ALBERTA MAJOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
(May 20) The 1968 Alberta Major Baseball League season kicked off with a pair of double-headers. The Calgary Odeons took both games from the Edmonton Army and Navy Cardinals 13-1 and 7-1 riding the strong arms of Alf Sedran and Rick Horb who each fired three-hitters.
Sedran gave up a lead-off double to Henry Hodgson in the first inning of the opener and nothing more until the ninth when Stan Kulka and Dave McAra tagged singles. The only run against Sedran was unearned. He fanned seven and walked three. Wayne Davies got the Odeons offense going early with a two-run homer in the first frame. He added a triple and two singles, good for five runs batted in.
Two walks and a wild pitch in the first inning of the second game cost Horb a shutout. He fanned nine but handed out six bases on balls. Odeons managed just three hits but Cardinals' hurlers George McCarthy and Willie Littlechild gave up nine free passes and the Cards' defense made four errors. Davies' two-run single was the big blow for the winners.
Popik (L 0-1), Tanasechuk (2) and Kulka
Sedran (W 1-0) and Taylor
McCarthy (L 0-1), Littlechild (6) and Kulka, Thompson (8)
Horb (W 1-0) and Taylor, Helmer (8)
(May 20) Bill Chahley, last year's pitching champ, fired a one-hitter as Edmonton Tigers trampled the Cascades 18-0 in the first game of a twin-bill. Tigers rapped 11 hits and took advantage of six Cascades errors. The Edmonton entry had two huge innings, the 3rd when they scored six times and the 4th when they sent eight runs home. Ian Reed took the loss.
In the second game, right-hander Jim LaDuke pitched shutout ball for eight innings before giving up four in the 9th as the Cascades rebounded with an 11-4 win. Bill Bester paced the Cascades 12-hit attack with a homer. Larry Murray took the loss.
Reed (L 0-1), Boychuk (3), Szabo (4) and R. Dawson
Chahley (W 1-0) and Waddle
LaDuke (W 1-0) and R. Dawson
Murray (L 0-1), Leeck (9), T. Dawson (9) and Sedgwick
Calgary Odeons 2 - 0 ---
Edmonton Tigers 1 - 1 1.0
Calgary Cascades 1 - 1 1.0
Edmonton Angels 0 - 0 1.0
Calgary Giants 0 - 0 1.0
Edmonton Cardinals 0 - 2 2.0
(May 21) Calgary Odeons continued their outstanding pitching run with their third three-hit performance in three games as Willie Walasko went the distance as the Odeons trounced the Giants 12-2. The veteran right-hander fanned 12 and walked two. Both the runs against him were unearned as the Odeons booted the ball four times. Second baseman Reg Gerlitz led the 13-hit attack with five hits, one a double, in six trips. Paul Helmer, catching for injured regular Bob Taylor, socked two doubles and a single. Wayne Davies and Ron Moffat each had two safeties.
Walasko (W 1-0) and Helmer
Erhardt (L 0-1), D. Florio (5) and R. Florio, Koenig (5)
(May 21) A five-run rally in the 5th inning carried the Edmonton Angels to a 9-7 win over the Edmonton Tigers in spite of a five-error game on defense and being outhit 13-11. Reliever Hodgson picked up the win while Holmes took the loss for the Tigers.
Stroble, Holmes (L 0-1) (2), Leeck (5) and Erickson
Ewasiuk, Curtis (2), Hodgson (W 1-0) (3) and Porter
(May 22) Veteran Gordie Vejprava produced four runs with a triple, double and single to lead the Cascades to a 9-2 victory over the Calgary Giants. Rich Dawson added a double and two singles to drive in a pair. Garth Caron pitched into the 7th inning giving up just three hits and one earned run before Murney Nellis took over mound duties to squelch a bases-loaded rally. Cascades tagged Rick Brown and reliever Wayne Webb for ten hits.
Brown (L 0-1), Webb (6) and Hrdlicka
Caron (W 1-0), Nellis (7) and Dawson
(May 22) Edmonton Angels broke a 7-7 tied with a five-run rally in the 9th and held on to down the Cardinals 12-9. Angels used six pitchers with playing manager Don Stewart recording the win.
Schultz, Lynn (4), Poelzer (7), Hodgson (7), Ewasiuk (8), Stewart (W 1-0) and Symington, Porter (7)
Hood, Gregory (7), Tanasechuk (L 0-1) (9) and Kulka
(May 23) Calgary Cascades upset the Odeons 5-2 Thursday with lefty Ian Reed going seven innings for the week. Catcher Rich Dawson slugged a homer in the fourth inning for the winners. Each team had six hits. John Schmelke took the loss.
Reed (W 1-1), Miller (8) and Dawson, Norton (8)
Schmelke (L 0-1), Prokopy (8) and Hemler)
(May 24) Bill Chahley, who finished the 1967 season with an 8-0 record, racked up his second win of the season Friday in blanking the Cardinals 3-0. He's started the season with 16 scoreless innings. Catcher Wally Waddle led the winners with three hits to push his batting average up to .467. He scored twice and should have had a homer in the fourth on a hit that rolled 425 feet into centre field but third base coach Laverne Holmes held Waddle up at third. Fred Sayers and Ron Watamaniuk each had a pair of hits for the Tigers and Wayne Bishop and Gord Tucker each came up with two singles for the Cards.
Littlechild (L 0-1), Gregory (7) and Kulka
Chahley (W 2-0) and Waddle
(May 26) Edmonton Angels moved into first place with a double-header sweep of the Calgary Odeons, 8-6 and 5-2. The first game had been protested by the Odeons. Umpire Elmer Sheidt issued a balk against the Odeons, on a call of delaying the game, with the sacks full of Angels. He also ejected Odeon pitcher Alf Sedran. The Angels scored three in the eighth inning to come from behind for the win. Ken Ewasiuk picked up the win in relief. Willie Walasko took the loss.
Sedran, Walasko (L 1-1) (7) and Helmer
Hodgson, Schultz (6), Lynn (7), Ewasiuk (W 1-1) (7) and Porter
In the second game, Rick Curtis threw seven innings of one-hit relief to earn the victory. Angels were outhit 5-3. Rick Horb took the loss.
Hutton, Horb (L 1-1) (3) and Hoey, Helmer (7)
Ewasiuk, Curtis (W 1-0) (3) and Porter
Edmonton Angels 4 - 0 ---
Calgary Cascades 3 - 1 1.0
Calgary Odeons 3 - 3 2.0
Edmonton Tigers 2 - 2 2.0
Calgary Giants 0 - 2 3.0
Edmonton Cardinals 0 - 4 4.0
(May 27) Calgary Odeons picked up a pair of wins Monday without stepping on the playing field. League commissioner Jim Rutherford of Calgary ruled the Edmonton Angels had used an ineligible player in Sunday's double-header in which the Edmonton club won both contests. George Kjenner, listed with the league as property of the Edmonton Cardinals, had played in both games. Rutherford reversed the decisions giving the Odeons a 5-1 record and first place. Angels went from 4-0 to 2-2.
(May 28) Calgary Cascades scored two runs in the first inning and never let up in trampling the Giants 16-2 in a game in which both teams had just eight hits. The Giants helped the visitors cruise to the win by making six errors and handing out 13 bases on balls. Jim LaDuke went the distance for the win and was a force at the plate driving in three runs.
LaDuke (W 2-0) and Norton
Dave Twa (L 0-1), Ball (3), Webb (4) and Hrdlicka
(May 28) Southpaw Jim Poelzer tied a league strikeout record with 19 whiffs as the Angels shaded the Cardinals 4-3 in 10 innings. The winning run came home on an error, one of three by the Cardinals. Poelzer held the Cards to five hits while the Angels had ten.
Kadatz (L 0-1) and Kulka
Poelzer (W 1-0) and Hodgson
Calgary Odeons 5 - 1 ---
Calgary Cascades 4 - 1 0.5
Edmonton Angels 3 - 2 1.5
Edmonton Tigers 2 - 2 2.0
Calgary Giants 0 - 3 3.5
Edmonton Cardinals 0 - 5 4.5
(May 29) Edmonton Cardinals notched their first win of the season downing the Edmonton Tigers 5-4. George McCarthy held the Tigers to eight hits in gaining the win. Larry Murphy suffered the loss.
Murray (L 0-2), Leeck (4) and Sedgwick
McCarthy (W 1-1) and Kulka, Thompson (7)
(May 31) Trailing 1-0, Edmonton Angels exploded for nine runs in the top of the 9th inning for a 9-1 victory over Edmonton Tigers Friday. Bill Chahley had shutout the Angles for eight innings, giving him 24 straight scoreless frames to start the season, before the roof caved in in the ninth. Six, well-placed hits and some sparkling base running highlighted the huge stanza. Wayne Samis' single into right drove in Dennis Lindstrand for the Angels first run to tie the game. Then playing-manager Don Stewart provided a 3-1 lead with a two-run single and the rout was on. 20-year-old right-hander Malcolm Lynn picked up his first win of the season with a four-hitter. He fanned eight and walked four.
