1967 Ontario Game Reports      

INTERCOUNTY LEAGUE

(May 25)  Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers rallied with four late markers to upend the Hamilton Red Wings 6-4. Pitcher Bob McKillop was the batting star rapping a bases-loaded double in the eighth inning to bring in three runs and put the Panthers in the lead. He went the route on the hill yielding seven hits and four walks while fanning nine. Centre fielder Dave Smallwood and third sacker Ken Mark each had two hits for the winners. Babe Birrer, a veteran of 18 seasons in the major and minor leagues, suffered the loss. He relieved starter Steve Kramar in the third, and talked himself into an early shower when umpire Jim Wilkes gave him the heave-ho for protesting a call in the ninth inning.

McKillop (W) and Cressman
Kramar, Birrer (L) (3), Lepine (9) and Romanowski, Chayka

(May 28)  Guelph 3 Galt 0

(June 1)  Brantford 4 London 2, Guelph 7 Hamilton 4

(June 3-4) It was famine to feast over the weekend for the Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers in games at Guelph Saturday and against Listowel Sunday. Panthers ran into sizzling lefty Ron Stead Saturday and were blanked 4-0 by the C-Joys but ran wild Sunday in trouncing the Legionnaires 11-2.

One big inning was the difference in the victory as the Panthers exploded for 10 runs in the seventh inning. In the home opener, the Panthers trailed 1-0 going into the seventh as portsider Court Heinbuch and right-hander Joe Hubbard hooked up in a dandy mound duel. It was Heinbuch who started the fireworks as he raced all the way to second base on a throwing error. Seven hits, two errors, 14 batters later Kitchener-Waterlook had a 10-1 advantage. Heinbuch held the visitors to five hits and a pair of walks. He fanned nine in posting the win. Ron Smith and Ken Mark each had two hits for the winners.

Hubbard (L), Doug Nelson (7) and Kraft
Heinbuch (W) and McKillop

At Guelph, Stead was the master holding the Panthers to five hits in his second consecutive shutout. He whiffed 11. C-Joys rapped nine hits, three by catcher Al Etchells and two apiece by Mike Mahoney and Nick DeCarlo.
Ron Smith again had two hits for the Panthers.

McKillop (L) and Cressman
Stead (W) and Etchells

In another weekend tilt, Galt Terriers downed Stratford Hoods 7-1. Ken Ruddick scattered eight hits for the win. The left-hander lost his bid for a shutout in the seventh as Ernie Hatt and Bill Burgess collided chasing a pop fly and Glen Thurman scooted all the way home from first.

Larry Appel (L), xxx and xxx
Ken Ruddick (W) and xxx

(June 6)  Galt 7 Listowel 1

(June 8)  Guelph 2 Brantford 1, Listowel 9 Stratford 2

(June  11)  A three-run fifth inning carried Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers to a 5-3 victory over Hamilton Red Wings Sunday at Centennial Park. Second baseman Tom Hoch, the 20-year-old graduate of the junior Dodgers, slashed four hits to lead the Panthers to their third win in four games. Hoch had a double and three singles. Guy Caputo had given Hamilton the early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. He later added a double. Rod McKillop overcame early troubles to go the distance, scattering eight hits, and racking up ten strikeouts. Reliever Terry Burgess was saddled with the loss.

McKillop (W) and Cressman
Mike Anderson, Terry Burgess (L) (2), Gary Newitt (6) and Nichols

(June 13)   Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers erupted for three runs in the first inning Tuesday at Brantford and cruised to a 5-1 triumph over the Red Sox. Southpaw Court Heinbuch held the Sox to five-hits and had eight strikeouts in going the distance for the win. He had a shutout until the ninth when Wayne Tully knocked in the lone run for the Sox. Ron Smith rapped a pair of hits to spark the Panthers, a double to trigger the first inning uprising and a clutch single to chase home the final two runs in the ninth. Starter Joe Keating took the loss for Brantford.

