MAYMONT VICTORIA DAY TOURNAMENT
(May 20) Saskatoon T'Birds of the Mid-West League captured the Maymont Victoria Day Tournament Monday defeating Wilkie 13-9 in the final. Shelly Gautschi pitched into the 8th inning for the win before giving way to Gary Delorme. Harvey Grummett and Ken Johnston belted homers for the winners.
xxx and xxx
Gautschi (W), Delmore (8) and xxx
PENTICTON DOMINION DAY TOURNAMENT
(June 29-July1) Burnaby Villa Vista won four games without a loss to capture Penticton’s first annual Dominion Day baseball tournament. Villa Vista shutout the Vancouver Longshoremen 4 to 0 in the final Monday to win first prize money of $500. The Stevedores, with a 2 – 2 record, earned $300. Bill Stebbings hurled the shutout for Burnaby while teammate Tim Chapman cracked a home run.
Trail and Penticton finished the three-day tournament in third and fourth places respectively. Kamloops and Kimberley were the other participants in the six-team event.
MELVILLE TOURNAMENT
(June 30) The Regina Red Sox picked up a major share of the money at stake in the rain-shortened Melville baseball tournament. The Sox defeated the Melville Millionaires 6 to 1 in the first game of the tourney and collected $200 when rain forced cancellation of the remaining games. The Moose Jaw Regals and Swift Current Indians played only three innings of the second game before rain brought a halt to the event.
DOMINION DAY TOURNAMENT, NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LEAGUE
(July 1) Unity Cardinals crushed the North Battlerford Beavers 11-1 to win top money in the Northern Saskatchewan league's annual Dominion Day tournament. Bill Welcher, a new import, making his first start for Unity, pitched seven innings of shutout ball before turning over mop-up duties to Larry Haylor. Greg Dvorak took the loss. A six-run 8th inning put the game out of reach. Jim Shaw, named the tourney's most valuable player, led the Cards with two hits, one a triple. Erwin Doerkson added three singles.
Welchers (W) and xxx
Dvorak (L), Lister and xxx
Playing before the home fans, Unity reached the final with an 8-4 victory over Saskatoon Commodores. Cardinals rang up three runs in the first inning and another five in the third and coasted to the win. Ross Stone went the distance for the mound decision. Ron Fyfe took the loss. Dick Schmidt's two-run triple was the big blow for the Cards.
Stone (W) and xxx
Fyfe (L), xxx (3) and xxx
Cards downed Kindersley 4-0 in their opening game behind Vince Rucobo's three-hit shutout. He struck out ten and also hit a double and scored a run. Gary Houston was charged with the loss.
Rucobo (W) and xxx
Houston (L) and xxx
North Battleford won it's opening round match 5-2 over Biggar as Pete Duncan held the Nationals to five hits. Irl Davis took the loss. After Biggar had taken the early lead with a run in the 3rd, the Beavers stormed back with four runs in their half of the frame. Ira McKnight drove in two with a single and Cam Sternig plated two more with a double. Beavers won a bye to the final.
Duncan (W) and xxx
Davis (L) and xxx
In other opening round action, Saskatoon Commodores got a brilliant two-hitter from Scott Simon to blank Neilburg Monarchs 1-0. The left-hander fanned 16 in the seven-inning contest and drove in the only run with the single. Losing pitcher Mike Wendt allowed just four hits.
Simon (W) and xxx
Wendt (L) and xxx
ALBERTA-BC JUNIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
(July 6-7) Edmonton Blue Willow Angels downed Trail Blazers 3-0 in the second game of a double-header Sunday to advance to the Canadian Junior Baseball finals in Moncton, New Brunswick, in August.
Trail had won the first game 6-4 to knot the best-of-three series at a game apiece. Angels won the opener on Saturday 4-2 on the two-hit pitching of Malcolm Lynn. Bob Duncan cracked a solo homer and Jim Poelzer pitched the shutout as Edmonton won the deciding contest beating Don Mainland. Reliever Al Dececco picked up the win for Trail in the first game Sunday. Starter Don Kadatz took the loss for the Angels. Bob Trembecky had a two-run homer for the Angels.