Lynn (W 1-0) and Porter
Chahley (L 2-1), Stroble (9), Murray (9) and Waddle
(June 2) Calgary Giants and the Cardinals split a pair at Edmonton. The home team took the opener 6-1 behind the combined five-hit pitching of Doug Brimacombe and Willie Littlechild. Calgary roared back for a 9-0 win in the second contest as Rick Brown and Al Swinehart combined to blank the Cards on four hits.
Erhardt (L 0-2), Gamble (9) and Fofonoff
Brimacombe (W 1-0), Littlechild (8) and Thompson
Brown, Swinehart (W 1-0) (5) and Hrdlicka
Tanasechuk (L 0-2), Massey (9), Thompson (9) and Kulka
(June 2) The red hot Edmonton Angles dumped the Calgary Cascades 6-5 and 11-1 in a twin-bill at Foothills Stadium. On the field, the Angels have won all eight starts this season although two have been have been turned to losses in the boardroom after protests. Left-hander Ken Ewasiuk provided the day's highlight with a two-hit, 19 strike out performance in the nightcap. It tied the league strikeout mark set last season, by Ewasiuk, and matched last week by teammate Jim Poelzer. The only run against Ewasiuk was unearned. Edmonton ran up a 9-0 lead after three innings. Angels took the rain-shortened opener 6-5. Dave McAra homered for the Angels, Don Maxwell has a three-run blast for the Cascades.
Hodgson, Schultz (W 1-0) (4) and Porter
Reed, Caron (L 1-1) (2), Nellis (4) and Dawson
Ewasiuk (W 1-0) and Porter
Reed (L 1-2), Szabo (2) and Dawson
Calgary Odeons 5 - 1 ---
Edmonton Angels 6 - 2 ---
Calgary Cascades 4 - 3 1.5
Edmonton Tigers 2 - 4 3.0
Calgary Giants 1 - 4 3.5
Edmonton Cardinals 2 - 6 4.0
(June 4) At Edmonton, the Tigers used a 16-hit attack to crush the Cardinals 15-3. Ernie Leeck held the Cards to five hits in recording the pitching win. Don Kadatz, pitched well until the 8th inning when the Tigers exploded for ten runs. Six Cardinal errors contributed to the one-sided result.
Kadatz (L 0-2), Littlechild (8) and Kulka
Leeck (W 1-0) and Erickson
(June 4) Alf Sedran bested Jim LaDuke as both hurlers went 12 innings as Calgary Odeons shaded the Cascades 4-3. Sedran yielded just one earned run and LaDuke a pair. Sedran accounted for the first Odeons' marker with a solo homer to right field. They got two unearned runs in the 2nd inning after outfielder Jim Berlando's miscue on a fly ball. Cascades had scored in the first inning on Muzz Luft's lead-off triple and Gord Vejprava's sacrifice fly. Passed balls by Odeons' catcher Paul Helmer resulted in unearned runs in the 3rd and 6th innings. Jack MacRae and Vejprava produced singles to drive in the runs. Bob Richter led off the 12th with a single and was sacrificed to second, advanced to third on Ron Moffat's infield grounder and scored when Lynn Berridge drilled one up the middle. Sedran gave up 10 hits, fanned 11 and walked 6. LaDuke was nicked for 12 safeties, walked 7 and struck out 9.
LaDuke (L 2-1) and Dawson
Sedran (W 2-0) and Helmer
(June 5) Edmonton Angels scored four runs in the first inning and coasted to a 10-1 victory over the Tigers on a 13-hit attack, including a homer by Don Darling. Rick Curtis allowed just six hits in registering the complete game win.
Popik (L 0-2), Murray (3) and Sedgwick
Curtis (W 2-0) and Hodgson
(June 5) Dave Twa was in and out of trouble much of the night but managed to go the distance for the win in a 7-2 victory for the Giants over the Odeons. Twa allowed just six hits and fanned eight but gave up seven bases on balls. He helped his own cause with a two-run double in the 5th. Rookie catcher Larry Fofonoff had a two-run single in the 3rd inning. Rick Horb of the Odeons also had control troubles with six walks and four wild pitches and wasn't helped by five passed balls charged to catcher Paul Helmer. Terry Prokopy fired 3 2/3s innings of relief for the losers. Sam Hoey tripled to drive in one run for the Odeons and Helmer singled to knock in the other.
Horb (L 1-1), Prokopy (5) and Helmer
Twa (W 1-1) and Fofonoff
Edmonton Angels 7 - 2 ---
Calgary Odeons 6 - 2 0.5
Calgary Cascades 4 - 4 2.5
Edmonton Tigers 3 - 5 3.5
Calgary Giants 2 - 4 3.5
Edmonton Cardinals 2 - 7 5.0
(June ) The Blue Willow Angels overcame a 4-2 deficit to tie with two late runs and exploded for three in the tenth to down the Edmonton Cardinals 7-4. Hits by Don Darling, Roger Dejordy and Harry Hodgson combined with three Cardinals' errors sealed the deal for the Angels. Jim Poelzer, who set a league record of 19 strikeouts in his last appearance, started for the Angels but gave way to Dale Schultz in the 5th.
Poelzer, Schultz (W 1-0) (5) and Hodgson, Porter (5)
McCarthy, Kadatz (L 0-3) (8) and Kulka
(June 10) Veterans Willie Walasko and Bill Fennessey paced the Odeons to a 7-3 victory over the Giants. Walasko took over mound duties after starter John Schmelke gave up three early runs and the right-hander fired six shutout innings to capture the mound triumph. Fennessey rapped a triple and single and knocked in two runs including what proved to be the winner. Wayne Davies, who scored the winner on Fennessey's hit, led the 12-hit attack with three safeties. Ed Muchowsky and Alf Sedran each had a pair of hits. Odeons erupted when Giants' starter Reg Erhardt went down with a sore arm in the 4th inning. They proceeded to hand the loss on rookie Wayne Webb.
Erhardt, Webb (L 0-1), Brown (6) and Fofonoff
Schmelke, Walasko (W 2-0) (4) and Heatley
(June 11) Calgary Odeons capitalized on four Giants' errors to score five unearned runs to take a 6-4 decision. Alf Sedran, with 9th inning relief from Wayne Davies, picked up his third straight win. Bill Fennessey led the offense with three hits. Sedran chipped in with a pair. Lyle Moffat belted a homer for the Giants.
Swinehart (L 1-1) and McFadyen
Sedran (W 3-0), Davies (9) and Heatley
(June 11) In an 11-inning thriller at Edmonton, the Cardinals scored three in the top of the 11th and held off an Angels rally in the bottom of the frame to escape with an 8-7 victory. Cardinals jumped into an early lead with five runs in the first inning. Angels, with three in the 7th and one each in the 8th and 9th, sent the game into extra innings. Cards out hit the Angels 14-9. Reliever Don Kadatz recorded the win. Rick Curtis, who had not allowed an earned run so far this season, took the loss. It was the first loss on the playing field for the Angels this season. They had been handed two defeats in a boardroom decision following a protest involving the use of an ineligible player.
Gregory, Kadatz (W 1-3) (8) and Thompson
Ewasiuk, Curtis (L 1-1) (1), Hodgson (11) and Porter
(June 11) Harry Hodgson of the Edmonton Angels is the batting leader in the early going of the Alberta Major Baseball League. Hodgson, with 11 hits in 24 official at bats, carries a .458 average. Teammate Don Darling is the runner-up with a .444 mark. Wayne Bishop of the Cardinals is third, at an even .400. Rick Curtis of the Angels tops the hurlers with a perfect 0.00 ERA, with no earned runs allowed in 17 2/3s innings pitched. Veteran Willie Walasko of the Odeons has given up just one earned run in 16 2/3s frames for a sparkling 0.54 average and Bill Chahley of the Tigers, who has worked 24 1/3 innings, sits at 1.11.
Calgary Odeons 8 - 2 ---
Edmonton Angels 8 - 3 0.5
Calgary Cascades 4 - 4 3.0
Edmonton Tigers 3 - 5 4.0
Calgary Giants 2 - 6 5.0
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 8 5.5
(June 12) Calgary Giants scored three in the first inning and made them stand up for a 3-2 win over the Cascades. Two wild throws opened the gates for the big frame with catcher Larry Fofonoff driving in a pair with a timely single. Jack MacRae's single knocked in the first Cascades' run in the 7th and Gord Karch rapped a run-scoring single in the 8th. In the 9th, with two on and two out, winning pitcher Dave Twa fanned power-hitter Bob Trembecky to end the contest. Ian Reed gave up just six hits in taking the loss. Twa allowed seven.
Reed (L 1-3) and Norton, Dawson (8)
Twa (W 2-1) and Fofonoff
(June 12) Veteran right-hander Bill Chahley fired a six-hit shutout as Edmonton Tigers shaded the Angels 1-0. Three hurlers combined on a four-hitter for the Angels with starter Malcolm Lynn taking the loss.
