(May 27) All eight teams collected victories as four doubleheaders ushered in the 1962 Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League season.
Harold Hunchak of the North Battleford Beavers and Marcel Richard of the Saskatoon Ambassadors came up with the day's pitching gems. Hunchak tossed a one-hitter to beat the visiting Lloydminster Greencaps 6 - 0 and Richard unfurled a 3-hitter in a 2 - 0 Ambassador victory over Kindersley.
Dave Fossey's 1st inning single was the only Greencap hit off Hunchak. Lloydminster's John Tchir was the loser. Lloydminster bounced back to win the 2nd game 9 - 8. Norm Thorpe was the winning pitcher while Pete Krysak took the loss. Jack Stewart helped the Caps with four RBI's.
Richard struck out seven in out-dueling Bentley MacEwen for the win over Kindersley. MacEwen allowed only five hits but gave up the game-winning rap to Larry Sukut. The Klippers rebounded in the nightcap to trim the Ambassadors 17 - 7 behind the fine hitting of Jerry Flanagan who belted two circuit-clouts plus a double and Wally Jackson who had a homer and two doubles. Bob Landine homered for the losers. Garnet Hannon was the winning pitcher while John Hemstead, who also homered, suffered the loss.
Saskatoon's other entry, the Commodores, split at Biggar, winning the opener 12 - 4 and dropping the second game 8 - 6. Murray Eddy pitched the opening game victory. Loser Clarence Proctor gave up two hits to Joe Evanoff and three to Doug Sawa. Proctor, who relieved in the nightcap and got credit for the win, had two-hit offensive support from Fred Clemence, Carson Ramsay and John Yaroscho. Saskatoon's Eddy took the loss in relief as both chuckers evened their records for the day.
Unity stopped Neilburg 5 - 1 in the matinee of their double-dip. Hank Ostrosky took the mound decision over the Monarchs' Ted Richardson. Neilburg won the 2nd game 17 - 6 with the Monarchs' Keith Schwartz winning the mound joust over Leo Heit.
(May 31) With a four-run 2nd inning, Neilburg Monarchs topped the GreenCaps 9-2. Former Lloydminster hurler Ted Richardson picked up the win, combining with Brian McIntyre on a five-hitter. John Tchir suffered the loss. Ivan Prediger had a three-run homer for the Monarchs.
(June 2) The Kindersley Klippers defeated the Biggar Pontiacs 8 - 5 as Lloyd Rachul notched the mound victory over Bob Lindgren. Cliff Lindgren drilled a three-run homer for Biggar in a losing cause.
(June 3) The Neilburg Monarchs hammered the Unity Cardinals 12 - 0 in the 1st game of a twin-bill while the Cards laid a 7 - 1 licking on the Monarchs in the finale, a five-inning affair called early because of rain. The Monarchs' Ted Richardson limited the Redbirds to two hits and struck out 13 in posting the first-game shutout win. Ollie Harris was hit with the loss.
Hank Ostrosky gained the win for Unity in the 2nd encounter as Neil Urlacher, the third Neilburg chucker, took the defeat.
(June 3) The Lloydminster Greencaps spanked the North Battleford Beavers 16 - 4 in the 1st game of a scheduled double-dip. The 2nd contest was wiped out in progress because of rain. Lloydminster's Tommy Taylor went all the way on the hill with an eight-hitter to lead his club to victory. North Battleford starter Harold Hunchak was painted with the loss. Playing-manager Curly Williams was the big man at the plate for the Greencaps, blasting a pair of home runs plus a single. Spike Baziuk had three singles for the losers.
(June 3) The Kindersley Klippers stopped the Saskatoon Commodores 11 - 9 to gain a share of the early lead in the N.S.B.L. The visiting Commodores held a 5 - 3 lead going into the 6th inning when Kindersley exploded for seven tallies. Bentley MacEwen picked up the win and Saskatoon starter Murray Eddy took the loss. Dave Torrens had three hits for the winners and Wally Jackson added a home run. Joe Evanoff and Bill Coumont both tagged four-baggers for the losers while Al Wanner chipped in with three hits.
(June 3) The Saskatoon Ambassadors walloped the Biggar Pontiacs twice by 20 - 6 and 14 - 7 counts in a Sunday doubleheader. Bernie Sonntag pitched the Ambassadors to victory in the opener, gaining the mound decision over Cliff Lindgren, the first of three Biggar pitchers. Elmer Walker had a two-run homer for the winners as the Saskatonians erupted for 22 base hits.
The Ambassadors' Jimmy Chow got the hill verdict over Clarence Proctor in the follow-up match. Dick Hoffman had three hits and four RBI's for the winners. Ervin Boehm slapped out three base raps for Biggar.
(June 6) The North Battleford Beavers and Kindersley Klippers failed to break a 5 - 5 deadlock after tussling for 10 frames. Bentley MacEwen of the Klippers and the Beavers' Bennie Griggs handled the pitching chores at Abbott Field. With the score tied 3 - 3, Kindersley picked up two markers in the top of the 10th but North Battleford roared back with two of their own to create another stalemate which couldn't be settled because of dark skies. MacEwen had 10 strikeouts along the way while Griggs whiffed 13.
(June 6) Dependable Marcel Richard provided the difference as the Saskatoon Ambassadors nosed into 1st place in the N.S.B.L., nipping their cross-town rivals, the Saskatoon Commodores, 6 - 5. Richard allowed only four hits while striking out 11 to earn his second straight mound win. Walks in the early innings proved to be the Commodores' undoing. Starter and loser, Sonny Newton, had trouble finding the plate, issuing seven free passes before being lifted in the 3rd. First baseman Terry Rak of the Commodores was the only player on either team to pick up two hits.
(June 8) The North Battleford Beavers took full advantage of wildness by Saskatoon pitchers as they defeated the Ambassadors 11 - 3 at Cairns Field. Right-hander Roy Rowley, recently back from Visalia California's College of the Sequoias, got the pitching win with help from Harold Hunchak. Lefty Rod Campbell, making his first start for the Ambassadors, took the loss. Saskatoon pitchers, Campbell plus two relievers, issued 10 walks and hit two batters. The Beavers picked up a total of 11 hits as well, two each by Ken Nelson, Johnny Ford, Bennie Griggs and pitcher Rowley. Lionel Dietrick, Cliff Shockey and Elmer Walker divided the six Saskatoon hits, each getting two. Dietrick had a double which was the only extra-base blow of the contest.
(June 10) The Unity Cardinals won a doubleheader from the Lloydminster Greencaps 3 - 2 and 8 - 2 to take over 3rd place in the N.S.B.L. standings. Doyle Davis picked up the win for Unity in the first game although requiring relief help from fireman Rusty Devine. Tommy Taylor was the losing pitcher.
In the second game, Hank Ostrosky led Unity's nine-hit attack with three doubles and a single. Erwin Doerksen, relieved by Ollie Harris in the 7th, was the winner while Willard Kondro took the loss. Curly Williams had a home run for Lloydminster in this contest.
(June 10) The Saskatoon Ambassadors posted a 6 - 3 victory over the home-standing Biggar Pontiacs to remain in 2nd place in the N.S.B.L. Saskatoon's Bernie Sonntag, with relief help from Marcel Richard in the 6th, got credit for the win. Clarence Proctor was the loser. For the Ambassadors, the leading hitters were Cliff Shockey and Daryl Penn each with three base blows. Sonntag chipped in with a brace. Ervin Boehm topped the Biggar swatters with a trio of raps including a triple.
(June 10) At Neilburg, the North Battleford Beavers and the home-town Monarchs split a twin-bill, the visitors winning the first contest 2 - 0 and the Royals the nightcap 4 - 0. Bennie Griggs three-hit mound job gave the Beavers the opening game win. Ted Richardson was the loser on a six-hitter. North Battleford's Johnny Ford broke up a scoreless hurling duel with a two-run homer in the 9th inning.