Edmonton 4 Trail 2
M.Lynn (W) and T.Lampert
D.Mainland (L), Cherenko (6) and N.Sanders
Edmonton 4 Trail 6
D.Kadatz (L), G.McArthy (3), D.Twa (3) and T.Lambert
R.Cherenko, A.DeCecco (W)(3) and N.Sanders
Trail 0 Edmonton 3
J.Rosa, D.Mainland (L) (1), A.DeCecco (4) and N.Sanders
J.Poelzer (W) and T.Lambert
(July 21) Trail Blazers swept their best-of-three junior baseball semi-final series Sunday downing Grand Forks Mets 3-2 and 5-1. Mets jumped into a 2-0 lead in the first game scoring in the second inning on an error and an attempted pick-off play and adding one in the third as John Seminoff singled in Chernof.
Blazers came to life in the fourth when Rob Paterson was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Norm Larmour's single. They took the lead with a pair in the fifth on back-to-back singles by Ernie Brown and Glen Babcock, a double steal and another single by Larmour. Jazz Rosa was credited with the pitching win. Don Rickerts, who relieved starter Harry Stukoff in the fourth, was charged with the loss.
Don Mainland fired a four-hitter, with nine strikeouts, as Blazers romped to the win in the second game. Rickerts took his second loss of the day, replaced by Bill Goddard in the fourth. Blazers got on the scoreboard in the second as Larmour walked and scooted home on Don McDougall's stand-up triple. Bill Maitland then brought in McDougall on a squeeze play. In the third, Brown doubled off the left-field fence, Babcock walked, Paterson singled to bring in two and Mike Ward tripled to finish off the rally. St. Louis Cardinals scouts, in Trail for a one-day tryout camp, attended the games and were impressed with Mainland and Larmour two 16-year-olds for the Blazers.
(July 21) Nelson edged Rossland 7-6 in the opening game of their semi-final series. Barry Seal was the winning pitcher and Reg Cherenko was charged with the loss. Rossland plays at Nelson Tuesday and if a third game is necessary, the two teams will meet again in Nelson on Friday.
(July 28) (July 28) The defending champion Trail Blazers took a giant leap towards a second straight BC junior ball crown Sunday sweeping a double-header from Nelson Texans, 7-3 and 7-1, to take a 2-0 game lead in the best-of-five final series. Blazers won the opener behind the three-hit pitching of Don Mainland. The Blazers' ace had a one-hitter through six innings. An error, two wild pitches, a walk, a double by Greg Joyce and Terry Wikstrom's single in the seventh brought in the three Nelson runs. Mainland had 13 strikeouts. Mike Linn took the loss.
Jazz Rosa also fired a three-hitter as Blazers took the second game. Bob Jeffs was the loser.
(July 30) A five-run sixth inning carried the Trail Blazers to a 9-3 victory over Nelson Texans and the BC Junior Baseball Championship. Blazers won the best-of-five final in three straight games. Al Doherty held the Texans to seven hits in going the distance for Trail besting Bob Fitchner, the Nelson right-hander, who also yielded seven hits but was hampered by costly errors. With the game tied at 3-3 in the sixth, Mike Ward drew a walk to open the frame for Trail. Ernie Brown reached on an error and Neil Larmour walked to load the bases. Glen Babcock brought in two runs with a single and John Christianson cleared the sacks with a triple to right but was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch it into a homer.
It appears that the finals vs Nelson wrapped up on Tues. July 30/68 so it is a safe assumption that the semi-finals vs Grand Forks took place a week or so earlier in July, ending with a Sunday doubleheader sweep. (am guessing probably, Sun. July 21/68).