Lynn (W 1-1), Schultz (3), Hodgson (8) and Porter
Chahley (L 3-1) and Erickson
(June 14) Rain washed out another game Thursday, the scheduled contest between the first-place Odeons and third-place Cascades. It brought to ten the number of rainouts, eight of them at Foothills Stadium. To date, there's been a make-up game for only one of the postponed contests. The second is set for Saturday with the Odeons and Cascades playing a game washed out May 29. Thursday's game has been re-scheduled for Saturday, June 22.
Other games re-scheduled : Monday, June 17, Giants at Cascades (rained out June 6); Saturday, June 29, Tigers at Odeons (1st game of double-header rained out June 9); Saturday, July 27, Tigers at Odeons, (2nd game of double-header rained out June 9); Sunday, July 28, Tigers at Giants (double-header rained out May 26).
(June 14) Edmonton Tigers downed the tail-end Cardinals 5-3. Ernie Leeck was the winner over George McCarthy.
Leeck (W) and xxx
McCarthy (L) and xxx
Calgary Odeons 8 - 2 ---
Edmonton Angels 8 - 4 1.0
Edmonton Tigers 5 - 5 3.0
Calgary Cascades 4 - 5 3.5
Calgary Giants 3 - 6 4.5
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 9 6.0
(June 15) A four-run 8th inning carried Calgary Odeons to a 9-8 win over Calgary Cascades. Rick Horb, who pitched into the 9th inning for the win, led the Odeons' offensive with four hits, including a triple. Ron Moffat added three singles and Reg Gerlitz, Murray Heatley and Wayne Davies each had a pair. Davies relieved in the 9th as the Cascades rallied for two runs. Bruce Lofting had a double and single for the losers.
Horb (W 2-1), Davies (9) and Heatley
Caron (L 1-2), Reed (8) and Dawson
(June 16) Edmonton Angles received strong hurling from Ken Ewasiuk and Rick Curtis to take both ends of a double-header from the Calgary Giants, 3-1 and 11-3. Angels broke up a 1-1 thriller with two runs in the top of the 9th to take the first game. They loaded the bases and the Giants' Al Swinehart walked in both runs. Ewasiuk fired a three-hitter and fanned nine with the only run against him unearned. Curtis rang up 15 strikeouts in the second game as he scattered nine hits to register the win. Bill Schur socked a two-run homer off reliever Wayne Webb to highlight the Angels' attack. Doug Beinert had three hits. Giants' starter Rick Brown was the loser.
Ewasiuk (W 2-0) and Porter
Swinehart (L 1-2), Webb (9) and McFadyen
Curtis (W 2-1) and Hodgson
Brown (L 0-2), Webb (4), Duncan (8) and McFadyen
(June 16) Edmonton Tigers gave up just one run in each game in sweeping the Calgary Odeons 11-1 and 13-1. Larry Murray and Trann Dawson hurled seven-hitters while the Tigers belted Calgary pitching for 24 runs and 24 hits.
Sedran (L 3-1), Horb (8) and Heatley
Murray (W 1-2) and Waddle
Prokopy (L 0-1) and Helmer, Heatley (5)
Dawson (W 1-0) and Waddle
Edmonton Angels 10 - 4 ---
Calgary Odeons 9 - 4 0.5
Edmonton Tigers 7 - 5 2.0
Calgary Cascades 4 - 6 4.0
Calgary Giants 3 - 8 5.5
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 9 6.0
(June 17) Out hit 11-5, Calgary Cascades got back-to-back doubles by Don Maxwell and Bob Trembecky in the 11th inning to break a five-game losing streak with a 7-6 win over the Giants. Trembecky's game winner was a potential fly-ball out which outfielder Al Twa lost in the lights. Twa had kept the Giants in contention with a two-run single in the 9th to send the game to extra innings. Murney Nellis was the winner with 2 1/3 inning of hitless relief. Rookie right-hander Al Taylor took the loss in spite of 8 2/3s innings of strong relief. He allowed just four hits and struck out 14 but handed out nine free passes. Giants' Bob Duncan led the hitters with four hits, two of them doubles.
Erhardt, Taylor (L 0-1) (2) and McFadyen, D. Twa (9)
LaDuke, Nellis (W 1-0) (9) and Norton, Dawson (11)
(June 18) Calgary Giants scored twice in the 9th inning to down the Cascades 5-3. Losing pitcher Ian Reed walked in Mark Jones with the bases loaded to send in the winning run. Jones had reached on an error, Barry Burkett had a bunt single and Bob Duncan received an intentional pass to fill the sacks. Winning pitcher Dave Twa and Burkett each had two hits for the Giants. Don Maxwell had a pair for the Cascades.
D. Twa (W 3-1) and McFadyen
Reed (L 1-4), Pozzo (9) and Norton, MacRae (7)
(June 18) Right-hander Bill Chahley survived 13 hits to ring up his 4th win of the season as the Tigers edged the Cardinals 4-3. Don Kadatz took the loss, his 4th.
Kadatz (L 1-4), Brimacombe (6) and Kulka
Chahley (W 4-1) and Waddle
(June 18) Calgary Odeons named veteran Bill Fennessey as playing manager.
(June 18) Outfielder Wayne Bishop of the Edmonton Cardinals has taken over the lead in the batting race with a .371 average, three points ahead of Reg Gerlitz of the Odeons, who sits at .368. Pitcher/outfielder Wayne Davies of the Odeons is third with a batting mark of .346. Tigers' Bill Chahley is the top hurler with an earned run average of 0.81. Rick Curtis of the Angels, who leads in strikeouts with 55, is second in ERA with a 1.22 mark.
(June 19) Calgary Odeons came from behind with two runs in the 7th to edge the Cascades 3-2. Ron Moffat's drive to right, with two on base, fell in for a triple as outfielder Bruce Lofting slipped on the wet field. Wayne Davies tossed a five-hitter for the win. Sandy Szabo allowed just five hits in taking the loss.
Szabo (L 0-1) and Dawson
Davies (W 1-0) and Helmer, Richter (7)
(June 20) Calgary Odeons unleashed an 18-hit attack to crush the Giants 19-6. The winners had a 7-0 lead before sending 16 men to the plate in the 5th and tacking on ten more runs. Ed Muchowsky, Bob Richter, Wayne Davies and Ron Moffat each rapped three hits with Moffat and Bill Fennessey each driving in three runs. Right-hander Rick Horb was the beneficiary of the Odeons' offensive working six scoreless innings before giving up just an unearned run in the 7th. Terry Prokopy came on in the 8th and was nailed for five runs in the last two innings. Rick Brown, first of four Giants' hurlers, took the loss.
Horb (W 3-1), Prokopy (8) and Richter
Brown (L 0-3), Swinehart (3), Florio (5), Duncan (5) and McFadyen
Calgary Odeons 11 - 4 ---
Edmonton Angels 10 - 4 0.5
Edmonton Tigers 8 - 5 2.0
Calgary Cascades 5 - 8 5.0
Calgary Giants 4 - 10 6.5
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 10 7.0
(June 21) Edmonton Tigers won their sixth straight as Ernie Leeck threw a four-hitter in a 7-3 win over the Angels Friday night. The win gave Leeck a 3-0 won-lost mark. Rick Curtis was the loser for the Angels.
Leeck (W 3-0) and Erickson
Curtis (L 2-2), Schultz (7) and Hodgson
(June 22) Jim LaDuke hurled a four-hit shutout Saturday in leading the Calgary Cascades to a 4-0 win over the Odeons. LaDuke struck out eight and walked just one, an intentional pass in the 9th inning. Cascades rapped Alf Sedran for nine hits, three in the third inning when they scored their first run. Jack MacRae drove in another in the 4th and Murney Nellis knocked in a pair with a single in the 5th. Outfielder Bruce Lofting had two hits for the winners. Bill Fennessey had a double and single for the Odeons.
Sedran (L 3-2) and Hoey
LaDuke (W 3-1) and Norton, MacRae (4)
(June 23) In two well-pitched games at Edmonton, the Angels took a pair of 3-2 decisions from the Calgary Giants. After a three-hour rain delay, Jim Poelzer and Don Stewart teamed up for a five-hitter in the first game and Malcolm Lynn scattered nine hits for the win in the second contest. Giants' Al Johnson was the leading hitter in the nightcap going four-for-four.
Taylor (L 0-2), Gamble (5) and Fofonoff
Poelzer (W 2-0), Stewart (6) and Porter
D. Twa (L 3-2) and McFadyen
Lynn (W 2-1) and Porter
(June 25) Edmonton Angels halted the Tigers winning streak at six games with a 5-3 victory Tuesday. Harry Hodgson pitched six innings of no-hit ball, finishing with a five-hitter to notch his second win of the season. A four-run seventh inning propelled the Angels to the victory.
Hodgson (W 2-0) and Porter
Dawson (L 1-1), Chahley (7) and Waddle
(June 25) Catcher Wally Waddle of the Edmonton Tigers is the batting leader in the AMBL with a .380 average. Reg Gerlitz of the Odeons is second at .368, just ahead of teammate Wayne Davies, at .366. Wayne Bishop of the Cardinals has dropped to fourth place, with a .350 batting mark. Bill Chahley of the Tigers is the pitching leader sporting an earned run average of 1.27, ahead of Malcolm Lynn of the Angels at 1.52. Rick Curtis of the Angels continues to lead in strikeouts with 56 while Chahley has won the most games, 4, and Alf Sedran of the Odeons has worked the most innings, 51.
