(May 26) The Saskatoon Commodores took advantage of the oppositions' inability to score while having men on base to open the N.S.B.L. season on a winning note, posting a 4 - 2 victory over the Unity Cardinals. Playing on their home turf, the Cardinals left a total of 15 base runners stranded. They just couldn't come up with a timely base blow although out-hitting the Saskatonians 8 to 3. Murray Eddy went the distance for the Commodores, setting down 10 Unity batters on strikes. Marcel Richard, forced from the game in the 8th with a sore arm, was tagged with the loss. John Repin with a double and single and both Dick Schmidt and Ernie Hollingshead with two singles each, were the best Redbirds with the lumber. Bob Babki had a two-bagger for the Commodores.
(May 26) The defending champion North Battleford Beavers squeezed by the Kindersley Klippers 3 - 1 in an abbreviated seven-inning opening night contest. Errors played a significant role in the North Battleford victory as the Klippers committed five fielding miscues. Harold Hunchak picked up the hurling win, surrendering five hits while striking out 11 before the game was called because of darkness. Losing pitcher Wayne Thompson also allowed five hits while whiffing five.
(May 26) The perennial doormat Biggar Nationals came out of the gate flying and dumped the Neilburg Monarchs 4 - 2 in the 1965 debut for both clubs. Clarence Proctor hurled near-perfect relief ball for the Nats in their home opener. Proctor, who took over from Bob Hoult in the 5th, gave up just one hit the rest of the way. Starter Chuck Kennedy took the loss for the Monarchs. Ervin Boehm, with a double and single, and Bev Brooks with two singles, led the Biggar six-hit offense. Tony Keller belted a triple for the Nationals. Glen Thompson collected two of Neilburg's three hits, both singles.
(May 30) Don Poindexter, a southpaw import making his first start of the season, turned in a sound pitching performance as the Saskatoon Commodores blanked the Kindersley Klippers 3 - 0 in the first game of what was supposed to be a doubleheader. The second game was halted in the 3rd inning because of rain. Poindexter scattered five hits and struck out nine in gaining the win. Glenn Uzelman, who was tagged with the loss, also turned in a stellar mound effort, limiting the Hub City crew to just four hits. All three Saskatoon runs were unearned. Not one player on either club had more than one base hit with the Commodores' Bob Babki drilling the sole extra-base blow, a 6th inning double.
(May 30) The North Battleford Beavers ran their unbeaten string to three games, taking a pair from the Biggar Nationals 5 - 0 and 5 - 3. Harold Hunchak's two-hitter stymied the Nationals in the opener as he won his 2nd decision fanning 10 along the way. Bob Hoult, driven from the rubber in the 2nd frame, was saddled with the loss.
In the second game, winner Don Frolek and Sherman Cottingham combined to hurl a four-hitter. Rookie Ken Haanen, who fanned nine and gave up four hits, took the loss. Dave Hallis drove in four Beaver runs with a pair of hits.
(May 30) The Neilburg Monarchs edged the Unity Cardinals 4 - 3 for their first win of the season. A second scheduled game never made it past the 3rd inning when rain prevented further play. Playing on the Neilburg diamond, John Repin belted a home run and two singles to lead a nine-hit Unity attack but it wasn't enough to get the win. Import Alton Arnold, appearing in his first game for Neilburg, was credited with the pitching win. In spite of tossing a four-hitter, Unity's Allan Ferchuk lost it. Ross Stone, with a double and single, and Ross Morrison with two singles were the other leading batsmen for Unity. Larry Flicek collected a pair of singles for Neilburg.
(June 2) A bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 8th inning by import pitcher Don Poindexter provided the Saskatoon Commodores with a comeback 7 - 4 victory over the Biggar Nationals at Holiday Park. The Commodores, who led 3 - 0 going into the top of the 8th inning only to have Biggar push across four runs to take the lead, had to fight back with four in the bottom of the frame to gain their 3rd straight win of the season. Poindexter followed two other Saskatoon chuckers to the hill in the 8th and was the recipient of the win, his 2nd in two appearances. Nationals' southpaw Ken Haanen suffered his 2nd loss of the campaign. Bob Babki and Cliff Shockey each had three hits for the Bridge City Boys while Ervin Boehm led the Nats, also with a trio of base knocks.
(June 2) The North Battleford Beavers scored seven runs in the first inning, then coasted to their 4th triumph in a row, an 11 - 2 rout of the Unity Cardinals. Unity's Ross Stone, the leading pitcher in the N.S.B.L. last season, was the victim of the Beavers' early splurge and took the loss. North Battleford starter Sherman Cottingham got the win. Included in the Beavers' 10-hit attack was a triple by Dave Hallis and doubles by Jack Rowley and Ken Nelson. Stone with a three-bagger and John Repin with a double were the Redbirds' leading batsmen.
(June 2) The Kindersley Klippers registered their first win of the campaign by edging the Neilburg Monarchs 9 - 8 at Kindersley. Glenn Uzelman struck out nine in earning the Kindersley mound win. Loser Don McIntyre gave up nine of the Klippers 12 hits. Wally Jackson and Jerry Flanagan each collected four hits for the Klips while Larry Fisher drilled a two-run homer in the 5th. Veteran Pete Prediger and Glen Thompson led the Monarchs with a double and single each.
(June 6) The North Battleford Beavers ran their unbeaten string to six games, sweeping both ends of a N.S.B.L. doubleheader from the Saskatoon Commodores, 10 - 6 and 17 - 4. The Saskatonians jumped out to an early five-run margin in the first stanza of the opener but the Beavers nullified that in a hurry and went ahead to stay in the 2nd. Import Sherman Cottingham went the distance with a seven-hitter to get the win over Don Poindexter who was nailed for his first loss. Cottingham and Bob McNab both had three-baggers and Manny Primeau a double for North Battleford. Jim Shaw hit a double and single for the Commodores.
In the second tilt, Bernie Sonntag, the 2nd of four chuckers, was roughed up for the loss. Harold Hunchak won his 3rd with a five-hitter. Manny Primeau went four for four to lead the winners offensively. Ken Nelson and Bill Rogers hit home runs for the Beavers.
(June 6) The Kindersley Klippers and Unity Cardinals split a twin-bill at Unity, the Cards taking the opener 7 - 2 and the Klippers rebounding the take the finale 3 - 2. Ross Stone allowed just three hits and took the win in the early game, his first of the campaign. Wayne "Chick" Thompson took the loss. Irl Flanagan hit a triple and single for the Redbirds.
Allan Ferchuk unfurled a fine one-hitter in the owl encounter for Unity but it wasn't enough as his mates committed six errors, allowing the Klips to triumph. Glenn Uzelman gained the win, scattering eight hits, three of the bat of the Cardinals' Ross Morrison.
(June 6) The Neilburg Monarchs and Biggar Nationals divided a double-dip at Biggar with the Monarchs coming through with a first-game 5 - 2 triumph while the Nats evened things, scoring a 6 - 3 win in the wrap-up encounter. Import Alton Arnold scattered four hits in pitching Neilburg to its second win of the season in the matinee. Walter Banach started and took the loss for Biggar. Ivan Prediger and Jim Grant led the Monarchs eight-hit offense with a pair of singles each. John Weenk collected two of Biggar's four hits.
In the second game, Bob Hoult gave up just five hits and fanned eight in winning his first of the year. Neilburg's Don McIntyre was charged with the loss. Tony Keller and Dave Kondra each hit safely three times for the Nationals. Wayne Barton went two for four and drove in three runs. Neil Urlacher hit a two-bagger for the Monarchs.