SWIFT CURRENT SHRINERS TOURNAMENT
(July 14) The Swift Current Indians collected $1,100 as the winner's share of the annual Swift Current Shriners Invitational baseball tournament. The Tribe defeated the North Battleford Beavers of the N.S.B.L. 5 to 2 in the tournament final before more than 1,500 fans. Tom Sharpe, who relieved starter Les Wall in the fourth, took the pitching win in the final. Sharpe had an earlier win in Swift Current's 13 to 1 pasting of the Edmonton Outlaws. The Indians advanced to the final by posting an 11 to 8 come-from-behind victory over the Moose Jaw Regals. Beavers had advanced with a 9-8 win over Unity on Ken Nelson's two-out, two-run, pinch-hit double in the 9th inning,
(July 15) In an exhibition march Monday, Unity Cardinals of the Northern Saskatchewan League shaded Eston Ramblers 4-3 on Vince Rucobo's sacrifice fly to score Lyle May in the 9th inning. Bob Welcher was the winning hurler over Bob Burchfield.
Welcher (W) and xxx
Burchfield (L) and xxx
LACOMBE LIONS TOURNAMENT
(July 25) The Moose Jaw Regals of the Southern League captured their second straight Lacombe Lions baseball tournament , beating the Unity Cardinals 1 to 0 in the final game. Roy Rowley was the hero for the Regals for the third time during the tourney when his sixth inning single drove in the game's only run. In the opening game of the tournament, Rowley drove in the winning run to beat the Saskatoon Commodores and in the semi-final game, he was the winning pitcher against the North Battleford Beavers and again had the game-winning hit. Wayne LeBere pitched into the eighth inning of the final to earn the pitching win for Moose Jaw.
In opening round play, a 10th inning single by Bruce Lofting and a run-scoring sacrifice fly by catcher Bob Norton gave Cold Lake Parrots a 4-3 upset win over Kindersley Klippers. Jim Fox hurled a five-hitter for Cold Lake and helped out at the plate with two hits. Only one of the four runs was earned. A long double by pinch-hitter Harold Hunchak sent the game into extra innings. Barry Woodruff started for the Klippers giving way to Pat Viner in the 9th.
Fox (W) and Norton
Woodruff, Viner (L) (9) and Dubey
Three 10th inning errors, two by third baseman Roger Pozzo, cost Central Alberta All-stars a 6-3 decision to North Battleford Beavers. Beavers scored three runs on one hit to take the decision. Gerry Lister captured the mound victory in a relief role.
Duncan, Lister (W) (6) and McKnight
Chutz (L) and Bonham
Unity Cardinals crushed the Edmonton All-Stars 13-2 as Vince Rucobo fired a three-hitter and fanned 13.Jim Shaw clubbed a grand slam homer off losing hurler Rick Curtis. All-Stars made seven errors in a contest shortened to seven innings by a 10-run "mercy" rule.
Rucobo (W) and May
Curtis (L),
Schultz (2), Kadatz and Erickson
The defending champion Moose Jaw Regals shaded Saskatoon Commodores 3-2 behind the hurling of Tom Sharpe and Jack Jagger. Losing pitcher Scott Simon, who scored both Saskatoon runs, was ejected in the 8th inning.
Sharpe (W), Jagger (8) and Tollefson
Simon (L), Middleton (8) and Bogren
KINDERSLEY ELKS TOURNAMENT
(July 28) Kindersley Klippers scored two late runs to down North Battleford 3-2 to claim top money of $1, 100 in the annual Elk's Tournament at Kindersley. Lane Jackson's single in the 9th drove in Jerry Flanagan with the winner after playing-coach Wayne Morgan had knocked in Jackson with the tying marker with a pinch-hit single in the 8th. Beavers had taken the lead with Cam Sternig's two-run homer in the 4th inning. Harold Hunchak, a former member of the Beavers, scattered eight hits to go the distance for the win. Greg Dvorak was tagged with the loss.
Dvorak (L) and xxx
Hunchak (W) and xxx
Kindersley reached the final with an 8-1 victory over Eston while the Beavers clobbered Unity 16-1. In earlier games, Eston shaded Saskatoon Commodores 5-4, Klippers topped the Alberta All-Stars 13-0, Beavers beat Regina Red Sox 13-0 and Unity upended the Yorkton Cardinals 7-2.
The tournament was played on a sad note following the death Friday of Neilburg pitcher Pat Viner. He was killed and two others injured in a car accident. Viner, John Dubey and Mike Wendt, all from California, were returning from Edmonton after playing for the Klippers in the Lacombe Tournament.
