1968 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1968 BC Interior
1968 Vancouver Island
VICTORIA SENIOR AMATEUR LEAGUE
A pair of changes in the makeup of the league occurred in 1968 and had the Independents and Orphans, without a sponsor, replacing Rawlings and King’s Hotel although, in mid-June, the Ingraham Hotel took over sponsorship of the club previously dubbed the Orphans. With Lake Cowichan returning and four Victoria entries in place, the composition of the circuit remained stable at five teams. Since renovated Royal Athletic Park once again became unavailable for usage by the four Capital City entries, games were scheduled at another pair of new playing venues, Layritz Park in Saanich and at Topaz Park located in Victoria’s Hillside-Quadra area.
Greave’s Moving & Storage
Independents
Lake Cowichan
Orphans/Ingraham Hotel
Transport Workers
(May 15) The defending champion Transport Workers tossed in some excitement as they opened the 1968 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League season by nipping the Independents 6 to 5 at Layritz Park. The Workers bounced from behind with two runs in the fourth inning and then held the losers scoreless for the final three frames. Mike McAvoy’s double was the big blow in the winning rally. Gord Strongman yielded five hits as he pitched the victory while John Yankoski paced the Ports at the plate with three hits.
Sallaway (L) and Bunyan
Strongman (W) and McAvoy
(May 16) Southpaw George Hemming was humming as he got Greave’s Movers off to a winning start by pitching the Movingmen to an 8 to 2 conquest of the Orphans at Layritz Park. Hemming yielded only three hits and struck out nine batters in the darkness-shortened, six-inning tussle. Steve Duncan had four RBI’s for the winners, gathered by swatting a triple and single.
G. Hemming (W) and Bishop
Cliff (L), Gibb (5) and Morgan
(May 18) Veteran first baseman Art Worth and a pair of young pitchers shone at Topaz Park as the Transport Workers swept a doubleheader from Lake Cowichan by scores of 17 to 0 and 6 to 0. The 39-year old Worth banged out six hits, three in each game, while driving in six runs. Just for good measure, he even stole a base.
Pete Jolly won the one-sided opener with a two-hitter, yielding singles to Bill Greenwell and Jack Philpott. John Yankoski, Barry Harvey, Gord Strongman and John McKeachie each had three hits for the winners who connected for 17 base knocks off losing flinger Jim Jubenville.
J. Jubenville (L) and Davis
Jolly (W) and McAvoy
Bruce McKenzie matched Jolly’s two-singles feat in the second game with Gary Davis and Tom Nicholson collecting one-baggers for the losers. McKeachie added two more hits in this contest while Strongman drove in two runs with a single.
Philpott (L) and K. Jubenville
Bruce McKenzie (W) and McAvoy
(May 19) The Independents stopped Greave’s Moving & Storage 1 to 0 at Layritz Park in the first game of a scheduled twin-bill before rain washed out the follow-up clash. Winning tosser Tom Sallaway blanked the Movers on five hits. Rookie first baseman Doug Hannan singled home John Martin in the eighth spasm to provide the Independents with the winning tally.
Lister (L) and Bishop
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
(May 19) Only one game of a doubleheader at Lake Cowichan could be played before rain halted proceedings. The Orphans defeated their hosts 5 to 3 after winning chucker Brian Brossard settled down after allowing a three-spot in the opening stanza.
(May 21) With the taste of a 1 to 0 Sunday first-game defeat still lingering, Greave’s Movers completed their rain-postponed Senior Amateur League doubleheader with the Independents by reversing the score. George Hemming pitched a sharp two-hit game for the victory. Brian Howe plated the game’s only run, following his fifth-inning single, when he moved around the bases on a one-bagger, a fielder’s choice and a ground out by Don Bell.
Bunyan (L), Moseley (5) and Lawrence, Bunyan (5)
G. Hemming (W) and Bishop
(May 22) Phil Pimlott batted in three runs as the Transport Workers maintained their unblemished record with a 5 to 2 Senior Amateur League victory over Greave’s Movers at Layritz Park. The rookie shortstop doubled to drive in Mike McAvoy in the fourth frame and capped the victors’ four-run fifth inning with a two-run triple off losing tosser Les Brice. Gord Strongman scattered nine hits as the Transports won their fourth in a row.
Strongman (W) and McAvoy
L. Brice (L) and Bishop
(May 23) A single by John Russell, a double by Dave Morgan and an error accounted for the winning run in the fifth inning as the Orphans defeated the Independents 3 to 1 at Layritz Park. Brian Craig’s solo four-bagger in the in the seventh panel provided an insurance tally for the winners who scored their first run on three opening-inning singles. The Independents plated their lone marker in the fifth frame on a single by Craig Lawrence and two errors.
Hurst (W) and Morgan
Hannan (L), Baker (4) and Bunyan
(May 25) Greave’s Moving & Storage copped a 6 to 4 early-game win over hosting Lake Cowichan before Movers’ playing-manager Les Brice served up a seven-inning no-hitter in the second-half of the doubleheader but dropped a tough 1 to 0 verdict to the Lakers. Stan Thame won on a five-hitter as Vic Skinner sparkled with the hickory for the winners in the first scuffle, clipping the orb for a double, two singles and a brace of RBI’s. Teammate Dave Rivers drove in three runs with a pair of singles.
