INTERCOUNTY LEAGUE
(May 29) Court Heinbuch fired a one-hitter in blanking London 5-0 as Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers captured their home opener. The 25-year-old lefty gave up an infield hit to the first man he faced, Brian Pearen, then handcuffed the Pontiacs the rest of the way. He walked two and hit a batter while fanning five. Bob McKillop, who spent four seasons in the White Sox farm system, led the Panthers' offense with a homer and single. A four-run 6th inning broke open a scoreless contest. Ken Rooks went seven innings in taking the loss.
K Rooks (L), Wilkinson (8) and Pook
Heinbuch (W) and Mckillop
(June 3) London belted out 12 hits and took advantage of 12 Stratford errors in dumping the Hoods 12-3 at their home opener at Labatt Park. Bill Wilkinson pitched into the 8th inning in registering the win. Paul Allen, Hank Czerwieniec, Bill Burgess and Larry Rooks each had two hits for the Pontiacs. Jack Taylor and Fred Wynne collected two hits apiece for Stratford. Steve Kyle was the losing pitcher.
Kyle (L), Appel (5) Fountain (8) and Ellis
Wilkinson (W), K Rooks (8), Poole (9) and Pook
Kitchener 2 0
Guelph 1 0
Galt 1 0
Listowel 1 1
London 1 1
Brantford 0 1
Hamilton 0 1
Stratford 0 2
(June 4) Galt at Guelph
(June 5) Listowel at Kitchener
(June 6) Hamilton Red Wings belted out 15 hits and trounced London 14-6 at Hamilton. Rick Holt led the winners with a double and two singles. Rick DeMarchi had three singles and Jim Wilson added a double and single. Joe Nash had three singles for the Pontiacs. Paul Allen drove in three runs with a double in the 6th. Trevor Madden went the distance for the win.
McKay (L), D. Poole (3), Ambrose (7) and Pook
Madden (W) and Chyayka
HAMILTON 2 - 1
KITCHENER-W 2 - 1
LONDON 1 - 2
(June 14) A five-run 4th inning carried the Legionnaires to a 9-4 win over London at Listowel. Joe Hubbard fired a five-hitter, with 11 strikeouts, for his second win in four days as the Legionnaires notched their 4th straight victory and moved into top spot in the Intercounty League standings. Hubbard, a freshman at Western Michigan University, joined the club last weekend and blanked Galt on three-hits and fanned 13 in his debut. He helped his cause with a two-run triple. Andy Fisher and Paul Domm each had two hits for the winners.
Wilkinson (L), McKay (4) and Pook
Hubbard (W) and Lawrence
(June 17) A four-run rally in the 9th inning carried the Pontiacs to a 10-9 win over Guelph at London. Jimmy Rodrigues, up from the Chester Pegg Diamonds, led the Pontiacs with three hits while Paul Allen and Whitey Lapthorne each had a pair. Al Greenberg pitched into the 9th to capture the win. Jim Baker had three hits for Guelph. Bob Whinton took the loss
Greenberg (W), Ambrose (9) and Pook, Renlon (6)
Whinton (L) Carson (9) and Etchells
(June 17) Shortstop Larry Rooks drove in the tying run then scored the winner on a squeeze bunt as London shaded Guelph C-JOYS 5-4 at Labatt Park. The victor evened the Pontiacs record at 3-3. London, held without a hit until the 6th frame, broke loose for four hits and three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Guelph notched a pair in the top of the 7th but the Pontiacs responded with two in the bottom of the inning. Joe Nash walked and scored on Rooks' triple and pitcher Al Greenberg laid down a bunt to plate the rookie shortstop. Greenberg picked up the win in his debut in the Intercounty League.
Carson, Nichols (6), Heffernan (7), Wallace (7) and Etchells
Greenberg (W) and Pook
LONDON 3 - 3
GALT 3 - 3
HAMILTON 3 - 3
(June 23) London vs ??
(June 24) Kitchener-Waterloo lit up four London pitchers for 17 hits in an 11-5 victory over the Pontiacs at Labatt Park. It was the first loss in five home games for London, leaving them with a 4-4 mark. Panthers broke up a close game with a seven-run explosion in the 5th inning. Ron Smith, Gary Ebel and Tommy McKenzie each had three hits for the winners. Paul Allen punched out three hits for London. Bob McKillop went the route for the win holding the Pontiacs to nine hits. London shortstop Larry Rooks was carried from the field on a stretcher and taken to hospital after being hit on the head by a ball thrown by Panthers' shortstop Tommy McKenzie.