Bob McIntyre gave up only two hits in the nightcap for the shutout win. The loser was Harold Hunchak. Neil Urlacher and Pete Prediger had home runs for the winners.
(June 11) Hub City rivals met at Cairns Field and the feud produced an 8 - 5 victory for the Saskatoon Commodores over the Saskatoon Ambassadors. Sonny Newton pitched hitless ball during the first five innings for the Commodores but needed relief assistance from Bob Peters to secure the win. Ambassadors' starter Marcel Richard, who was forced to leave the game in the 3rd frame with arm trouble, was saddled with the loss. The Commodores out-hit their city cousins 11 to 5. Doug Sawa paced the Commodore hitters with three singles and Lloyd Fast had a pair.
(June 13) The Neilburg Monarchs moved into 2nd place in the N.S.B.L. by edging the Unity Cardinals 11 - 9 at Unity. Ted Richardson, with 7th inning relief help from Brian McIntyre, earned the Neilburg mound victory. Neil Urlacher provided the big bat for the Monarchs with four hits including a home run. Pete Prediger also homered for the winners. Not to be outdone, the Cards were homer-happy in support of loser Ross Stone as Irl Flanagan, John Fahl and Johnny Repin all connected for circuit-clouts.
(June 13) The North Battleford Beavers out-slugged the Biggar Pontiacs 14 - 9 in a wild N.S.B.L. match-up. The horsehide was flying out of the park with regularity in this encounter as the Beavers backed up winning pitcher Bennie Griggs and reliever Roy Rowley with five dingers. Griggs himself belted one of them while the others came off the bats of Johnny Ford, Carmen Keller, Dale Delainey and Ken Nelson. Jack Rowley came up with a triple and two singles for North Battleford while Nelson had a double and two singles to go along with his homer. Keller also drilled two doubles to go with his four-bagger. Losing pitcher Cliff Lindgren and reliever Clarence Proctor of the Pontiacs had a hard day at the office and were constantly in trouble.
(June 13) The Kindersley Klippers protected their lead atop the N.S.B.L. by splitting a doubleheader with the Saskatoon Commodores. The Bridge City Boys took the matinee event 2 - 1 and Kindersley prevailed in the nightcap 3 - 0 in a pair of 7-inning encounters. Strong three-hit pitching performances by both winning hurler Sonny Newton and loser Bentley MacEwen of the Klippers were a prominent part of the opener. Newton fanned six and MacEwen whiffed through the contest. The Commodores scored the winning run in the bottom of the 7th and final frame on a squeeze play as Don Heit laid down a bunt to score Newton from 3rd base on a close play at the plate.
Gene Graves struck out 15 and yielded six safeties in engineering the 2nd game shutout victory for the Klips. Bob Peters fanned an even dozen and gave up seven hits in taking the loss. Garner Hannon picked up a pair of singles for Kindersley.
(June 15) Herb Herauf's two-run single in the bottom of the 9th inning pulled the Saskatoon Ambassadors from behind and gave them a 6 - 5 victory over the Biggar Pontiacs in a N.S.B.L. game at Cairns Field. Larry Lazecki, recently picked up by the Ambassadors from their city rivals, the Commodores, picked up the hill victory. The lefthander pitched six-hit ball and struck out nine. Clarence Proctor with eight strikeouts to his credit was again dumped on for the loss as a Biggar infield error preceded Herauf's heroics. Aside from the game-winning blow, Herauf also delivered two other base raps. From the Pontiacs' side of the ledger, Ervin Boehm matched Herauf's total of a trio of safe blows.
(June 16) The North Battleford Beavers unleashed their big timber, swamping the Unity Cardinals 20 - 7. Roy Rowley scattered 12 hits on the slab for the pitching win and also drove out four singles at the dish for the Beavers. Fellow Beaver Roy Drummond was just as potent with the stick as he also had a quartet of one-baggers. Jack Rowley contributed a home run and double in support of his younger brother. Unity starter Erwin Doerksen took the loss. Don Fahl had three hits for the Redbirds including a triple.
(June 17) The Saskatoon Commodores downed the Biggar Pontiacs 5 - 2 in N.S.B.L. action. The Commodores tagged loser Orest Pidwerbesky for two runs in the opening frame and added a third tally in the 2nd, a margin which proved sufficient for the victory. Bob Peters, who put down a Biggar rally in the 5th, took the decision. Don Heit, strong defensively for the Commodores, was best at the plate for the Saskatonians with three hits and two RBI's.
(June 17) In a double-bill at the provincial border town, the Lloydminster Greencaps took the opener 3 - 2 over the visiting Unity Cardinals while the Cards came back to take the second contest 3 - 1. Tommy Taylor stopped Unity on three hits to pick up the opening game verdict. Taylor struck out 12, seven of them in a row, and had a no-hitter going until the 5th inning. Ross Stone was the loser.
Unity needed extra innings to prevail in the owl encounter. Erwin Doerksen, who relieved Ollie Harris in the 4th inning, picked up the victory. Keith Schwartz was the loser.
(June 18) Marcel Richard, the class of the Saskatoon Ambassadors' mound staff, came up with five innings of sparkling relief pitching and gave his club a comeback 9 - 6 victory over the Lloydminster Greencaps in a N.S.B.L. game at Cairns Field. The win enabled the Ambassadors to move into a first place tie with the North Battleford Beavers. Richard had to share some of the spotlight with Jim Chow who singled in the winning run in the 8th inning. However, Richard followed Chow's single with a two-run one-bagger to assure the win. Curly Williams' Greencaps held a comfortable 6 - 2 lead going into the 7th when the Saskatonians rallied for four runs to tie things up. Up until that time, losing pitcher Willard Kondro had allowed only two Saskatoon hits. Errors played a role in the Lloydminster loss as the Greencaps booted the ball four times. Richard was the only player on either club to manage more than one hit, collecting two singles. During his five stanzas on the rubber, Richard earned five strikeouts.
(June 18) The North Battleford Beavers took a pair of games from the Neilburg Monarchs with 3 - 2 and 8 - 2 wins at Abbott Field. The double triumph vaulted the Beavers into top spot in the N.S.B.L. Solid hitting by Roy Rowley and the steady hurling of chuckers Bennie Griggs and Harold Hunchak carried the Dam Builders to their sweep. Griggs, the veteran right-hander, checked the Monarchs on three hits while striking out 11 for the matinee victory. The Beavers picked up all three runs off loser Bob McIntyre in the 4th inning on four hits, including a double by Griggs and a Rowley's two-run triple.
Hunchak won the nightcap beating Ted Richardson. Dave Hallis with a home run, double and single and Rowley with a single plus a pair of doubles led North Battleford at the plate. Glen Thompson had three hits for Neilburg.
(June 20) Curly Williams and his band of Lloydminster Greencaps ventured into Unity and edged the defending champion Unity Cardinals 3 - 2 in N.S.B.L. play. Tommy Taylor recorded 13 strikeouts and pitched a four-hitter in his winning mound effort for the Border City Boys. He also had two hits at the dish. Doyle Davis of the Redbirds was the loser.
(June 20) The Saskatoon Ambassadors travelled to Neilburg and were promptly thrashed 12 - 4 by the host Monarchs. Veteran southpaw Ted Richardson picked up the win over Larry Lazecki in this contest. Ivan Prediger and Glen Thompson wielded the big bats for the winners, each blasting a home run.
(June 20) The Kindersley Klippers thrilled a home crowd by nudging the North Battleford Beavers 1 - 0 to take over first place in the N.S.B.L. Kindersley's Gene Graves and Bennie Griggs of the Beavers hooked up in an exciting pitching duel as both chuckers gave up only three hits. North Battleford's defense was far from its best and committed four errors which cost Griggs an unearned run and the game. Glen Bellegarde singled home the only run of the game.
