(May 25) The North Battleford Beavers opened defense of their N.S.B.L. title on a winning note, beating the Kindersley Klippers 12 - 8. Dave Hallis' three-run homer in the top of the 9th broke an 8 - 8 tie to give the Beavers the victory. North Battleford surged into an 8 - 0 lead over the first 5 innings before the Klippers came alive. In the 7th, Jerry Flanagan's bases-loaded single and Ernie Syrota's solo homer tied things up. Don Frolek, in relief of North Battleford starter Harold Hunchak, got the win. Rich Johnstone took the loss after taking over from Wayne Thompson. In addition to his game-winning homer, Hallis also collected a double and single while Jack Rowley hit a pair of two-baggers and a single. Klippers' playing-manager John Elick belted a homer and single in addition to playing an outstanding game at shortstop.
(May 25) The Unity Cardinals put together a pair of 5-run innings for a come-from-behind 13 - 10 win over the Saskatoon Commodores. The Cards took advantage of six Commodore errors to push across 5 runs in each of the 4th and 7th innings. The game was halted after 7 1/2 innings because of darkness. Ross Stone went the distance to get the win for Unity while Don Poindexter took the loss for Saskatoon. Hank Ostrosky paced the Redbirds at the plate with a triple and single while Bob Babki and Ervin Boehm each contributed a double and single. Cliff Shockey topped the Saskatoon batters with a triple and single.
(May 25) The Neilburg Monarchs pushed across six runs in the top of the 10th inning to dump the Biggar Nationals 11 - 6. Don McIntyre went the distance on the hill for Neilburg with a nine-hitter, striking out nine, in recording the win. Biggar reliever Clarence Proctor had to swallow the loss. The elder statesman of the circuit, Pete Prediger, sparked the nine-hit Monarchs' offensive production with three hits in five trips to the plate. Nationals' starting pitcher Bob Hoult led his club with a triple and double while rookie infielder Dennis Martin chipped in with a brace of base knocks.
(May 29) Rookie lefthander Ron Fyfe made his N.S.B.L. debut an impressive one as he fashioned a seven-inning one-hitter in leading the Saskatoon Commodores to a 6 - 2 win over the Kindersley Klippers in the second half of a Sunday doubleheader. The Klippers had captured the first game at wind-swept Holiday Park by a 4 - 2 count. Fyfe gave up a 2nd inning single to Kindersley 3rd baseman Jerry Flanagan and worked superbly until the 5th when he gave up back-to-back walks. A fielder's choice and an error allowed the Klips to tally their only runs. From then on, he was never in difficulty. Klippers' starter Rich Johnstone was battered from the rubber in the 3rd and took his second loss. Dan Bulatovich drilled a double and two singles in support of Fyfe's mound work. Stan Stefanowski, Ron Onishenko and Fyfe each had a pair of hits for the winners.
"Chick" Thompson scattered eight hits in earning the first game win for the Klippers. The loss was a heart-breaker for Don Poindexter who also turned in a fine game. He rang up 13 strikeouts while yielding five hits but was bitten by a trio of Commodore errors. Rookie shortstop Mel Koroll and leftfielder Bob Marik were the top Saskatoon hitters, each drilling a double and a single. Ernie Syrota and Lane Jackson belted three-baggers for the Klips.
(May 29) The defending champion North Battleford Beavers swept both ends of a twin-bill from Biggar, bombarding the Nationals 21 -4 and 7 - 0. The Beavers chased Biggar opening game starter and loser Bob Panser from the hill in the first frame with four runs and they never let up. Winning hurler Harold Hunchak allowed seven hits while fanning 10. He also had a double and two singles from the batters' box. Manny Primeau smashed a grand-slam homer and Jack Rowley a three-run circuit-drive for the winners. Primeau added a pair of singles and Rowley one. Dennis Martin with a double and single and Wayne Barton with two singles were the bright lights for the overmatched Nats.
In the follow-up contest, North Battleford's Don Frolek gave up just two hits and whiffed eight in picking up the win. Losing pitcher Cliff Lindgren allowed just three hits but allowed seven walks and had to endure four fielding miscues by his mates.
(May 29) In a doubleheader at Neilburg, the hometown Monarchs and Unity Cardinals split with Neilburg taking the opener 8 - 5 and the Cardinals grabbing the second encounter 3 - 1 in 10 innings. The Monarchs picked up their second win of the campaign in the matinee as Bob McIntyre allowed seven hits in recording the mound triumph. Don Delaney started and took the loss for the Cardinals.
Hard-throwing lefthander Ross Stone scattered four hits in guiding the Cardinals to their 10-inning victory in the second game. Don McIntyre toiled 9 1/3 innings in taking the loss, allowing all eight Unity hits. Hank Ostrosky collected two doubles and a single for the Redbirds and teammate Dick Schmidt pitched in with a brace of singles.
(June 5) The Saskatoon Commodores handed the North Battleford Beavers their first loss of the season by downing them 5 - 3 in the second game of a doubleheader at North Battleford. The Beavers had extended their unbeaten string to four games with a 10 - 2 triumph in the opener. Rookie portsider Ron Fyfe of the Commodores scattered six hits in chalking up his 2nd win of the campaign. He fanned eight and was particularly tough with men on base as the Beavers stranded 10 runners. Three Saskatoon double plays also played a significant role. The win for the Commodores in the late game was their first in five seasons on the Beavers' home turf. Len Breckner flexed his muscles for the Bridge City Boys as he blasted a home run and double. Don Heit had a double and single off losing pitcher Don Frolek.
In the opener, the Beavers scored six times in the opening stanza as Harold Hunchak breezed to his second straight victory. Both loser Don Poindexter and Hunchak struck out 10 as the Beavers outhit the visitors 9 to 5. Saskatoon played a poor defensive game behind Poindexter, making seven errors. Manny Primeau led the Beavers with the lumber, stroking out two singles and a double. Johnny Ford and Hunchak both had a brace of one-baggers for the Beavers as did Bryant Bogren and Len Breckner of the Saskatonians.
(June 5) The Neilburg Monarchs moved into a first-place tie with the North Battleford Beavers by sweeping a twin-bill at Biggar, 7 - 5 and 14 - 5. The Monarchs committed nine errors in the opener yet still were able to pull off the victory. Don McIntyre spaced eight hits to pick up the win over southpaw Bentley MacEwen, making his season debut, who fired a seven-hitter. Brian McIntyre had three singles for Neilburg while Al Wanner went four for four, including a pair of doubles, for the Nationals. Tony Keller hit a double and two singles for Biggar.
The Monarchs put together a 13-hit attack in the owl encounter to send the Nats down to their 5th consecutive defeat. Import Marvin Madruga, from Mount Whitney High School in Visalia, California, in his first mound performance for Neilburg, gave up nine hits in achieving the win over Bob Panser.
(June 5) The Unity Cardinals and Kindersley Klippers divided a pair of games at Unity, the Cards winning the opener 4 - 1 and the Klippers the second 7 - 1. Veteran lefthander Ross Stone scattered four hits in picking up his third straight decision in the opener for Unity. Wayne Thompson took the loss. Jim Shaw and Ed Ralston both had a pair of singles in pacing the Cardinals' 10-hit attack.
Glenn Uzelman fired a superb one-hitter as the Klips roared back for the split in game two. They broke up a tight game by scoring five runs in the top of the 5th. The game was called in the bottom of the 7th because of rain. Import Redbird chucker, Danny Herrera, in his season debut on the rubber, took the loss. Wayne Morgan had a pair of singles in leading the Kindersley seven-hit offense.
(June 6) The Saskatoon Commodores launched their home schedule and put together a 13-hit offensive push to thoroughly drub the hapless Biggar Nationals 13 - 1 at Holiday Park. The Commodores pounced on Biggar starter and loser Bob Hoult for two runs in the first inning and put the game out of reach with an eight-run outburst in the 3rd. Len Breckner and Don Heit were the stars at the plate for the Commodores, with Breckner collecting three consecutive singles and Heit a triple and single. Merv Froehlich, a right-hander who toiled for the Regina Red Sox of the Southern League last season, made his first start for the Commodores and pitched effectively for seven innings to procure the win. Tony Keller banged out two of Biggar's five hits.
(June 8) Hard-throwing Joe Ferguson returned for his second season in the N.S.B.L and promptly picked up where he left off at the end of the 1965 campaign. The big right-hander from California, tucked away a no-hitter in leading the Kindersley Klippers to an 8 - 1 victory over the Saskatoon Commodores. Ferguson struck out 10 and walked six of the 34 batters he faced. A spectacular diving catch by 3rd baseman Jerry Flanagan in the 3rd inning preserved his no-hitter. The line drive came off the bat of Commodores' Don Poindexter. Playing-manager John Elick belted a two-run homer for the Klips in support of Ferguson's achievement. Flanagan and Garnet Hannon both had two hits, with Flanagan's total including a two-run double.