Thame (W) and Bishop
Sheard (L) and Nicholson
Hard-luck loser Brice fanned ten and walked just one in the wrap-up affair. Winning flinger Ian Verdiel allowed only one hit in this tilt, a single to Skinner. The Lakers’ Jim Saysell had Lady Luck by his side in the fourth canto of this battle as he reached first base on a throwing error, moved to third on a muffed double-play attempt and touched home with the game’s lone run when a throw from Greave’s catcher Gary Bishop got away from third baseman Dave Rivers with Saysell an apparent dead-duck during a foiled squeeze play.
L. Brice (L) and Bishop
Verdiel (W) and J. Jubenville
(May 25) At Topaz Park, the front-running Transport Workers split a doubleheader with the Orphans who handed the leaders their first setback of the season with a 5 to 4 victory in the first game. The Orphans derricked starter Pete Jolly and reliever Bruce McKenzie during a five-run outburst in the second inning before Mike McAvoy stopped the bleeding but the T-W’s were never able to make up this deficit.
Brossard (W) and Adams
Jolly (L), Bruce McKenzie (2), McAvoy (2) and McAvoy, Burrows (2)
In the late contest, Bob Burrows and Gord Strongman each drove in two runs for the Workers who corralled this tilt by an 8 to 1 count.
McAvoy (W) and Burrows
Craig (L) and Adams, Heath (6)
(May 26) The Independents defeated Lake Cowichan 6 to 1 and then fell 10 to 7 to the visitors in Senior Amateur Baseball League doubleheader action. Winning pitcher Tom Sallaway scattered six hits and struck out ten in the opener. John Martin and Ken Hawkins each drove in two runs for the winners.
Verdiel (L), K. Jubenville (4) and Davis
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
Lake Cowichan erupted for four counters in the sixth inning of the finale and reliever Hank Tillberg blanked the Independents the rest of the way. Bill Greenwell, Ken Jubenville and Wayne Forslund each drove in two runs for the Lakers while Doug Hannan of the Independents had four RBI’s.
Carter, Tillberg (W) (4) and K. Jubenville
Baker (L), Moseley (6) and Bunyan
(May 29) The fourth-place Independents lashed out to grab an 8 to 2 win from the league-leading Transport Workers at Layritz Park. Lorne Bunyan scattered nine hits while on the slab and drove in three runs from the batter’s box with two singles to spark the winners. Issuing four walks and piling up ten strikeouts, Bunyan had plenty of offensive support as each one of this teammates had at least one hit. Playing-manager Barry Cosier picked up three of his team’s 16 safeties with a double and two singles.
Strongman (L), Jolly (3), Burrows (5) and McAvoy
Bunyan (W) and Lawrence
(May 30) Three unearned runs tallied early in the game assisted Greave’s Moving & Storage to get past the Orphans 4 to 1 at Layritz Park. Winning pitcher George Hemming lost both his no-hit bid and shutout after two had been retired in the final inning. After Hemming gave up a single to Brian Craig, which appeared to rattle him, he followed with two successive bases-on-balls to load the bases. Craig the galloped home to score on a throwing error. Harold Cliff was nicked for five safeties in absorbing the loss.
G. Hemming (W) and Bishop
Cliff (L) and Craig
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 5 2 .714 ----
Greave’s Moving & Storage 4 3 .571 1.0
Orphans 3 3 .500 1.5
Independents 3 4 .429 2.0
Lake Cowichan 2 5 .286 3.0
(June 2) The Independents divided the spoils of a two-game set with Greave’s Movers, taking a 6 to 3 victory in the early clash before self-destructing with eight fielding miscues in the second scuffle of the agenda, resulting in a 16 to 7 setback. Flawless fielders in the opener, the Independents led from start to finish behind the seven-hit hurling of Tom Sallaway. Craig Lawrence and Rick Smith drove in two runs each for the winners.
Thame (L) and Bishop
Sallaway (W) and Lawrence
The Movers bombarded their way to an insurmountable 16 to 0 lead after four innings of the closing clash and even though the Independents got to winning tosser Les Brice for a seven-spot in the final frame, it didn’t do them much good. Jerry Ciochetti and Bob Bowles had three RBI’s apiece in Greave’s winning effort.
Moseley (L), D. Hemming (1), Baker (2) and Bunyan
L. Brice (W) and Bishop
(June 5) George Hemming rang up a dozen punchouts and allowed only three hits in pitching Greave’s Movers to a 9 to 4 win over the Transport Workers at Layritz Park. The victory moved Greave’s within a few percentage points of the league-leading Transports. Although their fielding was full of flaws, the Movers still jumped into a 7 to 0 start in the first three innings. Dave Graas, Bob Lumley and Hemming each connected for two hits.
G. Hemming (W) and Bishop
McAvoy (L), Strongman (3), Cutler (7) and Brian McKenzie, McAvoy (3)
(June 6) A 6 to 3 win over the Independents at Layritz Park lifted the Orphans to within a half-game of the co-leading Transport Workers and Greave’s Movers. Stan Gibb mounted the bump for the victors and went the distance, striking out ten and walking only one. He finished with a six-hitter, weakening slightly in the final frame when Independent plated two of their three counters on a double by Doug Hannan. A three-run fourth-inning, sparked by Mike Embury’s two-run single, gave the winners the edge they needed to prevail. Embury finished with three hits.