(June 20) The Saskatoon Commodores took a doubleheader at Cairns Field from the lowly Biggar Pontiacs by scores of 7 - 1 and 8 - 2. The Pontiacs' loose fielding figured prominently in the 1st game of the twin-bill. Losing pitcher Clarence Proctor yielded six hits but was let down by his mates' five errors which kept him in hot water. Bob Peters tossed a four-hitter for the win, getting solid defensive support behind him. Terry Rak had two hits for the Commodores.
In the nightcap, Murray Eddy fired a one-hitter for the Hub City crew, striking out seven of the Pontiacs along the way. Phil Headley hit a triple, double and single for the Commodores to lead their eight-hit attack off loser John Yaroscho and reliever Bernard Lanigan
(June 22) The Neilburg Monarchs won their 7th of the season when they experienced only minimal trouble in disposing of the visiting Biggar Pontiacs 15 - 5. The hitting spotlight shone on Neilburg's Neil Urlacher who clouted two home runs and a double to lead the assault against Biggar's hurlers. Brian McIntyre, with relief help from brother Don, got the win. Bernard Lanigan, the first of three Pontiac chuckers, took the loss.
Standings as of end of June 22 W L Pct
Kindersley Klippers 5 2 .714
North Battleford Beavers 7 4 .636
Saskatoon Ambassadors 7 4 .636
Saskatoon Commodores 6 4 .600
Neilburg Monarchs 7 5 .583
Unity Cardinals 5 6 .455
Lloydminster Greencaps 4 6 .400
Biggar Pontiacs 1 11 .063
(June 23) According to the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, veteran Pete Prediger of the Neilburg Monarchs is setting the early batting pace in the N.S.B.L. The long-time backstop, well into his late forties, is smacking the horsehide at a .579 clip which includes games up to June 17. Prediger holds a sizeable margin over runner-up Ervin Boehm of the Biggar Pontiacs who has a .519 mark.
(June 23) The Unity Cardinals hung a 6 - 2 loss on the Saskatoon Ambassadors at Cairns Field in a N.S.B.L. encounter. Erwin Doerksen limited the Ambassadors to four hits in registering the mound win. The Cards only got to loser Bernie Sonntag and reliever Al Gerwing for six hits, including two each from Irl Flanagan and Ross Morrison, but the Saskatoon defense helped them along with some loose play.
(June 24) The Neilburg Monarchs took over 2nd spot in the N.S.B.L. by stopping the Lloydminster Greencaps 4 - 2 and 14 - 0 in doubleheader action. Greencap hurler Tommy Taylor unfurled a one-hitter in the opener but still was stung with the loss as his mates booted the ball six times. Pete Krysak garnered the matinee hill win for the Monarchs.
The late contest was a route as Neilburg collected 14 hits in support of Bob McIntyre who pitched shutout ball for the win. Keith Schwartz was handed the mound defeat. Glen Thompson had an inside-the-park home run for the winners.
(June 24) The Unity Cardinals and North Battleford Beavers divided their Sunday twin-bill with the Beavers taking the opener 12 - 2 and the Redbirds bouncing back with a 4 - 2 verdict in the nightcap. North Battleford's Bennie Griggs held the Cardinals to four hits to pick up the opening game win. He also clouted a four-bagger as did teammate Ron Erne. Ken Nelson of the Beavers led all hitters, going five for five. Hank Ostrosky, driven from the rubber in the initial frame, suffered the loss. Unity's John Repin homered in a losing cause.
Lefty Ross Stone picked up the win in the second encounter and combined with Rusty Devine to earn a split for the Cardinals. North Battleford starting pitcher Harold Hunchak was the loser. Johnny Ford and Dale Delainey connected for solo homers for the Beavers.
(June 24) The two Saskatoon teams tangled in a N.S.B.L. encounter and the Commodores came out on the long end of an 11 - 3 count. Bob Peters went all the way on a 10-hitter for the Commodore win and aided his own mound effort by driving in four runs with a pair of singles. Marcel Richard absorbed the hill loss for the Ambassadors. The Commodores wound up with 12 hits, with Phil Headley picking up a quartet of them and Ed Collinson a trio. Included in Collinson's total was a home run. Lionel Dietrick, Daryl Penn, Elmer Walker and Wes Montgomery all had two hits for the Ambassadors.
(June 27) Catcher Jerry Flanagan drove in four runs at Cairns Field and they meant the difference as the visiting Kindersley Klippers swept a N.S.B.L. doubleheader from the Saskatoon Ambassadors by scores of 4 - 3 and 3 - 2. Flanagan's two-run homer off loser Marcel Richard with two out in the top of the 7th and final frame wiped out a 3 - 2 Saskatoon lead and gave the Klips the victory in game one. Gene Graves, who came on in relief in the 2nd inning, got the win.
Kindersley's Bentley MacEwen hurled the complete game victory in the late encounter as Marcel Richard of the Ambassadors was again stung with the defeat. In this contest, Flanagan hit a two-run single in the first inning to give Kindersley a 2 - 0 lead, a margin that propelled them to another triumph. In this seven-inning bout, each club could muster only four hits.
(June 29) Darkness halted a N.S.B.L. match at North Battleford after the regulation nine innings were in the books in a tussle which had the visiting Saskatoon Commodores and the North Battleford Beavers playing to a 4 - 4 deadlock. Roy Rowley pitched for the Beavers while Sonny Newton and Bob Peters shared hill chores for Saskatoon. The Commodores out-hit their hosts 10 to 7. Third baseman Don Heit led the Commodores at the plate with a triple and two singles. Peters had a double and single while Al Wanner connected for two one-baggers. Ron Erne had a bases-empty home run for North Battleford.
(June 30) Ervin Boehm of the last-place Biggar Pontiacs has taken over the lead in batting in the N.S.B.L. with a .469 average, according to the latest statistics published this date in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. A pair of North Battleford Beavers, Ken Nelson and John Ford, follow with .442 and .415 averages.
(July 1) The Neilburg Monarchs, playing on the road, swept a Dominion Day double-bill from the Lloydminster Greencaps and moved up a notch into 3rd place in the N.S.B.L. standings. The Monarchs took the 1st game 7 - 3 and the follow-up contest 8 - 1 right on the home turf of the Border Boys. Pete Prediger and Lyle Thom pounded out home runs for Neilburg in the matinee event as Eugene Dextrase bested Lloydminster's Tommy Taylor in the mound joust. The Greencaps were only able to muster up three base hits in this game.
Curly Williams' solo home run was the only tally for Lloydminster in the 2nd encounter. Jim Johnston homered for the Monarchs. Ted Neal picked up the pitching victory for Neilburg while John Tchir took the loss.
(July 1) At Biggar, the home-town Pontiacs split a pair of games with the Kindersley Klippers, taking the opener 2 - 1 and then falling 17 - 13 in the finale. Biggar's first game triumph was only their 2nd win of the season. Doug Dodd was the Pontiac hero as he limited the league leaders to four hits in picking up the win. Loser Wayne Thompson also pitched four-hit ball but, on this occasion, it wasn't good enough.
In the second game, Biggar scored 11 times in the 7th inning and still couldn't catch their rivals. Lloyd Rachul was the winning pitcher and Cliff Lindgren the loser. Wally Jackson had three hits for Kindersley.
(July 2) The Saskatoon Commodores used some fancy base-running to build up a lead and defeat the Unity Cardinals 5 - 4. Right-hander Bob Peters limited the Cards to five hits, consisting of four singles plus a booming triple by Ross Stone, as the Saskatonians squeezed through with the close win to take over 2nd spot behind the Kindersley Klippers. Peters contributed three hits to aid his own cause, one going for three-bases. Rusty Devine, Unity's starting pitcher, took the loss. Joe Evanoff and Al Wanner each had two singles for the Commodores as did Johnny Repin of the Redbirds.