Heinbuch (W) and McKillop
Keating (L), Torti (8) and Lawrence

Playing at home, Stratford Hoods whipped Galt Terriers 11-3 behind a four-hitter by Bob Bridges who racked up 13 strikeouts. Jack Taylor led a potent attack with a home run and two singles. John Murray connected for a three-run double as the Hoods scored six times in the sixth inning.

xxx, xxx and xxx
Bridges (W) and xxx

Lorne Carson and Harry Barber combined on a four-hitter for the C-Joys as Guelph topped the Legionnaires 8-3 at Listowel..

Carson, Barber and xxx
xxx and xxx

(June 14)  Brantford 9 London 8, Guelph 3 Galt 0

(June 15)  Listowel 2 Stratford 1, Galt 11 Brantford 1, London 6 Hamilton 0

(June 16) London 12 Stratford 3

(June 18)  Guelph 7 Brantford 0

(June 19)  Brantford 8 Hamilton 3

(June 22)   Bob McKillop tossed a four-hit shutout Thursday as Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers crushed the Brantford Red Sox 10-0 at Centennial Park. It was McKillop's third win in four starts, his only loss coming in a 4-0 shutout against the Panthers. After three scoreless frames, Panthers broke the game wide open with three-run innings in the fourth and fifth, adding a pair in the seventh and another two in the eighth. McKillop also paced an 11-hit attack with two doubles and and a single, driving in a pair. Dave Smallwood knocked in three runs with a homer and single. Ray Jackson, a junior pitcher, started and took the loss for the Red Sox.  McKillop and Ron Smith of the Panthers have been selected for Team Canada to compete in the Pan American Games at Winnipeg.

Jackson (L), Keating (5), Conway (7) and Convey
McKillop (W) and Cressman

(June 22)  Guelph 6 Stratford 3, Listowel 1 London 0

(June 23)  London 18 Hamilton 1

(June 24)  Brantford 1 Listowel 0

(June 25)  Listowel 6 Brantford 2

(June 26)   Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers rallied for four runs to edge Stratford Hoods 6-5 Monday night at Centennial Park. Heroes for the Panthers were new acquisition Guy Caputo who cracked a three-run homer for a tie and then Dave Smallwood who singled and Bob McKillop who set the stage for the winner with a double, his third of the game. Smallwood scampered home with the deciding run when relief pitcher Larry Appel fired a wild pitch on his first and only offering. McKillop, catching in this game, led the winners with three hits. Smallwood, Tom McKenzie and Ron Smith each contributed a pair. Bob Hopper, making his debut for the Panthers, went three shutout innings allowing just one hit to grab the pitching victory. Rolf Scheel took the loss. Before the game, Stratford lodged a protest, saying Caputo was not eligible as he had not been officially released and that Brantford Red Sox, who would have had first crack at Caputo, had not waived him.

Heinbuch, Hopper (W) (7) and McKillop
Bridges, Scheel (L) (7), Appel (9) and Kyle

(June 26)  Guelph 1 London 0, Galt 12 Hamilton 1

(June 27)  Listowel 7 Hamilton 1

(June 30)   Import right-hander Al Greenberg had quite the game Friday extending a sensational seasonal campaign as the London Pontiacs dumped Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers 7-0 at Labatt Park. Greenberg allowed just four hits in notching his fourth win, without a loss. It was his second shutout. The 20-year-old student at New York State University Teachers College at Cortland has yielded just two earned runs and 12 hits over 34 1/3 innings for an earned run average of 0.43. He led the offense as well with a home run, double and two walks. Pontiacs chased Panthers' starter Count Heinbuch for six runs in five-plus innings for his first loss of the season.