McKillop (W) and Cressman
McKay (L), Ballantine (5), Wilkinson (5), Ambrose (6) and Pook, Ford (7)
Kitchener 5 - 4
London 4 - 4
(June 25) Ted Robison blanked Stratford on five hits and fanned 16 as Galt Terriers whipped the Hoods 9-0 Saturday. Bill Foley punched out two doubles and a single for the winners. Ron Boomer drove in three runs with a pair of singles and Wray Upper added three hits. Skip Pogson had two hits for Stratford.
Fountain (L), Litwhiler (7) and Kyle
Robison (W) and Wilson
(June 25) London at Guelph
(June 26) Robbie Vipond doubled in Chuck Cipolla with the winning run in the 12th inning as Brantford went to to top Stratford 5-3. Vipond scored on a wild pitch to add an insurance run. Cipolla, who had three hits, had singled with one out to start the rally. Joe Keating, who came on in the 8th inning, picked up the victory blanking the Hoods on two hits over 5 innings.
Motherall, Keating (W) (8) and Sear
Litwhiler (L) and Kyle, Colquhoun (9)
(June 28) Al Greenberg scattered 11 hits to win his 4th straight as London topped Hamilton 5-2 at Labatt Park. Hank Czerwieniec led the Pontiacs with a pair of doubles. Former London pitcher Gary Newitt took the loss.
Newitt (L), Sutton (8) and Russell
Greenberg (W) and Boughner
LONDON 6 - 4
HAMILTON 4 - 6
(June 30) London Pontiacs clouted 17 hits in trouncing Stratford Hoods 15-5. Paul Allen gave London an early lead with a three-run homer in the top of the first inning. The Hoods roared back in the bottom of the frame to tie the score on just three pitches from London starter Bill Wilkinson. Norm Noble hit the first offering for a single, Steve Rymal belted a double and Jack Taylor pounced on the third pitch for a homer. Pontiacs scored again in the 2nd and never looked back. Gabby Anderson had a three-run homer in the 5th, a solo shot in the 9th and a double. Dave Pook added two doubles and a single. Guy Caputo led Stratford with a triple and homer.
Wilkinson (W) and Pook, Ford (6)
Gorkski (L), Fountain (3), Litwhiler (8) and Kyle, Noble (3)
STRATFORD 1 - 10
(July 1) Two big innings carried London Pontiacs to a 9-5 victory over Brantford Red Sox at Labatt Park. The winners erupted for four runs in the 3rd inning and another four in the 7th. Gabby Anderson knocked in a pair and scored twice with a double and single. Joe Nash also drove in two with a double and single. 37-year-old Johnny Ambrose went the distance for his first win of the season. He scattered 12 hits, fanned seven and walked two.
Allen (L), Keating (4) and Sear, Motherall (7), Convey (7)
Ambrose (W) and Pook
LONDON 8 - 4
(July 2) London at Galt (3rd game in three nights)
(July 11) Steve Mendryk belted a two-run homer in the 8th inning to lift the hometown Hamilton Red Wings to a 5-4 win over London. The four-bagger, off Pontiac starter Johnny Ambrose, was the first for Hamilton this season. Jack Sutton and Trevor Madden combined to hold the Pontiacs to six hits. Sutton got out of trouble in the first inning by the aid of a triple play. Brian Pearen and Jimmy Rodriguez were on base with walks when Whitey Lapthorne's fly to left look like sure hit but Rick Holt made the catch and both runners were caught off base. Wayne Fenlon, up from the Chester Pegg Juniors, led London with a triple and two singles.
Ambrose (L) and Fenlon
Sutton, Madden (W) (5) and Russell, Chayka (9)
LONDON 10 - 11
HAMILTON 6 - 12
(July 29) In a thriller at Labatt Park, Paul Allen led off the bottom of the 13th inning with a single and scored on a safety by Joe Nash as London shaded Listowel 3-2. Legionnaires starter Doug Nelson had given Listowel the lead in the 4th with a two-run homer. Pontiacs knotted the count with unearned runs in the 4th and 5th. Nelson and Al Greenberg then pitched shutout ball until London's winner in the 13th. Whitey Lapthorne had three singles for London. Nelson had two singles in addition to his homer. Greenberg allowed just eight hits and fanned seven without a walk.
Nelson (L), Hubbard (13) and Lawrence
Greenberg (W) and Fenlon
LONDON 13 - 13
(August 5) Al Greenberg was the story on the hill and at the plate as London downed Kitchener-Waterloo 5-1 at Labatt Park. The right-hander fired an eight-hitter for his 10th win against just two losses while collecting three hits, driving in a pair and scoring a run. Paul Allen also had three hits for London, one of them a double, the only extra base hit of the game.
