(August 2) Sturgis rebounded from a four-run deficit to down the Chiefs 7-4 Friday night at Rapid City. The home squad took the lead with a pair in the first inning on hits by Jerry Smith and Steve Steitz. A single by Steitz gave the Chiefs a 3-0 advantage in the second and they added a singleton in the fourth on a wild pitch. A three-run fifth inning got the Titans back in the game. Tom Cason singled in the first Sturgis run and Glen Redmon socked a two-run homer. They tied the count with a run in the seventh on Hobie Holland's double. and took the lead with two in the eighth on a single by Frank Baldasare and Scott Gordon's two-bagger. They added an insurance run in the ninth. Gordon, who relieved starter Phil Fulton, hurled 5 2/3s shutout innings for the win. Cason and Redmon each had three hits for the winners.
Fulton, Gordon (W) (4) and Fletcher
Oliver, Furst (5), Camp (L) (7), Bielski (8) and Karmelich
(August 3) A six-run third inning carried Sturgis to an easy 15-4 win Saturday over Rapid City. The runs came home on a Hobie Holland single, a Glen Redmon double, three walks and two Rapid City's six errors. The Titans pounded out 15 hits, three apiece by Redmon and Holland. Bruce Miller, Frank Baldasare and Lee Moore each had two hits and a pair of runs. Dick Hardy scattered six hits and fanned nine in posting his eighth win of the season.
Walker (L), Furst (2), Camp (3), Oliver (7), Steitz (8) and Karmelich
Hardy (W) and Moore
(August 4) Catcher Lee Moore slammed a pair of home runs to pace Sturgis to a 10-6 victory over Winner in a make-up game Sunday. Hobie Holland ripped a double and three singles. Holland and Moore each scored three times.Tom Cason smacked a double and two singles. Mike Alexander and Don Campbell each had three hits for the losers. Dennis Nicholson survived 12 hits to go the distance for the win, his second.
Nicholson (W) and Moore
Renkiewicz (L), Barbosa (9) and
Kendrick
(August 5) A bases-loaded triple by pitcher Tommie Smith highlighted a six-run second inning which propelled Sturgis to an 8-4 victory over Chamberlain Mallards at Strong Field Monday night. Frank Baldasare blasted a homer for the Titans in the fifth. Glen Schawel had a lead-off home run for the Mallards in the first inning. Each team had eight hits. Lee Moore and Bill Povia each collected a pair for the winners. Schawel, Pat Amos and Tom Harmon had two hits apiece for the Mallards. Scott Gordon picked up the win in relief of starter Smith.
Franke (L), Harper (2) and Harmon
Smith, Gordon (W) (5) and Moore
(August 6) The Sturgis Titans, early season cellar-dwellers, are atop the Basin League standings after dumping the Chamberlain Mallards twice on Tuesday to sweep the three-game series. Titans took the first game of the Tuesday twin-bill 9-4 and wrapped up the day with a 3-1 triumph. Titans lead the Mallards by one game with Rapid City in third, four games back. In the opener, Sturgis scored a pair in the first inning on two walks and singles by Frank Baldasare and Bruce Miller and were never headed. They added four in the second on a walk and singles by Lee Moore, winning pitcher Robin Flake, Tom Cason and Glen Redmon. The Mallards battled back with three in the third on a walk, singles by Budgie Hamilton, Steve Wilkerson, Paul Tippen and a Sturgis error. Cason drove in four runs to lead the winners.
Frett (L), Berg (5) and Hamilton
Flake (W) and Moore
Bruce Miller's sixth inning triple plated Hobie Holland and Frank Baldasare to give Sturgis all the runs they needed as the Titans edged Chamberlain 3-1 in the second game. The Mallards had taken the lead in the top of the frame when Steve Wilkerson tripled to score Tom Harmon with the game's first run. Titans tied the score when Tom Cason was hit by a pitch, advanced on Glen Redmon's single and scampered home on Baldasare's single. Dick Hardy tossed a five-hitter for the win. Wayne Sinclair took a tough loss giving up just five hits with ten strikeouts.
Sinclair (L) and Harmon
Hardy (W) and Moore