(August 4) A four-team, single knockout tournament referred to by the S.B.A. as the Saskatchewan major senior baseball championship was partially completed in Kindersley before rain halted the one-day event. The Regina Red Sox were victorious 5 to 1 over the North Battleford Beavers, present N.S.B.L. leaders, while the Saskatoon Commodores had little trouble eliminating the Yorkton Cardinals, winning 10 to 2. Lefthander Doug Homme picked up the win for the Red Sox over North Battleford while southpaw Bill Sobkow took the loss for Yorkton who went to the tournament with only a nine-player squad. The Regina team is the only one in either the Southern League or the N.S.B.L. which goes solely with home-grown talent. All teams in the northern circuit are allowed two American imports as are three of the five Southern League squads.
SASKATOON EXHIBITION TOURNAMENT
(August 4) An upset marked the opening of the Exhibition Tournament Sunday as Asquith Braves dropped an 8-5 decision to the North Central League All-Stars. Chick Kennedy had four of the Stars' 12 hits. A three-run triple by third baseman Dick Blechinger highlighted a five-run fourth inning for the Stars. Roman Suer, who worked only the fourth inning, was credited with the win. Three All-Star hurlers combined on a five-hitter. The three Asquith pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts.
Leibel, R.Suer (W) (4) , Lorne Strueby (5) and G.Dauk
Irl Davis (L), Eddy (4), Richard (6) and Cherkowski
(August 5) The second day of the tournament produced another upset as Colonsay Monarchs eliminated the Kindersley Klippers with a 1-0 victory. The game's only run came in the fourth inning helped by two Kindersley errors. Isadore Steckler led off with a single to centre and outfielder Ed Gosselin slipped on the grass and the ball squirted through his legs allowing the runner to advance to second and head for third. The relay from shortstop Wally Jackson was wide of third and Steckler came all the way home. Klippers failed on squeeze plays in the 8th and 9th. Kindersley's Gary Houston fanned 16 before giving way to Harold Hunchak in the 8th inning. Ed Tabashniuk yielded just five hits in claiming the pitching win.
Houston (L), Hunchak (8) and O'Sullivan
Tabashniuk (W) and Herr
(August 6) Reliever Ross Stone smacked a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning to score the winning run as Unity edged out Eston Ramblers 3-2. Stone had entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of starter Bill Welcher. Unity had taken the early lead scoring in the third inning when Jim Shaw drew a free pass and Lyle May followed with a triple. Ramblers knotted the count in the fifth as Welcher, with the bases loaded, hit Jim Byrnes with a pitch to send Reg Andrews, who had reached on an error, across the plate. Andrews notched the go-ahead run in the seventh after he singled, advanced on an error and raced home on Merle Byrnes' single. In the ninth, Dick Schmidt led of with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice. He came home on an infield grounder booted by the shortstop. Glen Miller was safe on an error at third base before Erwin Doerkson drew an intentional pass to set the stage for Stone's heroics.
Welcher, Stone (W) (5) and May
Fitzmaurice, Burchfield (L) (6) and VonHagen
(August 7) Yet another upset featured Wednesday's action at the Exhibition Tournament as Govan Angels shaded the Neilburg Monarchs 2-1. Scott Simon of Neilburg and Lorne Davis of Govan hooked up in a tremendous pitching duel with Simon recording 18 strikeouts and Davis, who allowed just five hits, fanned 12. The deciding run came home in the bottom of the 8th inning. Bill Reid drew a walk, stole second, went to third on Gord Skjerven's single and raced home when left fielder Neil Urlacher bobbled the ball. The first Govan run scored in the third inning on a throwing error. Neilburg got its only run in the top of the first as Larry Flicek drew a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pick-off attempt and scored on a fielder's choice.