(June 8) The Unity Cardinals moved to within a half game of first place in the N.S.B.L. by trouncing the Biggar Nationals 9 - 5 at Biggar. An eight-run outburst in the 6th inning proved to be the difference as Ross Stone, the winning hurler, capped the inning with a home run. Stone was touched for only three hits but had some control difficulties, issuing eight free passes. He struck out an equal number of Biggar batters. The Nationals' Bentley MacEwen was tagged with his second defeat of the season. Jim Shaw socked a solo home run and added a pair of singles to head the Unity seven-hit offense.
(June 12) Vince Rucobo and Tom Sharpe, a pair of Fresno State imports, guided the Unity Cardinals to a sweep of the Biggar Nationals in a N.S.B.L. double-dip. Rucobo, a southpaw, allowed just one hit , a 6th inning single, as the Cardinals blanked the Nationals 6 - 0 in the first game. Rucobo fanned 10 before leaving the game in the 7th after his arm stiffened following a lengthy rain delay. Lyle May, with two singles, and Bob Babki with a double led the 10-hit Unity attack against Biggar playing-manager Gene Graves.
Sharpe, backed by a 15-hit Cardinal offense, scattered three hits as Unity coasted to a 15 - 2 victory in the 2nd contest. The Cards roughed up loser Bentley MacEwen for four runs in the opening frame to run away with the game. Ervin Boehm had a double and single to pace Unity. Hank Ostrosky followed with a triple and single.
(June 12) A newcomer to the Klipper roster, Californian Norm Angelini, spaced four hits and fanned 10 as he pitched Kindersley to an 8 - 3 win over the North Battleford Beavers in the first game of a twin-bill. Joe Ferguson led the eight-hit Kindersley attack with two hits including a two-run homer. Harold Hunchak, while fanning 10, suffered his first loss of the season for the Beavers.
The second game belonged totally to the Beavers as they pounded three Kindersley pitchers for 14 hits in taking a 10 - 3 win. Don Frolek got his 3rd win in four mound decisions for North Battleford. Glen Uzelman started and lost for the Klippers. Jack Rowley dealt the big blow for the Beavers with a two-run homer in the 5th. Jimmy Johnston, Larry Derksen, Carmen Keller and Norm Borgeson each collected a single and double. Garnet Hannon led the Klippers with a double and single.
(June 15) The Unity Cardinals took over top spot in the N.S.B.L., bombarding the North Battleford Beavers 15 - 3. The Cards rapped three North Battleford hurlers for 16 hits in romping to their 7th triumph in nine starts. Veteran lefthander Ross Stone worked 7 2/3 innings to get his 5th victory. Harold Hunchak started and lost for the 2nd time. Outfielder Hank Ostrosky led the Redbirds at the plate with a homer and single. Ervin Boehm collected three singles while Bob Babki and Stone added a double and single each. Jim Johnston laced two of the Beavers' eight hits, both singles.
(June 15) The Saskatoon Commodores handed the Biggar Nationals their 10th consecutive loss, scoring a 4 - 2 victory at Biggar. Don Poindexter tossed a complete game two-hitter, ringing up 11 strikeouts, in earning his first win of the season. the Commodores collected nine hits off losing hurler Bentley MacEwen with outfielder Bob Marik leading the way with two singles. Import catcher Jim Chatham's run-scoring double in the 4th and Fred Clemence's two-bagger in the 9th were the only blows off the hard-throwing Poindexter.
(June 15) The Kindersley Klippers knocked the Neilburg Monarchs out of first place with a 6 - 1 win at Neilburg. The clubs battled for six scoreless innings before the Klips took the lead in the 7th with a pair of unearned runs. They then added four more in the 8th on back-to-back home runs by Wayne Morgan and Joe Ferguson and a two-run circuit-blast by Garnet Hannon. Ferguson worked seven complete innings to gain his second victory. Marvin Madruga, an import right-hander, was charged with the loss. Rookie Glen Brockhoff led the Monarchs at the dish with a pair of singles.
Standings as of end of June 15 W L Pct. GBL
Unity Cardinals 7 2 .778 ----
Neilburg Monarchs 4 2 .667 1 1/2
North Battleford Beavers 5 3 .625 1 1/2
Kindersley Klippers 5 4 .556 2
Saskatoon Commodores 4 4 .500 2 1/2
Biggar Nationals 0 10 .000 7 1/2
(June 17) A pair of unearned runs and the four-hit pitching of Vince Rucobo carried the Unity Cardinals to a 3 - 1 victory over the Saskatoon Commodores. The win increased the Cardinals first-place margin to two full games. Rucobo, a flame-throwing lefthander from the Fresno State Bulldogs, gave up a pair of hits in the first frame, including a leadoff triple by Cliff Shockey, but performed brilliantly the rest of the way. He fanned 15 Commodore batters and issued only one walk. Tied 1 - 1 entering the 7th, the Commodores' defense fell apart, allowing the Redbirds to plate a pair of unearned tallies which were good enough for the win. The losing hurler was Murray Eddy who allowed seven hits. Unity's Ross Stone, with a double and single, was the only player to collect more than one hit during the game.
(June 19) Bill Campbell, an import pitcher from Cal Poly College in California, made an auspicious debut for the Neilburg Monarchs in the N.S.B.L. as he hurled a seven-inning no-hit, no-run game which saw the Monarchs defeat the North Battleford Beavers 5 - 0 in the second half of a double-bill. The Beavers took the opening game 7 - 4. Campbell struck out 10 and allowed only one of the 22 batters he faced to reach first base. North Battleford's Jim Johnston was safe at first on a 7th inning error. Larry Flicek paced the Neilburg offensive power in support of Campbell as he belted a homer to go along with a single. Harold Hunchak took the loss.
In the first game, Bob Mattson won his first of the year for the Beavers with a seven-hitter in besting Neilburg's Bob McIntyre. Jack Rowley hit a homer for the winners and Jimmy Johnston had three singles.
(June 19) The league-leading Unity Cardinals swept a doubleheader from the Saskatoon Commodores 2 - 1 and 4 - 0 in action at Unity. Tom Sharpe of the Redbirds tossed a two-hitter in the matinee event. He struck out seven and drove in the winning run with a 7th inning single that broke a 1 - 1 deadlock. Hard-luck pitcher Don Poindexter of the Commodores suffered his 5th defeat in six decisions although he gave up only five hits.
Unity managed just four hits off loser Merv Froehlich in the second game but one was a 2nd-inning homer by winning hurler Ross Stone. Lyle May's triple drove in a pair of first inning tallies for the Cards. Stone limited the Saskatonians to four hits in recording his 6th win.
(June 19) The Kindersley Klippers dumped the hapless Biggar Nationals 2 - 0 and 6 - 1 in doubleheader action at Kindersley. Import pitcher Norm Angelini was the standout in the opener for the Klippers. He limited the Nationals to four hits and fanned 12, giving him 22 strikeouts for the 14 innings he has worked since joining Kindersley. Gene Graves was the losing pitcher on a 6-hitter. Garnet Hannon continued his hot hitting streak for the Klips going two for three.
Wayne Thompson, on in relief in the 2nd inning, picked up the victory in the second contest. Bentley MacEwen dropped another one on the mound for the inept Nats. Catcher Don Jackson had a pair of hits for Kindersley as did Bob Hoult of the Nationals.
(June 23) N.S.B.L. statistics published in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, which include all games played up to and including June 17, show that Johnny Ford of the North Battleford Beavers and Bob Marik of the Saskatoon Commodores are tied for the leadership in the batting race with nine hits in 21 at bats for an average of .429. Ross Stone of Unity holds down third spot with .417. Hank Ostrosky of the Unity Cardinals is the big leader in many of the individual departments. He leads in base hits with 13, total bases with 23, RBI's with 10 and is tied with teammate Erwin Doerksen and Cliff Shockey of the Saskatoon Commodores with two triples. Bob Babki of the Unity Cardinals and Carmen Keller of the North Battleford Beavers have each hit five doubles while Joe Ferguson and John Elick of the Kindersley Klippers and Jack Rowley of the North Battleford Beavers each have hit two home runs. Ervin Boehm of the Unity Cardinals has scored the most runs, 15.
Unity's Ross Stone is the top percentage pitcher with a perfect record of five wins and no defeats at the time of the statistical tabulations. Joe Ferguson's 0.54 ERA tops that category. Harold Hunchak of the North Battleford Beavers leads in strikeouts with 42.
(June 24) It was learned by the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix that Gene Graves had decided to resign as playing-manager of the Biggar Nationals. Graves left today for his home in Fresno, California. Biggar is currently winless after 12 games in the six-team loop.
(June 26) The Unity Cardinals kept two streaks alive in taking the spoils in both games of a N.S.B.L. twin-bill. The Cardinals won 11 - 2 and 10 - 3 from the Biggar Nationals for their 8th and 9th successive wins. The Nationals, in turn, went down to their 13th and 14th consecutive setbacks following the double-defeat. Unity's Tom Sharpe won his 3rd straight on the hill in fashioning a 3-hitter in the opener. Ross Stone duplicated the feat for the Cards in the second tilt. Bob Babki led Unity in the matinee event with three singles while teammates Irl Flanagan and Lyle May had two hits apiece.