Heinbuch (L), McKillop (6), Sherk (8) and McKillop, Cressman (6)
Greenberg (W) and Fenlon

(June 30)  Guelph 13 Galt 8

(July 3)   Ron Stead's seventh straight win and a triple play highlighted Guelph's 4-2 victory Monday over Kitchener-Waterloo. The C-Joys built a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning, on a home run by Al Etchells the Guelph catcher, and held off a late charge by the Panthers as Stead had a shutout until the eighth. Kitchener-Waterloo made its first serious threat in the sixth putting men on first and second with nobody out. But, Stead speared Tom Hoch's line drive to start a triple play. He threw to Walt Jeffries at first to catch Ken Mark off the bag and Jeffries then fired to Nick DiCarlo at second to nab Brian Cressman. Stead allowed eight hits, walked a pair and fanned eight. Loser Bob McKillop yielded just seven hits, walked three and whiffed eleven.

Stead (W) and Etchells
McKillop (L) and Cressman

(July 3)  Listowel 8 Hamilton 5

(July 4)   Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers rode two-run homers by Ron Smith and Bob McKillop to a 7-6 victory over London Tuesday. Guy Caputo cracked a triple, double and single for the winners. Paul Allen slugged a homer and double for the Pontiacs. After the Panthers had jumped into an early 5-1 advantage, London rallied with five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead. Panthers evened the count in the bottom of the fifth when Walt Bradley singled in Caputo. They got the winner in the eighth as Tom McKenzie reached on a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild attempted pick-off throw. Winning pitcher Count Heinbuch launched a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in McKenzie.

Heinbuch (W) and McKillop, Cressman
Murphy (L) and McMillan

(July 4)  Stratford 11 Hamilton 7, Listowel 9 Brantford 5

(July 5)  Galt 5 Brantford 0, Guelph 8 Listowel 4

(July 6)   Pitching for the second time in four days, Kitchener-Waterloo right-hander Bob McKillop tossed a four-hitter with 14 strikeouts in a 7-2 victory over the Listowel Legionnaires. A five-run fourth inning, highlighted by Brian Cressman's bases-loaded single, put the game on ice. Ken Mark belted a triple for the Panthers, the game's lone extra base hit. Losing pitcher Jim Winch went all the way giving up ten hits.

McKillop (W) and Cressman
Winch (L) and Kraft

In other Intercounty action, Galt Terriers dumped Brantford Red Sox 15-2 and London Pontiacs slipped by Stratford Hoods 6-4. Terriers scored nine times in the third inning. Roger Dewaele and Gib Simpson paced the winners each with three hits. The Pontiacs managed just four hits, two apiece by Whitey Lapthorne and Wayne Fenlon, off losing pitching Rolf Scheel who dropped his fifth decision without a victory. Ken Rooks was credited with the win, his third in four decisions.

(July 7) London 6 Galt 2

(July 8)   Count Heinbuch blanked Brantford on four hits Saturday as Kitchener-Waterloo downed the Red Sox 3-0. The left-hander fanned ten in going the distance for his fourth win against one loss. The game was scoreless until the fifth when Dave Smallwood doubled to score Ken Mark. Walt Bradley sewed up the contest with a two-run homer in the eighth. Starter Gord Peterson took the loss for the Red Sox.

Heinbuch (W) and Cressman
Peterson (L), Jackson (9) and Convey

Bill Rowe fired a one-hitter Saturday as Hamilton won its first game of the season beating Guelph 2-0. It was the C-Joys first loss after 12 consecutive victories. Nick DeCarlo's one-out single in the ninth broke up the no-hit bid.

Listowel Legionnaires dumped Galt 9-4. Dick Krol had two triples for the Terriers but was unable to score on either occasion.

(July 10)   The Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers saved their best for the last. Trailing 3-2 after eight innings, the Panthers erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth to walk away with a 9-4 victory over the Galt Terriers. A pinch-hit, grand slam homer by Derwood "Shorty" Miller highlighted the uprising. Dick Krol had given up only four hits before the Panthers took control in the final frame. Wray Upper had put Galt in the lead in the first inning with an inside-the-park, two-run homer. Terriers held the lead until the fifth when the Panthers evened the count. Galt moved ahead again in the eighth when Upper smashed a triple and scored on Roger Dewaele's single up the middle. Tom Hoch had three hits for the winners. Ken Sherk went eight innings on the hill for the Panthers for the pitching win.

