BIRTLE $1,600 ANNUAL CANADA DAY BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
(July 1) High winds and rain hindered play in the MSBL’s annual Canada Day tournament at Birtle but not before the Hamiota Red Sox had walked off with the first-place spoils.
The Red Sox, who had a bye in the opening round of the seven-team, single-elimination event by virtue of their penthouse-position in the circuit, blanked the Souris Cardinals 3 to 0 in the finale. The Hamiotans, behind the two-hit pitching of Ellis Woods, erupted for four hits and all three runs in the second-inning of the scheduled seven-inning climax tilt. However, rain ended it all after the Cards had batted in the top-of-the-fifth. Lynn Caldwell started things off for the Sox with a single in the second spasm, followed by back-to-back doubles by Glennis Scott and Al Robertson and a single by Rick Robinson. Bernie Graner was charged with the loss.
In the semi-final contests, Hamiota edged the Dauphin Redbirds 2 to 1 on the strength of the superb mound work of slab artist Glennis Scott, while the Cards, with Lew Morrison registering the knoll triumph, gained their berth in the final via a 4 to 3 victory over the Rolla NoDaks.
The Redbirds opened the tourney by disposing of the Virden Oilers 9 to 6 as Bob Neufeld struck out 15 batters en route to the win.
In second-round action, Souris eliminated the Brandon Cloverleafs 4 to 1 and the Riverside Canucks blew a 7 – 2 lead in falling 12 to 10 to Rolla.
NORTH SASKATCHEWAN LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
(July 4) Unity Cardinals captured top money in the NSBL Dominion Day Tournament with a 3-0 win over North Battleford in the finale. Rain delayed the event until Saturday. Doug Wilkinson blanked the Beavers on five hits while the Cards scored three times on four hits and two North Battleford errors.
Wilkinson (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Beavers had crushed Kindersley 10-0 in the opening game as Tom Sallaway hurled a three-hitter and fanned 14. Beavers had ten hits off loser Lonnie Miles. Greg Dvorak paced the attack with a homer and single while Sallaway and Mark Perkins each had a triple and single. Sallaway drove in three runs in the big 6th inning.
Sallaway (W) and xxx
Miles (L) and xxx
Unity dropped Neilburg-Lloydminster 12-7 in the day's second game. Al Ferchuk survived 12 hits to go the distance for the win. He rang up 14 strikeouts. Scott Woodward took the loss. Dick Schmidt knocked in four runs with a double and two singles. Don McIntyre had a triple and single for the Monarchs.
Ferchuk (W) and xxx
Woodward (L), Henricks (4) and xxx
A coin flip to decide a bye to the final was won by North Battleford.
Unity advanced to the final thumping Saskatoon 12-5. Gary Bock held the Commodores to eight hits while the Cardinals exploded for 17 safeties. Dick Schmidt knocked in three runs with a pair of singles. Jim Shaw had a double and three one-baggers. Bob Brown and Al Mitchell each had a triple and single for Saskatoon.
Bock (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(July 6) A two-run double by Larry Tollefson in the sixth-inning provided the Moose Jaw Regals with a 3 to 1 victory over the Melville Millionaires in the Melville tourney final as the Regals won top money of $400. Moose Jaw had advanced to the final with a 12-inning, 6 to 5 win over the Yorkton Cardinals while the Millionaires had defeated the Regina Red Sox 7 to 4.
MANITOBA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT FOR CANADIAN FEDERATION OF AMATEUR BASEBALL SENIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAMS
Binscarth Orioles (Northwest Baseball League)
Pilot Mound Pilots (Border Baseball League)
Thompson Reds (Polar Baseball League)
Transcona Bisons (Manitoba Senior Baseball League – Eastern Division)
(July 18-19) In a four-team, double-knockout event staged over the weekend in Thompson, the Transcona Bisons, representing the MSBL’s eastern division, emerged as the winner and will represent the province in the Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball senior elimination tourney to be held in Brandon in late August. The MSBL’s west division all-stars were automatically guaranteed a spot in the national championship as the hosting club.