(July 4) The Saskatoon Ambassadors broke a six-game losing streak by taking both ends of a double-bill from the Biggar Pontiacs by scores of 8 - 3 and 8 - 1. Jimmy Chow was the winning pitcher in the opener at Cairns Field, allowing six hits. Clarence Proctor was tagged for an even dozen blows in absorbing the loss. Elmer Walker had three hits for the Ambassadors, including a pair of doubles, and drove in four runs. Lionel Dietrick, Ron Onishenko and Larry Sukut provided further ammunition from the Saskatonians. They all garnered two hits with Onishenko and Sukut both nailing a triple. Doug Dodd had a brace of base knocks for the Pontiacs.
The 2nd game was tied 1 - 1 going into the 5th when the Biggar defense came apart at the seams and the Ambassadors chased home five runs to take control of the game. Larry Lazecki limited Biggar to three hits in the 7-inning contest. Orest Pidwerbesky, belted from the mound in the 5th, was the loser. Wes Montgomery with a double and single and Lionel Dietrick with a pair of one-baggers led the Ambassadors' eight-hit offense.
(July 4) Bentley MacEwen, veteran lefthander with the Kindersley Klippers, tossed a no-hit, no-run game as the Klippers defeated the Saskatoon Commodores 6 - 0 in the second game of a doubleheader at Kindersley. The Klips also took the initial game 7 - 1 to pad their lead in the N.S.B.L. Sonny Newton opposed MacEwen on the hill and was the loser with a respectable six-hitter.
In the 1st game of the twin-bill, Kindersley was dominant behind the one-hit chucking of playing-manager Gene Graves. Doug McArthur, who gave up eight hits, was the loser. The double loss dropped the Commodores from 2nd to 4th place.
Standings as of end of July 4 W L Pct
Kindersley Klippers 12 3 .800
Neilburg Monarchs 11 6 .647
North Battleford Beavers 9 5 .643
Saskatoon Commodores 8 6 .571
Saskatoon Ambassadors 9 8 .529
Unity Cardinals 8 8 .500
Lloydminster Greencaps 4 10 .286
Biggar Pontiacs 2 7 .105
(July 7) The Unity Cardinals edged the hometown Biggar Pontiacs 5 - 4 in a N.S.B.L. encounter as Ollie Harris took the mound decision over lefthander Doug Dodd.
(July 8) The Neilburg Monarchs and Saskatoon Ambassadors split a doubleheader at Cairns Field with the visitors winning the first one 1 - 0 and the Ambassadors claiming the late tilt 8 - 6. Ivan Prediger scampered home from third base with the only run of the opener as Saskatoon chucker and loser, Marcel Richard, uncorked a wild pitch in the 9th inning. The Ambassadors' bats were limited to two hits as Neilburg starter Nap Krysak racked up the win. The Monarchs had five hits.
Jimmy Chow, in a short relief appearance, got the game two decision over Neilburg's Ted Neal. Saskatoon's Ron Onishenko stole home during an 8th inning rally with the run that turned out to be the winner. Wes Montgomery had two singles for the winners as the Ambassadors out-hit Neilburg 9 to 5.
(July 8) The Lloydminster Greencaps won two games from the cellar-dwelling Biggar Pontiacs, taking the lid-lifter 10 - 2 and following up with a 6 - 1 decision in the owl encounter. Curly Williams drove in four runs for the Caps in the opener as Lloydminster sent 15 batters to the plate in the 2nd frame. Tommy Taylor got the win over Orest Pidwerbesky.
Williams batted three for four in the 2nd encounter as Greencaps' chucker Willard Kondro topped the Pontiacs' Clarence Proctor.
(July 8) The Kindersley Klippers continued to roll merrily along at the head of the N.S.B.L. as they won a doubleheader at home by 3 - 1 and 3 - 2 scores over the Unity Cardinals. Kindersley's Gene Graves allowed five hits and fanned 10 in posting the first game victory over Ross Stone.
In the nightcap, Bentley MacEwen was the winner on a three-hitter, besting hard-luck loser Rusty Devine who yielded but a single safety.
(July 8) The North Battleford Beavers, playing at Abbott Field, defeated the Saskatoon Commodores twice, taking a cliff-hanger 1 - 0 to start the afternoon off and then coming through with a 13 - 8 victory later on. Bennie Griggs was the winner in the squeaker, tossing a two-hitter. Sonny Newton lost it on a three-hitter. Griggs' sacrifice fly drove in Kenny Nelson with the game's lone tally.
In game two, Roy Rowley, with help from Harold Hunchak in the 6th, was the winner. Murray Eddy took the loss. Rowley and Ron Erne homered for the Beavers. Don Heit and Terry Rak both had a double and two singles for Saskatoon. Hits were divided 11 to 9 in North Battleford's favor.
(July 11) The Unity Cardinals stopped the front-running Kindersley Klippers, turning back the visitors 4 - 1. Fire-balling Ernie Doerksen checked the league leaders on seven hits in picking up the victory. Lloyd Rachul, the first of four Kindersley pitchers, took the loss. Ross Stone was the big man at the plate for the winners, collecting two doubles. Jim Wiley was the best Klipper with the lumber, drilling a double and two singles.
(July 11) The Lloydminster Greencaps walloped the visiting Biggar Pontiacs 13 - 1 to hand the Pontiacs their 21st defeat of the season. Big Tommy Taylor picked up the win, decisioning Biggar starter Clarence Proctor. Willard Kondro led the Caps at the dish, spanking out three hits in five tries. Curly Williams and Taylor each had two hits. Tony Keller's double drove in Biggar's only run.
(July 11) Right-hander Murray Eddy pitched one of his finest games as the Saskatoon Commodores shaded the North Battleford Beavers 2 - 1 in the first half of a N.S.B.L. double-bill at Cairns Field. In the 2nd game, the Beavers got off to a 3 - 0 lead in the first two innings and stayed in front with some effective clutch pitching by Roy Rowley to win 3 - 2. While Eddy was mowing down the 2nd place Beavers in the opener, veteran Bennie Griggs, on the rubber for North Battleford, had a good night too. He pitched four-hit ball and the only trouble he tasted resulted from his mates' miscues. Al Wanner had two of the four raps off Griggs. Joe Evanoff's 6th inning double drove home the winning run for the Commodores.
In the follow-up joust, Rowley gave up only two hits while fanning 10. In losing, Sonny Newton pitched eight-hit ball for the Bridge City Boys. Bennie Griggs was the hitting star in this event, lacing out two doubles and a single.
Standings as of end of July 11 W L Pct
Kindersley Klippers 14 4 .778
North Battleford Beavers 12 6 .667
Neilburg Monarchs 12 7 .632
Saskatoon Ambassadors 10 9 .526
Saskatoon Commodores 9 9 .500
Unity Cardinals 10 10 .500
Lloydminster Greencaps 7 10 .412
Biggar Pontiacs 2 21 .087
(July 13) City rivalry resumed in the N.S.B.L. as the two Saskatoon entrants locked horns at Cairns Field. When the dust had cleared, the Ambassadors were left standing, having defeated their Hub City cousins, the Commodores, by an 8 - 4 count. A big 3rd inning, in which they plated five runs on as many hits, carried the Ambassadors to victory. Marcel Richard, who carries most of the Ambassadors' pitching load on his shoulders, tossed a four-hitter for the win. Sonny Newton, battered from the hill in the 3rd, was the loser. The Ambassadors wound up with eight hits, one a double by Jimmy Chow. Terry Rak had two of the Commodores' five hits.