Stone struck out 12 to capture his 7th win in the nightcap. Jim Shaw, Erwin Doerksen and Lyle May each rapped out a duo of one-baggers for the Redbirds.
(June 26) At Neilburg, the Saskatoon Commodores split a double-dip with the Monarchs. Saskatoon lost the first game 4 - 2 but rallied to take the nightcap 13 - 5. Bill Campbell, who pitched a no-hitter in his debut for Neilburg, limited the Commodores to four hits in the opener. He struck out eight in going the distance. Don Poindexter suffered his 5th defeat in six decisions despite another solid pitching performance. Like Campbell, he fanned eight and yielded four safeties.
Two big innings settled the issue in the second contest as the Commodores struck for six runs in the 3rd and five more in the 4th inning. Murray Eddy allowed seven Neilburg hits for his first win of the season. Don McIntyre of the Monarchs was shelled from the mound in the 4th and took the loss. Dan Bulatovich drilled a homer for the Hub City brigade. Don Poindexter hit three singles while Dale Zeman and Don Heit each collected a single and double.
(June 26) The North Battleford Beavers swept a doubleheader from the Kindersley Klippers by scores of 7 - 5 and 3 - 2. Strong relief pitching by winning hurler Don Frolek was the key to the Beavers' victory in the first game. John Elick, Don Jackson and Jerry Flanagan had two hits apiece for the Klippers while Garnet Hannon unloaded a bases-loaded triple in the initial inning. The top batsman for North Battleford was playing-manager Johnny Ford who had two singles. The Monarchs' Norm Angelini was dinged with his initial loss of the campaign.
Harold Hunchak, pulled from the opening game after starting, came back to pitch in the second encounter and gained his 3rd victory of the year, firing a six-hitter. Entering the bottom of the 7th and final frame tied 2 - 2, the Beavers won it on Manny Primeau's run-scoring single off loser Joe Ferguson. Primeau's production of two singles led all North Battleford hitters.
(June 29) The Kindersley Klippers went on a scoring spree and left the Biggar Nationals lying in the ruins. The Klips whipped the winless Nationals 18 - 2 in a N.S.B.L. game in Biggar. Joe Ferguson sparked Kindersley to win number eight of the campaign with four hits in five times at bat. He clouted a homer and drove in four runs. Ernie Syrota, Brian Boyd and Jerry Flanagan had three hits apiece for the winners who out-hit the Nats 21 to 4. John Elick, the second of three Kindersley chuckers, got the win. The victory moved the Klippers up the ladder and into 3rd spot in the circuit.
(June 29) The second-place North Battleford Beavers moved to within 2 1/2 games of top spot in the N.S.B.L. by knocking off the Neilburg Monarchs 7 - 0. Harold Hunchak limited the Monarchs to five hits and whiffed nine in earning the shutout win. Back-to-back homers from Johnny Ford and Carmen Keller sealed the victory for North Battleford. Besides his homer, Ford also had a single. Hunchak contributed a single and double. Pat Gibbons had three of Neilburg's five hits.
(July 1) The Kindersley Klippers won the N.S.B.L. Dominion Day tournament by taking down the North Battleford Beavers 7 - 5 in the final game of the six-team affair played in Unity. Lane Jackson delivered the big blow in the final, a two-run inside-the-park homer which broke a 3 - 3 deadlock. "Chick" Thompson went the seven-inning distance for the win. Don Frolek lost it.
(July 6) Statistics released this date by the N.S.B.L. show Johnny Ford of the North Battleford Beavers as the leading hitter.
Top Ten Batters AB R H Aver.
Johnny Ford (North Battleford Beavers) 31 15 14 .452
Joe Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) 29 11 13 .448
Lyle May (Unity Cardinals) 28 5 12 .429
Len Breckner (Saskatoon Commodores) 31 6 12 .387
Pat Gibbons (Neilburg Monarchs) 31 6 12 .387
Ross Stone (Unity Cardinals) 29 8 11 .379
Garnet Hannon (Kindersley Klippers) 42 8 15 .357
Al Wanner (Bigger Nationals) 27 7 9 .333
Bob Marik (Saskatoon Commodores) 27 7 9 .333
Bob Babki (Unity Cardinals) 49 9 16 .327
Runs - Ervin Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 17
Hits - Babki (Unity Cardinals ) - 16
Bases on Balls - Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 15
Doubles - Babki (Unity Cardinals) - 6
Triples - Erwin Doerksen (Unity Cardinals) - 3
Home Runs - Ferguson (Kindersley) and Jack Rowley (North Battleford) - tied with 3
Runs Batted In - Manny Primeau (North Battleford Beavers) - 12
Total Bases - Hank Ostrosky (Unity Cardinals) - 24
Stolen Bases - Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 9
Pitching
Innings Pitched - Ross Stone (Unity Cardinals) - 55 2/3
Most Wins - Stone (Unity Cardinals) - 7
Best Winning Percentage - Stone (Unity Cardinals) 7 - 0 1.000
Earned Run Average - Joe Ferguson ( Kindersley Klippers) 1.09
Strikeouts - Harold Hunchak (North Battleford Beavers) - 62
(July 6) The North Battleford Beavers dropped a 6 - 1 decision to the Kindersley Klippers in a game played in Lloydminster. Following the demolition of Abbott Field in North Battleford this month, the Beavers are without a home diamond until their new park is completed later this month. The Klippers broke a 1 - 1 tie with two runs in the top of the 5th and handed import Alf Feagin the loss in his initial league appearance on the rubber. Norm Angelini, who had relief help from Joe Ferguson, picked up his 3rd victory. Lane Jackson led the eight-hit Kindersley assault, slapping out a pair of singles.
(July 6) The red-hot Unity Cardinals ran their unbeaten streak to 10 games and established a new N.S.B.L. record for consecutive victories. The Cardinals hammered the winless Biggar Nationals 10 - 1, stretching their league lead to 3 1/2 games. Unity's 10 straight win accomplishment betters by one the previous record set last year by the North Battleford Beavers. The Redbirds literally ran away from the Nationals, pilfering 12 bases while piling up a total of 10 base hits. Smooth southpaw Ross Stone picked up another mound win for Unity, this one in relief. Nationals' starter Bentley MacEwen continued his downslide, suffering his 8th loss. Catcher Lyle May led the league-leaders at the dish with a pair of doubles. Erwin Doerksen added a brace of one-baggers.
(July 6) The Neilburg Monarchs remained within a half-game of the third place Kindersley Klippers with a convincing 9 - 0 win over the Saskatoon Commodores. Import right-hander Bill Campbell improved his record to 3 - 0 in tossing a two-hitter and adding 14 strikeouts. Saskatoon rookie Ron Fyfe started and lost for the first time this season. The Monarchs put together a 14-hit offensive surge as Brian McIntyre banged out a double and triple and Neil Urlacher drilled a pair of doubles.
(July 8) The North Battleford Beavers handed the Biggar Nationals their 17th straight N.S.B.L. defeat, a 3 - 2 decision at Biggar. Lyle Bradley pitched 7 1/3 innings of no-hit ball to spark the Beavers to their 10th win. North Battleford trailed the league doormats 2 - 1 after five full innings but Carmen Keller's 6th inning triple brought home the equalizer. Keller then scored the winning run on Marshall Davidson's sacrifice fly. Bob Hoult, in a relief capacity, was charged with the loss. Manny Primeau led the Beavers at the plate with a double and single.
((July 10) The Saskatoon Commodores rode the pitching wings of Don Poindexter and Ron Fyfe to sweep a N.S.B.L. doubleheader with the North Battleford Beavers. Poindexter scattered five hits as the Commodores won the opener 3 - 1 while Fyfe picked up the win in Saskatoon's 3 - 2 nightcap victory. In winning his 2nd game of the season, Poindexter rang up 10 strikeouts and held the Beavers off the scoreboard for eight innings. Len Breckner's two-run single provided the Commodores with the winning margin. Cliff Shockey's two singles and Bob Marik's double and single accounted for four of Saskatoon's seven hits off loser Harold Hunchak. Beavers' catcher Larry Derksen had two singles off Poindexter and drove in North Battleford's lone run.
Fyfe shared the limelight in the nightcap with a pair of teammates named Cliff, Koroll and Shockey. Koroll scored the winning run in the bottom of the 8th on Shockey's triple. Shockey also had a single while Koroll was credited with a run-scoring single in the opening frame plus an 8th inning double which put him in scoring position to plate the winner. Import Alf Feagin worked the full nine innings for North Battleford and took the loss.
(July 10) The Unity Cardinals dumped the Kindersley Klippers 10 - 9 in the 10-inning opener of a twin-bill. The Klippers rebounded to take the follow-up encounter 12 - 6. Jerry Flanagan of Kindersley turned in a near-perfect day at the plate, hitting safely in seven of eight appearances over the two games. In the opener, he slammed a home run and two singles in four trips and completed the day with a homer, double and two singles in the four times he batted in the finale. Teammate, big Joe Ferguson, also rocked the house for a homer and two singles in the opener plus drilling a lone four-bagger in the second.