Heinbuch (L), Blackwell (3), Hupp (8), McKillop (8) and McKillop, Hoch
Greenberg (W) and Fenlon
LONDON 14 - 13
(August ??) Chuck Cipolla's double scored Bob Salvisburg in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Red Sox a 5-4 win over London at Brantford. Ray Jackson scattered ten hits in a complete game victory. Jackson, Jim Torti and Marty Sear each had two hits for the Red Sox. Whitey Lapthorne, Gabby Anderson and Paul Allen had two hits apiece for London. Allen's double in the 7th was the only extra base blow.
Rooks, Ambrose (L) (6) and Fenlon
Jackson (W) and Sear
PLAYOFFS :
(August 12) London Pontiacs took the opener of their semi-final with Guelph pounding out 16 hits in an 11-6 victory. Bill Burgess started the onslaught with a two-run homer in the first inning. Guelph, which plated a run in the 1st, took the lead with a four-spot in the 4th. London roared back to tie with three in their half of the 4th with Joe Nash driving in two with a double and then scoring on Wayne Fenlon's single. A four-run 5th inning put the game on ice for the Pontiacs. Burgess had a perfect night at the plate with his homer and two singles. He scored four times. Gabby Anderson added three hits. Walt Jeffries knocked in three for the C-JOYS. Jeffries and Jim Baker each had three safeties. Al Greenberg struggled, giving up 8 hits and 10 walks, but went the distance for the win.
Barber (L), Sleeman (5) and Etchells
Greenberg (W) and Fenlon
(August 13) Guelph C-JOYS tied their semi-final series with London with an 8-2 triumph at Guelph. Nick DiCarlo, a late addition to the club this season, drove in one run, scored a pair, stole two bases and made two good catches in left field. Lorne Carson sent the distance for the win.
Ken Rooks (L), McKay (3) and xxx
Carson (W) and xxx
(August 16) Harry Barber gave up two runs in the first inning then settled down to blank London the rest of the way as Guelph came from behind for a 4-2 victory and a 2 to 1 game lead in their best-of-seven semi-final series. After Stan Anderson had singled and Whitey Lapthorne had drawn a walk, Bill Burgess' double gave the Pontiacs the early lead. Guelph got one back in the 2nd, helped by by two errors. Chris Ritter drove in the winning marker in the 5th inning after Gary Jeffries had walked and advanced on a sacrifice. A London error led to an insurance run for the C-JOYS in the 6th.
Greenberg (L) and Ford
Barber (W) and Etchells
(August 19) London Pontiacs shaded Guelph 7-6 to even the semi-final playoff at two games apiece. C-JOYS had rallied from a 5-1 deficit with three in the 8th and a pair in the 9th. Jim Rodriguez led London with three hits, including a double. Johnny Ambrose drove in two runs with a double and scored a pair. Al Greenberg was sailing along until the 8th inning when he gave up a leadoff single, three straight walks and hit a batter. A double-play helped Greenberg escape with just three runs. After walking the leadoff batter in the 9th, Doug Poole relieved and, while shaky, fanned Nick DiCarlo with the potential tying run on third to end the contest.
Carson (L), Wallace (4). W. Jeffries (7) and Etchells
Greenberg (W), D. Poole (9) and Fenlon
(August 20) Bill Burgess knocked in five runs, three with a bases-loaded triple in the 7th inning, as London downed Guelph 9-5 to take a 3-2 game lead in their semi-final series. Burgess also had a double. Paul Allen also had two hits and scored twice for the Pontiacs. Ken Rooks pitched three no-hit innings in relief of starter Graham Ballantine to preserve the victory. Paul Giroux had three hits for Guelph.
Ballantine (W), K. Rooks (7) and Fenlon
Barber (L), Heffernan (7), Carson (9) and Etchells
(August 24) London Pontiacs advanced to the Intercounty League final downing Guelph 5-3 to take their semi-final set in six games. Again, an outstanding relief effort by Ken Rooks was key to the victory. After Guelph had scored twice against starter Al Greenberg in the 7th, Rooks took the hill with one out and allowed just one hit the rest of the way. Gabby Anderson continued his hot streak driving in two runs with a pair of hits. Paul Allen also had two safeties for London. Losing pitcher Harry Barber and Paul Giroux each had a pair for Guelph.
Barber (L), Heffernan (7), Carson (8) and DiCarlo
Greenberg (W), Rooks (7) and Fenlon.
(August 26) London Pontiacs, with a four-run outburst in the 6th inning, captured the opening game of the Intercounty final series. London downed Galt 8-4 in a game played under protest. Galt lodged the complaint as a result of an interference call in the 2nd inning. The Pontiacs sent eight men to the plate in the 6th combining four hits with a walk and an error to break a 4-4 tie with four markers. Roger Dewaele gave Galt an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. Terries went up 4-0 in the 2nd on three hits and two London errors. Pontiacs rebounded with a pair in the bottom of the 2nd and another two in the third. Doug Poole relieved London started Graham Ballantine in the second inning and blanked Galt the rest of the way allowing just three hits while fanning ten. Dave Pook, back in the lineup after a four-week layout with a broken finger, collected three hits including a double. Jimmy Rodriguez also had three safeties for the Pontiacs.