(June 26) Outhit 9 to 8, Calgary Odeons whipped the Giants 10-2 to move to within a half-game of the first place Edmonton Angels. Four Giants' errors resulted in eight unearned runs. Rick Horb had a shutout with two on and two out in the 9th inning when he made a throwing error on a ball hit back to the mound and two runs scored. After three scoreless innings, Odeons got on the board with three in the 4th and a pair in the 5th. In the 6th, Wayne Davies drove in two with a double and Bill Fennessey followed with a massive homer to left. Horb knocked in the final Odeons' run with a single in the 7th. Davies and Gord Karch, who came over in trade with the Cascades Monday, each had two hits for the winners. Bob Duncan and Al Swinehart each had three hits for the Giants.
Swinehart (L 1-3), Webb (6) and Fofonoff, McFadyen
Horb (W 4-1) and Richter
Edmonton Angels 13 - 5 ---
Calgary Odeons 12 - 5 0.5
Edmonton Tigers 9 - 6 2.5
Calgary Cascades 6 - 8 5.0
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 10 7.5
Calgary Giants 4 - 13 8.5
(June 27) Left-hander Ian Reed fired a four-hitter as the Calgary Cascades downed the Giants 3-1. Outfielder Bob Trembecky knocked in two runs with a pair of towering doubles. He drove in Rich Dawson, who had walked in the 4th, and Jack MacRae, who had reached on a infield single in the 6th. Cascades added an insurance marker in the 8th on Bruce Lofting's double and Don Maxwell's single. Giants averted a shutout in the 6th when Harold Iverson walked and scored on Al Swinehart's single to right. Reed whiffed six and walked six.
Reed (W 2-4) and Dawson
D. Twa (L 3-3) and McFadyen
(July 2) Calgary Cascades rookie right-hander Wayne Miller survived ten hits, all singles, before he needed relief help in the 9th in beating the Giants 7-3. Murney Nellis replaced Miller after the Giants scored two runs in the final frame. Jack MacRae drove in two runs for the winners. Wayne Shaw had three hits for the Giants. Cascades outfielder Rich Dawson contributed three outstanding defensive plays with a pair of sparkling running catches and nailing a runner at home plate with a throw from left field.
McFadyen (L 0-1), Gamble (8) and Fofonoff
Miller (W 1-0), Nellis (9) and MacRae
(July 2) Trailing 7-2, the Edmonton Angels rallied with four in the 6th and three in the 8th for a 9-7 victory over the Cardinals. Angels, who out hit the Cards 13-10, survived six errors to post the win. Max Lindstrand went the distance to record the mound triumph.
Lindstrand (W 1-0) and Hodgson
Gregory (L 0-1), McCarthy (6), Kadatz (8) and Kulka
Edmonton Angels 14 - 5 ---
Calgary Odeons 12 - 5 1.0
Edmonton Tigers 9 - 6 3.0
Calgary Cascades 8 - 8 4.5
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 11 8.5
Calgary Giants 4 - 15 10.0
(July 3) Bob Taylor singled in Bill Fennessey in the 11th inning to give Calgary Odeons a 7-6 win over Calgary Giants. Fennessey had walked, one of five free passes for him on the night, and advanced on a wild pitch. Down 5-3 in the 8th, Giants rallied for three runs to take the lead. Doubles by Lyle Moffat and Rick Trembecky were the key blows. Odeons responded with one in the top of the 9th to send the game into extra innings. Alf Sedran was the winner in relief of starter Wayne Davies. The pair combined on 19 strikeouts. Dave Twa of the Giants had the game's only homer.
Davies, Sedran (W 4-2) (8) and B. Taylor
A. Taylor, Webb (7), Duncan (L 0-1) (9) and Twa
(July 3) Edmonton Tigers' Bill Chahley fired a six-hitter for his 5th win of the season as the Tigers topped the Angels 3-0. Tigers had just five hits off the combined efforts of Ken Ewasiuk and Jim Poelzer.
Chahley (W 5-1) and Erickson
Ewasiuk (L 1-2), Poelzer (8) and Lampert
(July 4) Calgary Cascades scored a pair in the top of the first inning and led all the way in a 10-5 win over the Odeons. Bob Trembecky's three-run homer in the second put the game away. Don Maxwell had three hits for the winners and Jim Rutherford added a pair. Terry Prokopy, with relief from Ian Reed, recorded the win. Lynn Berridge homered by the Odeons.
Prokopy (W 1-1), Reed (6) and Norton, Dawson (1), MacRae (7)
Horb (L 4-2) and Taylor
Edmonton Angels 14 - 6 ---
Calgary Odeons 13 - 6 0.5
Edmonton Tigers 10 - 6 2.0
Calgary Cascades 9 - 8 3.5
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 11 8.0
Calgary Giants 4 - 16 10.0
(July 5) Edmonton Tigers pushed across five runs in the sixith inning Friday to defeat the Cardinals 5-3. Right-hander Trann Dawson picked up the win in relief of starter Ernie Leeck. Doug Brimacombe, normally the Cardinals' shortstop, took over mound duties and pitched well, giving up just six hits. The Cards main hurlers, Don Kadatz and George McCarthy are in Trail for the Alberta-BC junior finals with the Blue Willow Angels. Dawson provided the big blow for the winners, a three-run double.
Leeck, Dawson (W) (4) and xxx
Brimacombe (L) and xxx
(July 6-7) Alberta-BC Junior Championship
(July 6) Calgary Cascades downed the Edmonton Tigers 6-1 and 9-4 in a double-header to move into a third-place tie with the Tigers, 2 1/2 games back of the league-leading Angels. Strong pitching highlighted the day for the winners as Garth Caron fired a four-hitter in the first game and Jim LaDuke followed with a five-hitter. Even with five, first-stringers out of the lineup (two, Bob Trembecky and Rich Dawson, were competing with the Alberta junior all-star team in Trail, BC), Cascades banged out 23 hits in the two games. Jim Berlando knocked in three runs for the Cascades in the opener while Bruce Lofting added three hits and Caron had a pair. Tom Longmore, who had an RBI triple in the first game, led the attack in the second with three hits. Lofting had a triple and single.
Murray (L 1-3), Dawson (8) and Waddle
Caron (W 2-2) and Norton
Leeck (L 3-1), Dawson (2), Winder (4) and Bradshaw, Dawson (4)
LaDuke (W 4-1) and MacRae
(July 9) Edmonton Tigers rallied with three in the 8th inning then held off an Angels' comeback in the 9th to capture a 5-3 win and move to just a game and one-half back of the lead. Larry Murray, with 9th inning relief help from Trann Dawson, was the winning pitcher.
Hodgson (L 2-1), Curtis (8) and Porter
Murray (W 2-3), Dawson (9) and Erickson
(July 9) The lights went out at Foothills Stadium and forced the suspension of play in the Odeons-Giants contest. The Giants were leading 4-2 in the fifth inning when the lights failed. The game is to be completed July 18th. Odeons took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd when pitcher Alf Sedran and Bill Wylie rapped Dave Twa for singles. In the 3rd, Al Twa ripped a bases-loaded triple to right-centre to pull the Giants into the lead. Hal Iverson double home a tally in the 4th.
Sedran and xxx
D. Twa and xxx
Calgary Odeons 13 - 6 ---
Edmonton Angels 14 - 7 ---
Edmonton Tigers 12 - 8 1.5
Calgary Cascades 11 - 8 2.0
Edmonton Cardinals 3 - 12 8.0
Calgary Giants 4 - 16 9.5
(July 10) Calgary Odeons took over sole possession of first place as Wayne Davies pitched a six-hitter in the Odeons 6-2 victory over the Cascades. He allowed just one earned run and whiffed nine in the route-going performance. Odeons took the lead in the first inning when Ed Muchowsky tripled and scored on Ron Moffat's single. They added one in the 4th on a single by Lynn Berridge and a double by Rod White and another singleton in the 5th on singles by Muchowsky and Bill Wylie, a walk and Bob Taylor's RBI grounded. Cascades got on the board in the 6th when Don Maxwell singled to score Jim Berlando who had led off with a double. But the Odeons put the game away in the 7th with three unearned runs. Maxwell had three hits for the Cascades. Ian Reed took the loss.
Davies (W 2-0) and Taylor
Reed (L 2-5) and MacRae
(July 10) A five-run 5th inning carried the Edmonton Cardinals to a 10-4 victory over the Edmonton Tigers. Cards had 11 hits, including home runs by Chuck Moser and Larry Proctor. Don Kadatz held the Tigers to five hits in recording the win. Ross Speers laced a homer for the Cards.