In the matinee event, Lane Jackson hit a solo homer for the Klippers in the 7th to tie the game which went into extra innings. Unity's Ervin Boehm raced home all the way from first base with the winner after a single by Jim Shaw and a Kindersley throwing error. Import chucker Vince Rucobo, in relief, got credit for the win over Wayne Thompson. Lyle May helped the Cards at the plate going three for five, all singles. Boehm pitched in with a triple and single.
Kindersley handed the Cardinals their first loss in 11 games by taking the nightcap. Import lefthander Norm Angelini picked up the victory with the aid of the Klipper bullpen. Vince Rucobo started on the hill in this contest for the Redbirds but this time he was yanked in the 5th and took the loss. Don Jackson went two for two for Kindersley. Jim Shaw hit a home run for Unity and Bob Babki drilled a pair of singles.
(July 10) The Neilburg Monarchs stretched the Biggar Nationals' losing streak to 19 games, winning 17 - 4 and 15 - 10 at Neilburg. The Monarchs collected a total of 31 hits in the double-bill, lacing 16 in the opener and adding 15 more in the final game. Marvin Madruga picked up the win for Neilburg in the opener while loser Bentley MacEwen dropped his 8th.
The Nats held a 7 - 4 lead after 3 1/2 innings of game two only to have Neilburg score six runs in the bottom of the 4th to take a commanding lead. Bill Campbell, out of the bullpen in relief of Don McIntyre, grabbed the hurling win for the Monarchs while Bob Hoult was saddled with the defeat. Neil Urlacher, Pat Gibbons and Madruga hit home runs for the Monarchs while Bob Panser replied for Biggar.
(July 13) A pair of unearned runs in the 4th inning carried the Kindersley Klippers to a 3 - 1 victory over the Saskatoon Commodores in N.S.B.L. action at Holiday Park. Fire-balling Joe Ferguson worked the first five innings from the rubber to pick up his 3rd win for Kindersley. Don Poindexter went the distance for the Commodores. He pitched more than well enough to win, giving up just four hits while fanning 11, but it just wasn't in the cards. Ferguson scored two of the three Klippers' runs. After leading off the 2nd frame with a double, he touched home on Garnet Hannon's two-out double. Then, in the 4th when the Saskatoon defense imploded, he followed playing-manager John Elick across the plate on a botched double-play attempt. Bob Marik picked up two of the Commodores' five hits in this contest.
(July 13) The North Battleford Beavers breezed to an easy 17 - 8 win over the Biggar Nationals. The Beavers unloaded 19 base hits in sending the Nats down to their 20th loss of the season. Included in the North Battleford barrage were seven doubles, two each by Dave Hallis, Marshall Davidson and Johnny Ford and one by Jim Johnston. Hallis also collected a pair of singles. Bob Hoult was the bright light in the Nationals' 10-hit output, belting a home run and a single. Lyle Bradley, the first of three North Battleford pitchers, got the win while Biggar's Larry Lazecki, who started, was the loser.
(July 14) Despite a shaky start, lefthander Ross Stone chalked up his 9th straight hill victory as the Unity Cardinals dumped the North Battleford Beavers 5 - 1 in a N.S.B.L. game at Unity. The victory lifted the Cardinals four full games in front of the pack in the circuit. The loss was the 3rd in a row for North Battleford. Stone gave up walks to the first three batters he faced, but settled down the rest of the way to keep his record unblemished. The Cardinals scored all their five runs in the 5th frame when loser Harold Hunchak of the Beavers put himself in hot water by issuing four bases on balls. Both teams wound up with six base hits. Irl Flanagan picked up two singles for the Redbirds while Carmen Keller and Hunchak of the Beavers both matched that production.
(July 17) Murray Eddy, a diminutive right-hander used manly in relief by the Saskatoon Commodores this season, emerged from a N.S.B.L. twin-bill as the giant of the Commodore pitching staff. Eddy uncorked an impressive one-hitter as Saskatoon bombed the Biggar Nationals 9 - 2 in the opener, then came on in relief in the 3rd inning of the second game to guide his mates to a 5 - 3 triumph. In the 3 2/3 innings that he toiled from the mound in the finale, Eddy again was touched for but a single hit as he won his 2nd decision of the day. Eddy had a no-hitter going in the matinee until Dennis Martin of the Nats singled with two out in the 7th. Meanwhile, the Commodores were unloading a 13-hit barrage on three Biggar hurlers with Bentley MacEwen being painted with his 9th loss. Bob Marik, Saskatoon's most consistent hitter all season, was again the sparkplug at the dish, hitting safely in three of five trips.
In the day's final event, Eddy came on in relief of starter Merv Froehlich with one out in the 3rd and trailing 3 - 2. The Saskatonians took the lead in the 4th and made it stand up as Eddy tossed one-hit ball the rest of the way. A triple by Marik and Len Breckner's two-run single drove in three of the Commodores' five runs.
(July 17) The Unity Cardinals stretched their league-lead to five games, winning both games of a twin-bill from the North Battleford Beavers, 5 - 1 and 2 - 0. Jim Shaw's three-run homer in the bottom of the 5th broke a 1 - 1 tie and sent the Cards to victory in the opener. Import Tom Sharpe won his 4th on a complete game two-hitter. North Battleford starter Don Frolek took the loss. Johnny Ford of the Beavers had the game's only other extra-base hit, a double.
Third sacker Bob Babki drove in both Unity runs in the second tussle on a sacrifice fly in the 4th and a single in the 6th. Lefthander Vince Rucobo scattered four hits in chalking up his 4th win. Lyle Bradley of the Beavers allowed just three hits in taking the loss.
(July 17) The Neilburg Monarchs and Kindersley Klippers divided a pair of games at Kindersley to remain deadlocked in second place. The Monarchs won the opener 8 - 7 and the Klippers took the second contest 5 - 2. Erupting for five runs in the top of the 5th inning, the Monarchs overcame a 5 - 1 Kindersley lead to snatch the initial game. Chick Kennedy's three-run double and Bill Campbell's solo homer highlighted the events of the inning as Campbell picked up his 4th pitching win. Hard-hitting Joe Ferguson of the Klippers increased his league-leading home run total to 7 with a pair of circuit-drives. Teammate Lane Jackson went three for three including a four-bagger. Neilburg's Brian McIntyre also blasted a dinger.
Norm Angelini's two-run pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the 6th provided Kindersley with the winning margin in the second game.
(July 18) The Saskatoon Commodores won a battle of errors and, at the same time, moved a step closer to catching the 4th and final playoff spot in the N.S.B.L. The Commodores scored a come-from-behind 8 - 4 victory over the Neilburg Monarchs at Holiday Park in a game which saw no less than eight errors committed. The Monarchs were charged with six miscues with four of them being instrumental in a Saskatoon comeback. The Monarchs held a 4 - 1 lead before a pair of errors in each of the 5th and 6th innings, plus some timely hitting, turned the tide in favor of the Commodores. Saskatoon's ace hurler Don Poindexter picked up his 3rd win, striking out 15 along the way. He has now fanned 92 batter this season, tops in the league. Don McIntyre worked the first 6 1/3 innings on the hill for Neilburg and was charged with the loss. Cliff Koroll with a triple and single and Cliff Shockey with a pair of singles led the eight-hit Commodore offensive thrust.
(July 19) Pat Gibbons, the Neilburg Monarchs second baseman, has taken over the batting leadership in the N.S.B.L.
Top Ten Batters AB R H Aver.
Pat Gibbons (Neilburg Monarchs) 39 7 19 .487
Joe Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) 44 18 20 .455
Lyle May (Unity Cardinals) 42 10 18 .429
Johnny Ford (North Battleford Beavers) 40 17 16 .400
Jerry Flanagan (Kindersley Klippers) 59 9 21 .356
Bob Marik (Saskatoon Commodores) 38 10 13 .342
Len Breckner (Saskatoon Commodores) 41 7 14 .341
Erwin Doerksen (Unity Cardinals) 54 19 18 .333
Irl Flanagan (Unity Cardinals) 52 15 17 .327
Hank Ostrosky (Unity Cardinals) 46 9 15 .326
Runs - Ervin Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 21
Hits - J. Flanagan (Kindersley) and Bob Babki (Unity) - tied with 21
Bases On Balls - Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 18
Doubles - Babki (Unity Cardinals) - 8
Triples - Cliff Shockey (Saskatoon Commodores), Bob Hoult (Biggar Nationals) and Doerksen (Unity Cardinals) - tied with 3
Home Runs - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) - 7
Runs Batted In - J. Flanagan (Kindersley Klippers) - 17
Total Bases - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) - 38
Stolen Bases - Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 14
Pitching
Most Wins - Ross Stone (Unity Cardinals) - 9
Winning Percentage - Stone (Unity Cardinals) 9 - 0 1.000
Earned Run Average - Don Frolek (North Battleford Beavers) 1.16
Strikeouts - Don Poindexter (Saskatoon Commodores) - 92
(July 20) The Kindersley Klippers climbed closer to first place in the N.S.B.L. when they stopped the pace-setting Unity Cardinals 4 - 2 at home. Big Joe Ferguson fanned 13 and held Unity to six hits, one being a home run by Ross Stone, as he posted his 4th victory on the hill. Tom Sharpe, touched for 11 hits, took the loss. Ernie Syrota had three hits, including a three-bagger, for the Klippers while Wally Jackson had a trio of singles.