The ‘Sconas clobbered the host Thompson Reds of the Polar League 14 to 6 in Sunday’s final after losing 5 to 2 to the Reds earlier in the day. The Bisons scored 12 big runs in the opening canto of the finale and rode the 13-strikeout hurling of Bob Hunter for the win.
Thompson opened the tournament by nosing out the Pilot Mound Pilots of the Border League 3 to 2 on Saturday while Transcona started the two-day affair by nipping the North-West League’s highly-rated Binscarth Orioles, minus ace slab artist Don Luhowy who was unable to compete because of a sore arm, 4 to 3. The Orioles rebounded to oust Pilot Butte from the proceedings with a 4 to 0 conquest.
On Sunday, Transcona doubled Thompson 6 to 3 to annex the winner’s bracket while the Reds eliminated Binscarth 6 to 5 to capture the loser’s side of the tourney and putting themselves in the position of having to knock off Transcona twice.
LACOMBE TOURNAMENT
(July 23) The Moose Jaw Regals and the Jamestown, North Dakota Elks split first and second place money of $2,500 at the 21st annual Lions Club baseball tournament in Lacombe, Alberta. The championship game was called after the Regals and Elks were tied 1 - 1 following the 11th inning. Regals got on the board first with an unearned run in the 5th inning as pitcher Roy Rowley scored on third baseman Gene Roebuck's error. Roebuck made up for the miscue in the 7th when he scored the tying run on a single by second baseman Jim Nelson. Regals had a golden opportunity in the last of the 9th when playing coach Ned Andreoni slammed a triple but he was left stranded. Regals again threatened in the bottom of the 11th when outfielder Terry Buck walked, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Again, the Regals couldn't bring the runner home.
John Reha, Jean Kapaun (8) and Rustad, Jensen (9)
Rowley, Stone (7) and Tollefson
In earlier games Thursday, Regals blanked the Edmonton Tigers 8-0 taking advantage of five Tigers' errors. Terry Buck fired a three-hitter for the shutout. Ned Andreoni had a two-run double in the 3rd inning.
Lynn (L), Curtis (7) and Franchuk
Buck (W) and Johnson, Samoluk (9)
The Elks shutout Peace River All-Stars 7-0 behind a three-hitter by Steve Furst. Tom Kraft belted a homer for the winners.
Les Ohrn (L), Jerry Howard (6) and Kozie, Wold (6)
Furst (W) and Jensen
(July 22) Edmonton Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but needed a run in the bottom of the 9th to shade Eston Ramblers 4-3 in the opening game at the Lacombe Tournament. Ron Watamaniuk singled to knock in the winning marker. Bill Chahley held Eston to six hits to take the mound win over Bob Burchfield.
Burchfield (L) and Marshall
Chahley (W) and Franchuk
Aided by Bob Booth's two-run homer in the 6th inning, Moose Jaw Regals topped Kelowna Carlings 6-2. Fred Cardwell and Ross Stone teamed up for a five-hitter for Moose Jaw. Bob Bridges took the loss. Kelowna made five errors.
Bridges (L) and Favell
Cardwell (W), Stone (6) and Tollefson
Peace River got a two-run homer from outfielder Ray Stokke in the first inning to spark a 6-1 victory over the Unity Cardinals. Dave Hendershot had a strong outing for the win hurling a five-hitter. Don Hendricks took the loss.
Hendricks (L), Sharpe (4) and Wilkinson
Hendershot (W) and O'Sullivan
The Jamestown Elks of North Dakota ousted the defending champion North Battleford Beavers 4-3. Down 4-0, Beavers rallied in the 7th inning with three runs, one a solo homer by Cam Sternig, but fell just short. Starter Dan Kapaun pitched into the 7th for the win. Greg Dvorak took the loss.