Leeck (L 3-2), Winder (5), Dawson (8) and Waddle
Kadatz (W 2-4) and Kulka
(July 11) Calgary Giants scored three in the first inning and never looked back as Al Taylor and Bob Duncan combined on a five-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Cascades. Taylor, a 17-year-old right-hander, pitched into the 8th inning fanning ten, but allowed five bases on balls. Singles by Al Twa and Al Swinehart plated a pair of first inning markers before a pair of errors added another. Al Johnson's single in the 4th drove in the final run.
Prokopy (L 1-2), Miller (4), Pozzo (5) and Norton
Taylor (W 1-2), Duncan (8) and McFadyen
(July 13) Two Cardinals' hurlers, Doug Brimacombe and Willie Littlechild, combined to no-hit the Calgary Cascades Saturday as the Cards notched an 8-1 victory. Right-hander Brimacombe retired the first four batters before leaving with a sore arm and lefty Littlechild went the rest of the way to complete the no-hitter. The Cascades did manage an unearned run on two errors. Five batters reached base against the Cardinals, two on errors, two on walks and one hit batsman. Henry Hodgson had an inside-the-park homer for the winners.
Cards broke open a tight, one-run, second game with an eight run explosion in the 8th inning to walk away with a 12-3 triumph in spite of seven errors. Second baseman Chuck Moser made five of the miscues but redeemed himself at bat with a homer, triple and double, driving in a run with each. Dave McAra belted a grand slam home run off reliever Jim Berlando to climax the 8th inning outburst. Don Kadatz held the Cascades to five hits to record the pitching win.
Brimacombe, Littlechild (W 1-1) (2) and Kulka
Caron (L 2-3) and Norton
Kadatz (W 3-4) and Kulka
LaDuke (L 4-2), Berlando (8), Rutherford (9) and MacRae
(July 14) Edmonton Angels pounded Rick Horb and Wayne Davies for 19 hits, including six doubles and a triple, in crushing the Odeons 10-2 in the first game of a twin-bill. Max Lindstrand set the pace with five hits in five at bats. Rick Curtis checked the Odeons on seven hits for the win. Odeons rebounded for a 7-1 win in the second game as Alf Sedran held the Angels to six hits. The only run he allowed was the result of a wild pitch after play had resumed in the 4th inning following a rhubarb. Sedran had struck Angels' Gary Leskow on the helmet with two out and Terry Lampert followed with a single to left. Leskow slid into third in a cloud of dust and umpire Ray Kingsmith ruled he had escaped Bob Taylor's attempted tag. The ensuing argument resulted in Taylor's ejection. Angels' manager Don Stewart entered the fray, shoved Sedran and precipitated a pushing session. Stewart and Odeons' Rod White were ordered from the playing field before order was restored.
Curtis (W 3-2) and Porter
Horb (L 4-3), Davies (4) and Taylor
Schultz (L 2-1), Poelzer (5) and Porter
Sedran (W 5-2) and Richter
(July 14) The cellar-dwelling Calgary Giants twice surprised the Edmonton Tigers Sunday taking both ends of a double-header 10-1 and 5-2. Shortstop Bob Duncan drilled a three-run homer to spark an eight-run uprising in the first game. Dave Twa, who pitched a seven-hitter, lost his bid for a shutout when the Tigers scored in the 9th. Tigers' ace Bill Chahley took the loss. In the second game, the Giants scored three in the 9th inning to capture the win. Doug McFadyen tossed a six-hitter for the win over Larry Murray who gave up 11 hits in taking the loss.
D. Twa (W 4-3) and Fofonoff
Chahley (L 5-2), Dawson (8) and Erickson
McFadyen (W 1-1) and Fofonoff
Murray (L 2-4) and Nickolychuk, Waddle (4)
Calgary Odeons 15 - 7 ---
Edmonton Angels 15 - 8 0.5
Edmonton Tigers 12 - 11 3.5
Calgary Cascades 11 - 12 4.5
Edmonton Cardinals 6 - 12 7.0
Calgary Giants 7 - 16 8.5
(July 16) Calgary Odeons opened up a one game lead atop the standings with a 3-1 win over the Cascades. Rich Horb won his 5th of the season with an eight-hitter. Hard-luck lefty Ian Reed lost his 6th game, a league high. Lynn Berridge doubled, advanced on a ground out and came home on a wild pitch to score the first run of the game in the 2nd inning. Odeons added a pair in the 5th as Bob Richter led off with a single, followed by a walk to Phil Stoochnoff. Horb drove in the winner with a line drive to right-centre and Bill Wylie's ground ball to the right side plated an insurance marker.
Reed (L 2-6) and Norton, Dawson (8)
Horb (W 5-3) and Richter
(July 16) Edmonton Tigers dumped the Cardinals 7-1 behind Trann Dawson's two-hitter. Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run 7th inning and added two more in the 8th. They had 11 hits overall. Cards' starter George McCarthy took the loss.
McCarthy (L 1-3), Littlechild (8) and Kulka
Dawson (W 3-1) and Erickson
(July 17) Third baseman Roger Pozzo belted a homer and scored twice in leading the Calgary Cascades to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. Wayne Miller hurled a five-hitter for the complete game victory. Cascades had just five hits off the combined efforts of Al Taylor and Wayne Webb.
Taylor (L 1-3), Webb (8) and Fofonoff
Miller (W 2-0) and MacRae
(July 17) Dale Schultz fired a one-hitter as the Edmonton Angels blanked the Cardinals 3-0. The Edmonton left-hander faced just 29 batters, two over the minimum. Don Kadatz allowed nine hits and fanned 16 in being saddled with the pitching loss.
Kadatz (L 3-5) and Kulka
Schultz (W 3-1) and Hodgson
(July 18) 31 runs, 39 hits, 9 errors - it was quite a night, and morning, at Foothills Stadium. Calgary Odeons scored three runs in the top of the 18th inning and held off a Giants rally in the bottom of the frame to notch a 16-15 triumph in the second game of a double-bill. Odeons also won the first game, the completion of a game suspended last week because of a power failure.
The second contest didn't end until 1:17 Friday morning when reliever Rick Horb got Wayne Webb to fly out with two out and two runners aboard. Horb went 10 1/3 innings in support of starter Wayne Davies to capture the mound victory. Bob Duncan, the loser, was in for 14 innings for the Giants. Veteran outfielder Bill Fennessey drove in five runs with four hits, including a three-run homer in the 8th. The game lasted four hours and forty-four minutes. Odeons outhit the Giants 21 to 18 with the losers making six of the nine errors.
In the first game, the Odeons rebounded from a 4-2 deficit with a five-run 5th inning to walk away with an 8-5 victory. Rod White's three-run homer was the key blow in the big inning. Alf Sedran scattered 11 hits for the win. Odeons featured a 15-hit attack.
D. Twa (L 4-4), Swinehart (5) and Fofonoff, McFadyen (5)
Sedran (W 6-2) and Taylor
Davies, Horb (W 6-3) (8) and Richter
Swinehart, Gamble (1), Duncan (L 0-2) (5) and McFadyen
Calgary Odeons 18 - 7 ---
Edmonton Angels 16 - 8 1.5
Edmonton Tigers 13 - 11 4.5
Calgary Cascades 12 - 13 6.0
Edmonton Cardinals 6 - 14 9.5
Calgary Giants 7 - 19 11.5
(July 18) League commissioner Jim Rutherford announced three player suspensions - Odeons' pitcher Alf Sedran received a one-game suspension for an altercation with an umpire during a game at Edmonton, Bob Taylor of the Odeons got a two-game penalty for shoving a base umpire during last Sunday's game against the Angels and the manager of the Angels, Don Stewart, also will have to sit out two games for his actions in the same contest.
(July 23) Zen Chaba tripled in Fred Seyers in the last of the 10th inning to give the Edmonton Tigers a 4-3 win over the Angels. Right-hander Larry Murray picked up the win in relief. Malcolm Lynn took the loss.
Poelzer, Lynn (L 2-2) (9) and Porter
Leeck, Murray (W 2-4) (8) and Erickson
(July 25) Brothers Dave and Al Twa led Calgary Giants to a 6-2 win over the Cascades at Foothills Stadium. Dave tossed an eight-hitter and helped at the plate with the only homer. Al had a double and two singles and drove in a pair. Jim Rutherford broke out of a batting slump for the Cascades with a triple, double and single.
Reed (L 2-7), Miller (6), Pozzo (8) and Norton, Dawson (8)
D. Twa (W 5-4) and McFadyen
(July 26) Edmonton Angels pulled to within a game and one-half of first place Friday making the most of just two hits for a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Southpaw Ken Ewasiuk, with relief help from Rick Curtis, registered his third win, without a loss. The pair allowed just four hits. George McCarthy took the tough loss.