Bunyan, Baker (W) (3)and Lawrence
Gibb (W) and Morgan
(June 8) The Transport Workers missed a chance to sweep a doubleheader from the Orphans at Topaz Park when they were forced to default the second game after taking the opener 8 to 6. The leaders of the pack were led by winning pitcher Gord Strongman in the early tilt. Coming on in relief of starter Bruce McKenzie in the opening panel, Strongman stayed the course on the bump until the final frame when Pete Jolly took over. At the dish, Strongman drove in five runs on three hits including a three-run homer. For the Parentless Pack, Bernie Anderson dialed long distance with a three-run round-tripper.
Craig (L) and Adams
Bruce McKenzie, Strongman (W) (1), Jolly (7) and McAvoy
Then, in the second game, the Transports who had the minimum of ten players in uniform, were cut down to nine when playing-manager Brian Harvey was ejected in the sixth stanza for arguing about the count that appeared to favor the opposition. Pitcher Terry Karpiuk was given the heave-ho in the next inning when he argued too strenuously about a pitch and the Workers were unable to continue. The score was tied 3 – 3 when the game ended.
Karpiuk and McAvoy
Perkins and Morgan
(June 8) At Lake Cowichan, the Independents got some outstanding pitching from Tom Sallaway and Peter Duncan to sweep a doubleheader from their hosts. Sallaway pitched a two-hitter, whiffed 13 and never allowed a Laker baserunner past second base as the Independents copped the opener 6 to 0.
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
J. Jubenville (L), Verdiel (1) and Davis
Duncan followed with a 3 to 0 shutout win in the second game, fanning 11 along the way.
Duncan (W) and Lezetc
Carter (L) and K. Jubenville
(June 9) Errors and the Jubenville boys wrecked a bid by Greave’s Moving & Storage to take over first-place in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League. Playing last-place Lake Cowichan in a twin-bill at Layritz Park, the Movers started the day in a first-place deadlock with the Transport Workers. They slipped down into a tie for third-spot by the time the double-dip had ended after absorbing 5 to 1 and 9 to 5 defeats from the Cowichan Crew. The successful battery of Jim Jubenville on the knoll and Ken Jubenville behind the plate subdued the Movers in the lid-lifter with Jim registering a two-hitter. Wes Sheard led the winners’ attack with a three-for-four showing while teammate Bill Greenwell launched a four-bagger.
J. Jubenville (W) and K. Jubenville
Thame (L), Bishop (4) and Bishop, Lumley (4)
In the nightcap, eight errors by the Movers hampered the pitching efforts of playing-manager Les Brice as the Lakers grabbed a 9 to 5 victory. Greave’s catcher Gary Bishop drove in three tallies in a losing cause.
Wise (W) and Davis
L. Brice (L) and Bishop
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 6 4 .600 ----
Orphans 5 4 .556 0.5
Greave’s Moving & Storage 6 6 .500 1.0
Independents 6 6 .500 1.0
Lake Cowichan 4 7 .364 2.5
(June 12) The Independents crept into second place by a half game by edging the Orphans 2 to 1 at Layritz Park. Ken Hawkins’ two-run homer in the first inning turned out to be all the ammunition Tom Sallaway need to grab the hillock verdict. Sallaway fashioned a five-hitter, struck out ten and walked three in earning his fourth win in five starts.
Lucas (L), Cliff (4) and Morgan
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
(June 13) The Transport Workers consolidated their slim hold on top spot in the Senior Amateur League by blanking Greave’s Movers 5 to 0 at Layritz Park. Gord Strongman hurled an impressive four-hit shutout and drove in the first two runs for the winners to hand Greave’s portsider George Hemming his first loss in five decisions.
Strongman (W) and McAvoy
G. Hemming (L) and Bishop
(June 15) The pace-setting Transport Workers scored a doubleheader sweep, defeating the Independents 8 to 7 and 14 to 1 at Layritz Park. Trailing 7 to 6 in the opener, the Transports pulled out the win by plating a deuce in their final turn at bat. Craig Lawrence had a pair of two-run doubles, driving in four runs for the Workers.
D. Hemming, Sallaway (L) (5) and Bunyan
Cutler, Burrows (W) (6) and McAvoy
The league-leaders scored 11 runs, only one of them earned, in the top-of-the-first inning of the second tilt as the Independents fell apart defensively in the infield, committing five errors. Phil Pimlott smashed a two-run homer for the T-W’s in the fourth frame.
xxx (W) and xxx
Baker (L), Moseley (1) and Bunyan
(June 16) Al Hurst and Stan Gibb provided route-going performances as Ingraham Hotel, playing for the first time under this banner since the Orphan team acquired sponsorship, swept a doubleheader from Lake Cowichan to move to within 1-1/2 games of the Senior Amateur Baseball League. Hurst’s four-hitter gave Ingraham a 2 to 0 victory in the opener while Gibb handled the mound duties during a 9 to 3 victory in the nightcap.