(July 16) Gene Graves, the most fidgety pitcher in the N.S.B.L., had all the answers in his strong right arm at Cairns Field as he spun a no-hit, no-run decision for the Kindersley Klippers against the Saskatoon Ambassadors. The Klippers, easy-going leaders of the eight-team loop, won by a 6 - 0 score to pad their margin atop the circuit. Graves struck out 14 and walked three in posting the impressive win. The Klippers weren't exactly knocking the cover off the ball as they accumulated only four hits, all singles, two of which came off the bat of starry Jim Wiley. Bernie Sonntag, knocked from the rubber in the 6th, took the loss.
(July 18) Bennie Griggs was credited with an abbreviated five-inning no-hitter as the North Battleford Beavers blanked the Unity Cardinals 5 - 0 in a game halted by rain. All five North Battleford runs came in the 5th frame when the Beavers sent 10 men to the plate. Don Drummond drove in Griggs with what proved to be the winning run. The Beavers had five hits with the only extra-base knock coming off the bat of Spike Baziuk, a two-base blow.
(July 19) Clarence Proctor and his Biggar Pontiacs handed the Saskatoon Commodores a shock from which they may never recover. The lowly Pontiacs, with only two wins to their credit in 23 N.S.B.L. starts, took an early lead at Cairns Field and hung on to defeat the Commodores 7 - 6. Proctor went all the way on an eight-hitter to record the victory. Murray Eddy, who worked the first seven innings for the Saskatonians, was the loser. Young first sacker Bob Hoult had three singles for the Pontiacs as did teammate Fred Clemence. Ervin Boehm chipped in with a pair. Don Anweiler and pitcher Eddy each had two hits for the Commodores, one of Eddy's being a towering triple.
(July 20) The home-standing Neilburg Monarchs topped the league-leading Kindersley Klippers by a 10 - 5 score. The win moved Neilburg to within two games of top place in the eight-team loop. The loss for Kindersley also marked the first defeat of the season for Klipper chucker Gene Graves who was working on a 6 - 0 record. Graves relieved Lloyd Rachul in the 6th inning and was then ejected from the game for excessive arguing in the 7th. Ted Neal, with help from Brian McIntyre, got the hill win. Lyle Thom hit a home run for Neilburg.
(July 20) The North Battleford Beavers, steadily improving since the start of the season, climbed to within one game of the lead in the N.S.B.L. by defeating the Unity Cardinals 7 - 4 in a game played in Unity. Harold Hunchak got the win for North Battleford over the Cards' Erwin Doerksen.
(July 21) The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix reported that Johnny Ford of the North Battleford Beavers continues to lead the N.S.B.L. batting race with a .433 mark, closely followed by a pair of his teammates, Ken Nelson at .404 and Roy Rowley with a .390 average.
(July 22) The Lloydminster Greencaps moved past the Saskatoon Commodores into 6th place in the N.S.B.L. with 3 - 1 and 5 - 3 victories over the Biggar Pontiacs. Tommy Taylor posted 11 strikeouts in gaining the opening game win while big John Yaroscho took the loss.
No game details were published for the second game.
(July 22) The Neilburg Monarchs climbed to within a 1/2 game of the lead in the N.S.B.L. as they took a pair of games from the Saskatoon Ambassadors by 12 - 5 and 8 - 7 counts. Nap Krysak was the winner in the opener, besting work-horse Marcel Richard of the Ambassadors. Jim Chow of the Saskatonians hit two homers in a losing cause. Neil Urlacher pounded out his 5th home run of the season for the winners and Glen Thompson added a grand-slam dinger.
The second game saw winning hurler Ted Neal steal home in the 7th inning for the winning run.
(July 22) The Unity Cardinals halted the front-running Kindersley Klippers 6 - 2 in N.S.B.L. action. Lefthander Ross Stone hurled the win for the Cards at the expense of the Monarchs' Wayne Thompson.
(July 23) A passed ball in the 12th inning gave the Saskatoon Commodores a 5 - 4 victory over the Saskatoon Ambassadors at Cairns Field. The Ambassadors had held the upper hand for most of the contest and the Commodores had to score a pair of 8th inning runs to tie the game which eventually went into extra innings. Commodores' third baseman Don Heit wore the hero's mantle when he singled in the 12th, was sacrificed to 2nd base by Terry Rak, got to 3rd on an infield out before scoring on a passed ball. Lanky Mel Dahlseide, in relief, picked up the pitching victory while Jimmy Chow, also in relief, was hit with the loss. Leftfielder Joe Evanoff was the big man at the plate for the Commodores as he pounded out four hits in six appearances. Heit was close behind him with three safeties. Ed Collinson and Don Anweiler each added a brace of raps in the 13-hit Commodore attack. Elmer Walker was the only Ambassador batter to collect more than one hit, driving out a pair of safeties.
(July 24) The front-running Kindersley Klippers consolidated their hold of first place in the N.S.B.L. by sweeping a pair of games from the bottom-feeding Biggar Pontiacs by 12 - 1 and 9 - 4 margins. Kindersley southpaw Bentley MacEwen registered 13 whiffs and yielded only four hits to easily breeze to victory in the matinee event. MacEwen also topped the hit parade, drilling three safeties. Clarence Proctor was nailed with the loss.
Lloyd Rachul, in a relief stint, got the game two win. Ervin Boehm took the loss.
(July 27) The North Battleford Beavers took over the runner-up spot in the N.S.B.L. by easily outlasting the cellar-dwelling Biggar Pontiacs 21 - 10. In this slugfest played in Biggar, the visiting Beavers went on a hitting binge, bombarding four Pontiac pitchers, including loser Orest Pidwerbesky, for 23 base hits. Alabama Bennie Griggs picked up his 5th win of the season in the one-sided contest, although he was followed to the hill by three other Beaver chuckers. Ron Erne and Roy Rowley each clouted home runs for the winners while Dave Hallis went five for six including a pair of three-baggers. Erne also connected for a triple in the seven-inning contest.
(July 27) The Unity Cardinals advanced a notch in the N.S.B.L. as they went into Neilburg and trounced the home-town Monarchs 16 - 5. Dependable Erwin Doerksen, with 6th inning relief help, got the mound win for the Cards. Doerksen aided his own cause with a home run. Mike Repin also hit a circuit-blast for the winners. Ted Neal, bounced to the showers in the 3rd frame, took the defeat. Neil Urlacher blasted his 6th home run of the season in a losing cause.
(July 28) The Unity Cardinals, defending champions of the Saskatoon Industrial Exhibition tournament, retained their title with a 7 - 3 win over the Kindersley Klippers in the tourney final. The game lasted only 5 1/2 innings as constant rain delays allowed darkness to creep in and force an end to the proceedings. Rusty Devine got the final game win over Bentley MacEwen. Third baseman Curly Williams, on loan to the Cardinals from the Lloydminster Greencaps for the tournament, was the only player in the abbreviated game to manufacture more than one hit, garnering a double and single.
(July 29) The Neilburg Monarchs moved into first place in the N.S.B.L. with a 2 - 0 victory over the North Battleford Beavers at Neilburg. Ted Neal scattered three hits in handcuffing the Beavers. Bennie Griggs was the loser. Neil Urlacher had the game's only extra-base hit, a triple. The Beavers had only one base runner in the first six innings.
(July 29) The Kindersley Klippers were pushed into 2nd place in the N.S.B.L. when the Lloydminster Greencaps whipped them 11 - 3 in the border town. Tommy Taylor picked up the hill triumph while Lloyd Rachul, the first of five Klipper hurlers, was saddled with the loss. Curly Williams had two hits and five RBI's for the winners while fellow Greencap, Tom Blair, collected three safeties. Jack Stewart had an impressive four RBI game. Kindersley's Wayne Morgan had three hits in a losing cause and Lyle Jackson, a pair.