Simon (L) and Don McIntyre
Davis (W) and Fansher
(August 8) Ed Tabashniuk pitched no-hit ball into the 8th inning and rang up 18 strikeouts but needed good luck on a coin toss to get his Colonsay Monarchs into the semi-finals of the Exhibition Tournament. Monarchs and the North Central League All-Stars tied 3-3 and a coin toss decided the matter. The game featured a seven-minute rain shower, spectacular fire displays as ground crews burned gasoline to dry off the diamond, bright sunshine, no-hit pitching until the 8th inning, strikeouts galore and a thrilling last-inning comeback. Monarchs held a comfortable 3-0 margin into the top of the ninth but leadoff batter Joe Stroeder was hit by a pitch, stole second and made it to third on a ground out. After pinch-hitter Ken Doepker drew a walk, the All-Stars got successive singles by George Thiessen, Ron Muench and Connie Zentel to cut the margin to 3-2. Walter Braun grounded out but drove in the tying run. Wayne Folk's double drove in the Monarchs first run in the second inning. Don Herr doubled in the third to knock in Ron Gross and the Monarchs third run came in the sixth as Jim Gray scored on a passed ball.
Liebel, R.Suer (3), Lorne Strueby (6) and G.Dauk, B.Korte (7)
Tabashniuk and Herr
(August 9) Unity's Vince Rucobo hurled a gem Friday, perhaps the best pitching performance in tournament history firing a no-hitter with 20 strikeouts as the Cardinals downed Govan Angels 5-0. The left-hander was in command all the way facing just 30 batters, three over the minimum as the Cardinals committed two errors. Centre fielder Ed Ralston led the winners with three hits and Lyle May added a two-run triple.
Merv Danbrook (L), McLane (5) and Fansher
Rucobo (W) and May
(August 10) Ross Stone fired a four-hit shutout as Unity blanked Colonsay 4-0 to win the Exhibition Tournament before a crowd of more than 1,000. Stone fanned eight and walked just one. Cardinals took the lead with two runs in the first inning when Erwin Doerksen knocked in Jim Shaw with a single and Lyle May who had walked scored on a error. They added a pair in the ninth. Lyle Johnson allowed nine hits in taking the loss.
Chick Kennedy of the Central League All-Stars had five hits to claim the $50 award for most hits in the tourney. Unity's Vince Rucobo won the $50 award for most strikeouts in a game, 20. The $50 award for the best dressed team went to Govan Angels.
Stone (W) and May
L.Johnson (L) and Herr
(August 14) The Regina Red Sox' bid for a second Saskatchewan major senior baseball championship was shot down in flames as Scott Simon from Sacramento, California tossed a three-hitter at them in guiding the Saskatoon Commodores to the title with a 4 to 0 blanking of the Red Stockings at Cairns Field in the Hub City. Rookie right-hander Dave Seely took the loss.
KAMLOOPS LABOR DAY WEEKEND TOURNAMENT
(August 30 – September 1-2) Reg Main and Russ Keckalo teamed up to give Vernon a 5 to 2 victory over the Victoria Senior Amateur League All-stars in the final game of the 22nd annual Kamloops Labor Day weekend tournament. The victory was worth $550 to Vernon while the Capital City squad pocketed $350.
Main tossed a two-hitter and struck out ten Victoria batters while Keckalo drove in three runs with a homer and single. Tom Sallaway absorbed the hillock defeat after being ahead 2 – 0 in the first inning on Art Worth’s home run. Vernon advanced to the final by squeezing past South Burnaby 4 to 3 while Victoria clubbed Kamloops 16 to 0
GRAND FORKS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
(August 30 - September 2 ) Spokane Barstones won the inaugural Grand Forks International Tournament with a 5-0 victory over Seattle Stoen Construction in the "A" series. In the "B" event, Rossland Caps downed the Castlegar Cubs 13-4.
Lefty Dick Rousseau fired a three-hitter for the shutout. Spokane score all five runs in the first two innings. Bob Polaski's triple scored a pair in the first inning for enough for the win.
The victory earned Spokane top money of $200. Rossland took home $75 for its triumph.
The event was deemed an all-around success with some 1,500 tickets sold and good weather. Three players from the Grand Forks Mets were named as All-Stars - catcher Don Robbie, shortstop John Seminoff and centre fielder Bill Goddard. Trail placed right fielder Mike Ward.