(July 20) The North Battleford Beavers, aided by six Saskatoon errors, dumped the Commodores 6 - 3 at Holiday Park to move a game and a half in front of the Saskatonians in their tussle for 4th spot. Harold Hunchak pitched the complete game win for the Beavers while Saskatoon starter Ron Fyfe was hit with the loss. North Battleford out-hit the homesters 9 to 8. Saskatoon's Dan Bulatovich had a pair of two-baggers in a losing cause. Dave Hallis and Marshall Davidson both had run-producing triples for the winners.
(July 20) The Neilburg Monarchs took out the hapless Biggar Nationals 13 - 3 on the Monarchs' home diamond. Biggar opened strongly with a pair of runs in the opening frame but Neilburg chased six counters home in the bottom of the inning and won in a breeze after that, collecting 14 hits in total. Marvin Madruga got the pitching decision over Bentley MacEwen. Bill Campbell had a home run and double for the Monarchs. Other major offensive contributors included Chick Kennedy with a double and two singles and Pat Gibbons with a brace of one-baggers. Jim Chatham had a double and single for Biggar.
Standings as of end of July 20 W L Pct. GBL
Unity Cardinals 17 4 .810 ----
Kindersley Klippers 13 8 .619 4
Neilburg Monarchs 11 7 .611 4 1/2
North Battleford Beavers 12 10 .545 5 1/2
Saskatoon Commodores 10 11 .476 7
Biggar Nationals 0 23 .000 18
(July 22) The Kindersley Klippers handed Unity's Ross Stone his first loss of the season and, at the same time, moved to within three games of the N.S.B.L. leaders. The Klippers pushed across five runs in the 7th inning to down the first-place Cardinals 7 - 3 at Unity. Stone, who came into the game as a fireman in relief of Vince Rucobo in the fateful 7th, had won nine straight. The Klips trailed 3 - 2 going into the 7th but rallied for four hits off Stone. Bill O'Sullivan's bases-loaded single produced the tying and winning markers while singles by Lane Jackson and Wayne Morgan completed the five-run uprising. Lefthander Norm Angelini went the distance for Kindersley to pick up his 5th win. Wally Jackson and O'Sullivan led a seven-hit Klipper attack with a pair of singles each. Ervin Boehm and Ross Morrison both had a double and single for the Redbirds.
(July 23) Import Marvin Madruga's two-run homer in the 5th lifted the Neilburg Monarchs to a 6 - 4 win over the visiting North Battleford Beavers. Madruga also picked up the pitching win in relief. Neilburg's Bill Campbell added an insurance run by following Madruga with a solo homer.
(July 24) The Kindersley Klippers kept rolling along by taking a pair of games from the winless Biggar Nationals, 11 - 2 and 13 - 6. Kindersley's Joe Ferguson chalked up his 5th win on the rubber in the matinee encounter played in Biggar.
The Nationals looked as if they were on their way to ending a 24-game losing streak when they surged ahead 6 - 0 after three innings of the late contest. However, the wheels fell off in the 4th and 5th frames when the Klips went to town and scored their 13 counters. Ferguson was hot with the bat in the second game, leading Kindersley with a homer and triple. He now has eight circuit clouts for the season, tops in the six-team league.
(July 24) The Unity Cardinals maintained their three-game lead atop the N.S.B.L., sweeping both ends of a free-swinging twin-bill from the Saskatoon Commodores at Gordon Howe Park. The Cardinals out-slugged the Hub City nine 23 hits to 20 in winning 6 - 3 and 8 - 6. The Cardinals erupted for three runs in the top of the 8th to break a 3 - 3 tie and dump the Commodores in the opener. Tom Sharpe's run-scoring single with two out provided the winning run while Mel Dahlseide capped the inning with a two-run triple, his 2nd extra-base hit of the game. Sharpe, an import right-hander, worked the full nine innings to chalk up his 5th win. Don Poindexter also pitched the entire game in taking the loss. He fanned five to run his league-leading total to 97.
Ross Stone, aided by Vince Rucobo's stellar two-inning fireman's job, recorded his 10th win of the season in the nightcap. Saskatoon starting pitcher Murray Eddy was painted with the defeat. Ross Morrison had a pair of doubles for the Cardinals.
(July 24) The Neilburg Monarchs and North Battleford Beavers divided a Sunday double-dip which saw the Beavers victorious in game 1 by a 7 - 6 count and the Neilburg crew turning the tables in the late encounter with a 4 - 1 triumph. The Beavers out-hit the Monarchs 12 to 11 in capturing the matinee match as Harold Hunchak picked up his 6th pitching win. Johnny Ford with two doubles, Ron Erne with three singles and Dave Hallis with a double and single were the top hitters for North Battleford. Marv Madruga drilled his second homer in two games for the Monarchs.
The second game details were not published.
(July 28) The Kindersley Klippers, riding the booming bat of Wayne "Pee Wee" Morgan, captured top prize money of $1,100 in the annual Lacombe baseball tournament. Morgan smashed two home runs, one a grand slam, and drove in eight runs as the Klippers spanked the defending tournament champion North Battleford Beavers 12 - 5 in the final game.
(July 30) The Neilburg Monarchs, propelled by the effective pitching of import Bill Campbell and some timely hitting, crushed the Rosetown Red Wings 11 - 2 to win the $2,000 Saskatoon Exhibition baseball tournament. Campbell's battery mate, Pete Prediger, was appearing in his 32nd Exhibition tournament and cracked a booming triple in support of the youthful Californian who rang up 14 strikeouts.
(July 31) The league-leading Unity Cardinals were forced to settle for a split in their double-dip with the hosting North Battleford Beavers. The homesters ran roughshod over the Redbirds 7 - 2 in the opening tilt, largely due to the presence of a visiting alumnus in their line-up. Unity roared back to capture the second tilt 4 - 0 behind the one-hit pitching of Vince Rucobo. Veteran third baseman Roy Rowley, visiting North Battleford, suited up with his old club and proved instrumental in the Beavers' convincing first-game triumph. Rowley, who plays regularly for the Moose Jaw Regals of the Southern League, collected a triple, double and single. Don Frolek got credit for the game 1 win.
Rucobo was sharp in the follow-up encounter and allowed only three North Battleford base runners, two through walks, in blanking the Beavers. The import lefthander fanned 11. Import Alf Feagin was handed the loss.
(July 31) The Kindersley Klippers picked up a full game in their quest for top spot in the N.S.B.L. by sweeping a pair of games from the Neilburg Monarchs. The Klippers prevailed 5 - 2 and 4 - 3 in the two-game set. The two-hit pitching of import Joe Ferguson and playing-manager John Elick's home run ignited the Klippers in the opener at Neilburg.
Wayne Morgan's solo homer in the top of the 10th inning broke a 3 - 3 tie and provided Kindersley the victory in the second encounter. Norm Angelini, the winner, and Don McIntyre, the loser, both gave up six hits in going the distance.
(August 1) Marvin Madruga's 7th inning homer provided the North with a 5 - 4 victory over the South in the N.S.B.L. all-star game played in Kindersley. Players from the Neilburg Monarchs, North Battleford Beavers and Unity Cardinals made up the North squad while those from the Kindersley Klippers, Saskatoon Commodores and Biggar Nationals comprised the South roster. Home runs were prominent from both teams. Besides Madruga's game-winning blast, Dave Hallis had a three-run shot for the North while Joe Ferguson and Lane Jackson connected for solo dingers for the South. Tom Sharpe and Ross Stone shared the pitching chores for the North with Stone getting credit for the win. Murray Eddy, sandwiched between starter Bentley MacEwen and Bob Hoult, was handed the loss.
(August 3) The playoff hopes of the Saskatoon Commodores were jolted at Kindersley when they dropped a 6 - 4 decision to the Klippers, who moved to within 1 1/2 games of the leading Unity Cardinals. The loss dropped the Commodores 2 1/2 games behind the 4th place North Battleford Beavers, who were idle. Until the 9th inning, Klipper chucker Joe Ferguson had limited the Commodores to just one hit. Saskatoon was able to nick Ferguson for three more raps in the final frame but it was a case of too little, too late. Don Poindexter took the loss in spinning a seven-hitter. The Commodore defense let him down continually, making five errors. The Klips played errorless ball behind Ferguson. All hits in the game were singles.