(July 29) The Unity Cardinals nipped the Saskatoon Ambassadors 6 - 5 in N.S.B.L. action at Unity. Mike Repin hit a triple and scored on Erwin Doerksen's sacrifice fly to give Unity the win. Doyle Davis, who relieved Ollie Harris in the 9th inning, got the win. Marcel Richard was the loser. Ross Stone and Irl Flanagan both had two hits for Unity while Wes Montgomery and Herb Herauf of the Bridge City Boys matched the Unity hitters' production.
Standings as of end of July 29 W L Pct
Neilburg Monarchs 16 7 .696
Kindersley Klippers 15 7 .682
North Battleford Beavers 14 7 .667
Unity Cardinals 12 12 .500
Lloydminster Greencaps 10 10 .500
Saskatoon Commodores 10 11 .476
Saskatoon Ambassadors 11 14 .440
Biggar Pontiacs 3 23 .115
(July 30) 17 year old Mel Dahlseide earned his spurs in the N.S.B.L. as he turned in a sharp pitching job for the Saskatoon Commodores in a 6 - 4 win over the hard-hitting Neilburg Monarchs. The slender right-hander had a no-hit, no-run game going for six innings but weakened slightly in the 7th, had a rough 8th frame and came back strongly in the 9th. He struck out 10 and walked only one, finishing with a six-hitter. The loss knocked the Monarchs out of sole possession of first place in the standings. Nap Krysak went all the way for Neilburg on a seven-hitter. Besides pitching well, Dahlseide also had two hits for the Saskatoon team. Lloyd Fast also had a brace of knocks for the Commodores while driving in three of their runs. Krysak was the only Neilburg player with two hits, drilling a double and single.
(August 1) The Kindersley Klippers and Neilburg Monarchs settled for a 4 - 4 tie in N.S.B.L action in a game halted after eight innings by darkness. Gene Graves of the Klippers and the Monarchs' Ted Neal were the pitchers, giving up five and eight hits respectively. Neil Urlacher, the league's leader in home runs, added another circuit smash, his 7th of the campaign.
(August 1) The Lloydminster Greencaps defeated the North Battleford Beavers 5 - 0 to take over 4th place in the N.S.B.L. Tommy Taylor went all the way with a seven-hitter for the win. He fanned 10 and issued two walks. Tom Blair and Willard Kondro each had a pair of singles for the Greencaps while Dave Hallis and Carmen Keller reciprocated for the Beavers.
(August 2) The Saskatoon Commodores took out the Kindersley Klippers 6 - 3 to seriously jeopardize the Klips in their quest for a first place finish. The Saskatonians were always in the lead although the Klippers caused tension in the 6th when they plated three runs on four hits. Youthful starter Murray Eddy got the win with five innings of mound work. Bentley MacEwen went all the way for Kindersley to take the loss. The Klippers had seven hits and the Commodores five. Infielder Lloyd Fast of the Commodores was the only player on either squad with two hits in the game.
(August 3) The hometown Unity Cardinals stopped the Biggar Pontiacs 6 - 4 to create a three-way tie for 4th spot in the N.S.B.L. Rusty Devine, out of the bullpen in a relief role, got credit for the mound win. Bernard Lanigan took the loss. John Yaroscho and Corky McNaught each homered in a losing cause for the Pontiacs. Devine collected two hits for the winners.
(August 3) Veteran Bennie Griggs dished up a three-hitter as the North Battleford Beavers shutout the visiting Neilburg Monarchs 6 - 0 to push the Monarchs into 3rd place in the N.S.B.L. The victory for North Battleford was needed ammunition for their down-to-the-wire battle with the Kindersley Klippers for the regular-season pennant. Griggs had one of his better pitching outings of the season in halting Neilburg. He struck out eight and walked only one. Monarchs' starter Pete Krysak suffered the loss. The Beavers managed only four hits but still came away with the victory as Griggs was dominant.
(August 4) The Saskatoon Commodores lost their spoiler's touch of late while the North Battleford Beavers kept a nose ahead of the Kindersley Klippers in the first place battle for supremacy in the N.S.B.L. as the Saskatonians bowed to the Beavers 4 - 3 at Cairns Field. Youthful Mel Dahlseide lost the game the hard way, pushing across the game-winning run in the top of the 9th with a bases-loaded walk. Winning hurler Harold Hunchak went the distance on a seven-hitter. Kenny Nelson was the big gun for the Beavers at the dish, collecting four hits including a 9th inning double. Teammate Johnny Ford had a brace of singles. Les Stack was the only Commodore batter to collect two safeties.
(August 4) The Kindersley Klippers nipped the Saskatoon Ambassadors 2 - 1 in N.S.B.L. play.
(August 5) The Unity Cardinals and Kindersley Klippers split a Sunday double-bill with the Klippers taking the matinee game 7 - 5 and the Cards responding to win the follow-up contest 9 - 5. Gene Graves pitched the Kindersley victory at Unity while Ollie Harris was the loser. Ross Stone won the nightcap for the Redbirds against losing southpaw Bentley MacEwen and a pair of 6th inning relievers when a 5 - 0 Kindersley lead evaporated.
(August 5) The North Battleford Beavers whitewashed the Saskatoon Ambassadors 9 - 0 to maintain their ever-so-slight lead atop the N.S.B.L. standings. Ken Nelson and Ron Erne each pounded out two singles for North Battleford off loser Larry Lazecki of the Ambassadors. Roy Rowley won the game with a four-hitter.
(August 5) Neilburg Monarchs shaded Lloydminster 2-1.
(August 8) In a three-team twin-bill at Cairns Field, the Saskatoon Ambassadors defeated their city rivals, the Saskatoon Commodores, 8 - 1 in the opener and then dropped a 10 - 8 decision to the Neilburg Monarchs in a 10-inning late encounter. The doubleheader marked the end of the N.S.B.L. regular schedule as all other rained-out or postponed games will not be played.
Although out of the running for a playoff berth, the Ambassadors took a 4 - 0 1st inning lead against their city cousins and never looked back. Marcel Richard, with relief help from Bernie Sonntag in the 7th, got the win. Commodore starter Doug McArthur was tagged with the defeat. John Hemstead and Lionel Dietrick paced an eight-hit attack for the Ambassadors with two raps apiece, with one of Hemstead's going for two bases. The Commodores managed only three hits in the contest.
In the late game, the Ambassadors blew a lead which allowed Neilburg to come from behind and deadlock the score 5 - 5 in the 7th. The clubs traded three runs apiece over the final two regulation innings and the Monarchs won it in the 10th with a double by Glen Thompson, a walk to Ted Neal, a sacrifice by Pat Gibbons and a single by Neil Urlacher. Neal, the last of three Neilburg hurlers, got the win while Larry Lazecki, who took the mound in the 10th, was tagged with the loss. The Ambassadors out-hit the Monarchs 13 to 10 but had a bad time defensively.
FINAL STANDINGS W L Pct
North Battleford Beavers 17 8 .680
Kindersley Klippers 18 9 .667
Neilburg Monarchs 18 10 .643
Lloydminster Greencaps 12 11 .522
Unity Cardinals 14 13 .519
Saskatoon Commodores 13 13 .500
Saskatoon Ambassadors 12 17 .414
Biggar Pontiacs 3 26 .103
Six clubs made the playoff rounds. First place North Battleford will meet the 6th place Saskatoon Commodores in a best-four-out-of-seven series with the winner advancing directly to the final. In other matches, second-place Kindersley goes against 5th place Unity while 3rd place Neilburg tackles 5th place Lloydminster. Both of these are best-three-out-of-five quarter-final affairs with the survivors meeting in a best-two-out-of-three semi-final to decide which club will advance to face the North Battleford - Saskatoon winner for the championship.