McCarthy (L 1-4) and Kulka
Ewasiuk (W 3-0), Curtis (6) and Porter
(July 27) Rick Horb was the hero for the Calgary Odeons Saturday in a twin-bill sweep of the Edmonton Tigers at Foothills Stadium, 7-6 in 14 innings, and 8-7. Horb, who pitched 6 1/3 innings of relief for the victory in the first game, drove in Bob Richter with the winner with a 14th inning single. Richter had led off with a single and advanced on a sacrifice. Odeons trailed 6-2 in the 8th but batted around for four runs to tie. In the second game, in which Horb went the distance for his second win of the day, Odeons were down 7-1 before a five-run rally in the 7th sparked by Rod White's three-run homer. They added the tying and winning markers in the 8th when Bill Wylie lashed a two-out single with runners at second and third. Odeons rapped 28 hits on the day with Reg Gerlitz getting seven, Wylie five and Richter and Ron Moffat four apiece. The wins put Horb at eight for the season, high for the league.
Dawson, Leeck (L 3-3) (8) and Erickson
Sedran, Horb (W 7-3) (8) and Richter
Waddle, Dawson (L 3-2) (7) and Bradshaw, Erickson (7)
Horb (W 8-3) and Taylor
(July 27) At Edmonton, Calgary Cascades and Edmonton Angels split a pair. Harry Hodgson fired a four-hit shutout in the opener as the Angels prevailed 4-0. Cascades rebounded with a 7-5 victory in the nightcap as Bob Trembecky doubled to score the winner in a five-run 8th inning. Roger Pozzo was the winner in relief.
Reed (L 2-8), Prokopy (7) and MacRae, Dawson (2)
Hodgson (W 3-1) and Porter
Miller, Pozzo (W 1-0) (3) and Dawson
Lynn, Stewart (L 1-1) (5), Curtis (8), Poelzer (9) and Porter
(July 28) Larry Murray pitched two complete game victories as Edmonton Tigers took both games of a double-header from the Calgary Giants 1-0 and 6-4. Murray got his 4th win with a five-hit shutout in the first game and survived 11 hits to chalk up win number five in the second contest. It was a tough loss for Giants' rookie Wayne Webb in the opener as he was nicked for an unearned run in the first inning and blanked the Tigers on seven hits the rest of the way. Ross Speers' three-run homer in the first inning of the nightcap set the Tigers on the way to the win. Galen Erickson had a two-run double for the Tigers in the 7th. Doug McFadyen was a bright light for the Giants with six hits on the day as he caught the opener and pitched the other.
Murray (W 4-4) and Erickson
Webb (L 0-2) and McFadyen, Trembecky (5)
Murray (W 5-4) and Bradshaw, Erickson (8)
McFadyen (L 1-2) and Helmer
(July 28) Edmonton Cardinals received strong pitching from Doug Brimacombe and veteran Dave Kosteniuk to take two from the Calgary Cascades 4-1 and 10-3. Brimacombe held the visitors to six hits in the first game and Kosteniuk gave up just three safeties in the second game. Catcher Dick Thompson pounded a homer for the winners.
Caron (L 2-4) and MacRae
Brimacombe (W 2-1) and Kulka
Prokopy (L 1-3), Pozzo (7), Rutherford (8) and Norton
Kosteniuk (W) and Thompson
Calgary Odeons 20 - 7 ---
Edmonton Angels 18 - 10 2.5
Edmonton Tigers 16 - 13 5.0
Calgary Cascades 13 - 17 8.5
Edmonton Cardinals 8 - 15 10.0
Calgary Giants 8 - 21 13.0
(July 29) Edmonton Blue Willows capitalized on seven Moncton errors to score four unearned runs in a 5-2 victory over the host club in the Canadian junior baseball championship Monday at Moncton. In the other opening round game, Fredericton Vikings downed Winnipeg Fort Rouges 3-0 in 10 innings. Right-hander Dave Twa yielded just three hits in going the distance for Edmonton. Only one of the runs against him was earned. He fanned eight and walked three. Third baseman Mike Lindstrand led the Willows with three singles. The only extra base hit was a double by Bob Trembecky, another Calgary player picked up by the Willows for the tournament.
D. Twa (W) and xxx
Doug Chapman, Brian King (L) (3) and xxx
(July 30) Fredericton Vikings whipped Edmonton 12-7 to hand the Alberta club its first loss of the double elimination tournament. Vikings collected 11 hits off six Edmonton hurlers and took advantage of six errors. Winning pitcher was Brian Wood. George McCarthy, who entered the game during a six-run Fredericton uprising in the 4th inning, took the loss. Mark Jacobson led the Vikings with a double and four singles in five trips to the plate. Willows' centre fielder Bob Trembecky belted the first homer of the tournament.
(July 31) Calgary Odeons moved to within one win of clinching the AMBL pennant by downing the Cascades 4-2 Wednesday. Odeons broke a 2-2 tie with a pair in the 9th for the win. Bob Richter drew a walk with one out and Phil Stoochnoff followed with a long double to left-centre to plate the winner. Reg Gerlitz doubled to drive in an insurance run. Odeons had jumped ahead in the 3rd as Bill Wylie singled in winning pitcher Alf Sedran. Wylie doubled the lead with a homer in the 8th. Cascades came right back to tie with two in the bottom of the 8th. Don Maxwell poked a one-out homer and Jim Rutherford followed with a single, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Roger Pozzo's drive to left-centre. Sedran pitched an eight-hitter, with ten strikeouts, for the mound victory. Jim LaDuke took the loss.
Sedran (W 7-2) and Richter
LaDuke (L 4-3) and MacRae
(July 31) Edmonton Cardinals topped the Tigers 6-4 scoring in just two innings with four in the 2nd and a pair in the 4th. Doug Brimacombe went the route for the win pitching a seven-hitter.
Dawson (L 3-3), Leeck (6) and Erickson, Bradshaw (7)
Brimacombe (W 3-1) and Thompson
(August 1) The lowly Calgary Giants stalled the pennant hopes of the Odeons Thursday night notching a 7-3 win over the Odeons. A four-run 9th inning proved to be the difference. Three singles, three walks, an interference call against the catcher and several wild pitches and passed balls resulted in the four tallies. Al Swinehart scattered 11 hits to capture the win. Rick Horb allowed nine hits, with 12 strikeouts, in taking the loss. Doug McFadyen had four hits for the Giants and is 10 for 11 in his last three games.
Swinehart (W 2-3) and Fofonoff
Horb (L 8-4) and Richter, Wylie (8)
Calgary Odeons 21 - 8 ---
Edmonton Angels 19 - 10 2.0
Edmonton Tigers 16 - 14 5.5
Calgary Cascades 13 - 18 9.0
Edmonton Cardinals 9 - 16 10.0
Calgary Giants 9 - 21 12.5
(August 2) Edmonton Angels crushed the Cardinals 12-1. Gerry Porter led a 12-hit attack with two doubles and a pair of singles. Dale Schultz hurled a five-hitter for the win. Angels, with all their junior players in competition at the Canadian junior championships, have used make-shift lineups in AMBL play. Dave Kosteniuk made the start and took the loss with relief from third baseman Henry Hodgson in the 6th.
Kosteniuk (L 1-1), Hodgson (6) and Thompson
Schultz (W 5-2) and Porter
(August 4) Calgary Odeons clinched at least a tie for first place by taking one of two games with the Edmonton Cardinals. Odeons won the first game of a twin-bill 10-8 as Alf Sedran won his 8th game of the season. The Cardinals had two big innings, a three-run 3rd and a four-run 4th, in beating the Odeons 9-6 in the second game. Dave Kosteniuk went six innings for the win.
Sedran (W 8-2) and Hoey
McAra, Hodgson (L 0-1) (5) and Thompson
Davies (L 2-1), Horb (8) and Hoey
Kosteniuk (W 2-1), Brimacombe (7) and Thompson
(August 8) Cascades' Roger Pozzo gave up two unearned runs in the top of the first inning then slammed the door on the Calgary Odeons blanking them the rest of the way as the Cascades rang up a 9-2 victory. Pozzo ended with a seven hitter. Trailing 2-1 in the 3rd, Cascades plated a pair on a double by Bob Trembecky, singles from Rich Dawson and Murney Nellis and Jim Berlando's sacrifice fly. They chased Alf Sedran from the hill in the 4th with a six-hit explosion. Dawson drove in three runs with a triple and single while Nellis knocked in a pair with a triple and single.
Sedran (L 8-3), Walasko (4) and Richter
Pozzo (W 2-0) and MacRae
(August 8) With Don Kadatz back in the lineup after nearly two weeks with the Blue Willows at the national junior championships the Edmonton Cardinals topped the Tigers 6-3 with Kadatz firing a six-hitter for the win. Cards survived six errors to record the triumph. Kadatz allowed just one earned run and rang up ten strikeouts.
Winder, Murray (L 4-4) (6), Leeck (8) and Erickson
Kadatz (W 5-5) and Kulka
Calgary Odeons 22 - 10 ---
Edmonton Angels 20 - 10 1.0
Edmonton Tigers 16 - 15 5.5
Calgary Cascades 14 - 18 8.0
Edmonton Cardinals 11 - 18 9.5
Calgary Giants 9 - 21 12.0
(August 9) Edmonton Cardinals pounded out 19 hits Friday and rallied with six runs in the 8th inning to defeat the Edmonton Angels 12-7. Don Kadatz, in a relief role, was the beneficiary of the big inning recording his 5th win. Cards had earlier over-come a 5-0 deficit with a five-run outburst in the 5th frame. Dave McAra, who pitched in relief before returning to his third base spot, was the leading hitter for the winners driving in three runs and scoring a pair with a three-hit game.