Verdiel (L) and Davis
Hurst (W) and Morgan
Bob Lumley powered the 12-hit attack of the Hotelmen in the finale, connecting for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Wise (L), Tillberg (5) and K. Jubenville
Gibb (W) and Morgan
(June 19) Playing-manager Al Hurst of Ingraham Hotel, pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Harold Cliff, singled in Bob Lumley with the go-ahead run in the top-of-the-seventh inning and came around to score what proved to be the winning tally on a double by Tony Cosier as the Hoteliers, the adopted version of the Orphans, defeated the front-running Transport Workers to move just a half-game behind the T-W’s. The Transports staged a mini-rally in their half of the canto, scoring once, before Hurst relieved Brian Brossard on the hill with the bases loaded and one out. Hurst promptly settled the issue by fanning the next two batters.
Cliff, Brossard (W) (7), Hurst (W) and Morgan
Strongman, Burrows (L) (3), McAvoy (7) and McAvoy, Burrows (7)
(June 20) Larry McKinty sparked Greave’s Movers’ winning five-run rally in the sixth inning with a two-run triple as the Movingmen nudged past Ingraham Hotel 12 to 9 in a Senior Amateur League game at Layritz Park. The hard-hitting contest produce 20 base blows, eleven by the winners. Greave’s Gary Bishop had a triple, double, two singles and a walk in five plate appearances while teammate Bob Bowles added a home run and two singles..
Thame (W), Yankoski (6) and Bishop
Sallaway (L), D. Hemming (6) and Bunyan
(June 22) Ingraham Hotel swept a doubleheader from the Independents by scores of 3 to 0 and 4 to 2 to nose ahead of the Transport Workers for top spot in the Senior Amateur loop. Al Hurst and Brian Craig pitched five-hitters for the Hoteliers in their twin-triumphs. Dave Morgan drove in all three runs for the winners in the curtain-raiser after a walk, single and error had loaded the bases for him.
D. Hemming (L) and Bunyan
Hurst (W) and Morgan
Morgan and Brian Craig each had two hits for Ingraham in the late tilt while Doug Hannan singled twice for the Unaffiliated nine.
Craig (W) and Morgan
Bunyan (L) and Hannan
(June 22) Greave’s Movers moved to within a game-and-a-half of the lead in the Senior Amateur circuit by taking a twin-bill, 2 to 1 and 8 to 1, from hosting Lake Cowichan. Solid pitching made the difference in both clashes for the Movingmen. Gary Bishop knocked in two runs in each game for the winners. George Hemming had a four-hit, ten-strikeout performance in the opener.
G. Hemming (W) and Bishop
J. Jubenville (L) and K. Jubenville
Les Brice pitched a two-hitter and breezed a dozen in the second scuffle as Bob Bowles provided much of the offense with a double, single and three runs scored.
L. Brice (W) and Bishop
Larson (L), Forslund (1) and Davis
(June 23) The Transport Workers took a pair of games from Lake Cowichan, 5 to 4 and 7 to 2, at Layritz Park to vault back into first place in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League. Trailing 4 to 2 in the seventh inning of the opener, Art Worth clipped a two-run single to tie the match. Then, in the eighth, Phil Pimlott came through with a game-winning blow.
Carter, Verdiel (L) (4) and Davis
Jolly, Cutler (W) (7) and McAvoy
The Lakers scored a deuce in the opening panel of the evening affair but the Transports tied it with a singleton in their half of the first and a solo homer by Bob Bowles in the second stanza. Gord Strongman, Mike McAvoy and Worth brought in three runs in the fifth and Barry Harvey nailed a two-run homer in the sixth to seal the deal.
Carter (L), Tillberg (5) and K. Jubenville
Worth (W and McAvoy)
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 11 5 .688 ----
Ingraham Hotel 10 5 .667 0.5
Greave’s Moving & Storage 9 7 .563 2.0
Independents 7 11 .389 5.0
Lake Cowichan 4 13 .286 7.5
(June 26) The Transport Workers flexed some of the muscle that has enabled them to hold down first place for most of the first half of the season when they whipped the Independents 10 to 2 at Layritz Park. Barry Harvey went four-for-four to lead a 13-hit attack by the Transports while winning pitcher Gord Strongman checked the Independents on six hits, two by Doug Hannan.
Sallaway (L), Moseley (5) and Bunyan
Strongman (W), Jolly (6), Bruce McKenzie (7) and McAvoy
(June 27) Undefeated since changing their identity from the Orphans, the Ingraham Hotel reeled off another victory by pounding Greave’s Moving & Storage 19 to 4 at Layritz Park. It was the first game for Jerry Ciochetti and Bob Lumley of the Hoteliers against Les Brice and their former teammates since being traded two weeks ago. Ciochetti went three-for-four at the plate and scored three runs while veteran catcher Lumley also touched the plate three times with tallies. Harold Cliff posted the pitching win with a four-hitter as his mates unloaded a 15-hit barrage against Brice, Stan Thame and Bob Bowles. Al Hurst and Tony Crosier both racked up three safeties for the winners while Brian Craig and Brian Brossard each drove in three runs.