(June 9) The Saskatoon Commodores once again found a substantial lead hard to hold as they dropped a 12 - 11 verdict at Kindersley to the Klippers. The Commodores hopped into a 7 - 0 lead in the 2nd inning only to have the Klippers break loose for 10 in the 3rd. Bernie Sonntag, the last of three Saskatoon chuckers was the loser. Glenn Uzelman, who came on in the 2nd frame for the Klips, picked up the win. Larry Fisher's 9th inning single drove in the winner. Lane Jackson smashed five hits for the Klippers and Garnet Hannon collected a pair. Cliff Shockey had three hits for the Commodores while Ira McKnight had a pair, including a double.
(June 9) The North Battleford Beavers ran their unbeaten streak to seven games, whipping the Neilburg Monarchs 10 - 1 at Neilburg. Harold Hunchak coasted to his 4th win for the Beavers, allowing only three hits. He struck out seven and lost his bid for a shutout in the 9th inning. Bob McNab paced the Beavers at the plate with a home run and three singles. Johnny Ford hit a double and single while Manny Primeau, Dave Hallis and Hunchak each hit two singles. Alton Arnold, the losing pitcher, had two singles for the Monarchs.
(June 9) At Biggar, the Unity Cardinals downed the home-town Nationals 5 - 3. Unity scored single runs in the 1st and 4th and broke the game open with three in the 5th. Ross Stone went the distance for the Cardinals, striking out 16, to get his 2nd win. Marcel Richard hit two doubles and a single for the winners while Dick Schmidt, Hank Ostrosky and Bob Code each had two singles. Bev Brooks tripled and singled for Biggar and Fred Clemence had two singles.
(June 13) The Saskatoon Commodores jumped back on the winning track in a big way, trouncing the Neilburg Monarchs 10 - 2 and 19 - 11 in a pair of N.S.B.L. games at Holiday Park. Southpaw Don Poindexter emerged as the hero for the Commodores in the first game, striking out 15 Neilburg batters while scattering six hits for his 3rd win. Jim Shaw laced a two-run triple for the winners.
In the nightcap, the Commodores unleashed a 16-hit attack and took advantage of six Neilburg errors as they ran up their largest run production of the season. Catcher Gord Johnson, making his initial appearance of the season for Saskatoon, belted a pair of triples to lead the onslaught. Don Heit followed with a triple plus a pair of singles while Ira McKnight had a brace of one-baggers. Bernie Sonntag, who pitched 8 1/3 innings, gained the victory, his first of the season. Neil Urlacher was the big gun for the Monarchs with a double and triple. Larry Flicek came up with a three-bagger and a pair of singles. Neilburg starter Don McIntyre took the loss.
(June 13) The North Battleford Beavers continued on a roll as they ran their unbeaten streak to nine games, posting a double victory over the Kindersley Klippers by 12 - 1 and 2 - 1 margins. The Beavers jumped on the Klippers' import starter, Ron Fell, for 13 hits in breezing to the opening contest win. Sherman Cottingham scattered eight hits to pick up his 3rd triumph. Manny Primeau sparked the Beavers at the plate with a pair of singles and a double, driving in four runs. Jimmy Johnston and Carmen Keller both stroked a pair of singles. Jerry Flanagan and Bill O'Sullivan led the Klippers offensively with two singles each.
The late encounter saw Harold Hunchak of the Beavers up his record to 5 - 0 in taking a tight pitching joust over Wayne Thompson.
(June 13) The Unity Cardinals took over third place in the N.S.B.L. by sweeping both ends of a twin-bill, 5 - 4 and 8 - 0, from the Biggar Nationals. A throwing error provided Unity with the winning run in the bottom of the 8th in the matinee tilt. Ross Stone was the winner while Gene Graves, making his first start for Biggar, was tagged with the loss. John Lung and John Repin had a pair of hits each for the Cardinals while import Jim Chatham collected a single, double and triple for the Nationals.
Mel Dahlseide checked in with a nifty one-hitter to pick up the win for the Redbirds in game two. Unity bombed loser Bob Hoult for 11 hits in this engagement with Dick Schmidt garnering three of them.
Standings as of end of June 13 W L Pct. GBL
North Battleford Beavers 9 0 1.000 ----
Saskatoon Commodores 5 3 .625 3 1/2
Unity Cardinals 4 4 .500 4 1/2
Kindersley Klippers 3 5 .375 5 1/2
Neilburg Monarchs 2 6 .250 6 1/2
Biggar Nationals 2 7 .222 7
(June 20) The Neilburg Monarchs turned giant killer and handed the North Battleford Beavers their first loss of the campaign, besting the N.S.B.L. leaders 6 - 4 in the first game of a twin-bill. The Beavers bounced back to win the second game 8 - 3. The Monarchs broke loose for four runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to break a 1 - 1 tie in the opener and snap the Beavers' winning streak at nine games. Roger Freed, making his first pitching start for Neilburg, gave up seven hits and struck out five to claim the victory. Sherman Cottingham, who gave up six hits, took the loss. Veteran Pete Prediger clouted a solo homer for the Monarchs. Glen Thompson had a double and single. Jack Rowley hit a four-bagger and single for the Beavers and Manny Primeau continued his hot streak at the plate with a double and single.
In the follow-up contest, Harold Hunchak of North Battleford earned his 6th mound decision as the Beavers backed him up with some early offensive punch. Dennis Murray, making his first start on the rubber for Neilburg, took the loss. Although he gave up only four hits, his downfall was nine free passes compounded by the five errors that his mates committed. Bill Rogers homered for the Beavers while Neil Urlacher, with a double and two singles, and Jim Grant, with two singles, were best with the club for the Monarchs.
(June 20) The Unity Cardinals vaulted into second place past the Saskatoon Commodores with 6 - 4 and 4 - 2 victories over the Saskatonians at Unity. The Cardinals pushed across five runs in the 4th inning to garner the opening game win. Bert Bandy, an import from Fresno, California got the win in his mound debut for the Redbirds over Saskatoon's Don Poindexter. Both clubs managed only five hits.
The second game ended prematurely in the bottom of the 5th when rain and a dust storm made conditions unplayable. Lyle May's two-run double provided the winning margin for Erwin Doerksen who took the hurling decision over Murray Eddy.
(June 20) The Kindersley Klippers swept both ends of a double-bill from the Biggar Nationals, 6 - 3 and 5 - 3, at Kindersley. The pitching of a pair of Kindersley imports, Ron Fell in the opener and Fred Caviglia in the nightcap, proved too much for the last-place Nationals. Fell scattered six hits, fanned 12 while Caviglia gave up six hits while whiffing seven and did not issue a base on balls. Lane Jackson had three base raps for the Klips in the matinee while both Wally Jackson and Jerry Flanagan produced a pair. Biggar backstop Bev Brooks had a perfect three for three with the bat for the losers.
Import Gene Graves took the loss in the first game while Clarence Proctor was the loser in the second. Brooks again led the Nationals from the batters' box, this time with a two for four output.
(June 23) Irl Flanagan's single in the bottom of the 6th inning lifted the Unity Cardinals to a 10 - 8 N.S.B.L. win over the Kindersley Klippers. Flanagan's single broke an 8 - 8 tie giving Unity's Ross Stone his 4th win, this one coming in a relief role. Import Fred Caviglia, also out of the bullpen, took the loss, Erwin Doerksen led a 14-hit Cardinal attack with two doubles and two singles. Marcel Richard had a triple and double while Lyle May collected a triple and single. Jerry Flanagan hit a double and single and Lane Jackson a pair of singles for Kindersley.