Hubert (L), Krol (6), Upper (7) and Weldon
Ballantine, D. Poole (W) (2) and Pook
(August 29) Eric Lomax won his 6th straight playoff victory, and 9th overall, as Galt shaded London 4-3 to tie the best-of-seven final and one game apiece. Lomax scattered nine hits. He fanned Bill Burgess with two runners on bases in the 9th inning to preserve the win. Galt took the lead in the 2nd inning as Dick Krol tripled and scored on an error. The Terriers added two in the 3rd on three hits and another error. Pontiacs got a run back in the 4th as Al Greenberg doubled and scored on a single by Dave Pook. Galt went ahead 4-1 in the 7th on a single by Ron Boomer, a sacrifice and a single by Ernie Hatt. London scored one in the 8th on two hits and got another in the 9th before Lomax bore down to end the threat. Greenberg allowed just seven hits in taking the loss.
Greenberg (L) and Pook
Lomax (W) and Weldon
(August ?? )
(September 2) Eric Lomax won again, his 10th consecutive victory, seven in the playoffs, as Galt Terriers beat London 8-4 to take a 3-1 game lead in their final series. Roger DeWaele's three-run homer in the 5th broke open a close contest. Lomax survived a two-run homer by Dave Pook, a pinch-hit triple by Wayne Fenlon and doubles by Pook and Whitey Lapthorne. Roy McKay went the distance for the Pontiacs allowing nine hits. DeWaele added a double, Dick Krol had a single and triple.
McKay (L) and Pook
Lomax (W) and Weldon
(September 7) Paul Giroux of Guelph became the third rookie in five seasons to win the Senior Intercounty League batting title. The first year third baseman finished the regular season with a .404 average. A sophomore at Arizona State University, Giroux led the league in hits, 42, runs, 36, drew the most walks, 25, and tied for total base honours with Stratford's Guy Caputo each with 61. Caputo had the most home runs, 6.
Bob McKillop, who both caught and pitched for Kitchener-Waterloo, topped the league in earned run average, with a 0.93 mark in 48 innings. He won six games, losing just one. Al Greenberg of London has the best won-lost record, 10-2, and led in innings pitched, 112 1/3, and games started 10, Ken Hubbard of Listowel had the most strikeouts, 104, in 84 2/3s inning.
(September 9??) London Pontiacs staved off elimination in the Intercounty final series with a 7-4 win over Galt. Terries lead the series 3 games to 2. Al Greenberg scattered 12 hits in going the distance for the win. Galt took a lead with a run in the first inning as Dick Krol's sac fly scored Ernie Hatt who had walked. Pontiacs also scored a run in the 1st as Paul Allen's double plated Jim Rodriguez. In the 2nd Rodriguez knocked in two with a double and Joe Nash scored on a double steal. Another sac fly by Krol added a run for Galt in the 3rd. London scored twice in the 6th on singles by Gabby Anderson, Johnny Ambrose, Nash and Whitey Lapthorne. Terries came back with a pair in the 8th as Bob Simpson singled in Bill Burgess and Wray Upper knocked in Ernie Hatt. Pontiacs tallied their final marker in the 8th on a single and two errors.
Before the game, Stan "Gabby" Anderson was honoured for his contributions to baseball in London. It was his final game at Labatt Park having announced his retirement at the end of the season.
Krol (L) and Weldon
Greenberg (W) and Pool
(September 12) Galt Terriers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning, after London had scored three in the top of the 9th, to shade the Pontiacs 9-8 to take the Intercounty League title in six games. Down 8-6, playing manager Wray Upper belted a two-run homer to tie the score and send starter Doug Poole to the showers. Reliever Roy McKay walked Gib Simpson and London manager Russ Evon brought in Ken Rooks to pitch to Roger DeWaele who was out trying to sacrifice. A wild pitch sent Simpson to second and Ron Boomer sent a fly ball to left field. Barry Boughner fielded the ball but his throw to the plate wasn't in time to catch Simpson.
Pontiacs were leading 6-1 in the 6th inning when Poole hit leadoff batter DeWaele, Bill Burgess reached on a fielder's choice and catcher Bill Weldon belted one out of the park for a three-run homer. London rebounded with two in the 7th, helped by two errors, but the Terriers came back with a pair in the 8th as DeWaele walked, Dick Krol tripled and Boomer singled. Bob Hawton, a seldom-used right-hander picked up the win in relief of starter Eric Lomax.
D. Poole, McKay (L) (9), K. Rooks (9) and Pook
Lomax, Hawton (W) (9) and Weldon