L. Brice (L), Thame (3), Bowles (4) and Bishop
Cliff (W) and Lumley
(June 29) The Independents walked to a split in their two-game set against invading Lake Cowichan at Topaz Park, benefiting from a bases-loaded free pass to nose out the Lakers 2 to 1 in the second skirmish after being blanked 2 to 0 in the lid-lifter. Winning flinger Jim Jubenville fanned 11 and walked just three as he stymied the Independents on one hit in the opening scuffle, coming within two batters of pitching a hitless shutout. Two errors, a walk and a two-run double by Tom Nicholson in the first inning supplied the visitors with all the offense they needed.
J. Jubenville (W) and K. Jubenville
D. Hemming (L), G. Brice (7) and Bunyan
George Brice won his first start of the season with five-hitter in the follow-up clash when Cowichan relief pitcher Ian Verdiel walked Doug Hannan to load the bases in the fifth inning and then issued another base-on-balls to Craig Lawrence to force in the winning counter.
Carter, Verdiel (L) (4), Carter (6) and Greenwell
G. Brice (W) and Bunyan
(June 30) Ingraham Hotel baseballers took over the lead in the Senior Amateur Baseball League by taking both ends of a double-dip at Lake Cowichan. On a tear since their adoption as the Orphans, the new leaders downed the hosts 6 to 2 and 12 to 4 to nose past the Transport Workers by a half-game.
Lucas (W) and Morgan
Forslund, Nicholson (4) and K. Jubenville, Greenwell (4)
Brossard (W), Hurst (4) and Morgan
J. Jubenville (L), Philpott (2), Nicholson (5) and K. Jubenville
(June 30) A split in doubleheader action at Layritz Park nudged the Transport Workers down the ladder into second place in the Senior Amateur circuit. Greave’s Moving & Storage took a 3 to 2 decision in a 12-inning marathon that began the afternoon action before the Transports bounced back to take the seven-inning second event 9 to 3. Pete Jolly pitched all 19 innings for the Workers. George Hemming went the distance on the knoll for the Movers in snatching the opener after three overtime sessions.
G. Hemming (W) and Bishop
Jolly (L) and Strongman
Brian Harvey and Phil Pimlott belted home runs for the T-W’s in the nightcap.
Jolly (W) and Strongman
Yankoski (L), L. Brice (4) and Bishop
(July 3) The Independents, beset in June by a rash of injuries, knocked over third-place Greave’s Movers 8 to 3 at Layritz Park. Craig Lawrence, who caught despite a knee problem, drilled a solo homer in the third inning which proved to be the ultimate winning run in the game.
Sallaway (W) and Lawrence
Kubicek (L) and Bowles
(July 4) A 6 to 0 conquest of Ingraham Hotel moved the Transport Workers back into a half-game lead on the top rung of the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League ladder. Winning hurler Gord Strongman tossed a four-hitter for the shutout victory. Phil Pimlott had four base hits for the winners and drove in a pair of runs.
Strongman (W) and McAvoy
Hurst (L), Cliff (7), Lucas (7) and Lumley
(July 6) Second-place Ingraham Hotel lost ground in their pursuit of the Transport Workers when they dropped two games to the rejuvenated Independents by scores of 6 to 2 and 11 to 8 at Layritz Park. Doug Hannan and Barry Cosier slugged home runs in support of winning pitcher George Brice in the opener.
G. Brice (W) and Bunyan
Brossard (L) and Lumley
The Independents survived a seven-run splurge by the Hotelmen in the second inning of the second contest and rallied for an 11 to 8 win. Lorne Bunyan, who started behind the plate for the Unaffiliated nine, took over on the mound, dousing the second-inning five-alarm fire, then stayed the course for the remainder of the contest to earn the hillock win. He helped his own cause with three singles in four trips to the plate. John Russell of the Hotelmen also stung the sphere for three one-baggers.
Lucas, Craig (L) (2) and Lumley
D. Hemming, Bunyan (W) (2) and Bunyan, Lawrence (2)
(July 7) Backed by home run power and drawing solid mound performances from Pete Jolly and Bob Mabee, the Transport Workers swept a doubleheader from invading Lake Cowichan by scores of 5 to 0 and 9 to 2. The twin triumphs gave the T-W’s a 2-1/2 game bulge atop the Senior Amateur loop. Mabee blanked the Lakers on three hits in the matinee fracas and had home run support by George Fuller and Dave Cutler.
Verdiel (L) and Greenwell
Mabee (W) and McAvoy
Jolly pounded a two-run blast to aid his own cause in the second game. Wayne Forslund also drilled a round-tripper for the victors, a second-inning shot.
J. Jubenville (L), Carter (2) and K. Jubenville
Jolly (W) and McAvoy
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 16 6 .727 ----
Ingraham Hotel 13 8 .619 2.5
Greave’s Moving & Storage 10 10 .500 5.0
Independents 11 13 .458 6.0
Lake Cowichan 5 18 .217 11.5
(July 10) Darkness prevented further play past seven innings in a Senior Amateur League game at Layritz Park and forced the Transport Workers and Independents to suspend the action knotted at 2 – 2. Mike McAvoy sent the Workers ahead with a two-run homer in the fourth inning but Russ Ball evened the score in the fifth by driving in a pair with a single. The game will be completed at a later date.