Kapaun (W), Reha (7), Furst (8) and Jensen
Dvorak (L) and Bunyan
SOURIS INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
(August 3) Souris Cardinals, the host club, blanked the highly favoured Transcona Bisons 5-0 Monday to capture the Souris Invitational Tournament. Import Bernie Ramstead fired a two-hitter for the shutout, called after eight innings because of darkness. Ramstead fanned seven. The Cards got the only runs they needed in the top of the fifth when Dick Limke reached on an error, Lynn McEvoy singled and Souris took advantage of another error and two walks before banging out another hit. Limke cracked a homer in the sixth to pad the lead as they cruised to the $300 top prize.
Souris had a scare in their opening game, trailing 6-3 into the sixth inning but broke loose for eight runs and an exciting 11-8 victory. Limke, who was replaced by Dick Mardsen after being hit by a pitch, was the winning pitcher. Don Hodgson led the winners with a double and two singles. Transcona advanced to the final with a 5-2 win over the All-Stars. Bob Hunter went the distance yielding seven hits for the win and paced the offense with a towering home run in the fifth inning. In the consolation final, Minot topped the All-Stars 6-5. Don Feldner picked up the mound triumph over Gary Keating. The event drew record crowds.
BC SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
(August 7) Playing throughout a steady drizzle, the Kelowna Carlings of the OMBL dumped the Quesnel All-Stars 9 to 3 in the opening tournament match. The Carlings got to losing pitcher Pete Swanson and reliever Lorne Rodenets for ten safe blows.
(August 7) The West Kootenay Capilanos, sporting a nucleus of players from the Rossland W.K.S.B.L. club with the same name, yet without the services of the league’s top pitcher and hitter, Joe Zanussi, were blanked 4 to 0 by the Vancouver C.Y.O. diamondeers in an opening round game of the five-team double-elimination B. C. senior tourney being hosted by Kelowna. The Capilanos had plenty of scoring opportunities, stranding ten baserunners and having one thrown out at the plate in a close play, but failed to deliver with the bat when bingles meant bacon. Vancouver hurler Rich Mosher gave up just three safeties and fanned a dozen but struggled at times with his command, issuing six bases on balls. Starting chucker Barry Seal of the Caps was nailed with the defeat when, after pitching no-hit ball into the fourth, he allowed three C.Y.O. runs after three singles and an error and was given the hook. A two-run single by shortstop Paul Peterson of the Lower Mainlanders in this stanza was the telling blow of the contest. Al DeCecco finished up on the hillock for the vanquished nine, yielding another run in the fifth but was almost untouchable after that.
Mosher (W) and xxx
Seal (L), DeCecco (4) and J. McFarland
(August 8) Hosting Kelowna dropped a 7 to 1 decision to the Victoria All-Stars as Gord Strongman, Mike McAvoy and George Fuller all launched homers in support of the five-hit pitching of winning slabman George Brice.
(August 8 Vancouver C.Y.O. overcame a 3 to 0 deficit to defeat the Victoria All-Stars 5 to 3 and move into the championship bracket of the B.C. senior baseball championships. The Capital City crew grabbed a 1 to 0 first-inning lead and increased it to 3 to 0 in the sixth on a two-run homer by Gord Strongman off Larry Webster. But C.Y.O. mounted its comeback on run-scoring singles by Webster and Al Foreman in the seventh and capped the drive, in the eighth, on hits by Howie Stevens and John Kochan.
(August 8) The West Kootenay Capilanos, the aggregation of Rossland pastimers augmented with four players from the Trail Silver Kings and one each from the Grand Forks Mets and Nelson Merchants, were ousted from the B.C. senior baseball tournament after splitting a brace of games. In their early clash, the Caps bounced the Quesnel All-Stars 10 to 5 but were unable to survive a three-run seventh inning outburst by the OMBL champion Kelowna Carlings in their second encounter and were edged 3 to 2.
Although requiring relief help in the ninth, Nelson pickup Bob Jeffs was in complete control on the hill in the opener. He surrendered four hits in his eight innings of toil on the bump, struck out five and walked three. He also led the Caps with three base raps while teammate Rich Miller chipped in with a pair.