Sherk (W), McKillop (9) and McKillop, Cressman (9)
Krol (L), Weldon (9) and Sear

(July 10)  Hamilton 6 London 1, Guelph 4 Stratford 3

(July 11)  Stratford 3 Brantford 0, Listowel 4 Guelph 2

(July 12)   Right-hander Richard Jack held London to five hits Wednesday as the Kitchener-Waterlook Panthers edged the Pontiacs 2-1 at Labatt Park. The Panthers handed London's Al Greenberg his first loss of the season after five straight wins. Dave Smallwood of the Panthers was the lone hitter with more than one hit, he had a pair.

Jack (W) and McKillop
Greenberg (L) and McMillan

(July 12)  Guelph 8 Galt 6

(July 13)   A four-run seventh inning carried Kitchener-Waterloo to a 6-3 victory over Brantford Red Sox Thursday. It was the Panthers 12th win in 15 games to lift them to within a game and a half of the league leading Guelph C-Joys, at 14-2. Panthers, out-hit eight to six, capitalized on the wildness of Joe Keating who issued 12 free passes. The Red Sox also committed five errors. Count Heinbuch went the route notching seven strikeouts without a walk. Behind 3-2 in the seventh, the Panthers got a bases-loaded single by Brian Cressman coupled with an error in the outfield to bring in three runs. Heinbuch then reached on a bunt single to bring in Cressman with the final marker. Cressman had two hits and scored three times for the winners. Gary Ebel, making his first start with the Panthers since his release from a pro stint, was impressive. he socked a triple off the centre field fence for his lone hit and made an outstanding play at first leaping high to nab a line shot.

Heinbuch (W) and Cressman
Keating (L) and Convey

(July 13)  Stratford 7 Galt 1

(July 14)   John Murray slammed a towering drive to right-centre field in the bottom of the 12th inning Friday to give Stratford Hoods an exciting 6-5 triumph over Kitchener-Waterloo. After the Panthers had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Stratford replied with four runs in the bottom of the initial stanza. They added another in the third and had a 5-2 advantage going into the eighth when the Panthers got one run and then tied it in the ninth with a pair. The loss spoiled a strong pitching performance by usual centre fielder Dave Smallwood for the Panthers who relieved starter Ken Sherk in the fourth inning and blanked the Hoods on five hits until the 12th. The run against him was unearned. Gary Thomas, who took over from Larry Appel in the eighth recorded the pitching victory. John Langlois paced Stratford with three hits, including a home run in the third inning.

Sherk, Smallwood (L) (4) and Cressman
Appel, Thomas (W) (9) and Kyle

Playing at London, Brantford Red Sox whipped the hometown Pontiacs 11-4. Gord Peterson, with his fourth victory, fanned ten and walked three. Jim Lawrence and Robbie Vipond each had three hits for the winners. Brian Murphy took the loss for London.

Peterson (W) and xxx
Murphy (L), R.McKay (5) and xxx

(July 15)  Guelph 8 Listowel 7

(July 16)  Galt 4 London 0

(July 17)  Hamilton 8 Stratford 5, Guelph 2 Kitchener 1, Galt 8 London 3

(July 18)  Brantford 2 Hamilton 0

(July 19)  Galt 12 Kitchener 4, Guelph 10 Stratford 7

(July 20)  Hamilton 6 Stratford 2, Kitchener 7 Guelph 6

(July 21)  London 6 Listowel 4

(July 22)  Brantford 8 Hamilton 5, Kitchener 10 Stratford 8, Galt 7 Listowel 5, Guelph 12 London 3