Strongman and McAvoy
Sallaway and Bunyan
(July 13) Ingraham Hotel scored the most runs but Lake Cowichan ended up with the most wins in a Senior Amateur Baseball league triple header at Topaz Park. The Hotelmen won the first game 3 to 0 behind the five-hit pitching of young Harold Cliff but the Lakers took the second clash 2 to 1 on Jerry Carter’s four-hitter then took the rubber match 3 to 2 when Ian Verdiel spun a four-hitter. Brian Craig drove in all the runs in the early fracas with a two-run single and a run-scoring double.
J. Jubenville (L) and Davis
Cliff (W) and Lumley
Gary Davis and Tom Nicholson drove in the visitors’ counters in a five-inning sandwich event while Mike Embury drove in the Ingraham run.
Carter (W) and Davis
Brossard (L) and Craig
Ingraham Hotel took a 2 to 0 lead into the sixth inning of the final game but Davis drove in Jim Jubenville to cut the margin to one run and then, after Jack Philpot had driven in the equalizer in the seventh, followed with a two-out one-bagger to plate Philpot with the winner.
Hurst (L) and Lumley, Morgan (6)
Verdiel (W) and Davis
(July 14) Greave’s Moving & Storage narrowed the gap between themselves and second-place Ingraham Hotel by winning both ends of a Layritz Park twin-bill from the front-running Transport Workers by identical 5 to 4 scores. The long ball powered the Greave’s sweep of the two squeakers Solo homers by Les Brice and Bob Bowles sparked the Movers in the first game.
G. Hemming (W) and Burrows
Jolly (L), Bruce McKenzie (4) and McAvoy
Art Worth’s two-run homer in the top-of-the-seventh frame had given the Transports a temporary 4 to 3 lead until Gary Bishop unleashed a two-run double in the bottom-of-the-final frame to lift the Movingmen to the second-game victory.
Strongman, McAvoy (L) (7) and McAvoy, Strongman
L. Brice (W) and Burrows
(July 17) Ingraham Hotel doubled third-place Greave’s Movers 6 to 3 at Topaz Park to inch a bit closer to the top-dog Transport Workers. Balance and depth provided the key to the Hoteliers’ success as Tony Cosier, Bob Lumley, Brian Craig, Dave Morgan, John Russell and Al Hurst each batted in a run. Bob Bowles had two RBI’s for the Movers.
Yankoski (L), L. Brice (5) and Bishop
Cliff, Hurst (W) (5) and Morgan
(July 18) Bob Butcher singled in Bob Burrows with two-out in the final frame to give the Transport Workers a narrow 2 to 1 Topaz Park victory over the Independents. Art Worth took over mound duties in the first inning for the Workers after the Independents had scored without the benefit of a hit and went on to blank the losers on three hits the rest of the way. John McKeachie, who singled and advanced to third base on a pair of sacrifices in the third inning, tied the game when he scored on a passed ball.
G. Brice (L) and Bunyan
Harlow, Worth (W) (1) and McAvoy
(July 20) Ingraham Hotel moved in on the leading Transport Workers by clipping Greave’s Movers in two tussles at Topaz Park. The Hoteliers battled into eleven innings before emerging as 5 to 3 victors in the matinee tilt and then staged a five-run uprising in the third inning of the second contest on the way to a 7 to 4 triumph. After a shaky start, Brian Brossard settled down an went the route in the opener for the win. A triple by Al Hurst to lead off the second overtime session set the table for the Ingraham victory. Two walks, an error and a double by Mike Embury followed which provided the lead and insurance tallies.
Brossard (W) and Lumley
Thame (L) and Burrows
Greave’s, getting a bases-loaded double by Bob Burrows, opened up with a four-run opening inning in the second affair but reliever Al Hurst of the Hotelmen stopped the bleeding and went on to two-hit the Movers the rest of the way while his club mates were putting up a five-spot on the scoreboard in the third and a deuce in the fourth to help him earn the knoll verdict.
Kilduff, Kubicek (L) (4), Bishop (4) and Burrows
Lucas, Hurst (W) (1) and Lumley
(July 20) A two-game setback at the hands of hosting Lake Cowichan knocked the Transport Workers out of sole possession of first place in the Senior Amateur standings. Final scores, game details and batteries not found in print in either Victoria daily newspaper.
(July 21) The Independents made it double trouble for invading Lake Cowichan, blasting the Lakers 6 to 0 in the opener of a two-game set before squeezing out a 6 to 5 verdict in a wrap-up clash.
Tillberg (L), Nicholson (4), J. Jubenville (4) and K. Jubenville
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
Carter, Wise (L) (4) and Davis
Moseley (W) and Bunyan
(July 24) Brian Craig did his best with the bat to fashion a victory for Ingraham Hotel in their joust with the Independents. Craig had driven in three runs with a double and a single as the Hotelmen struggled back from a four-run deficit, with two-run outbursts in the fourth and sixth stanza, to tie the game 4 – 4. All went for naught, however, as the Independents took advantage of Craig’s costly seventh-inning error to score an unearned counter and clip Ingraham 5 to 4 at Topaz Park. Craig booted Tom Sallaway’s infield grounder which enabled Russ Lamp, who had doubled, to hustle in from the keystone sack.
