at Coronation Park. The Hobos jumped on Cranbrook starter Jack Armstrong for three runs in the first inning, sending him for an early shower as Bill Laurie took over. The Cubs, in turn kayoed Kimberley heaver Ron Brown in the fourth frame when they scored their lone tally. Johnson was summoned to take over in a two-out, bases-loaded situation and was able to douse the fire by inducing an inning-ending pop up and then went on to hurl 5-1/3 innings of scoreless ball, giving up but one hit. Putsey nailed a triple in the opening canto and followed with a single and two-bagger to finish with a 3-for-4 night at the plate.

Armstrong (L), Laurie (1) and xxx
R. Brown, M.Johnson (W) (4) and xxx

(July 4 – 5)  The reinforced Kimberley Dynamos split a pair of games against opposition from south of the border over the weekend. As a last-minute entry in a tournament in Kelowna, the Dynies ran afoul of Spokane George’s Builders in their opening game and dropped a 5 to 0 decision. They came back to defeat Almira WA 10 to 4 in their second encounter to earn third-place money in the tourney. Kelowna doubled George’s Builders 8 to 4 to win the four-team event.

Bodin (L), Drysdale (5) and McCarthy
Stoner (W) and Chalich

Cox (W), Nash (5) and McCarthy
Oki (L) and Whiting

(July 8)  Fernie Falcons ran wild in Cranbrook handing the Cubs a 25-13 pasting.

(July 11 – 12)  The Spokane semi-pro powerhouse, George’s Builders hung a pair of defeats upon two Kimberley teams over the weekend. In a Saturday night fixture, the Builders edged the Dynamos 1 to 0 on a four-hitter by Norm Harding who bested hard-luck loser Eric Bodin who allowed just two hits. On Sunday afternoon they knocked over the Hobos 5 to 2 in an eleven inning tilt. A first-frame tally by the Washingtonians stood up for the remainder of the Saturday skirmish.

Harding (W) and Lightfoot
Bodin (L) and McCarthy

The Hobos appeared to be on the way to victory in the Sunday fracas, holding a 2 – 0 lead after seven innings of play. In the eighth however, a controversial umpiring call at the keystone sack that would have retired the side gave the Spokane squad new life and they went on to score a brace and deadlock the encounter. Two scoreless rounds followed and, in the overtime session, after losing twirler Mel Johnson surrendered a pair of singles, he was given the hook. Reliever Ron “Slicker” Brown ascended the bump but was unable to hold the fort as the Americans plated a trey to march away with the victory. Kimberley managed 13 hits of winning pitcher Earl Stoner.

Stoner (W) and Lightfoot
Johnson (L), R. Brown (10) and Ratcliffe    

(July 16)  Kimberley’s Sorensen Hobos edged a bit closer to the fourth and final playoff spot when they nosed out their city cousins, the Kimberley Dynamos, 4 to 3. Outhit by a 10 to 7 margin, the Hobos scored all of their runs early and then rode the superb shutout pitching of reliever Mel Johnson, who ascended the bump in the sixth stanza when the Generators were threatening to tie the game, earning the save in the process. 

Nash (L), Bodin (4) and McCarthy
Fisher (W), Johnson (6) and Ratcliffe

(July 22)  The invading Kimberley Dynamos slammed out 15 hits en route to a 15 to 3 thrashing of the Cranbrook Cubs. Bobby Cox picked up the pitching win, hurling all but the final two frames of the blowout when Eric “Ike” Bodin came on to mop up. The Cubs managed only two hits, a double and a triple, both by former Dynamo Ken Kuntz. Ray Merryfield led the winners with the baton, banging out three safeties including a homer and a double. “Buzz” Mellor delivered a pair of doubles. 

(July 24)  The Kimberley Dynamos annexed their third straight EKSBL regular-season pennant when the edged the Cranbrook Cubs 6 to 5 in an eight-inning, darkness-shortened affair at Coronation Park. Cranbrook got to ace slab artist Eric “Ike” Bodin for all five of their tallies in the opening panel and appeared headed for victory. In the eighth episode, however, the roof fell in on Cubs’ reliever Wally Tymchyna, who was  nursing a 5 to 3 lead, when successive hits by Harvey Nash, Ken McTeer, “Buzz” Mellor and Ray Merryfield, along with an infield boot, produced three counters, enough for the win.