Jeffs (W), DeCecco (9) and J. McFarland
Phoenix (L), Rodonets (6), Yalowega (9) and Inglis
Lefthander Dale Payette, seconded by the Caps from the Trail contingent of baseballers, thwarted the Carlings for the first six frames of the second contest, allowing only one runner as far as third base. Weakening in the seventh after one had been retired, he gave up singles to Bob Adshead and Doug Favell which, combined with an outfield error, plated a brace of markers for the hosting Regatta Towners. Another one-bagger, this one by Doug Moore, drove in Favell with what turned out to be the winner. Payette finished with nine strikeouts and averaged just 13 pitches per inning in a losing cause. Winning chucker Len Tweed whiffed seven and walked one as the Carlings registered a narrow 8 to 7 edge in base hits. Adshead had three safeties for the Brewery Boys while Bob Jeffs picked up a pair to lead the losers.
Tweed (W), Burdette (9) and xxx
Payette (L) and J. McFarland
(August 9) An all-star team from the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League climaxed a strong comeback by blasting Vancouver C.Y.O. 15 to 3 in the final game of the British Columbia senior baseball championships. With their back to the wall after losing to the Vancouver squad a day previous, the strong-hitting Victoria nine were forced to play three games on this final day of the tournament to win the right to represent the province in the Canadian championships. After eliminating the host Kelowna Carlings in the loser’s bracket final 11 to 5 earlier in the day, the Victorians continued their comeback by stopping the previously-unbeaten C.Y.O. aggregation 6 to 3 in their second contest, forcing a deciding game. The Islanders unleashed a 15-hit attack against the Lower Mainlanders in the sudden-death finale, scoring seven times in the opening stanza and forcing C.Y.O. to use four pitchers. Outfielder Gord Strongman batted .524 in the three-day, double-knockout tournament. He hit homers in all five games the winners played and batted in 14 runs. Strongman had five RBI’s on the basis a single, double and home run in the game against Kelowna. He added another three RBI’s in Victoria’s 6 to 3 doubling of Vancouver and three more in the lopsided championship game.
CALGARY TOURNAMENT
(August 11) Two Saskatchewan teams - Unity Cardinals of the North Saskatchewan League and Eston Ramblers of the Mid-West circuit - have been added to the field for the Calgary major baseball tournament at Foothills Stadium.
Cardinals replace the North Battleford Beavers who were forced to withdraw because of playoff commitments. The club, managed by Irl Flanagan, will be bolstered by two San Fernando State pitchers from Lloydminster, Don Heinrich and Scott Woodward. They also boast ace right-hander Tom Sharpe, from Fresno State, Gary Boch, an addition from the Moose Jaw Regals of the Southern League, right-hander Al Ferchuk and catcher Doug Wilkinson from Fresno State.
Ramblers are the runaway pennant winners in their league and feature ace right-hander Bob Burchfield of Fresno. They've also picked up a pair of U.S. imports from the Melville Millionaires of the Southern League - Don Kirck and Grant Beckstrand. Catcher Al Marshall from the Kindersley Klippers and infielder Merle Byrnes figure to help the offense.
Other teams lined up for the affair include the St. John (Washington) Indians, North Idaho All-Stars, Okanagan (Kelowna) All-Stars, Edmonton Oil Kings All-Stars and the Calgary Foothills Giants.
(August 12) The Peace River-Fairview Selects have been selected to complete the field for the Calgary tournament. Selects were given the nod after a pair of prospective entries - Minot, North Dakota, Athletics and Butte, Montana - cancelled their applications. The Selects will feature a pair of ice hockey stars, Al Rycroft and Brian Walker, who began the season with the Calgary Cubs. Also in the lineup will be Brian's brother Gerry, last year with the Edmonton Angels, and Phil Headley. Slugging catcher Terry Watchorn, well known for his curling exploits, and veteran hurlers Jerry Howard, Jim Fox and ex-Calgarian Murney Nellis are also on the roster.