(June 23) The North Battleford Beavers picked up their 11th win of the campaign, drubbing the Biggar Nationals 9 - 2 at Abbott Field. Sherman Cottingham scattered six hits in earning his 4th win for North Battleford. Winless Gene Graves suffered his 3rd mound defeat. Jack Rowley with a home run and single led the Beavers with the lumber while Jim Johnston, Roy Rowley and Larry Derksen collected a pair of singles each.
(June 23) A total of 19 free passes were issued in a slow-moving affair that saw the Saskatoon Commodores get by the Neilburg Monarchs 9 - 6 at Holiday Park. The win for the Commodores gave them sole possession of third place. In spite of an eight bases on balls output over the 5 1/3 innings that he worked on the hill, Pete Rieben of the Commodores came out as the winner. Loser Dennis Murray pitched the entire nine innings, handing out six walks. His mates played poorly in the field, bobbling the ball six times. Saskatoon out-hit the Monarchs 8 to 5.
Standings as end of June 23 W L Pct. GBL
North Battleford Beavers 11 1 .917 ----
Unity Cardinals 7 4 .636 3 1/2
Saskatoon Commodores 6 5 .545 4 1/2
Kindersley Klippers 5 6 .455 5 1/2
Neilburg Monarchs 3 8 .273 7 1/2
Biggar Nationals 2 10 .167 9
(June 25) The three-hit pitching of Ron Fell carried the Kindersley Klippers to an 8 - 2 N.S.B.L. victory over the Neilburg Monarchs. Roger Freed of the Monarchs was charged with the loss. Freed also hit the game's lone home run. The contest was halted in the 7th inning by rain.
(June 30) Two members of the Kindersley Klippers' ball playing Jackson family, Lane and Wally, are occupants of the top spots in the N.S.B.L. batting race. In the latest statistics covering games played to June 23, Lane holds the lead with a .405 average while Wally is next in line at .395. Manny Primeau of the North Battleford Beavers follows with a .378 average. Primeau leads the league in base hits with 17 and is tied with teammate Bob McNab in total bases, each with 20. Saskatoon catcher Ira McKnight has the lead in RBI's with 15 and stolen bases with 12. Two other Beavers, Bill Rogers and Jack Rowley share the home run lead with two each. Five players, Gord Johnson, Jim Shaw and Don Heit of the Saskatoon Commodores as well as Tony Keller of the Biggar Nationals and Larry Flicek of the Neilburg Monarchs, have each hit a pair of triples. Jerry Flanagan of the Kindersley Klippers tops the doubles department with 4.
Harold Hunchak of the North Battleford Beavers sports a hurling record of six wins against no defeats in leading the winning percentage for pitchers. Ross Stone of the Unity Cardinals is the current strikeout leader with 55.
(July 1) The Kindersley Klippers edged the North Battleford Beavers 1 - 0 in the final game of the $1,650 N.S.B.L. annual tournament at Unity. Dave Torrens' single in the 2nd inning drove in Joe Ferguson with the game's lone run. Ferguson had previously tripled. Lyle Thompson threw a five-hitter for the win in besting Lyle Bradley.
(July 4) Ross Stone and Russ Vanderzeil combined pitching and batting talents to lead the Unity Cardinals to a pair of victories over the Neilburg Monarchs. The Cardinals won by scores of 7 - 2 and 10 - 7. Stone scattered five hits and struck out 12 in the opener and then returned in the 3rd inning of the second game, gaining credit for both victories. Dennis Murray was charged with the defeat in the first game and Brian McIntyre, appearing in relief, was nailed with the defeat in the late game.
It was Vanderzeil's power at the plate that ignited the Cards in the finale. He blasted a three-run homer in the 4th and then won the game with another three-run circuit clout in the 6th.
(July 4) The North Battleford Beavers won their 12th and 13th games of the season, stopping the Biggar Nationals 3 - 2 and 5 - 0. Harold Hunchak of the Beavers scattered five hits and picked up his 7th win without a loss in the opener. Gene Graves of the Nats took his 4th successive loss. Bob McNab's single in the 7th stanza drove home the winning tally.
In the final game, Sherman Cottingham gave up just three hits in blanking the Nats. Larry Lazecki, making his first mound start for Biggar, was charged with the loss. Roy Rowley was the big gun at the plate for the Beavers with a homer, double and single. Bob McNab collected four hits in five trips over the two games for North Battleford.
(July 4) The Saskatoon Commodores and Kindersley Klippers split a pair of games played in Kindersley, the Klippers taking the opener 2 - 1 and the Commodores the nightcap 9 - 3. Wayne Morgan's two-run homer in the bottom of the 5th inning propelled the Klips to their matinee win. Joe Ferguson tossed a four-hitter to get the win over Don Poindexter.
Murray Eddy got credit for the Commodore victory in game two. Kindersley starter Glenn Uzelman was tagged with the loss.
(July 7) The Neilburg Monarchs handed the N.S.B.L. leaders, the North Battleford Beavers, just their 2nd loss of the season, a 7 - 4 lacing at North Battleford. Import Dennis Murray scattered seven hits and fanned 10 as he recorded his first win for Neilburg. Lyle Bradley suffered the loss. The defeat narrowed the Beavers' lead to 2 1/2 games over the Unity Cardinals. Pat Gibbons emerged as the biggest threat at the plate for the Monarchs, driving in four runs on two singles. Ivan Prediger blasted a four-bagger. Dave Hallis, with two doubles, led the Beavers while Bob McNab and Bradley collected a pair of singles each.
(July 7) Gene Graves pitched the Biggar Nationals to their 3rd win of the season, a 2 - 0 victory over the Kindersley Klippers. Graves finally got into the win column with a two-hitter and a 13-strikeout performance. Fred Caviglia allowed just three hits in taking the loss.
(July 7) The Unity Cardinals, showing a solid defence up-the-middle, spanked the Saskatoon Cardinals 9 - 3 at Holiday Park to move to within 2 1/2 games of top place in the N.S.B.L. The keystone combination of a pair of imports, Woody Felix at 2nd base and Russ Vanderzeil at shortstop, played an important part in holding the Commodores to just eight hits. On more than one occasion, the pair made outstanding plays to put the damper on any Commodore hopes of a rally. Marcel Richard, who toiled on the hill for the first five frames, gained the win over Don Poindexter who went the route. The Cards took the lead in the 4th inning, scoring five times, and never looked back. Shortstop Jim Shaw blasted a bases-empty dinger for Saskatoon.
(July 9) The Kindersley Klippers vaulted into 3rd place in the N.S.B.L. with an 8 - 6 victory over the Saskatoon Commodores. The Klips rallied for five runs in the 6th inning to overcome a 2 - 1 deficit and hand the Commodores their second consecutive home defeat. Joe Ferguson, an import right-hander from California, allowed the Commodores only seven hits while fanning 11 for his 2nd win of the season. Ferguson also turned in an impressive display at the plate, belting a triple, double and single. Saskatoon starter Pete Rieben had some control difficulties and was nailed with the loss. Ira McKnight had a pair of singles for the losers, both of which drove in a run.
(July 9) The North Battleford Beavers padded their lead in the N.S.B.L. when they edged the Unity Cardinals 3 - 2. Sherman Cottingham, with help from Harold Hunchak, picked up his 6th pitching victory for the Beavers. North Battleford scored all their runs in the 6th frame, sending Ross Stone down to his 2nd defeat. The Beavers out-hit the Cards 6 to 5. Jack Rowley's double drove in a pair of runs for the winners.