Armstrong, Tymchyna (L) (2) and Kuntz
Bodin (W) and McCarthy

(July 28)
STANDINGS               W     L    Pts.
Kimberley Dynamos *    16     5    27
Creston Cruisers       13     7    26
Cranbrook Cubs         11     9    22
Kimberley Hobos *       9    14    16
Fernie Falcons          7    11    14
Windemere Wilders       5    15    10

*games between the two Kimberley teams worth one point for a win

(July 29)  Kimberley’s two entries in the EKSBL, the Dynamos and Hobos, battled to a 3 – 3 stalemate at Coronation Park. The Tramps outhit their city cousins by a 9 to 7 margin. Ron “Slicker” Brown did a fine job in relief of Hobo starter Dave Blayney in the opening panel after the Dynamos had jumped into a 2 – 0 lead on run-scoring hits by “Buzz” Mellor and Les Lilley. Brown held the sluggers from the Generators to just one tally for the remainder of the contest, that coming on an RBI-single by Ray Merryfield. Meanwhile, big “Ike” Bodin on the mound for the Dynies, narrowly escaped trouble in the second round but then ran head-on into it in the third chapter as base raps by Jim Putsey, John Kosiansic, Jim Ratcliffe and Jim Nelson, coupled with an error, netted the Bums their triad of counters.

Blayney, R. Brown (1) and E. Brown, Ratcliffe
Bodin and McCarthy

(July ?)  The invading Windermere Wilders salvaged a split with the Kimberley Hobos in Sunday EKSBL doubleheader action. The Hobos collected 16 hits in the opener to clobber the Wilders 15 to 0 as “Slicker” Brown and Dave Blayney combined to hold the visitors to four hits, all singles. Both teams managed just two hits in the tightly-contested finale in which the visitors eked out a 1 to 0 victory. Windermere’s Elgin Smith was at his best and had to be just that good as the Hobo heaving duo of Mel Johnson and “Slicker” Brown battled him right down to the wire. Smith also scored the game’s only run.

(August 2)  The Fernie Falcons were bumped from the playoff picture when they dropped a pair of Sunday games against the league-leading Kimberley Dynamos. Cranbrook and Creston will now face each other in one semi-final series while the two Kimberley squads will do likewise.

PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS

(August 5)  The Dynamos shaded the Hobos 2 to 1 as the all-Kimberley EKSBL semi-final playoff series got underway. The Hobos led 1 – 0 until the bottom-of-the-eighth episode when Harvey Nash lit up starter Mel Johnson for a solo homer to tie the score. Two outs later, Les Lilley duplicated the feat by going yard at the expense of reliever “Slicker” Brown. Big Eric “Ike” Bodin copped the knoll verdict with a complete-game five-hitter.

Johnson, R. Brown (L) (8) and Ratcliffe
Bodin (W) and McCarthy

(August 7)  A run-scoring single by “Moose” Ronquist in the 11th inning gave the Kimberley Hobos a 5 to 4 win over the Kimberley Dynamos at Coronation Park to even their best-of-three semi-final at a game apiece. “Slicker” Brown went all the way on the hill for the Hobos to earn the win while Eric Bodin who came to the aid of portsider Bob Cox in the eighth, was tagged with the loss.

Cox, Bodin (8) and McCarthy
R. Brown (W) and Ratcliffe

(August 11)  The Kimberley Dynamos qualified for the EKSBL finals by staging a ninth-inning rally to nip the cross-town rival Hobos 3 to 2 in the deciding game of their semi-final showdown. A hard smash by Harvey Nash drove in the winning run after Ray Merryfield had crossed the dish with the tying counter. Eric Bodin got off to a shaky start but settled down to cop the win with a four-hitter. Merryfield had four of the nine Dynamo safeties.

R. Brown, Johnson (L) (4) and Ratcliffe
Bodin (W) and McCarthy 

FINALS  Kimberley Dynamos vs Creston Cruisers (best-of-five series)

(August 20) The Creston Cruisers blanked the Kimberley Dynamos 2 to 0 as the EKSBL finals got underway.

(August 22)  Creston squeaked by the Kimberley Dynamos 4 to 3 to take a two-game lead in the EKSBL finals. Mel Folkman hurled the first five frames for the Cruisers before ace slab artist John Drysdale took over and garnered the save.

(August 23)  The Creston Cruisers, second-place finishers during the regular season, knocked off the highly-favored Kimberley Dynamos on Sunday by a 5 to 2 score to annex the 1959 EKSBL championship in three straight games. John Drysdale snared the complete-game mound victory for the new titlists. In the three Cruiser victories, Drysdale logged knoll duty for 22 of the 27 innings. Second baseman Beuhler had a four-ply clout for the winners.