(July 24)  Stratford 8 Brantford 7

(July 25)  Stratford 9 Guelph 6, Galt 7 Listowel 4, Kitchener 13 Hamilton 1

(July 26)  Hamilton 8 London 1, Galt 1 Brantford 0

(July 27)  Listowel 4 Stratford 0. Kitchener 9 Hamilton 4, Brantford 5 London 0

(July 28)  Guelph 5 London 3, Stratford 8 Brantford 7, Galt 19 Kitchener 8

(July 29)  Galt 8 Stratford 0

(July 31)  Hamilton 12 Listowel 4

(August 1)  Kitchener 9 Stratford 0, Listowel 9 London 4, Hamilton 8 Brantford 4

(August 3)  Kitchener 2 Listowel 2, Hamilton 4 Stratford 3, Guelph 12 Brantford 4

(August 4)  Stratford 4 London 3

(August 5)  Galt 5 London 2, Guelph 5 Brantford 1, Hamilton 4 Listowel 2

(August 7)   In yet another offensive show between the two teams, Kitchener-Waterloo crushed Galt Terriers 12-5 Tuesday at Centennial Park. The last time the clubs met, Galt won, 19-9. Panthers pounded out 13 hits, included a pair of homers by Ron Smith who knocked in four runs and a three-run shot by Walt Bradley. Gary Dewaele had a solo homer for the Terriers, who had 11 hits off winning pitcher Count Heinbuch. Dick Krol rapped three singles for the losers. Panthers ran up a 6-0 lead after three innings and coasted to the win. The victory clinched second place in the standings for the Panthers.

Hubert (L), Upper (3), Hawton (7) and Sear
Heinbuch (W) and Cressman

(August 8)  Kitchener 12 Galt 5, Guelph 15 Hamilton 2, London 9 Stratford 7

(August 9)   Richard Jack pitched and batted Kitchener-Waterloo to a 10-2 romp over Listowel Legionnaires Wednesday. The 6-foot, 9-inch right-hander tamed the Legionnaires on three hits and led the Panthers' offense with three of his own, one a double. In his first start since losing a 2-1 heart-breaker to Guelph in 13 innings, Jack tossed a three-hitter and did not allow an earned run. He struck out ten. Dave Smallwood had two hits and scored three times for the Panthers. Dave Heffernan allowed 13 hits in going the distance for Listowel.

Jack (W) and Cressman
Heffernan (L) and Kraft

(August 10)   Leading off the bottom of the ninth, centre fielder Dave Smallwood cracked a home off London reliever Doug Poole to give Kitchener-Waterloo a 7-6 triumph over the Pontiacs. The blast capped an outstanding night for Smallwood who also had a pair a singles and scored three times. Winning pitcher Bob Hopper allowed three London homers - to Ken Rooks, Fred Fickling and Paul Allen - to mark the second straight game at Centennial Park with four circuit blows.

Murphy, Hammond (3), Poole (L) (9) and Fenlon
Hopper (W) and Cressman

(August 10)  Galt 7 Hamilton 0, Galt 9 Hamilton 5, Listowel 3 Brantford 0

(August 11)  London 4 Guelph 3, Stratford 4 Brantford 0

(August 12)  Galt 12 Hamilton 10

(August 14)  Hamilton 7 Guelph 6

(August 17)   The good news for Hamilton was a two-hit shutout over 6 and 2/3s innings for Bob Delaney. The bad news was the Red Wings were trailing 12-0 before reliever Delaney got into the game, the opener of their playoff series with Kitchener-Waterloo. The Panthers exploded for six runs in the first inning and another six in the second and cruised to the win behind the four-hit, shutout pitching of Count Heinbuch. The lefty fanned nine and walked two. Tom McKenzie led the winners with a homer and double and five runs batted in. Tom Hoch added a homer and single and Dave Smallwood had three hits.