(July 11) The Neilburg Monarchs, with the aid of four home runs, moved to within two games of fourth place in the N.S.B.L. in sweeping both ends of a twin-bill from the Biggar Nationals, 7 - 4 and 5 - 2. Brian McIntyre's three-run circuit-clout in the bottom of the 7th put the Monarchs ahead to stay in the matinee match. Roger Freed had tied the score with a three-run homer in the bottom of the 5th. Reliever Dave Dinwoodie picked up the win over Gene Graves, who was also working out of the bullpen as a fireman. Tony Keller collected a home run and double for Biggar.
Back-to-back homers by the Monarchs' Roger Freed and Neil Urlacher settled the issue for Neilburg in the second tussle. In this contest, Dinwoodie started and went the distance for his 2nd victory of the day while Graves, again in a fireman's role, was bitten a second time in absorbing the double-defeat, his 6th of the season.
(July 11) The Unity Cardinals and Kindersley Klippers divided the spoils of a double-dip played in Kindersley. Unity won the opener 5 - 4 and Kindersley the second contest by the same score. Ross Stone got credit for his 7th win in the opening event. Wayne Morgan homered for Kindersley and as did Jerry Student of the Cardinals.
Don Jackson's 7th inning single in the nightcap drove in the winning marker as the Klips evened up things. Wayne Thompson, with a six-hitter, got the win. Jerry Flanagan led the 13-hit Kindersley attack with four hits in four trips to the plate.
(July 11) The normally light-hitting Saskatoon Commodores turned tigers at the plate, unleashing an 18-hit attack, to bombard the North Battleford Beavers 14 - 2 in the first game of a N.S.B.L. twin-bill at Holiday Park. The second game was a different story, however, as the Beavers scored a thrilling 4 - 3 victory to maintain their 3 1/2 lead atop the six-team circuit. Import southpaw Don Poindexter scattered five hits and struck out 10 to get his 4th win in the matinee. Losing pitcher Harold Hunchak was shelled from the hill in the opening frame when the Saskatonians plated seven runs. It was Hunchak's first loss in eight decisions. Poindexter, Dale Zeman, Ira McKnight and Gord Johnson sparked the Commodore offense with three hits each. Johnson's total included a bases-empty homer in the 5th.
Sherman Cottingham, with a seven-hitter, got the owl encounter decision over Saskatoon's Bernie Sonntag. North Battleford shortstop Bob McNab had a pair of three-baggers for the winners, the second triple being the decisive blow of the game as it drove in Larry Derksen with the winning run.
Standings as of end of July 11 W L Pct. GBL
North Battleford Beavers 15 3 .833 ----
Unity Cardinals 11 6 .647 3 1/2
Kindersley Klippers 9 9 .500 6
Saskatoon Commodores 8 9 .471 6 1/2
Neilburg Monarchs 6 11 .353 8 1/2
Biggar Nationals 3 14 .176 11 1/2
(July 14) A four-team invitational tournament in Neilburg was won by the Saskatoon Commodores as they out-slugged the North Battleford Beavers 7 - 6 in the final game. Bob Babki hammered three home runs in the final to power the winners. Beavers weren't without any home run production as Manny Primeau, Carmen Keller, Bob McNab and Skip Krake all connected for dingers. Bernie Sonntag got the win over Sherman Cottingham, both pitching in relief roles.
(July 16) The Saskatoon Commodores travelled to Neilburg and laid a 15 - 7 pasting on the hometown Monarchs. In picking up their 9th win of the campaign, the Hub City crew unleashed 13 hits from the batters' box. The game was called after 6 innings because of darkness. Rookies Dale Zeman and Ernie Cherkowsky had a home run each for the winners. Cherkowsky also had a triple while Zeman added a single. Don Heit added a triple and double to the Commodore offense. Roger Freed sparked an 11-hit Neilburg attack with a home run while Neil Urlacher, Pete Prediger and Pat Gibbons each hit a pair of singles. Don Poindexter got the win over Neilburg starter Don McIntyre.
(July 16) The Biggar Nationals humbled the Unity Cardinals 8 - 2 in a N.S.B.L. game at Unity. Veteran import Gene Graves pitched shutout ball for seven innings, leading the cellar-dwelling Nats to their 4th win. Graves and Ervin Boehm shared the limelight at the dish, each coming up with a brace of base raps for the Nationals. Catcher Lyle May was the top batter for the Cardinals as he picked up three hits. Unity starter Erwin Doerksen was the loser.
(July 16) At North Battleford, the Beavers were beaten 5 - 3 by the Kindersley Klippers. Import Joe Ferguson scattered seven hits as the Klips handed the league-leading Beavers their 4th loss of the season. Ferguson struck out 15 in picking up his 3rd win in as many decisions. Sherman Cottingham started, and lost, for the Beavers. Ernie Syrota sparked the 3rd place Klippers with a home run and triple. Ferguson also homered. Roy Rowley with a double and single and Manny Primeau with two singles, topped the North Battleford batters.
(July 18) The Saskatoon Commodores maintained their lusty hitting ways of late at Holiday Park, sweeping a doubleheader from the Biggar Nationals in the process. The victories, by 9 - 4 and 14 - 3 scores, boosted the Commodores into 3rd place in the N.S.B.L. Bernie Sonntag, with relief help from Murray Eddy, was the winning pitcher in the opener while Pete Rieben chalked up the second game victory. Don Heit paced the Commodores in the matinee with a double and two singles while Bob Babki clicked for a home run and single, driving in three runs. Jim Shaw came through with a triple and single. Ervin Boehm led the Nationals with a triple, double and single while Tony Keller hit a three-bagger and single. The Commodores pinned the loss on former teammate Larry Lazecki who they drove to the showers with a four-run first inning outburst.
The Commodores slammed loser Gene Graves for 11 runs in the 2nd tilt before he was replaced by Lazecki in the 5th. Rieben, as has been his pattern, had control problems in the owl encounter, walking 10, but still had a huge margin to work with in posting the win. Dale Zeman hit a triple and single in this game while Babki had a double and single. Former Commodore Al Wanner hit a double and single for the Nationals.
(July 18) The league-leading North Battleford Beavers were beaten twice by the Unity Cardinals who topped them by 8 - 4 and 3 - 2 scores. Playing at Unity, Ross Stone received solid plate support in getting the opening game win for the Cards. He struck out eight but walked seven. Jerry Student homered for the Cardinals and Irl Flanagan picked up three singles. Woody Felix and Russ Vanderzeil each had a double and single. Three of the Beavers eight hits went for extra bases. Bob McNab tripled and singled, Roy Rowley doubled and singled and Manny Primeau had a three-bagger.
In the second game, the Beavers were nursing a 2 - 1 lead until the 6th when a bases-loaded walk and a throwing error enabled the Redbirds to score twice. Erwin Doerksen clouted a double and single for the Cardinals while Manny Primeau and John Ford of the Beavers duplicated the feat.
(July 18) The Neilburg Monarchs handed the Kindersley Klippers a 7 - 4 setback in the first of two at Kindersley. The Klippers came back to take the second contest 6 - 4. Roger Freed hit a pair of homers for Neilburg in the first game and added another in the follow-up contest. Neil Urlacher and Glen Thompson also homered for the Monarchs in the opener with Garnet Hannon connecting for a Kindersley four-bagger. Dennis Murray was the winner for the Monarchs in the matinee event with the loss being hung on Fred Caviglia.