Lynn, Curtis (L 2-3) (8), Hodgson (8) and Porter
Brimacombe, McAra (5), Kadatz (W 5-5) (7) and xxx
(August 11) The bottom top clubs in the AMBL wound up the regular season with a split of a double-header at Calgary. Cardinals won the opener 10-8 while the Giants rebounded in a big way with a 17-1 triumph in the nightcap. Cardinals needed a sweep to steal the last playoff slot from the Cascades. Right-hander Dave McAra struggled to go the distance in the opener giving up 11 hits and eight runs to record the victory. The Cards chased starter Wayne Webb with eight runs in the first four frames then scored the deciding tallies against Wayne Gamble in the 6th. Dave Kosteniuk slammed a double and two singles, driving in two runs. Gord Tucker rapped three singles and Ken Michaelchuk knocked in four runs with a triple and single. Doug McFadyen belted a triple, double and single for the Giants. Bob Duncan, one of the league's top infielders, turned in a sterling pitching performance in the second game firing a four-hitter with 12 strikeouts. He helped the offense with three hits. Hal Iverson plated four runs with a double and two singles and Lyle Moffat socked two doubles and a single. Mark Jones and Gamble each had three safeties. Pete McAra, who didn't get out of the first inning, took the loss.
D. McAra (W 1-0) and Thompson
Webb (L 0-3), Gamble (5), Duncan (8) and McFadyen
P. McAra (L 0-1), Hodgson (1), Kosteniuk (6) and Thompson
Duncan (W) and Fofonoff
FINAL
Calgary Odeons 22 - 10 ---
Edmonton Angels 20 - 11 1.5
Edmonton Tigers 16 - 15 5.5
Calgary Cascades 14 - 18 8.0
Edmonton Cardinals 13 - 19 9.0
Calgary Giants 10 - 22 12.0
PLAYOFFS
(August 11) At Edmonton, the Tigers took both games of Sunday's double-header, 3-0 and 8-2, to give them the lead in the best-of-seven semi-final series with the Edmonton Angels. Ernie Leeck threw a three-hitter to shutout the Angels in the opener. Tigers came up with all three runs in the 4th inning on three singles, an error and a base on balls. The winning run scored on an infield miscue. Harry Hodgson took the loss, going the distance. In the second game, Tigers pushed across six runs in the 7th inning to break up a tight game and win 8-2. Larry Murray went the route for the win. Rick Curtis started for the Angels and gave way to Jim Poelzer in the 7th.
Leeck (W 1-0) and EricksonHodgson (L 0-1) and Porter
Murray (W 1-0) and Erickson
Curtis (L 0-1), Poelzer (7) and Porter
(August 13) A sloppy defense hurt the Calgary Odeons in the opening game of a best-of-seven semi-final series as the fourth place Cascades dumped the pennant-winning Odeons 7-6. Four of the Cascades runs were unearned as the Odeons, who out hit the winners 12-11, committed four errors. Don Maxwell led the attack with a double and two singles and knocked in a pair. Bruce Lofting and Murney Nellis each chipped in with two hits and Rich Dawson added a two-run triple. Odeons rallied in the bottom of the 9th loading the bases with none out on two walks and Ed Muchowsky's single. Reg Gerlitz sacrificed one run home and scored another when a relay on Bill Wylie's potential double-play ball was wild at first. With two out Wayne Davies brought the Odeons to within a run with a single but Nellis fanned clean-up batter Rod White to end the game. Jim LaDuke, with relief from Nellis, picked up the win.
LaDuke (W 1-0), Nellis (7) and Norton
Horb (L 0-1), Sedran (7) and Richter
(August 14) Edmonton Tigers took a stranglehold in their semi-final series taking a 3-0 game lead with a 6-4 comeback win over the Edmonton Angels. Bill Schur tagged Tiger starter Glen Winder for a three-run homer in the first inning but the Tigers erased the deficit with the go-ahead runs in the 5th against loser Malcolm Lynn. Right-hander Larry Murray picked up the win, his 2nd of the playoffs.
Winder, Murray (W 2-0) (1) and Nickolychuk
Lynn (L 0-1), Schultz (7), Poelzer (9) and Porter
(August 16) Ian Reed, who led the league with eight losses during the regular season, fired a one-hitter to shutout the Calgary Odeons 1-0 as the Cascades took a 2-0 game lead in their semi-final series. Reed topped veteran Willie Walasko who allowed just six hits in going the distance. The left-hander did leave 10 runners stranded as he walked six and the Cascades booted the ball three times. Wayne Davies' single to centre in the 4th was the lone safety off him. Walasko issued just one base on balls and fanned 13. The only run came in the 7th inning as Bob Trembecky doubled down the left field line and scored on Rich Dawson's two-out single up the middle.
Walasko (L 0-1) and Richter
Reed (W 1-0) and Norton
(August 16) Edmonton Tigers scored two runs in the 8th inning on a dropped fly ball and held off a late charge by the Angels to notch a 7-6 victory to sweep the se m-final series in four games. Trann Dawson, who relieved starter Ernie Leeck in the 2nd inning picked up the win. Larry Murray, the winning pitcher in two earlier games in the series, came on in the 9th to halt an Angels' rally.
Poelzer (L 0-1), Ewasiuk (8) and Porter
Leeck, Dawson (W 1-0) (2), Murray (9) and Nickolychuk
(August 17) Calgary Cascades moved to within one victory of a slot in the league final with their third straight one-run win over the Odeons. Roger Pozzo fired a five-hitter as the Cascades posted a 2-1 triumph. The only run against him was unearned. Cascades had eight hits with starter Alf Sedran taking the loss.
Pozzo (W 1-0) and Norton, MacRae (4)
Sedran (L 0-1), Davies (7) and Richter
(August 18) With their fourth one-run victory of the series, Cascades downed the Odeons 8-7 to win the semi-final series in four straight games. Down 7-5 going into the bottom of the 9th, Cascades rallied for three runs for the win. A walk and a double by Jim Rutherford chased Odeons' starter Rick Horb. A passed ball on a third strike to Don Maxwell produced the first run. Bob Trembecky then drilled a double and Rich Dawson drove in the winner with a line shot up the middle. Garth Caron the fourth Cascades' pitcher was credited with the win. Wayne Davies was charged with the loss. Cascades had blown an early 5-1 lead when the Odeons exploded for five runs in the 6th inning with Bill Fennessey's two-run homer a key blow. Odeons added what appeared to be an insurance run in the top of the 9th.
Horb, Davies (L 0-1) (9) and Richter
LaDuke, Prokopy (3), Nellis (6), Caron (W 1-0) (9) and MacRae, Norton (6)
(August 25) At Edmonton, the Tigers and Calgary Cascades split the first two games of the AMBL final. Roger Pozzo pitched a one-hitter in the opening game as Cascades downed the Tigers 4-0. Ross Speers' 2nd inning double was the lone safety for the Tigers. Bill Bester tripled to right-centre in the 5th inning to drive in two runs and provide Pozzo with all the help he needed. Ernie Leeck took the loss. It was Pozzo's last start before his return to university in Montana where he is committed to a football scholarship.
In the second game, Tigers got to Cascades starter Ian Reed for a run in the first inning and five more in the second and cruised to a 6-2 win. Larry Murray scattered nine hits to go the distance for the win, this 3rd of the playoffs. Errors, five of them in the first two innings, contributed heavily to the Cascades defeat. Reed gave up 2nd inning singles to Zen Chaba, Wally Waddle, Julie Owchar, Ron Watamaniuk and Fred Seyers but then settled down to limit Edmonton to two hits the rest of the way.
Pozzo (W 2-0) and MacRae
Leeck (L 1-1), Dawson (6) and Nickolychuk, Bradshaw (6)
Reed (L 1-1) and Norton
Murray (W 3-0) and Waddle
(August 31) Larry Murray won his 4th playoff game with a four-hitter as Edmonton Tigers defeated Cascades 8-3 to take a 2-1 game lead in the best-of-seven final series. Tigers pounded out 13 hits off three Cascades' hurlers. Ross Speers drove in three runs with a pair of doubles and a single. Bill Lupul added three singles.
Murray (W 4-0) and Waddle
Nellis (L 0-1), Reed (7), Prokopy (8) and Norton, MacRae (7)
(September 1) At Calgary, the Cascades took a 3 to 2 game lead in the best-of-seven final with wins in both games of Sunday's double-header, 13-5 and 5-2. Cascades were out hit 12-11 in the first game but buried the Tigers with two five-run innings. Rich Dawson drove in three runs with a clutch double and Murney Nellis knocked in a pair with a double and a single. Right-hander Garth Caron earned the win with relief help from Terry Prokopy.