Rowe (L), Anderson (1), Delaney (2) and Romanowski
Heinbuch (W) and McKillop

(August 21)   Out-hit 11 to 6, and with six errors in the field, Kitchener-Waterloo overcame the odds with a four-run ninth inning to shade Hamilton 5-4 to take a 2-0 game lead in their Intercounty playoff series. Shorty Miller, the chunky 40-year-old pinch-hitting specialist cracked a three-run, bases-loaded double to erase a 3-1 Hamilton advantage and put Panthers in the lead for the first time in the game. Moments later Miller scampered home on Tom McKenzie's single for what proved to be the winning run as the Red Wings came up with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Reliever Count Heinbuch, with six shutout innings, was credited with the win while right-hander Gary Newitt took the tough loss yielding just six hits and one earned run. Bryan DeMarchi and Fred Chayka each had three hits for Hamilton.

McKillop, Heinbuch (W) (3), Hopper (9) and Cressman
Newitt (L) and Romanowski

(August 22)   Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers have advanced to the Intercounty semi-finals against the Galt Terriers. Panthers walloped the Hamilton Red Wings 12-1 Tuesday to sweep their playoff series in three straight games. Panthers pounded out 15 hits, two each by Ken Mark, Tom Hoch, Dave Smallwood, Bob McKillop, Sol Glober and winning pitcher Richard Jack. Ron Smith broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a two-run homer. Panthers put the game away with six runs in the fourth. Jack held the Wings to just three hits and fanned eight.

Delaney (L), Papalia (5), Rowe (5), Holt (7) and McKillop, Cressman
Jack (W) and Romanowski

(August 24)   The Panthers of Kitchener-Waterloo erupted for seven runs in the top of the first inning Thursday and coasted to an 11-0 drubbing of the Galt Terriers in the opening game of their semi-final series. Count Heinbuch tossed a three-hit shutout, with eight strikeouts and no walks, for the victory. Bob McKillop cracked a home run for the Panthers while playing manager, shortstop, Tom McKenzie led the way with three hits and two runs scored. 19-year-old Cec Davis was knocked out of the box in the first inning surrendering all seven runs on four hits and three walks.

Davis (L), Howton (1) and Sear
Heinbuch (W) and McKillop

(August 26)   Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers have a 2-0 game lead in their best-of-five semi-final series with Galt after a 3-2 triumph over the Terriers Saturday night at Centennial Park. Panthers scored three runs in the first two innings and held off a late charge by the Terriers who scored one in the fourth and got one in the ninth. They left the tying run stranded at second when Ernie Hatt struck out to end the game. Bob McKillop held the Terriers to seven hits. He walked two and fanned eight. Panthers punched out nine hits against Bob Krol. Ron Smith and Tom Hoch each had two hits for the Panthers.

The winner of the series will meet with Guelph C-Joys or Listowel Legionnaires. Listowel crushed Guelph 12-5 on Saturday in the fifth game of their semi-final set. Guelph leads three games to two. Jim Winch picked up the pitching win. The C-Joys are without the services of import Paul Giroux, who won the league batting title last year. He has returned to the U.S. for college.

McKillop (W) and Cressman
Krol (L) and Sear

1967 Intercounty All-Stars

First Team
1B Walt Jeffries, Guelph
2B Dick Krol, Galt
3B Wray Upper, Galt
SS Ernie Hatt, Galt
LF Mike Mahoney, Guelph
CF Dave Smallwood, Kitchener
RF Roger Dewaele, Galt
C Bob McKillop, Kitchener
RHP Jim Winch, Listowel
LHP Ron Stead, Guelph
MGR Tom McKenzie, Kitchener
Second Team
1B Dave Lapthorne, London
2B Nick DiCarlo, Guelph
3B Paul Giroux, Guelph
SS Tom McKenzie, Kitchener
LF Terry Harvey, Galt
CF Richie Miller, Guelph
RF Jim Baker, Guelph
C John Kraft, Listowel
RHP John Allen, Galt
LHP Court Heinbuch, Kitchener
MGR Ken Benjamin, Listowel