In the late encounter, Joe Ferguson homered for the Klippers as Wayne "Chick" Thompson got his second win in out-dueling Dave Dinwoodie.
(July 20) Bob McNab of the North Battleford Beavers has jumped into the lead in the N.S.B.L. batting derby. Latest statistics covering games played to July 16 show McNab batting at a .434 clip. The North Battleford shortstop has hit safely in 23 of 53 at bats. McNab also leads in total bases with 34 and has hit the most triples, 3. Wally Jackson of the Kindersley Klippers holds down 2nd spot in the batting parade with a .387 average. Ira McKnight of the Saskatoon Commodores and Ervin Boehm of the Biggar Nationals share 3rd place with .333 marks. McKnight continues to set the pace in the stolen base department with 16. He is also the RBI leader with 22. The Commodore catcher also shares the lead with Jimmy Johnston of the North Battleford Beavers in runs scored with 21. Roger Freed of the Neilburg Monarchs is the home run leader with five. Jerry Flanagan of the Kindersley Klippers and Bob Babki of the Saskatoon Commodores have each hit five doubles, setting the pace in that category. Ross Stone of the Unity Cardinals has taken over as the loop's top hurler with eight wins and two losses. He also leads in strikeouts with 78.
(July 21) The North Battleford Beavers are finding the going a little rougher these days in their quest for a third straight N.S.B.L. pennant. Once run-away leaders, the Beavers were handed their 4th consecutive defeat, a 10 - 2 lacing by the Biggar Nationals. Playing in Biggar, the Nats' 10 runs were all unearned, eight coming in the 2nd inning and the other two in the 5th. Bob Hoult went the distance on the mound for the last-place Nationals to even his record at 2 - 2. Lyle Bradley took the loss. Ervin Boehm belted a two-run double in the 5th for Biggar while Jim Chatham collected a pair of singles. Carmen Keller, with a double and two singles, and Jack Rowley with a double led the Beavers at the plate.
(July 21) The second-place Unity Cardinals missed an opportunity to gain on the league-leading North Battleford Beavers when they were trounced 10 - 3 by the Neilburg Monarchs. Import Dennis Murray unfurled a three-hitter and struck out seven as the Monarchs hung the defeat on Marcel Richard. Neil Urlacher provided the bulk of Neilburg's 13-hit offensive production, coming through with two doubles and a pair of singles. Playing-manager Pete Prediger, the Methuselah within Saskatchewan baseball circles, belted a home run and single. Prediger reaches the half-century mark in less than two months.
(July 25) The Saskatoon Commodores vaulted past the Unity Cardinals into 2nd place in the N.S.B.L. by taking both ends of a twin-bill from the Cardinals at Holiday Park, 6 - 5 and 12 - 5. Cliff Shockey's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 9th drove in Jim Shaw from 3rd with the winning Commodore marker in the opener. In addition to his game-winning blow, Shockey rapped a pair of doubles. Bernie Sonntag evened his record at 3 - 3 in tossing an eight-hitter for the win. The loss for Unity's Ross Stone was a tough one to endure as he fanned 15 Saskatonians. Woody Felix had a two-run homer for the Cards.
The Commodore bats were booming in the nightcap as 14 hits were registered by the homesters. Bob Babki laced a triple and two singles to lead the winners. Catcher Gord Johnson had a trio of one-baggers. Don Poindexter struck out 11 in picking up his 6th win on the hill.
(July 25) The North Battleford Beavers maintained their three-game lead atop the N.S.B.L. by sweeping a pair from the Neilburg Monarchs, 9 - 8 and 10 - 9. Dave Hallis' home run in the 6th inning proved to be the margin needed for victory by North Battleford in the opener. Pete Prediger and Roger Freed hit circuit blasts for the Monarchs. Freed's was his 8th of the season, tops in the league.
In the follow-up game, the Beavers used the home run again to down Neilburg with Jimmy Johnston and Carmen Keller connecting for the circuit in the bottom of the 6th to break an 8 - 8 tie. Ken Nelson chipped in with a pair of triples for the Beavers. Sherman Cottingham got the opening game win while Harold Hunchak was credited with the nightcap triumph.
(July 25) The Biggar Nationals and Kindersley Klippers split a pair of N.S.B.L. contests, Kindersley winning 8 - 1 in the opener and the Nationals 1 - 0 in the second event. Joe Ferguson allowed but two hits in the matinee pitching win as he fanned 11 Nationals. The Klips pushed across six runs in the 3rd frame to run away with the game.
Clarence Proctor threw a one-hitter at the Klippers in blanking them in the second contest. A 1st inning single by Don Jackson was the lone hit surrendered by the veteran right-hander.
(July 29) The North Battleford Beavers collected 14 runs off six pitchers to hammer the Edmonton Angels 14 - 5 in the final game of the 16th annual Lacombe baseball tournament. The win was credited to Don Frolek. A trio of Beavers, first baseman Dave Hallis, centerfielder Jack Rowley and shortstop Johnny Ford, each drove in four runs for the winners.
(July 30) The Saskatoon Commodores gained valuable ground in their quest to move up the N.S.B.L. ladder. The Commodores edged the North Battleford Beavers 5 - 4 on Gord Johnson's 9th inning sacrifice fly. The win, the Commodores' 6th in a row, moved them to within two games of the Beavers. Don Poindexter, in relief of Bernie Sonntag, picked up the win. Sherman Cottingham gave up seven hits in losing the mound joust. Bob Babki was a thorn in Cottingham's side as he lit the North Battleford right-hander up for four hits, one of which was a double. Ira McKnight had a pair of singles for Saskatoon. Dave Hallis had a two-run double for the Beavers.
(July 30) The Unity Cardinals kept pace with the 2nd place Saskatoon Commodores by shading the Kindersley Klippers 5 - 3. The Cardinals remain 2 1/2 games out of first place and a half-game behind the Saskatonians. Ross Stone fanned 11 and became a nine-game winner, tops in the league, as the Cards took advantage of the Klippers inability to move base runners. Kindersley collected 13 hits off Stone but left 12 runners stranded. The loser was Fred Caviglia who allowed seven hits. Erwin Doerksen led the Cardinals with a home run while Wayne Morgan belted a four-bagger plus a pair of doubles for the Klippers.
(July 30) The 5th place Neilburg Monarchs trounced the doormat Biggar Nationals 14 - 3 at Neilburg. The Monarchs kept their playoff hopes alive by jumping on two Biggar pitchers for 15 hits. Neil Urlacher led the Neilburg attack with two homers while Glen Thompson hit for the circuit once to go along with a pair of two-baggers. Larry Flicek kicked in with two doubles and a single.
(August 1) The top-dog North Battleford Beavers split a doubleheader with the 3rd place Unity Cardinals, winning the opener 8 - 1 before bowing 10 - 9 in the nightcap. Unity trails the Beavers by 2 1/2 games. The Beavers rode the three-hit pitching of Harold Hunchak to pick up the opening game win. Mel Dahlseide, who lasted only one inning, was the loser. Larry Derksen led the Beavers at the plate with a triple, double and four RBI's. Roy Rowley socked a two-run homer while Manny Primeau and Dave Hallis each hit three singles.
Ross Stone took over in the 2nd inning for Unity in the second encounter and went the rest of the way for the win, Hunchak came back in a relief role but this time he tasted defeat. Russ Vanderzeil wielded the big bat for Unity, hitting a grand-slam homer and later contributing a single and double. Larry Derksen, Roy Rowley and Carmen Keller all had three hits for North Battleford while Johnny Ford homered and doubled.