(August 14) On the eve of their opening action, Calgary Giants lost their star hitter Stu Heron. The AMBL batting champion is at his home in Moose Jaw where his father passed away earlier this week. He will remain for the funeral and could be missing for the entire weekend. Ron Moffat of the Cubs has been installed as his replacement.
(August 14) California college import Bob Burchfield, hurling for the Eston Ramblers, fired a four-hitter to shutout the Calgary Giants 3-0 in the opening game of the Calgary Tournament. The right-hander, with a 9-2 record in the Mid-West League, struck out seven and walked three. Al Taylor, who set an AMBL league record with 10 wins, gave up just six hits but walked five and hit a batter in taking the loss. Ramblers struck early scoring a pair in the first inning as Taylor walked the first two batters. Both advanced on Ed Fauth's sacrifice bunt. Al Marshall's bloop single to left drove in the first marker and Reg Andrew bunted for a hit and an RBI. Taylor blanked the Ramblers until the 8th when Fauth lined a double to deep left field and Andrew knocked in his second run with a single to right.
Burchfield (W) and Morrice
Taylor (L) and Heatley
(August 15)
CANADIAN SENIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, Brandon, Souris, Hamiota
(August 31) BC rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to down Saskatchewan 3-2 and take the gold medal at the Canadian Senior Baseball Championships at Brandon. The Victoria squad notched the markers on three bases-loaded walks. Saskatchewan, represented by the Saskatoon Commodores had gone ahead 2-0 in the top of the 9th as Randy Munch hit a two-run triple to score Roy Rowley and Fred Maxemiuk.
Larry Haylor, who replaced starter Ross Stone with the bases jammed and one out in the 9th, walked Doug Hill to tie at 2-2 and after a strike out, walked pinch-hitter Russ Holmes to end the game. George Brice held the Commodores to six hits in going the distance for the win.
Stone (L), Haylor (9) and Brown
Brice and Bunyan
BC had shutout Ontario 3-0 in a semi-final marts earlier in the day. Saskatchewan topped Nova Scotia 7-0 to reach the final. Randy Munch led the offense with three hits and three RBIs.
BC 3 ONT 0
Gage-Cole and Bunyan
Petersen, Murphy (8) and Fenlon
SK 7 NS 0
Rowley and Brown
Coll, Briedgie (3) and Elder
Earlier, Saskatoon remained unbeaten at the Canadian Senior Championships with a 4-1 victory over the host Brandon All-Stars. Edd Tabashniuk was the latest Commodores' pitching hero with a two-hitter.
Thompson, Morrison (5) and Seafoot
Tabashniuk (W) and Stubbs
Manitoba Transcona 0 QUE 5
Bob Hunter and Al Hunter
Schodier and Hardy
NB 7 NS 6
McLure and Fife
Coll, Bridges (8) and Elder
QUE 2 BC 11
Tremblay, Dufour (1), Odellet (3) and Hardy
Webster and Morgan
(August 30) Saskatoon Commodores received outstanding pitching to upset Ontario 6-0 and whip Alberta 11-1 to advance to the final of the Canadian Senior Baseball Championship at Brandon. Fred Cardwell, a pickup from Moose Jaw Regals, fired a two-hitter to blank the powerful Ontario club. Randy Munch went three-for-three to lead the offense. Roy Rowley had two hits. Ken Haanen slammed a triple.
Haanen led the attack in the second game with three hits while Rowley clouted an inside-the-park homer and a double. John Anderson and Don Hrapchak combined on a one-hitter to hold Alberta, represented by Peace River, to one run.
In Saskatoon's opening match, Ross Stone tossed a three-hitter as the Commodores blanked Prince Edward Island 13-0.