PLAYOFFS :
(August 10) The Unity Cardinals downed the Kindersley Klippers 11 - 4 at Unity in the first game of their best-of-five quarter-final playoff. Rusty Devine, with relief help from Irl Flanagan in the 7th, picked up the win for Unity. Kindersley was sloppy afield, committing six errors, as starter Bentley MacEwen was saddled with the loss. Ross Stone belted a three-run homer for Unity while Flanagan had a double and single. Wally Jackson picked up two hits for Kindersley.
(August 10) The home-standing Lloydminster Greencaps and the Neilburg Monarchs battled to a 3 - 3 tie in the opener of a quarter-final series which had to be terminated after seven innings because of darkness. Tommy Taylor had 12 strikeouts in going the abbreviated route for the Greencaps. His mound rival, Ted Neal, fanned seven. Brian McIntyre had a perfect night at the plate for Neilburg, going three for three, while Buddy Rendell went two for three for Lloydminster.
(August 10) The North Battleford Beavers, first-place finishers in the N.S.B.L., easily defeated the Saskatoon Commodores, 6th place finishers, 11 - 2 at Cairns Field in the first game of a best-of-seven semi-final playoff. The Commodores had 11 hits, only one less than the Beavers, but could plate only a pair of runs. More amazing was that two triples and three doubles were included in the Saskatonians' bombardment on Roy Rowley, who went all the way for the North Battleford win. Of the Beavers 12 hits, all were singles except for a booming two-run double by Ken Nelson. Mel Dahlseide, who worked the initial seven innings on the hill for the Commodores, took the loss. Seven of the North Battleford runs could be attributed to Saskatoon throwing errors. Pitcher Rowley, who fanned 11 batters and didn't walk anyone, helped his own cause by sharing North Battleford hitting laurels with Nelson. Each had three safeties. Johnny Ford and Dave Hallis chipped in with two hits apiece. Jim Shaw was the big hitter for Saskatoon getting a triple, double and single in four trips. Terry Rak also had three hits. Catcher Bev Brooks cracked a triple and single in three appearances at the plate.
(August 12) The North Battleford Beavers moved into a comfortable two games to none lead in the best-of-seven semi-final series with the Saskatoon Commodores when they trimmed the Hub City visitors 9 - 1. Harold Hunchak held the Saskatonians to five hits in posting the win. Murray Eddy suffered the loss. First baseman Dave Hallis was the big noise at the dish for the winners, collecting three doubles. Don Drummond had a double and single while Roy Rowley checked in with a pair of singles. Joe Evanoff had a brace of one-baggers for the Commodores.
(August 12) In quarter-final action at Kindersley, the hometown Klippers downed the Unity Cardinals by scores of 5 - 4 and 13 - 11 to take a two games to one lead in the series. Gene Graves out-dueled Rusty Devine in the opener even though he surrendered home runs to Hank Ostrosky and Irl Flanagan.
The second contest saw Lloyd Rachul pick up the pitching win while Devine was hammered with his 2nd setback of the afternoon. Jerry Flanagan and Jim Wiley each homered for the winners while Ross Stone replied with a circuit-clout for Unity.
(August 12) The Neilburg Monarchs and Lloydminster Greencaps split games two and three of their semi-final series in Neilburg with the homesters taking the opener 7 - 2 while Lloydminster roared back to take the finale 6 - 4. Bob McIntyre was in fine form for the Monarchs in the opening game as he unfurled a one-hitter with Curly Williams the lone Greencap to register a hit, a towering home run. John Tchir took the loss.
The second game saw veteran Tommy Taylor scatter four hits in picking up the victory. Bob McIntyre, in a relief role this time, was bitten with the loss.
(August 14) The Unity Cardinals clipped the Kindersley Klippers 7 - 4 to tie their best-of-five quarter-final match-up at two games each. Lefthander Ross Stone pitched the Cardinals to their victory even though his mates committed five errors. Wayne Thompson, the first of three Klipper chuckers, took the loss. Erwin Doerksen was the top dog with the lumber for the winners, hitting two doubles and a single while Irl Flanagan added a double and single. Wayne Morgan and Jim Wiley each had two singles in a losing cause.
(August 14) The Lloydminster Greencaps came up with an 8 - 7 victory over the Neilburg Monarchs and took a two games to one lead in their best-of-five quarter-final series. Veteran Tommy Taylor singled home Dave Fossey with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th. Taylor, who relieved starter Willard Kondro in the 9th, also picked up the mound win. Fossey led the Lloydminster batters against loser Ted Neal, garnering two doubles. Tom Blair also had a pair of hits for the Border Boys. Pete Prediger and Neal had two hits each for Neilburg.
(August 15) The pennant-winning North Battleford Beavers all but eliminated the Saskatoon Commodores from the playoffs as they took an 8 - 2 victory over the Saskatonians to take a three games to none stranglehold in their best-of-seven semi-final series. Bennie Griggs picked up the hurling win over Saskatoon's Mel Dahlseide. Griggs was also the hitting star, collecting a home run, double and single. Dave Hallis also hit a four-bagger for the Beavers. Ken Nelson chipped in with a double and single. Jim Shaw and Don Heit were best for the Commodores with two singles each.
(August 15) The Kindersley Klippers, behind the three-hit pitching of Bentley MacEwen, moved on to semi-final action in the N.S.B.L. by whipping the visiting Unity Cardinals 15 - 5. The Klips won the best-of-five quarter-final series three games to two and will play the winner of the Neilburg - Lloydminster series in a semi-final round. 1,500 Kindersley fans witnessed MacEwen's domination of the Cards. Rusty Devine, the first of three Unity chuckers, took the loss. Jerry Flanagan led the 10-hit Klippers' attack with a home run.
(August 15) The Neilburg Monarchs squared their best-of-five quarter-final with a 6 - 4 triumph over the Lloydminster Greencaps. Bob McIntyre relieved his brother Brian in the 2nd inning and struck out 13 Lloydminster batters in gaining the win. Losing pitcher Tommy Taylor whiffed 10 batters. Veteran Pete Prediger hammered a home run for Neilburg while Larry Flicek had a trio of raps. Curly Williams and Buddy Rendell homered for the Greencaps but five fielding miscues spelled their doom.
(August 17) The North Battleford Beavers advanced to the final of the N.S.B.L. by virtue of their 6 - 4 victory over the Saskatoon Commodores at Cairns Field. The Beavers eliminated the Commodores in four straight in their best-of-seven semi-final. Bennie Griggs, a veteran campaigner in these parts, played an important role in the Beavers' win, collecting three hits and batting in four runs as well as preserving the pitching victory for starter Don Stynsky. The Beavers touched Commodore starter and loser Murray Eddy for 12 hits, the best of which was a towering two-run triple by Griggs. Don Drummond, Ken Nelson and Dave Hallis were good for two hits each. Commodore third baseman Don Heit led his club at the plate with three safeties while Terry Rak had a pair.
(August 17) The Neilburg Monarchs gained a berth in the N.S.B.L. semi-finals as they walloped the Lloydminster Greencaps 13 - 3 in the border city. The Monarchs pounded out 13 hits in eliminating the Greencaps. Lefthander Ted Neal struck out 13 batters in gaining the pitching victory. Lloydminster starter Grant Spence was the loser. Brian McIntyre had two doubles and a single for the winners while Larry Flicek and Neil Urlacher chipped in with three singles each. Neal aided his own cause with a triple and single. Curly Williams led Lloydminster with a home run and double while Dave Fossey hit an inside-the-park four-bagger.