(August 1) The Saskatoon Commodores, in 2nd spot and two games off the pace, could do no better than split with the lowly Biggar Nationals in a twin-bill. The Commodores took the opener 2 - 1 on Don Poindexter's two-hitter but lost the second game 3 - 1. Poindexter struck out nine in winning a pitching duel against Biggar's Gene Graves in the early match. Bob Babki had a pair of hits for the winners off Graves.
Bob Hoult turned the tables on the Commodores in the second tilt, pitching a two-hitter. Graves came to Hoult's aid by singling in the winning and insurance runs in the bottom of the 5th. Babki again picked up a pair of hits for Saskatoon. Starter Pete Rieben of the Commodores took the loss.
(August 1) The Kindersley Klippers moved to within 3 1/2 games of the top rung in the N.S.B.L. by spanking the Neilburg Monarchs twice, 8 - 7 and 11 - 4. The Klippers struck for three runs in the top of the final inning to nip Neilburg in the opener. Wayne Thompson won the game in relief for Kindersley while Dennis Murray went the distance in a losing cause. Joe Ferguson led the Klippers at the plate with a home run, double and single. Wayne Morgan also homered and added a single. For Neilburg, Pete Prediger and Neil Urlacher both had home runs.
Ferguson took to the hill in the second game and notched his 5th mound win in besting the Monarchs' Larry Haylor. Wayne Morgan had a homer and two singles for Kindersley and Ferguson kicked in with two singles and a double. Glen Thompson went three for three for the Monarchs.
Standings as of end of August 1 W L Pct. GBL
North Battleford Beavers 18 9 .677 -----
Saskatoon Commodores 15 10 .600 2
Unity Cardinals 15 11 .577 2 1/2
Kindersley Klippers 14 12 .538 3 1/2
Neilburg Monarchs 9 17 .346 8 1/2
Biggar Nationals 7 19 .269 10 1/2
(August 4) The North Battleford Beavers beat back the threat of the Saskatoon Commodores and consolidated their hold on first place in the N.S.B.L. The Beavers edged the Commodores 7 - 6 in North Battleford to push the Saskatoon club into 3rd place, three games off the pace. The Beavers' won the game with a two-run output in the bottom of the 7th. Trailing by a single run, the North Battleford club tied it on Jack Rowley's sacrifice fly and the won it an infield out which allowed Johnny Ford to scamper home with the tie-breaker. Sherman Cottingham went the route with a seven-hitter for the win. Don Poindexter lost it in relief. Cliff Shockey and Dale Zeman lit Cottingham up for home runs. Shockey also had a double.
(August 4) The Unity Cardinals took over 2nd spot in the N.S.B.L. with a 2 - 1 victory over the Neilburg Monarchs. A squeeze bunt by Erwin Doerksen in the 7th inning plated Lyle May with the winning Cardinal run. Allan Ferchuk took the victory while Dennis Murray was the loser. Both chuckers gave up five hits.
(August 4) The Kindersley Klippers, holders of the 4th and last playoff berth, nipped the lowly Biggar Nationals 2 - 1. Fred Caviglia checked the Nationals on five hits to get the win. Joe Ferguson produced the winning run for Kindersley with a 6th inning home run. Garnet Hannon collected three of the seven Klippers' hits off loser Gene Graves, who struck out nine.
(August 6) The Saskatoon Commodores kept alive their hopes of nailing down the N.S.B.L. pennant by whipping the last-place Biggar Nationals 18 - 2 at Biggar. The victory lifted Saskatoon into a 2nd place tie with the idle unity Cardinals, 2 1/2 games behind the North Battleford Beavers. The Commodores met little resistance in thrashing the Nationals, jumping on Biggar starter and loser Jim Chatham for four runs in the opening frame. Don Poindexter took the decision with a five-hitter. Bob Babki came out of the contest by fattening his batting average with a three for three performance. including a two-run homer. Gord Johnson went three for four while Ira McKnight and Don Heit added two hits apiece. Chatham collected two of Biggar's five hits.
(August 8) The North Battleford Beavers divided a doubleheader with the Kindersley Klippers and it was good enough to clinch a first-place finish and the N.S.B.L. pennant for 1965. Kindersley won the opener 4 - 2, scoring all their runs in the first inning with Joe Ferguson delivering the big blow, a three-run homer. The Beavers managed a hit-an-inning off winning pitcher Fred Caviglia but couldn't score more than two runs. Lane Jackson and Garnet Hannon each had two singles for the Klippers while Carmen Keller homered for the Beavers.
North Battleford was trailing 3 - 2 going into the last of the 7th in the second game but an error on a double play attempt allowed the tying run to score. Larry Derksen's single then drove home the winner as the Beavers prevailed 4 - 3.
(August 8) The second spot in the N.S.B.L. remained open for grabs as the Saskatoon Commodores split a double-bill with the Neilburg Monarchs, winning the nightcap 16 - 7 after dropping the opener 8 - 4. Brian McIntyre stiffed the Commodore bats on three hits in the opener while his mates collected nine off loser Don Poindexter. Neil Urlacher pounded a bases-loaded homer for the Monarchs while Pat Gibbons and McIntyre also added four-baggers to the Neilburg attack. Poindexter drilled a three-run homer for the Saskatonians.
In the finale, Bob Babki picked up the win for the Commodores, taking the hill in relief of starter Pete Rieben in the 5th. Rieben was the game's top batter with a home run and two singles. Jim Shaw also homered and kicked in with a single. Babki hammered a triple and double while Dale Zeman had three singles. Jim Grant hit two doubles for Neilburg.
(August 8) The Unity Cardinals remained in a deadlock with the Saskatoon Commodores for the runner-up spot in the N.S.B.L. when they divided a pair of 2 - 1 games with the suddenly-feisty Biggar Nationals. The Cardinals took the first game and dropped the second by the same score with pitcher Ross Stone losing a no-hit bid plus the game in the bottom of the 7th. In the first game, Unity scored their two runs in the 2nd stanza off loser Gene Graves. Marcel Richard, who needed bullpen help, picked up the mound win for the Redbirds. John Repin's double drove in both Unity runs. Graves had a two-bagger for the Nats in his losing effort.
In the follow-up tussle, Stone was coasting along with a no-hitter for six innings until Gene Graves, pinch-hitting, had a leadoff single. Following another single plus a double, the score was knotted. Then, Larry Lazecki squeezed home the winning run.
(August 9) The Saskatoon Commodores rallied for five runs in the last of the 9th inning and closed out their N.S.B.L. schedule with a 7 - 6 home conquest of the Kindersley Klippers. The outcome left the Commodores and Unity Cardinals tied for 2nd position, necessitating a one-game tie-breaker. The Saskatonians didn't have much success against Kindersley starter Wayne "Chick" Thompson until the 9th. Then, the roof fell in on the visitors. Two relievers were the pitchers of record. Fred Caviglia, who replaced Thompson in the 9th after the first four batters all reached base, was touched for the eventual loss. Bob Babki, who came to the rescue of Commodore starter Dale Zeman in the 8th, got the win. Ira McKnight's double off Caviglia drove in Ron Wallace and Zeman with the tying markers. McKnight then plated the winner when a pickoff attempt at 3rd from Klipper Don Jackson went astray. Saskatoon's Ernie Cherkowsky had the game's longest blow, a 5th inning home run. He also singled and scored as part of the winning 9th inning rally. Jerry Flanagan and Don Jackson each had three singles for the losers.