Knight (L), Landreth (6) and Fenlon
Cardwell (W) and Brown
Les Ohrn (L), Chapman (4) and Kozie, Gullett (4)
Anderson, Hrapchuk (W) (5) and Brown
Stone (W) and Brown
Ted Lawlor (L), Canahan (3) , Larkin (4) and Keough
British Columbia, which stayed in the running with a 3-1 record, squeaked out a 1-0 win over Manitoba Transcona. The only run came in the second inning when losing pitching Tom Lisowski walked four straight batters then struck out the side.
BC 2 NS 3
Jolly, Maybee (6), Webster (8) and Morgan
Bridges and Wilder
NB 6 Manitoba Transcona 1
Johnson and Fife
Maskie, Watson (5), Hunter (8) and Raugh
Man All-Stars 5 AB 2
Thompson, Keating (5), Morrison (5) and Gardiner, Seafoot (9)
Anderson, Fox (2), Nellis (5), Chapman (7) and Gullett, Kozie (5)
ONT 3 MAN 1
Heinbuch, Sleeman (7) and Fenlon
Neville, Hodgson (5) and Seafoot
AB 5 PEI 0
Anderson and Gullett
Murphy and Larkin
Winner of the championship will earn the right to represent Canada in the world amateur championships in Colombia in November and travel to Colombia in 1971 for the Pan-American Games.
(August 28) Friday, Winnipeg Transcona downed Nova Scotia 8-5 while BC trounced New Brunswick 16-6. Ontario beat Alberta 5-1. The Manitoba All-Stars blanked PEI 6-0 as Bryan Smith belted as bases-loaded triple in the third inning and Bill Chappel had an inside-the-park homer in the 8th.
NB 6 BC 16
Lapointe, Coughlan (6) and Fite
Price, Jolly (6) and Morgan
QUE 9 NB 1
Gervais and Hardy
Johnson, Jenkins (5) and Menard
Winnipeg 8 NS 5
Toews, Hunter (8) and Raugh
Banfield, Matheson (9) and Elder
ONT 5 AB 1
Murphy and Fenlon
Ohrn and Kozie
Manitoba 6 PEI 0
Scott and Gardiner
Gavin, Conahan (8) and Keouh
KAMLOOPS LABOUR DAY TOURNAMENT
(September 6-7) Vancouver Mounties captured the championship at the 24th Annual Kamloops Labour Day Tournament Monday blanking Kamloops Okonots 5-0 in the final. Mounties had earlier downed Vancouver CYO 3-2 and Kelowna Carls 5-2 in the single knockout, eight-team event.
Kamloops defeated Vancouver Walls 4-2 and Vancouver Longshoremen 5-1 to reach the tourney final. In other games, Longshoremen beat Saskatoon T-Birds 6-0 and CYO stopped the Calgary Giants 4-1.
The event saw everything from baseball as an all-weather sport to a no-hitter and home runs galore.
Rain started to pour down in the tourney's third game. Crews used sand and sawdust on the pitcher's mound and home plate and even burned gasoline on the baselines to try and make it playable.
Kamloops advanced to the final downing Vancouver Longshoremen on home runs by Wayne Dye and Lynn Bylund. Longshoremen stopped the T-Birds on a no-hitter by Murray Gage-Cole. Kamloops topped Vancouver Wall and Redicop 4-2 on a homer by Dye and Vancouver CYO defeated Calgary Giants 4-1.
The final was scoreless until a rhubarb broke out in the eighth inning. Kamloops coach Ed Begg walked onto the diamond for a strategy session with the infield. Umpire Frank Rota ruled Begg had crossed the line to speak to the pitcher, Casey Feroglia once too often and the starter would have to go. Begg put Feroglia in centre field and put Clark Inglis in to pitch to Al Foreman, then brought Feroglia back onto the mound. Rota disapproved. So Feroglia was sent to the showers and Dave Murphy in to relieve. The Merchants broke loose against Murphy for five runs on five hits, an error and a walk. Winning hurler Keith Commons held Kamloops to four hits while fanning 13.