(August 19) Gene Graves unfurled a three-hitter to lead his Kindersley Klippers to a 7 - 0 win over the visiting Neilburg Monarchs in the opener of the best-of-three N.S.B.L. semi-final. Graves entertained 1,500 Kindersley fans as he handcuffed the Monarchs at every turn. He fanned six and was never in trouble. Marcel Richard, a playoff pick-up from the Saskatoon Ambassadors and the first of three Neilburg chuckers, suffered the mound loss. Veteran Pete Prediger was the toughest man Graves faced as the Monarch catcher touched him for two hits. Jim Wiley led Kindersley at the dish with a home run and single. Lane Jackson, Garnet Hannon and Wayne Morgan all had two hits for the winners.
(August 20) Lefthander Bentley MacEwen pitched the Kindersley Klippers to the final of the N.S.B.L. with a 5 - 4 victory over the home-town Neilburg Monarchs. Kindersley won the best-of-three semi-final in straight games and will now face the North Battleford Beavers for league supremacy. The Klipper victory ensures a new champion as last year Neilburg won all the marbles defeating the Unity Cardinals. MacEwen scattered six hits in earning the victory. The Monarchs' import southpaw Ted Neal, in relief of starter Bob McIntyre, was charged with the defeat. Right fielder Dave Torrens led Kindersley from the batters' box, collecting two hits in four appearances. Larry Flicek was the top man for the Monarchs, matching Torrens' performance.
(August 22) The Kindersley Klippers took the opening game of the N.S.B.L. final series, stopping the home-town North Battleford Beavers 12 - 5. Playing-manager Gene Graves scattered seven hits and struck out 10 in gaining the decision over Bennie Griggs in the eight-inning, darkness-shortened contest. Klippers' leftfielder Dave Torrens provided the big blow in Kindersley's four-run first inning a towering bases-loaded triple. The winners garnered 13 hits off Griggs and reliever Harold Hunchak. Garnet Hannon checked in with two doubles while Lane Jackson had a double and single. Wally Jackson and Jim Wiley both had a pair of singles. Griggs and Carmen Keller had home runs for the Beavers.
(August 24) The North Battleford Beavers evened their N.S.B.L. final at one victory each, stopping the Kindersley Klippers 13 - 8. Fast-balling Bennie Griggs, who lost the first game of the series, came back to pick up the win in this one. Lefthander Bentley MacEwen took the loss. The Klips out-hit North Battleford 11 to 7. Ervin Boehm, a playoff replacement picked up from the Biggar Pontiacs, had a home run for the winners while Glen Bellegarde replied with a circuit-clout for Kindersley. Griggs was no slouch with the bat, banging out three singles. Kindersley's Wally Jackson also had a trio of base knocks, one being a double. Jim Wiley, the Klippers' star third baseman, injured his ankle in the contest and may be through for the season.
(August 26) Gene Graves, the classy pitcher-manager of the Kindersley Klippers, scattered seven hits and led his club to a 6 - 2 victory over the North Battleford Beavers in the 3rd game of the N.S.B.L. final series played on the Beavers' home turf. The victory, before 1,000 North Battleford fans, enabled Kindersley to take a two games to 1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Graves struck out eight Beavers in earning the pitching victory over Harold Hunchak, the first of three North Battleford pitchers. Garnet Hannon, Wayne Morgan and Graves all had a pair of safeties in the 13-hit Kindersley attack but the top hitter for the Klippers in this game was Irl Flanagan, a playoff pickup from the Unity Cardinals, who collected a double and two singles. Providing power in support of Graves was Glen Bellegarde who belted a solo homer, his 2nd of the series. Jack Rowley with a double and single was the best offensively for the Beavers.
(August 29) Alabama Bennie Griggs, the veteran hard-throwing right-hander, was in top form as the North Battleford Beavers knotted the best-of-seven final series against the home-standing Kindersley Klippers at two wins apiece. Griggs scattered five hits over the eight-inning distance as the Beavers prevailed 8 - 3 in the darkness shortened affair. The Beavers backed up Griggs by scoring five runs in their first turn at bat and, following that offensive outburst, the old master was in command, striking out five and walking only one. Kindersley starter Bentley MacEwen, who left the game in the 5th in favor of Lloyd Rachul, was charged with the loss. Jack Rowley led the nine-hit Beaver attack, picking up a double plus a pair of singles. while Ervin Boehm, a playoff pick-up from the Biggar Pontiacs, pounded out two singles.
(August 30) The final statistics for the 1962 regular season of the Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League were published in today's edition of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
Top Batting Averages AB R H Aver.
Jim Wiley (Kindersley Klippers) 76 21 32 .421
Ken Nelson (North Battleford Beavers) 83 21 32 .386
Johnny Ford (North Battleford Beavers) 86 29 32 .372
Pete Prediger (Neilburg Monarchs) 55 15 20 .364
Fred Clemence (Biggar Pontiacs) 72 14 26 .361
Roy Rowley (North Battleford Beavers) 64 17 23 .359
Ervin Boehm (Biggar Pontiacs) 80 15 28 .350
Neil Urlacher (Neilburg Monarchs) 93 27 32 .344
Wally Jackson (Kindersley Klippers) 91 31 31 .341
Lionel Dietrick (Saskatoon Ambassadors) 73 19 24 .329
Irl Flanagan (Unity Cardinals) 89 20 29 .326
Hank Ostrosky (Unity Cardinals) 82 14 26 .317
Lyle Thom (Neilburg Monarchs) 74 15 23 .311
Elmer Walker (Saskatoon Ambassadors) 81 16 25 .309
Hits - Wiley (KI), Nelson (NB), Ford (NB) and Urlacher (NM) - all tied with 32
Runs - Wally Jackson (Kindersley) - 31
Slugging Percentage - Urlacher (Neilburg) - .667
Total Bases - Urlacher (Neilburg) - 62
Home Runs - Urlacher (Neilburg) - 7
RBI - Urlacher (Neilburg) - 32
Stolen Bases - Boehm (Biggar) - 16
Most Times Struckout - Mike Repin (Unity Cardinals) - 32
Pitching
Best Average - Roy Rowley (North Battleford) 5 - 1 .833
Most Wins - Tommy Taylor (Lloyd) and Bennie Griggs (NB) - tied with 9
Most Pitching Decisions - Marcel Richard (Saskatoon Ambassadors) - 14
(August 31) Playing-manager Johnny Ford's run-scoring double in the 6th inning carried the North Battleford Beavers to a 2 - 1 victory over the Kindersley Klippers and gave them a 3 - 2 lead in the N.S.B.L. finals. Ford's payoff hit, his second of the game, sent Ervin Boehm racing home with the winning tally. Boehm had previously singled off losing pitcher Gene Graves and stolen 2nd. Roy Rowley of the Beavers checked Kindersley on five hits to garner the pitching decision. The Klippers' lone run resulted from a bases-empty dinger off the bat of Garnet Hannon.
(September 3) The Kindersley Klippers evened their N.S.B.L. final series with the North Battleford Beavers at three wins each by taking a 7 - 5 victory at home. More than 1,500 fans took in the contest. Klippers' classy playing-manager Gene Graves got credit for the victory, his 3rd of the series against one loss. Bennie Griggs, who has won a pair of final series games and lost an equal number, took the loss. Lane Jackson of the Klippers belted a two-run homer and laced a pair of singles as well. Teammate Garnet Hannon added a brace of raps. Ron Erne drilled a bases-empty homer for the Beavers while Dave Hallis added two singles.
(September 9) The hometown North Battleford Beavers squeezed in a run in the tag end of the 9th inning to shade the Kindersley Klippers 3 - 2 and capture the N.S.B.L. championship before 1,500 fans. The Beavers won the final round four games to three. North Battleford scored the winning run when winning hurler Bennie Griggs raced home from 3rd on a squeeze bunt by Ken Nelson. Griggs had doubled to lead off the 9th. He moved to 3rd on a bunt single by Jack Rowley. Bentley MacEwen, who suffered the defeat, had a no-hitter going until the 5th inning but the bubble burst when Dave Hallis lit him up with a solo dinger.