G. Brice (W) and Bunyan
Cliff, Hurst (L) (3) and Morgan
(July 25) The Transport Workers improved their hold on first place to a full game by posting an 11 to 1 victory over Greave’s Movers at Topaz Park. Bob Burrows highlighted a six-run first-inning for the Workers with a three-run double and veteran Art Worth accounted for a pair in the fourth with a two-run circuit-jack. Don Bell ruined winning pitcher Gord Strongman’s hopes for a shutout when he singled to score Blair Kubicek in the sixth inning.
Benn (L), Thame (1) and Bowles
Strongman (W) and McAvoy
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 18 10 .643 ----
Ingraham Hotel 17 11 .607 1.0
Independents 14 14 .500 4.0
Greave’s Moving & Storage 12 14 .462 5.0
Lake Cowichan 9 21 .300 10.0
(July 27) The Lake Cowichan diamond troopers played their final two games of the season at Topaz Park and dropped both to fourth-place Greave’s Movers by scores of 5 to 1 and 3 to 2.
Playing-manager Les Brice tossed a six-hitter for the Movers in the opener and drove in a pair of runs.
J. Jubenville (L) and K. Jubenville
L. Brice (W) and Bowles
Greave’s Steve Dunc, not known for his speed on the basepaths, surprised everyone at Topaz Park when, after clipping the horsehide for a two-out, sixth-inning triple, he caught Cowichan catcher Ken Jubenville napping and stole home to plate what turned out to be the winning counter.
Wise (L) and K. Jubenville
Bishop (W) and Bowles
(July 28) A two-game Layritz Park sweep of second-place Ingraham Hotel by scores of 4 to 1 and 2 to 1 vaulted the Transport Workers into an insurmountable three-game lead atop the Victoria Senior Amateur circuit and the 1968 regular-season pennant. Art Worth pitched the opening win for the Workers, yielding six hits. The winners managed only four hits but made the best of them. Bob Burrows drilled a second-inning triple to drive in the first run and then touched home with the second tally, all that Worth would ultimately require, on a sacrifice fly by George Fuller.
Cliff (L), Hurst (4) and Lumley
Worth (W) and McAvoy
Pete Jolly hurled a three-hitter to cop the second-game triumph. With the score tied 1 – 1 in the fourth frame, Mike McAvoy singled, moved to the keystone bag on a sacrifice and was doubled in by Fuller to put the T-W’s in front for good.
Jolly (W) and McAvoy
Brossard (L) and Morgan
(July 31) Darkness forced suspension of a Topaz Park game featuring the pennant-winning Transport Workers and the Independents with the Transports in front 10 to 5 playing in the top-of-the-seventh inning. A protest was lodged by the Independents that the score should have reverted to the end of the sixth inning when they held a 5 to 4 lead.
(August 1) Ingraham Hotel clinched at least a tie for second place, blanking Greave’s Movers 3 to 0 at Topaz Park. Al Hurst hurled the shutout for Ingraham, allowing three hits, striking out one and walking three. The Hotelmen secured the only run they needed in the fourth inning when Wayne Peters notched a run-scoring single which broke up a scoreless duel between Hurst and Greave’s Les Brice. They added a second counter when Brian Craig touched the pan on a double steal with Peters. Errors allowed Jerry Ciochetti to plate a third marker in the seventh against his former club mates.
Hurst (W) and Morgan
L.Brice (L) and Bishop
(August 3) The Independents, after winning their protest of the July 31 game against the Transport Workers, blew their chances of catching second-place Ingraham Hotel when they dropped a doubleheader to Greave’s Movers, 7 to 5 in two extra innings, and 10 to 5 at Topaz Park. With the sweep, Greave’s spoiled the taste of the protest victory by jumping ahead of the Independents into third place. Out hit 12 to 6 in the opener, the Independents also blew the chances for a win by committing 5 errors.
Dunc, Kilduff (6), L. Brice (W) (8) and Bishop
Moseley, Sallaway (L) (6) and Bunyan, Leard (8)
Bob Bowles parked the second-game victory for the Movers with a three-run triple in the first inning and an RBI swat in the second.
D. Hemming (L), Lamb (2), Hannan (5) and Leard
Bishop (W) and Bowles
(August 7) A 6 to 4 setback to the Transport Workers in the continuation of a suspended tie game from July 10 doused all chances of the Independents to tie for third place in the Senior Amateur Baseball League standings. Gord Strongman pitched a six-hitter in securing the knoll victory, blanking the Unaffiliated Tribe in the last four innings.
(August 8) Greave’s Moving & Storage finished up the regular schedule in fine style, scoring a come-from-behind 7 to 3 victory over Ingraham Hotel at Topaz Park.
Final Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transport Workers 21 11 .656 ----
Ingraham Hotel 18 14 .563 3.0
Greave’s Moving & Storage 17 15 .531 4.0
Independents 15 17 .469 6.0
Lake Cowichan 9 23 .281 12.0
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Greave’s Moving & Storage vs Transport Workers and Independents vs Ingraham Hotel (best-of-five series)
(August 10) Pete Jolly of the Transport Workers and Greave’s Movers’ Blair Kubicek sparked their respective clubs to a split of their semi-final doubleheader at Topaz Park. Jolly pitched a six-hitter and and laced a three-run double in the second inning to lead the Transports to a 12 to 3 win in the first game. Kubicek, who picked up the victory in the ten-inning second game, drove in the winning run in the overtime session, a 5 to 4 walkoff triumph.