Commons doubled and scored on a two-bagger by Ron Peters for the first Merchants' run. Foreman scored on Peterson's double and Daryl Fenton scooted home on a single by John Wilson. Both Peterson and Wilson scored later in the frame.
Kamloops advanced to the final downing the Longshoremen as Inglis led off a game-winning four-run rally with a bunt down the third base line. Wayne Dye followed with a circuit blow over the left field fence and Lynn Bylund went back-to-back with another four-bagger. Greg Gustafson capped the spree by scoring on a double by Joe Watson.
Bob Bridges fired a six-hitter and whiffed 13 in the Okonots win over Vancouver. Don Rogelstad, who yielded just five hits, took the loss. A packed house of about 2,000 took in the final to put the tournament in the black according to tournament manager Gerry Kenny.
ENDERBY LABOUR DAY TOURNAMENT
Six teams are entered in the double-knockout Enderby Tournament slated for the Labour Day weekend. The three north Okanagan teams are the Salmon Arm Old Stylers, Celista Vikings and the Enderby Oil Kings. The Calgary Carlings, Creston Maroons and Nakusp Loggers fill out the roster.
WORLD AMATEUR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, Colombia
(November 19) A two-out, bases-loaded single by Jorge Brown in the 8th inning gave Puerto Rico a 9-7 victory over the Dominican Republic Thursday. Guatemala shaded Italy 1-0 in 10 innings in another contest.
(November 20) Burt Hooton pitched a two-hitter and James Corcoran and Robert Ellis led a 14-hit attack with home runs as the United States walloped the Netherlands Antilles 14-0 at the World Amateur Tournament in Colombia. It was the second straight win for the Americans who whipped Nicaragua 11-1 on Thursday. In other games Friday, Nicaragua beat Holland 5-2, Puerto Rico blanked Italy 4-0 and Guatemala defeated Venezuela 6-2 in 10 innings.
(November 28) Burt Hooton (left) fired a no-hitter for the United States as the Americans beat Cuba 3-1 to tie for the lead at the World Amateur Championships. Hooton, a right-hander from the University of Texas, gained his no-hitter when the official scorer made a ruling change. He had originally credited Wilfredo Fernandez with a hit, but later changed it to an error. Hooton helped the offense with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning. It was the first defeat for the Cubans and created a three-way tie for first place among Cuba, the US and Colombia.
(November 30) The US clinched at least a tie for first place with a 6-4 win over the Dominican Republic Monday night. Cuba kept its hopes alive with a 10-1 triumph over Nicaragua.
(December 01) The United States and Cuba face off tomorrow in the first game of a best of three series. The two teams finished the tournament with identical 10-1 records, necessitating the playoff. The US lost to Puerto Rico and Cuba was defeated by the Americans. Puerto Rico beat Canada 2-1 Tuesday and finished in third place. Cuba topped Colombia 9-6.
(December 02) Cuba downed the US 3-1 in 11 innings Wednesday in the opener of a three-game series to decide the World Amateur Baseball Championship. Pitcher Jose Huelga, who out-dueled Burt Hooton, won his own game by driving home Lazaro Perez with a single in the 11th inning. He later scored when Hooton fumbled an infield grounder.
In the second game, Thursday, lefty Richard Troedson of the US will face Cuba's Santiago Mederos, also a left-hander. Orlando Garcia pitched a one-hit shutout as Colombia defeated Guatemala 9-0. Colombia finished with a record of 8-3.
(December 04) Cuba, with a four-run first inning, defeated the United States 5-3 Friday to successfully defend its World Amateur Baseball Championship title. The Cubans had won the first game of the three-game series 3-1 on Wednesday.
Puerto Rico took the bronze medal with a 9-2 mark. Colombia placed fourth (8-3), Venezuela followed (7-4). The Dominican Republic was sixth (6-5), then followed Nicaragua 4-7, Netherlands Antilles 3-8, Italy and Canada finished at 1-9 and Netherlands was last with a 1-10 record.