(August 4) The Saskatoon Commodores jumped back into contention for a N.S.B.L. playoff berth when they blasted the Biggar Nationals 11 - 0 to move within two games of the 4th place North Battleford Beavers. The winless Nationals were no match for the win-hungry Commodores. Saskatoon's five-run opening frame was more than enough cushion for rookie lefthander Ron Fyfe who garnered his 4th win on a three-hitter. Dale Zeman stroked a single and blasted a triple for the winners while Don Heit, Cliff Koroll and Cliff Shockey all had a pair of singles.
(August 4) The Unity Cardinals blanked the Neilburg Monarchs 4 - 0 to pull a full two games ahead of the second-place Kindersley Klippers. The Cardinals scored the only run they needed in the 5th on two errors and two walks, Bob Babki's two-run triple in the 7th and a throwing error rounded out the scoring. Vince Rucobo went the distance for the Cards on a four-hitter to get the win. Bill Campbell, the loser, allowed just three hits but received poor support from his defensive mates as they committed six errors. Marvin Madruga accounted for two of the four Neilburg hits with a double and single.
Standings as of end of August 4 W L Pct. GBL
Unity Cardinals 21 6 .778 ----
Kindersley Klippers 19 8 .704 2
Neilburg Monarchs 13 11 .542 6 1/2
North Battleford Beavers 14 13 .519 7
Saskatoon Commodores 11 14 .440 9
Biggar Nationals 0 26 .000 20 1/2
(August 5) The Kindersley Klippers were awarded their game with the Neilburg Monarchs when manager Pete Prediger of the Monarchs refused to allow his team to continue playing after the 6th inning due to the soggy condition of the Kindersley playing field. The score was tied 2 - 2 when the Monarchs failed to continue the game. Rain forced a delay in the start of the game and fell again around the 5th inning to further hamper playing conditions.
(August 7) The Saskatoon Commodores moved into a tie for 4th place in the N.S.B.L. but it took them a total of 25 innings before winning both ends of a twin-bill. The Commodores swept the Neilburg Monarchs, winning 4 - 3 in 11 innings in the opener and 3 - 2 in a marathon 14-inning nightcap. The double victory moved Saskatoon into a tie with the Monarchs for the last playoff spot. Both teams have 13 - 14 records. Len Breckner, Bryant Bogren and Dale Zeman of the Saskatonians provided the winning punch at the plate in both games but it was rookie lefthander Ron Fyfe who earned the hero's mantle with a stellar 14-inning pitching effort in the nightcap in which he struck out 21 Neilburg batters while allowing nine base hits. In the opener Bogren made amends for his miserable output at the dish by drawing a walk after two had been retired in the 11th. He stole 2nd base and scored on Zeman's line single to right field. The run provided Don Poindexter with his 4th victory. He struck out nine and gave up just four hits in the 11 inning joust yet his performance was somewhat overshadowed by Neilburg import Bill Campbell, the loser, who fanned 17.
After surrendering three straight hits in the first inning of the second game, Fyfe was superb the rest of the way. Veteran Len Breckner set up the winning run by leading off the 14th by lining a 3 - 2 pitch to leftfield. He moved to 2nd on Mel Koroll's sacrifice bunt and scored when catcher Bryant Bogren drilled a single up the middle. Marv Madruga, out of the Monarchs' bullpen in the 8th, surrendered the 14th inning tally and took the loss.
(August 7) The North Battleford Beavers beat the basement-dwelling Biggar Nationals twice, 4 - 1 and 12 - 3. The sweep allowed the Beavers to jump back into 3rd place in the N.S.B.L. and almost assured them a playoff berth. Don Frolek twirled a five-hitter for North Battleford in picking up the matinee win. John Ford led the Beavers at the plate with a single and double.
Winning pitcher Harold Hunchak, with relief help from Alf Feagin, extended the Biggar loss record to 28 as the Beavers spanked them in the finale. North Battleford slapped out 10 hits and capitalized on five Biggar errors. Hunchak, Jimmy Johnston, Dave Hallis and Jack Rowley all had two hits for the winners. Wayne Barton came up with a pair of raps for the Nats.
(August 8) The Neilburg Monarchs continued their late-season free-fall as they dropped a 3 - 1 verdict to the league-leading Unity Cardinals. The win for the Redbirds assured them of at least a tie for first place. Ross Stone scattered five hits and struck out nine in manufacturing his 11th win of the campaign. Tom Sharpe's two singles led the eight-hit Unity offense which also saw Erwin Doerksen and Vince Rucobo contribute two-baggers. The Monarchs' August tailspin mounted to seven straight losses. Bill Campbell had a double in a losing cause for Neilburg.
(August 8) The Biggar Nationals, looking for their initial N.S.B.L. victory of the season, came within a whisker of chalking up that elusive win when they battled the Saskatoon Commodores tooth and nail at Gordon Howe Park before bowing 6 - 5. The victory moved the Commodores into sole possession of the 4th and last playoff spot, one game ahead of the Neilburg Monarchs. The Saskatoon club found themselves facing a 3 - 0 deficit going into the bottom of the 5th. The lead changed twice before the Commodores came to bat in a tie game entering the tag end of the 9th. Cliff Koroll led off with a single and was extremely fortunate not to be doubled off first after Don Heit's line drive was snared by Biggar second sacker Jim Chatham. The throw by Chatham to first was well wide of the mark which allowed Koroll to advance into scoring position at 2nd base. Bryant Bogren then came through with a two-out infield single which allowed Koroll to score the game-winning run. Murray Eddy struck out 15 in earning his 4th win for Saskatoon. Larry Lazecki of the Nats was smacked with the loss.
(August 9) The Kindersley Klippers kept their slim hopes of a first-place finish alive when the whipped the lowly Biggar Nationals 13 - 1. The victory moved the Klippers to with in a game and a half of the front-running Unity Cardinals. The game, called after eight innings because of darkness, was the final one of the season for the Nationals and marked the end of a frustrating campaign in which the Biggar club failed to win a game in 30 starts. Wayne Morgan and playing-manager John Elick had home runs for the winners. "Chick" Thompson chalked up the mound win allowing just two hits in the seven innings that he toiled. Bentley MacEwen took the loss, his 13th of the season.
(August 10) Lyle May of the Unity Cardinals has taken over as the N.S.B.L. batting leader according to the latest league statistics which cover games played up to August 1.
Top Ten Batters AB R H Aver.
Lyle May (Unity Cardinals) 68 12 28 .412
Bob Marik (Saskatoon Commodores) 66 20 26 .394
Pat Gibbons (Neilburg Monarchs) 54 10 21 .389
Joe Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) 63 21 23 .365
Johnny Ford (North Battleford Beavers) 66 21 23 .348
Bob Babki (Unity Cardinals) 97 18 31 .320
Irl Flanagan (Unity Cardinals) 67 16 21 .313
Len Breckner (Saskatoon Commodores) 71 13 22 .310
Manny Primeau (North Battleford Beavers) 91 19 28 .308
Erwin Doerksen (Unity Cardinals) 74 22 22 .297
Runs - Ervin Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 24
Hits - Babki (Unity Cardinals) - 31
Bases On Balls - Neil Urlacher (Neilburg Monarchs) - 20
Doubles - Babki (Unity Cardinals) and Dave Hallis (NB Beavers) - tied with 8
Triples - 8 players tied with 3
Home Runs - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) - 7
Runs Batted In - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) and Jerry Flanagan (Kindersley Klippers) - tied with 17
Total Bases - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) - 47
Stolen Bases - Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 14
Pitching
Most Wins - Ross Stone (Unity Cardinals) - 11
Best Winning Percentage - Stone (Unity Cardinals) 11 - 1 .917
Earned Run Average - Don Frolek (North Battleford Beavers) 1.70
Strikeouts - Don Poindexter (Saskatoon Commodores) - 97
(August 10) The Unity Cardinals, playing before a home crowd, captured the N.S.B.L. pennant and the number one seed in the playoffs as they took a pair of games from the snake-bitten Neilburg Monarchs by 17 - 8 and 5 - 1 scores. It was Neilburg's last scheduled N.S.B.L. appearance. Prior to the start of August, the Monarchs had been solid contenders for second place but the seams simply fell apart as they dropped all nine of their final games. In the first game of the twin-bill, the Cards had an easy time of it, as the Monarchs committed nine errors while the Redbirds were countering with 13 hits. Ross Stone clouted a three-run homer for the winners and wound up with four RBI's. Lyle May hit two doubles and a single and Ervin Boehm contributed three singles. Tom Sharpe went the seven-inning distance for his 6th win. Marvin Madruga drilled two doubles and a single with a strong batting output for the losers. Playing-manager Pete Prediger of the Monarchs came through with three singles.
Vince Rucobo hurled a three-hitter for Unity in the nightcap to earn his 7th win. His teammates backed him up with a nine-hit attack off the slants of loser Marv Madruga and reliever Bob McIntyre. Rucobo also picked up a pair of singles from the batters' box. Hank Ostrosky with a triple and single and Bob Babki with a brace of one-baggers were the other productive hitters for the Redbirds.