Dawson (L 1-1), Winder (7) and Waddle
Caron (W 2-0), Prokopy (6) and MacRae
In the second game, Bruce Lofting broke a 2-2 tie with a run-scoring double in the 6th inning. Cascades added two insurance runs in the 7th, one on a perfectly executed bases-loaded squeeze bunt by Murney Nellis. Cascades unveiled their slugging outfielder Bob Trembecky as a pitcher and the switch worked well as Trembecky held the Tigers to seven hits, albeit with six bases on balls. Ernie Leeck took the loss.
Leeck (L 1-2), Murray (6) and Waddle
Trembecky (W 1-0) and MacRae
(September 8) In an outstanding pitching duel to end the season, Roger Pozzo fired a two-hitter as Calgary Cascades defeated Edmonton Tigers 1-0 to capture the best-of-seven final series in six games. Pozzo, flown in for the game from Shelby, Montana, where he had returned to school, allowed just one base runner to advance past first base. In his last start, Pozzo held the Tigers to just one hit in the opening game of the finals. Larry Murray, with four wins and a save in playoff action, gave up just four hits in going the distance for the Tigers. The only run came in the top of the first inning when second baseman Jim Rutherford reached on a error and advanced on a single by catcher Jack MacRae. With one out, centre fielder Bob Trembecky hit a towering fly ball to left field. Tigers' outfielder Fred Seyers slipped and fell while attempting to make the catch and the ball fell in for a double scoring the only run of the game.
Cascades, who finished fourth in the regular season, just one loss away from missing the playoffs, came on strong in the post-season with four straight wins in the semi-final against the pennant-winning Odeons. Cascades lost in the final last season.
Pozzo (W 3-0) and MacRae
Murray (L 4-1) and Waddle
OILFIELD BASEBALL LEAGUE
EASTERN DIVISIONCalmar Angels
Devon Safeway Kings
Edmonton B. A. 98’ers
Leduc Oilers
Millet Dodgers
Winterburn Tomahawks
WESTERN DIVISION
Breton Eagles
Calmar Cubs
Drayton Valley Oilers
Warburg Buffaloes
(July 31) The Breton Eagles and Devon Safeway Kings will represent the Oilfield Baseball League in the northern Alberta senior baseball playoffs. The Eagles, behind the two-hit pitching of Jack Lee, blanked the Calmar Cubs 7 to 0 to win the Western Division pennant. The Kings captured the Eastern Division flag, thanks to the Drayton Valley Oilers who stopped the second-place Calmar Angels 6 to 2. Devon meets Two Hills in the opening draw of the northern Alberta playdowns while Breton takes on Linaria.
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EDMONTON SUNBURST BASEBALL LEAGUE
Hulburd’s CranesOilpatch Equipment Oilers
Northwest Brick Outlaws
Weiller-Williams Colts
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SOUTHERN ALBERTA INTERMEDIATE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Brooks Lions
Mossleigh Giants
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CENTRAL ALBERTA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Castor
Clive
Red Deer Junior Lions
Stettler Juniors
Stettler Seniors
Trochu
PLAYOFFS
(July 28) After dropping the opener of a best-of-three series a week ago, the Stettler Juniors bounced back to knock off the Red Deer Junior Lions twice to advance to the Alberta senior baseball championship tournament as the representative of the 1968 Central Alberta Baseball league.
ALBERTA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Most of the leagues/teams that had pursued the intermediate trail in the Alberta provincial playoffs in past seasons elected to register for the senior route in 1968.
SENIOR DIVISION
NORTHERN ALBERTA SENIOR PLAYDOWNS
OILFIELD BASEBALL LEAGUE DIVISIONAL WINNERS
(July 31) The Breton Eagles and Devon Safeway Kings will represent the Oilfield Baseball League in the northern Alberta senior baseball playoffs. The Eagles, behind the two-hit pitching of Jack Lee, blanked the Calmar Cubs 7 to 0 to win the Western Division pennant. The Kings captured the Eastern Division flag, thanks to the Drayton Valley Oilers who stopped the second-place Calmar Angels 6 to 2. Devon meets Two Hills in the opening draw of the northern Alberta playdowns while Breton takes on Linaria. Both series are best-of-three.
NORTHERN ALBERTA SEMI-FINALS (all best-of-three series)
(August 4) The Linaria Flyers lumped their scoring into three innings to defeat the Breton Eagles of the Oilfield League 11 to 4 as the northern Alberta senior baseball playoffs got underway. The Flyers jumped on losing chucker George Tryon for four big first-inning tallies and tied a bow on things with a six-spot in the eighth. Both clubs collected six hits but seven fielding miscues by the Eagles contributed to their downfall. Les Ohrn picked up the mound decision for Linaria.
(August 9) The Two Hills Braves scored five runs in the first two innings and went on to defeat the Devon Safeway Kings of the Oilfield League 7 to 2 in the opening game of their best-of-three northern Alberta semi-finals. Winning pitcher Ken Fox limited the Kings to five hits, three by Adrian Bouchard. Dennis Fitzgerals was nailed with the loss. Marshall Dehid and Fox each rapped three hits for the winners.
(August 9) The pennant-winning Oilpatch Equipment Oilers of Edmonton’s Sunburst League trimmed the visiting Viking Shamrocks 13 to 3 at the North Edmonton Sports Grounds to forge into a one-game lead in their best-of-three northern Alberta senior baseball qualifying series. Marty Babiuk, who took over from starter Don Sharun in the second inning, earned the victory. He allowed all three Viking hits. Dave Ash, one of three chuckers used by the Shamrocks, was tagged with the defeat. Gene Sharun was the big hitter for the Oilers, collecting four of the club’s ten hits.
(August 11) The Linaria Flyers eliminated the Breton Eagles to advance to the next round of the northern Alberta senior baseball playdowns.
(August 11) Johnnie Tchir allowed only three hits in pitching the Two Hills Braves to a 1 to 0 victory over the Devon Safeway Kings in the second game of their northern Alberta senior semi-finals. The win gives the Braves a sweep of the series.
(August 11) After dropping the opener 9 to 8 to the hosting Viking Shamrocks, the Oilfield Equipment Oilers of Edmonton roared back to capture the second game 12 to 3 and take the series two games to one.
NORTHERN ALBERTA FINALS (a five-team modified double-knockout tournament)
(August 17-18) The Edmonton Oilpatch Equipment Oilers edged the Fawcett Pirates 5 to 3 Sunday to win the northern Alberta senior baseball title. Trailing 3 – 1 at one point, the Sunburst League champions roared back to deadlock the score and finally won the game with a pair of runs in the tenth inning. Art Rechlo went the distance on the hill for the win. The exciting finale concluded a two-day modified double-knockout tournament at Linaria which featured five clubs.
In earlier action, The Oilers nipped the Cold Lake Parrots 3 to 2 with the knoll victory going to Marty Babiuk. Don Sharun toed the slab for their 7 to 3 verdict over the hosting Linaria Flyers. Fawcett dropped their first encounter 5 – 2 to Linaria but won the loser’s bracket with a 6 to 5 thriller over the Two Hills Braves. Two Hills eliminated Cold Lake 4 – 2 on Ken Fox’s 13-strikeout performance. The Edmontonians now advance to the provincial senior finals at Peace River.
SOUTHERN ALBERTA SENIOR PLAYDOWNS
SOUTHERN ALBERTA QUARTER-FINALS
(July 21) The Mossleigh Giants advanced in the southern Alberta senior baseball playoffs with two victories over the hosting Brooks Lions. The Giants posted 24 to 4 and 10 to 7 victories. Charlie Sjogran and Roy Elmer were the winning pitchers.
SOUTHERN ALBERTA SEMI-FINALS
(July 28) The Pincher Creek Chinooks won the right to represent the southern zone in Calgary on August 11 with a two-game sweep of the Mossleigh Giants in Pincher Creek. The homestanding Chinooks won the first game 9 to 7 as George Sulava outduelled the Giants’ Joe Drake. Dale Stuckey belted a home run and a double for the victors, accounting for four RBI’s. Teammate Tony Sutcliffe followed with three doubles.
Marv Shankland grabbed the hurling decision in the follow-up clash with relief help from Gary Ames in the fifth inning. Roy Elmer of Mossleigh was stung with the defeat. Stuckey launched his second homer of the day in this tilt to go along with a double and single while Sutcliffe had four RBI’s on two more doubles, bringing his total of two-baggers to five for the two-game set. Not to be outdone, Greg Taylor stroked a single, double and triple for the Creekmen while Melanberg slapped out two singles and a two-bagger for the Giants.
SOUTHERN ALBERTA FINALS
(August 11) Following a weekend tournament in Calgary, the Pincher Creek Chinooks emerged as the southern representative in the provincial senior playdowns.
PROVINCIAL SENIOR FINALS
(August 24-25) The Stettler Juniors of the Central Alberta Baseball League won the Alberta senior baseball championship with a convincing 10 to 1 victory over the hosting Peace River Stampeders in the final of a two-day, four-team tournament. The surprising Stettler squad, featuring a plethora of youthful players with the surname of Chapman, were forced into a second playoff game after Peace River had beaten them earlier in the day.