(August 11) The Saskatoon Commodores struck for five runs in the 2nd frame and went on to hand the Unity Cardinals a 9 - 2 setback at Holiday Park. The game was a sudden-death affair to decide 2nd place in the N.S.B.L. By finishing second, the Commodores earned the extra home game in their upcoming semi-final series with the Cardinals. Don Poindexter allowed only five hits in recording the win for the Commodores. Unity starter Mel Dahlseide took the loss. Poindexter had a pair of doubles at the plate for the Saskatonians while teammate Dale Zeman had a double and single. Redbirds' infielder Woody Felix cracked a solo home run.
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
North Battleford Beavers 20 10 .667 --
Saskatoon Commodores * 18 12 .600 2
Unity Cardinals 18 12 .600 2
Kindersley Klippers 16 14 .533 4
Neilburg Monarchs 10 20 .333 10
Biggar Nationals 8 22 .267 12
* Saskatoon awarded 2nd place as a result of winning the tie-breaker game
PLAYOFFS :
(August 11) The Kindersley Klippers and North Battleford Beavers played to a 7 - 7 tie in the first game of a best-three-out-of-five semi-final series. The game was called after eight innings because of darkness. The Beavers out-hit the Klippers 10 to 9 with the latter committing three errors. Joe Ferguson went the distance for Kindersley, striking out 13 batters. Harold Hunchak and Don Frolek shared the mound chores for North Battleford. Home runs came aplenty in this stalemate with the Klippers clouting four and the Beavers one. Lane Jackson, Wayne Morgan, Jerry Flanagan and Ferguson all connected for the Kindersley taters while Roy Rowley smashed a three-run dinger for the Beavers as well as a pair of doubles.
(August 15) The Unity Cardinals, sparked by the four-hit pitching of Ross Stone, spanked the Saskatoon Cardinals 7 - 2 in the first game of a best-of-five N.S.B.L. semi-final series. Stone, who fanned 11 Saskatoon would-be hitters, also was the hero at the plate for the Cards, winning his own ball game in the bottom of the 6th. Pat Gibbons, a playoff replacement picked up from the Neilburg Monarchs, led off with a walk and scored what proved to be the winning run when Stone tripled. Bob Babki's triple plated both runs for the Commodores.
(August 15) The North Battleford Beavers edged the Kindersley Klippers 6 - 4 in the 2nd game of their semi-final playoff round. The Beavers scored all their runs in the 1st inning on five hits and four Kindersley errors. The game featured strong relief-pitching performances on both sides. Don Frolek came on in the 7th with the sacks full and none out to preserve the win for Sherman Cottingham. Loser Fred Caviglia was knocked from the slab after retiring only one North Battleford batter in the first inning. Wayne Thompson took over and allowed only four hits the rest of the way. Manny Primeau with three singles led the Beavers offensively. Roy Rowley and Ken Nelson laced a pair of singles each. Wayne Morgan doubled and singled for the Klippers while Jerry Flanagan hit a pair of one-baggers.
(August 16) The Saskatoon Commodores, scoring in every inning but two, strapped the Unity Cardinals 14 - 6 at Holiday Park. The win for the Commodores evened the semi-final series at one game each. Lefthander Don Poindexter pitched superbly for six complete innings. Bob Babki took over the Saskatoon mound duties with one out in the 7th to preserve the win for Poindexter. Catcher Ira McKnight had the hot hand with the stick for the Commodores as he pounded out a single and a pair of triples off loser Marcel Richard who toiled the entire game for the Redbirds. Gord Johnson drilled a double and single and Don Heit collected a pair of singles for the winners. Ross Stone was the leader at the dish for Unity with a three-bagger and a brace of singles. Lyle May contributed a pair of one-baggers.
(August 16) The North Battleford Beavers edged the Kindersley Klippers 3 - 2 at Kindersley to take a two games to none lead in the best-of-five semi-final set. Harold Hunchak posted the pitching triumph on a seven-hitter while striking out five Kindersley batters. Import Joe Ferguson went the distance for Kindersley, fanning four while also giving up seven safeties. Wayne Morgan was the only player in the game to hit safely more than once. The Klippers' shortstop collected a pair of singles.
(August 18) The Unity Cardinals turned on the hitting power at Holiday Park to thump the Saskatoon Commodores 15 - 8 in the 3rd game of the N.S.B.L. semi-final. Unity leads the best-of-five series two games to one. The Cardinals jumped on losing pitcher Bernie Sonntag for nine runs before driving him to the showers after 3 1/3 innings. Unity southpaw Ross Stone held the Saskatonians scoreless until the 4th and went eight innings in total for the win. Neil Urlacher, a playoff pickup from the Neilburg Monarchs, was the top gun for the Cardinals with two singles that drove in five runs. Erwin Doerksen and Lyle May both had a single and double as Doerksen was credited with four RBI's and May three. Bob Babki had a perfect night at the plate for the Commodores with three singles and a double in four at bats. Rookie Cliff Koroll contributed a triple and two singles while Ira McKnight connected for a double and single.
(August 18) The North Battleford Beavers advanced to the N.S.B.L. final, blanking the Kindersley Klippers 5 - 0 . The win gave the Beavers the best-of-five series 3 - 0 with one game tied. Import right-hander Sherman Cottingham picked up the hurling triumph, allowing only four hits in 8 1/3 innings. Losing chucker Fred Caviglia went the distance for the Klippers, yielding 10 hits. Ken Nelson led the Beavers at the plate with three singles while Manny Primeau hit a double and single. Jerry Flanagan collected two of Kindersley's five hits, both singles.
(August 20) The Saskatoon Commodores, led by the mound and plate heroics of Don Poindexter, trounced the Unity Cardinals 8 - 1 at Unity to stave off elimination from the N.S.B.L. semi-finals. The victory tied the best-of-five set at two games each. Poindexter, a flame-throwing southpaw, checked the Cardinals on a four-hitter and helped his own cause by driving in three runs with a triple and home run. The Commodores exploded for six runs in the 2nd inning, a cushion that proved more than enough for Poindexter. He fanned six in picking up his 2nd win of the series. Unity starter and loser Allan Ferchuk was driven from the hill during the 2nd inning Saskatoon offensive surge.
(August 22) The Unity Cardinals are in and the Saskatoon Commodores are out, thanks to a 9th inning home run by winning pitcher Ross Stone. The Unity southpaw cracked a two-out bases-empty shot over the left field fence to give the Cardinals a 5 - 4 win over the Commodores before 1,200 fans at Holiday Park. The victory gave the Redbirds the best-of-five N.S.B.L. semi-final three games to two. The game was a thriller from start to finish with Saskatoon twice coming from behind to tie the score. Both Stone and losing hurler Don Poindexter went the route, each giving up 10 base hits. Irl Flanagan had a double and single for the winners and Bob Babki singled twice for the Commodores. Unity will now face the pennant-winning North Battleford Beavers for the league crown.
(August 23) The North Battleford Beavers, pennant winners in the regular N.S.B.L. season, unloaded the heavy timber to crush the Unity Cardinals in the opener of a best-of-seven league final. The Beavers struck with a vengeance early, the coasted to a 17 - 7 decision behind a 21-hit attack. The league champions pounced on loser Marcel Richard for four runs in the tag end of the first inning, added four more in the 3rd and were on their way. Sherman Cottingham worked the entire 7 1/2 inning game on the hill for North Battleford, spinning an eight-hitter, to get the win. Darkness halted the contest prematurely. Roy Rowley led the Beavers' onslaught with a perfect four for four at the dish, a grand-slam home run, double and two singles. Larry Derksen also homered to go along with three singles while Johnny Ford picked up a double plus three singles. Contributing a third homer for North Battleford was Dave Hallis. For the losers, Ross Stone homered and had a single while Erwin Doerksen poked out a pair of hits.