August 10) The Kindersley Klippers defeated the Saskatoon Commodores 9 - 3 but remained locked in second spot in the N.S.B.L. In spite of the loss, the Commodores backed into a 4th place finish as the Neilburg Monarchs can no longer catch them. Second baseman Wayne Morgan sparked Kindersley to their 11th straight victory, a new league record, by hitting two home runs and driving in seven. Joe Ferguson, with relief assistance from John Elick, won the mound joust over losing pitcher Don Poindexter. Elick had three of the Klippers' 14 hits. Lane Jackson had a pair, one of them a double. Saskatoon's top hitter was Dale Zeman who collected three singles.
(August 12) The North Battleford Beavers erupted for nine runs in the opening inning then coasted to a 16 - 6 N.S.B.L. victory over the Saskatoon Commodores. The game, played at North Battleford, was the final league game of the season and meant nothing in the final standings. Don Frolek, the 2nd of three Beaver hurlers, gained the win. Merv Froehlich started and lost for the Commodores. The game lasted only five innings and was halted early because of darkness. Manny Primeau had a perfect four for four performance at the plate in leading the Beavers offensively. Jack Rowley singled twice. Cliff Shockey paced the Commodores with a double and single while Dale Zeman collected two singles.
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
Unity Cardinals 24 6 .800 ----
Kindersley Klippers 22 8 .733 2
North Battleford Beavers 17 13 .567 7
Saskatoon Commodores 14 16 .467 10
Neilburg Monarchs 13 17 .433 11
Biggar Nationals 0 30 .000 24
PLAYOFFS :
(August 14) The Saskatoon Commodores, playing the role of underdogs, upset the pennant-winning Unity Cardinals 4 - 3 in 11 innings at Unity to draw first blood in the best-of-seven semi-final. Rookie catcher Bryant Bogren scored the winning run for the Commodores in the top of the second extra-frame after two were out. Bogren reached first base on a fielder's choice and was pushed home when Murray Eddy and Dale Zeman came through with back-to-back singles. Eddy turned in a fine relief performance, entering the game in the 8th, to pick up the win. The Commodores collected 10 hits off lefthander Ross Stone who hurled all 11 frames and took the loss. Cliff Koroll was the top gun for Saskatoon with the stick, belting a pair of triples. Zeman and Don Heit each had a pair of singles. Bob Babki struck for a triple and double while Lyle May ripped a pair of one-baggers for the Cards.
(August 14) The hottest club in the N.S.B.L. when the regular schedule ended, the second-place Kindersley Klippers, trounced the North Battleford Beavers 9 - 5 at Kindersley in the opener of their best-of-seven playoff. Joe Ferguson started the Klippers on their way to victory by blasting a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. The big right-hander then took to the mound and worked the full nine innings to earn the win, allowing seven hits while fanning 11. Jerry Flanagan was the big gun at the plate for Kindersley with a home run, double and single in four trips. Playing-manager John Elick added a double and single to the 12-hit total that the Klips stroked off loser Don Frolek. Larry Derksen smashed a solo homer and double to pace the Beavers.
(August 15) Rookie 3rd baseman Cliff Koroll was instrumental in propelling the Saskatoon Commodores into a two games to none lead in their best-of-seven semi-final with one mighty swing of the bat. Koroll lashed a 400-foot, two-run homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Commodores a 6 - 4 victory over the Unity Cardinals before 1,000 fans at Gordon Howe Park. Koroll was also responsible for tying the game at 4 - 4 in the bottom of the 8th after his club had blown a 3 - 1 lead in the top of the inning. A bases-loaded walk to Saskatoon pinch-hitter Ron Onishenko forced Koroll in from 3rd with the equalizer. Winning chucker Don Poindexter went the distance for the Commodores, yielding nine hits and whiffing 11. Saskatoon managed only five hits off losing hurler Vince Rucobo with the big difference being Koroll's bomb. The import lefthander used a sinking curve ball to fan 14. Lyle May and Hank Ostrosky blasted triples for the Cards while Erwin Doerksen and Mel Dahlseide came through with doubles. Bob Marik had a two-bagger for the winners.
(August 15) The North Battleford Beavers evened their semi-final series with the Kindersley Klippers at one game each by posting a 6 - 3 win on their home turf. Harold Hunchak struck out 10 and gave up four hits, including a two-run homer to Lane Jackson, in garnering the win for North Battleford. The Klippers held a 3 - 0 lead after three innings but were unable to mount anything in the way of an attack over the final six frames. Manny Primeau's 7th inning double drove in Jimmy Johnston with what proved to be the winning run. The Beavers put together a 10-hit attack off losing hurler Norm Angelini.
(August 17) Dale Zeman's two-run single in the top of the 9th inning provided the Saskatoon Commodores a 5 - 4 come-from-behind victory over the Unity Cardinals and a 3 - 0 lead in their best-of-seven N.S.B.L. semi-final series. The Bridge City brigade fell behind 3 - 0 early in this contest at Unity but stormed back to grab the win in dramatic fashion and stun their hosts. Murray Eddy picked up the hill triumph for the Commodores after coming on in relief in the 7th inning. Ross Stone of the Cardinals surrendered the big hit to Zeman in his role as a 9th inning fireman. However, Tom Sharpe, who hurled the first 8 2/3 frames, took the loss. The Cards out-hit the winning visitors 8 to 6. Don Poindexter of the Saskatoon nine had the game's longest blow, a triple.
(August 17) Big Joe Ferguson was a one-man show in Kindersley as the home-town Klippers blanked the North Battleford Beavers 5 - 0 to take a two games to one lead in their best-of-seven playoff showdown. Ferguson, pitching one of his finest games before a large home crowd, tossed a one-hitter and struck out 18 Beavers. He faced only 31 batters in the nine innings. The lone hit off him was a clean-cut single by Marshall Davidson in the 6th. Besides pitching superbly, Ferguson was also the big man at the plate for the Klippers. He had three hits in four trips and drove in three runs. One of his hits was a 400-foot homer. Losing pitcher Don Frolek gave up nine hits with Lane Jackson and Wayne Morgan each accounting for two of them.
(August 19) The pennant-winning Unity Cardinals staved off playoff elimination by posting a tension-filled 2 - 1 victory over the Saskatoon Commodores at Gordon Howe Park. The Cards' win shaved the Commodores' lead in the best-of-seven series to 3 - 1. The Redbirds, facing a must-win situation, used the squeeze bunt as a major weapon to push home a pair of 8th inning runs and then held off a determined 9th inning bid by the battling Saskatonians. Relief pitcher Vince Rucobo fanned Cliff Koroll with two out and the bases loaded to end the game. Mel Dahlseide crossed the plate with the first run of the game in the 8th when Commodore catcher Bryant Bogren dropped the throw to the plate on Tom Sharpe's safety squeeze. Unity added their second counter, the run that proved to be the winning one, when shortstop Jim Shaw executed a perfect bunt to score Bob Babki from 3rd base. After scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the 9th to narrow the count, a walk to Len Breckner loaded the bases and it appeared that another last-ditch Commodore victory was in the making. However, Rucobo, who came on in relief of winner Ross Stone with two out, rose to the occasion and caught Koroll looking at a called third strike. The Redbirds out-hit the Commodores 4 to 3. Don Poindexter took the loss in a complete game performance. Breckner had two of the three Saskatoon hits, both singles.
(August 20) The Kindersley Klippers took a three games to one stranglehold in their semi-final series with the North Battleford Beavers as they handed the homesters a 4 - 2 setback in the 4th game of their playoff round. The Klippers did all their scoring in the 6th inning on Lane Jackson's inside-the-park home run and a bases-loaded triple by Don Jackson. "Chick" Thompson worked eight innings to get the win while North Battleford's Harold Hunchak was tagged with the loss.
(August 21) The Unity Cardinals fought back from a 5 - 0 deficit to trounce the Saskatoon Commodores 10 - 6 at Unity and narrow the Commodores' lead to three games to two in their semi-final match-up. Following a shaky beginning, Unity import right-hander Tom Sharpe took command of things, fanning 13 Saskatonians, including eight in succession. Murray Eddy, who relieved starter Ron Fyfe in the 4th, took the loss. Lyle May had three singles for the winners in leading their 12-hit offensive charge. Ed Ralston collected a double and single. Don Poindexter, with an inside-the-park four-bagger in the 1st and a 2nd inning single, led the Commodores at the plate.
(August 21) The Kindersley Klippers will be one of the combatants in the N.S.B.L. final series after disposing of the North Battleford Beavers 12 - 2 at Kindersley to win the semi-final in five games. The Klips erupted for seven runs in the 2nd inning and then breezed to an easy decision and a berth in the championship final. Joe Ferguson's perfect three for three at the dish, with five RBI's thrown in, paced the 16-hit Kindersley bombardment against loser Lyle Bradley and reliever Don Frolek. Wayne Morgan slammed a double and single for the winners while Bill O'Sullivan and Norm Angelini collected a pair of singles each. Angelini, an import southpaw, got credit for the win with eight solid innings of relief work. Johnny Ford, with a double and single, and Jimmy Johnston, with two singles, led the Beaver swatters.