Mike McAvoy, Jolly’s battery mate, also drove in a triad of counters in the opener.
L. Brice (W), Dunc (4), Cook (5) and Bishop
Jolly (W) and McAvoy
Karpiuk’s three-bagger sent Brian Howe, who reached first base after losing chucker Terry Karpiuk hit him with a pitch, across the platter with the deciding tally. Gary Bishop of the Movers drove in a pair of runs. Gord Strongman of the Workers, who put together six consecutive hits in the twin-bill including four in the second game, also had a pair of RBI’s.
Karpiuk (L) and McAvoy
Kubicek (W) and Bowles, Bishop (8)
(August 11) The Independents erupted for four runs in the fifth inning to take a narrow 4 to 3 decision from Ingraham Hotel in the opening tussle of a two-game playoff set at Topaz Park. Behind the pitching and clutch hitting of George Brice, the Unaffiliated Unit then made a sweep of things with a 3 to 1 second-game triumph.
First-game winner Tom Sallaway settled down after a shaky beginning, in which he allowed the Hoteliers three opening-inning counters, and yielded only one hits the rest of the way. The Independents gained their four-spot on a base hit, a hit batter and a couple of costly Ingraham errors.
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
Brossard (L) and Morgan
Brice played a significant dual role in the follow-up tilt, striking out seven batters for a three-hitter and driving in Craig Lawrence and Ken Ross with a fourth-inning triple.
Hurst (L) and Lumley
G. Brice (W) and Bunyan
(August 17) The Transport Workers exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning at Topaz Park to post a 7 to 1 victory over Greave’s Movers and take a 2 – 1 lead in the best-of-five semi-final series. The second game of a scheduled double-bill was rained out. The Transports collected five hits and were helped by two Greave’s errors and a walk in the outburst off loser George Hemming. Barry Harvey, who reached base on an error to open the inning, finished the rally with a two-run double. Gord Strongman went the distance on the bump, tossing a six-hitter for the win. He gave up a lone run in the third canto when Hemming scored on Blair Kubicek’s single.
Hemming (L) and Burrows
Strongman (W) and McAvoy
(August 18) The Independents blasted ten hits and bounced Ingraham Hotel 19 to 2 at Topaz Park to take their best-of-five semi-final playoff series in three straight games. Tom Sallaway pitched the victory as he yielded six hits and struck out five batters in going the distance. The Independents made Sallaway’s job easier when they erupted for a six-spot in the third chapter to snap a 1 – 1 tie. Ken Hawkins provided the big blow of the outburst when he drove in Sallaway and Jim Leard with a double.
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
Brossard (L), Craig (3) and Morgan
(August 19) The pennant-winning Transport Workers gained a chance at the Senior Amateur Baseball League playoff title by edging Greave’s Movers 3 to 2 at Topaz Park to annex their semi-final series three games to one. Rookie Terry Karpiuk and veteran Art Worth, who relieved Karpiuk in the fifth inning, combined talents to pitch a two-hit victory. Barry Harvey’s run-scoring single, George Fuller’s one-bagger and a bases-loaded walk to Karpiuk gave the Transports a 3 to 0 lead before the Movers came back, scoring a brace on Fuller’s throwing error.
Karpiuk (W). Worth (5) and McAvoy
Kubicek (L) and Burrows
FINALS Independents vs Transport Workers (best-of-five series)
(August 21) The first game of the best-of-five Senior Amateur Baseball league finals at Topaz Park between the Transport Workers and the Independents was halted because of darkness after seven innings with the score tied 1 – 1. Continuation of this game will be played just prior of to the start of the third contest scheduled for the weekend.
(August 24) The Independents, fourth-place finishers in the Senior Amateur loop, took a stranglehold on the league final series against the Transport Workers following 2 to 1 and 6 to 0 victories at Topaz Park.
Pitcher George Brice drove in the winning run with a double in the second extra-inning of the continued second game of the series which had been suspended with the teams knotted at 1 – 1. Then, in the third game, Brice threw a three-hit shutout. Brice added five more strikeouts to the dozen he had accumulated during the first seven innings of the fractured game to bring his total of punchouts for that affair to 17. Ken Hawkins, with a two-run single, Ken Ross. Brice, Lorne Bunyan and Doug Hannan drove in the counters for the Independents in the third tilt.
(August 25) Superb pitching was the big weapon used by the Independents who captured the 1968 Victoria Senior Amateur baseball championship by sweeping the best-of-five finals against the Transport Workers. Tom Sallaway handled the hurling chores in the series’ clincher as the Independents wrapped up the title with a 3 to 0 triumph at Topaz Park. The Workers managed only one run in the entire series, that being of the unearned variety. Sallaway yielded only two hits and breezed six batters in the shutout conquest. His mates, particularly shortstop Ken Hawkins and flychasers Craig Lawrence and Tony Gage, helped him out of occasional trouble with fine defensive work. Gage also plated the first run in the opening canto on an RBI single by Doug Hannan. In the fourth, Russ Lamb singled to drive in Hannan with a second tally and Sallaway scampered home from second base with the final marker on an outfield error in the seventh.
Sallaway (W) and Bunyan
Strongman (L), Jolly (7) and McAvoy
(August 30 – September 1-2) Kamloops Labor Day weekend baseball tournament