(August 25) The Unity Cardinals scored five runs in the 2nd inning and went on to defeat the North Battleford Beavers 8 - 1 at Unity to even their best-of-seven N.S.B.L. final at one game apiece. Ross Stone went the distance in pitching the victory for Unity, surrendering five hits while striking out 10. North Battleford starter Harold Hunchak, who was sent packing in the 2nd frame when the Cards built up a 7 - 0 lead, was tagged with the loss. Irl Flanagan led the winners at the plate with three singles. John Repin contributed a triple and single.
(August 27) Sherman Cottingham, in his swan song for North Battleford this season. put on an impressive show, leading the Beavers to an 8 - 0 blanking of the Unity Cardinals in game three of their best-of-seven final series. The Beavers now hold a two games to one lead in the showdown. Cottingham, who has left the team to pursue previous commitments in his home state of Louisiana, pitched a four-hitter and also paced the Beaver offensive display with three singles. Unity's Allan Ferchuk was the loser, going the distance in surrendering 11 hits. Bill Rogers blasted a bases-empty circuit-clout for the Beavers in support of Cottingham. Jim Johnston and Jack Rowley both drilled a double and single for the winners while Carmen Keller singled twice. Of the four hits yielded by Cottingham, Erwin Doerksen had two of them, both singles.
(August 31) Final statistics for the 1965 Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League were published this date in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix and revealed that Bob Babki of the Saskatoon Commodores had been declared batting champion for the current season. The Commodore third-sacker finished with an impressive season average of .402, compiled on 43 hits in 107 official times at bat. Babki also led the six-team loop in hits 43, doubles with 10 and total bases with 66. Roy Rowley of the pennant-winning North Battleford Beavers finished in the runner-up spot with a mark of .387 while Woody Felix of the Unity Cardinals placed third at .373. Rowley had the highest slugging average with a mark of .645.
Others among the top ten include Wayne Morgan, Kindersley Klippers at .358, Bob McNab, North Battleford Beavers .356, Manny Primeau, North Battleford Beavers .340, Ervin Boehm, Biggar Nationals .333 and both Ira McKnight, Saskatoon Commodores and Lane Jackson, Kindersley Klippers, tied at .316.
McKnight was the RBI leader with 30 and also led in stolen bases with 24 and runs scored with 38. Roger Freed of the Neilburg Monarchs was the home run king with 8 circuit-clouts while McNab and Tony Keller of the Biggar Nationals led in triples with four each. Although not having enough times at bat to qualify for the batting title, Joe Ferguson of the Kindersley Klippers finished with a .404 batting average, based on 57 times at bat. Ross Stone, a fire-balling lefthander with the Unity Cardinals, was the league's winningest pitcher with a 10 - 4 record. Stone also led in strikeouts with 128 followed by Don Poindexter of the Saskatoon Commodores with 120. Harold Hunchak of the North Battleford Beavers led in the earned-run average department with a 2.21 mark. Bob Hoult of the Biggar Nationals was second with 2.95.
Kindersley's Ferguson had the best won-lost percentage at .833 based on five wins and a single loss. Sherman Cottingham of the Beavers pitched the most innings, 109 and was third in the ERA ratings with 3.12.
North Battleford had the highest team batting average at .282 with Kindersley next at .280. The Saskatoon Commodores were the top fielding club with a .942 percentage.
(September 1) Another playoff replacement player was announced by the N.S.B.L. Joe Ferguson of the Kindersley Klippers has been cleared to join the Unity Cardinals as a replacement for Marcel Richard who has been sidelined for the balance of the season due to arm trouble. The Cards previously picked up Brian McIntyre from the Neilburg Monarchs as a replacement for import Russ Vanderzeil who was forced to return to the United States after receiving his draft call. McIntyre played only one game for Unity and was then replaced by Pat Gibbons, also an infielder from Neilburg. A third replacement, outfielder Neil Urlacher of the Neilburg Monarchs, was called upon to fill the shoes of Ross Morrison who suffered an ankle injury in Unity's second-place tie-breaker. The North Battleford Beavers got into the act this week by adding Don Poindexter of the Saskatoon Commodores to their roster as a replacement for Sherman Cottingham who returned to his teaching position in Louisiana.
(September 1) The Unity Cardinals and North Battleford Beavers packed all the excitement into one inning in a N.S.B.L. playoff game at Unity. The Cardinals won the game 7 - 4 to tie the best-of-seven final at two games each. All of the scoring came in the 4th inning. The Redbirds managed only three hits off North Battleford pitching but one was a grand-slam home run by playoff replacement Neil Urlacher. The Beavers, who picked up five hits off winning pitcher Ross Stone, bunched three of them in the 4th when Carmen Keller singled home a pair, another scored on a throwing error and the 4th touched home as a result of a single by Lyle Bradley. The loss was hung on the shoulders of North Battleford's Don Frolek who came out of the bullpen in relief of starter Harold Hunchak in the fateful 4th. Stone rapped a double for the winners.
(September 3) Led by the timely hitting of Roy Rowley, the North Battleford Beavers edged the Unity Cardinals 2 - 1 to take a three games to two lead in the N.S.B.L. final series. Rowley was the only Beaver to get a hit off Unity right-hander Joe Ferguson, a playoff replacement from the Kindersley Klippers. Rowley collected two singles, one in the 5th and the other in the 7th, driving in a run on each occasion. Ferguson pitched a superb game for Unity, striking out 13. Another member of the replacement brigade, Don Poindexter of the Saskatoon Commodores, picked up the mound win for North Battleford, fanning nine on a six-hitter. Dick Schmidt's single drove in the lone Redbird run in the 5th.
(September 4) The Unity Cardinals forced a 7th and deciding game in their N.S.B.L. final series by recording a 3 - 0 victory over the North Battleford Beavers in a contest played in Unity. The four-hit pitching of Unity's portsider Ross Stone was the difference in knotting the series. The Cardinals scored a pair in the 2nd frame on two walks, a single and a sacrifice fly. Three singles in the 7th inning plated a third run for the winners.
(September 5) The North Battleford Beavers scored a comeback 6 - 3 win over the Unity Cardinals to win their fourth straight N.S.B.L. championship. The victory, before 1,000 fans, gave the Beavers the best-of-seven series four games to 3. The Beavers' reign appeared to be at an end as the Cardinals built up a 3 - 0 lead after four stanzas. However, the Beavers who were frustrated over the first five innings by the pitching of eventual loser Joe Ferguson, narrowed the lead to 3 - 2 in the 6th when Beaver backstop Larry Derksen lit Ferguson up with a two-run dinger. Ignited by the 6th inning output, the Beavers evened the count at 3 - 3 in the 7th. Derksen then took things into his own hands again by drilling a one-out triple off the right field wall in the 8th and plated what turned out to be the winning tally on Carmen Keller's textbook bunt. Ferguson was pulled after a walk to Jack Rowley and a single by winning pitcher Harold Hunchak brought in Keller with an insurance marker. Another bunt off the slants of reliever Ross Stone brought home Rowley with the contest's final run. Hunchak had a pair of singles in an offensive capacity for the winners. John Repin hit a solo homer for the Cardinals