(August 22) The Unity Cardinals, who less than a week ago trailed the Saskatoon Commodores three games to none in semi-final play, forced the issue to a sudden-death contest in their own ballpark. Scoring an unearned run in the top of the 7th, the Cardinals edged Saskatoon 3 - 2 at Gordon Howe Park to even the series at three games each. Ed Ralston led off the Unity 7th with an off-field triple and scored, two outs later, when Commodore catcher Bryant Bogren threw the ball into left field in an attempted pickoff play at third. The one-run lead was all that winning hurler Ross Stone needed as the Unity lefthander limited the Saskatonians to a single hit over the final three innings. Stone finished with a solid six-hitter and 12 strikeouts. Bob Babki, with a double and single, was Unity's most productive hitter off loser Don Poindexter who fanned nine and twirled a 5-hitter.
(August 23) The Unity Cardinals, scoring runs in pairs in the 2nd, 5th and 8th innings, defeated the Saskatoon Commodores 6 - 1 in the 7th and deciding game of a best-of-seven N.S.B.L. semi-final. The win capped an amazing comeback for the Cards who faced elimination in each of the series' last four games. Unity now advances into the league final against the Kindersley Klippers. Vince Rucobo spaced six hits and whiffed 10 in going the distance for the win. Commodore catcher Bryant Bogren was the only Saskatoon player to collect more than one hit off Rucobo, slamming two singles. Starter Ron Fyfe was the loser for the visitors. Hank Ostrosky belted a triple plus a single for the winners.
(August 24) Reaching back into the ranks of their pitching depth, the Unity Cardinals came up as the winner in the opener of the N.S.B.L. final series. Erwin Doerksen, who has played more games at first base than on the mound this season, took to the hill and fashioned a fine three-hitter as the Redbirds bounced the Kindersley Klippers 6 - 2 at Cardinal Field. Doerksen, a surprise starter inserted to give the exhausted Unity regular hurlers an extra day of rest following a grueling series against Saskatoon, fanned 11 and probably would have had a shutout had his mates not committed six errors. Fielding miscues also played a part in the Unity scoring as the Klippers were charged with five errors. Joe Ferguson allowed the Cardinals six hits in going the route and being nailed with the loss. Jerry Flanagan had two of the three hits off Doerksen, both singles. Bob Babki and Ervin Boehm had run-producing doubles for the winners.
(August 26) Led by the pitching and hitting of all-star lefthander Ross Stone, the Unity Cardinals jumped into a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven N.S.B.L. final, spanking the Kindersley Klippers 10 - 1 at Kindersley. Stone, who had an 11 - 1 regular season record, hurled an impressive two-hitter and also smashed a pair of solo homers. The only Klipper with any success against Stone was Jerry Flanagan who had singles in the 2nd and 4th innings. The Cardinals beat up on a pair of Kindersley chuckers for 12 base hits with Erwin Doerksen leading the charge by slamming a homer and two doubles to drive in four runs. Ross Morrison was close behind with a double and a pair of singles. Catcher Lyle May struck for a brace of one-baggers. Import lefthander Norm Angelini was responsible for 10 of Unity's hits, including the three dingers, and took the loss.
(August 28) The Kindersley Klippers roared back into contention for the N.S.B.L. title, beating the Unity Cardinals 4 - 2 to shave the Redbirds' lead to a single game in the best-of-seven set. Joe Ferguson, the Klips' import right-hander, fanned four and scattered three hits, all singles, to get the win. He was also the sparkplug at the dish, connecting for a home run, double and single in five trips. Kindersley pounced on Unity starter and loser, Vince Rucobo, for all their runs, scoring twice in the 3rd frame and counting single tallies in each of the 4th and 5th innings. John Elick had a triple and single for the winners.
(August 29) The Kindersley Klippers have battled back to even their N.S.B.L. final series at two games each with the Unity Cardinals following a 6 - 3 triumph at Kindersley. The Klippers called on veteran right-hander "Chick" Thompson to deliver the goods and give their one-two punch of Joe Ferguson and Norm Angelini a rest, and the move paid off. Thompson pitched eight innings of two-hit ball and, at one stretch, retired 15 consecutive batters. It wasn't until the 9th that the Cardinals got to him for four hits and three runs. Meanwhile, Kindersley pounced on Unity starter and loser Ross Stone for 12 hits, including home runs by Wally Jackson and Jerry Flanagan. John Elick and Wayne Morgan both singled twice for the winners.
(August 30) Joe Ferguson, Mr. Everything of the Kindersley Klippers, is the 1966 Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League batting champion. Final statistics released today show Ferguson with a .405 average, a scant five percentage points ahead of the Unity Cardinals' Lyle May.
Top Ten Batters AB R H Aver.
Joe Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) 84 28 34 .405
Lyle May (Unity Cardinals) 85 15 34 .400
Bob Marik (Saskatoon Commodores) 86 20 20 .349
Johnny Ford (North Battleford Beavers) 78 24 27 .346
Manny Primeau (North Battleford Beavers) 104 23 34 .327
Bob Babki (Unity Cardinals) 113 20 36 .319
Pat Gibbons (Neilburg Monarchs) 79 12 25 .316
Irl Flanagan (Unity Cardinals) 67 16 21 .313
Dale Zeman (Saskatoon Commodores) 71 21 22 .310
John Elick (Kindersley Klippers) 109 29 32 .294
Runs - Ervin Boehm (Unity Cardinals) and Elick (Kindersley Klippers) - tied with 29
Hits - Babki (Unity Cardinals) - 36
Bases On Balls - Neil Urlacher (Neilburg Monarchs) - 27
Doubles - Babki (Unity) and Dave Hallis (North Battleford Beavers) - tied with 8
Triples - Boehm (Unity) and Cliff Koroll (Saskatoon Commodores) - tied with 4
Home Runs - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) - 8
Runs Batted In - Wayne Morgan (Kindersley Klippers) - 24
Total Bases - Ferguson (Kindersley Klippers) - 63
Stolen Bases - Boehm (Unity Cardinals) - 16
Pitching
Most Wins - Stone (Unity Cardinals) - 11
Best Winning Percentage - Stone (Unity Cardinals) 11 - 1 .917
Earned Run Average - Don Frolek (North Battleford Beavers) 1.79
Strikeouts - Don Poindexter (Saskatoon Commodores) - 122
(August 31) Tom Sharpe's four-hit pitching carried the Unity Cardinals to a 2 - 0 victory over the Kindersley Klippers and gave the N.S.B.L. pennant-winners a 3 games to two lead in the best-of-seven final series. The Cardinals scored once in each of the 1st and 5th innings to pick up the important victory in this pivotal contest. Sharpe, who struck out five, went the distance for the win. Three of the four hits he yielded were to the Klippers' John Elick, all of them singles. Kindersley's Norm Angelini matched Sharpe's complete game performance and surrendered six safeties in taking the loss. Ervin Boehm and Erwin Doerksen both nicked Angelini for two singles.
(September 2) The Kindersley Klippers forced the best-of-seven N.S.B.L. final series to a 7th and sudden-death affair by posting a come-from-behind three - 2 win over the Unity Cardinals. The game was scoreless for seven frames but the Cards plated a pair of runs in the top of the 8th and appeared on the verge of capturing their first N.S.B.L. crown. However, the Klippers fought back scoring 3 times in the bottom of the frame with the winner romping home on a wild pitch. Import right-hander Joe Ferguson worked the full nine innings for the Klippers to earn the win, scattering five hits and punching out nine Unity batters on strikes. Tom Sharpe, on in relief in the bottom of the 8th, was saddled with the loss. Erwin Doerksen's single drove in both runs for the Redbirds. A bases-loaded walk forced in Kindersley's first counter. Jerry Flanagan then dropped down a squeeze bunt which plated the tying marker. On the play, Ferguson moved over to threerd from 2nd and scored the ultimate winner shortly thereafter on a wild pitch.
(September 4) A successful season came to a close for the Unity Cardinals as they captured the N.S.B.L. title before a record league crowd of 2,500 fans. The Cardinals, who also won the regular-season pennant, defeated the Kindersley Klippers three - 1 to take the best-of-seven final series four games to three. The playoff crown, Unity's first ever, didn't come easy. The Redbirds had to fight back from a 3-game deficit to win four in a row against Saskatoon in the semi-finals. Then, the Klippers gave them all they could handle in this seven-game final. Ross Stone pitched the nine-inning distance for Unity to earn his second victory of the series against one loss. Stone scattered eight hits and struck out 12. Norm Angelini of Kindersley also had a route-going performance. He allowed six hits while fanning eight. Unity's top hitter was catcher Lyle May whose solo homer in the threerd inning proved to be the winning run. May also contributed a double. Jerry Flanagan collected 3 hits in four at bats for the Klips in a losing cause. Wally Jackson picked up two singles. Joe Ferguson of Kindersley was ejected from the game in the 6th inning when he pushed the plate umpire to the ground after being called out on strikes.