MANITOBA SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE (WEST DIVISION)
Brandon Cloverleafs
Dauphin Redbirds
Hamiota Red Sox
Riverside Canucks
Rolla NoDaks
Souris Cardinals
Virden Oilers
(May 29) Following seven unsuccessful, weather-related attempts, the MSBL finally got underway and saw the invading Riverside Canucks, outhit by a 10 to 6 margin, come on in the late going to clobber the Brandon Cloverleafs 10 to 3 at Kinsmen Park. The first seven innings were a saw-off which saw each team crossing the plate once in the opening canto. The Canucks blew the doors down with a six-spot in the eighth and added in trey in the ninth to win going away while the Leafs ran over a brace of counters in a last-gasp ninth inning. Fifth-inning reliever Russ Reid picked up the win at the expense of Brian Hodgson, who took over mound chores from Brandon starter Bob Thompson in the seventh. Cliff Seafoot paced the Riversiders at the plate with a pair of singles while Reid smashed a three-run triple. For the Cloverleafs Dave Bender led the way with a double and single. Bob Wilson and Bill Chapple both singled twice.
Lilley, Reid (W) (5) and C. Seafoot
Thompson, Hodgson (L) (7), McBean (8) and Gray
(May 29) With the cessation of the rains, the travelling Rolla NoDaks, last-season’s weak sister, shaded the Virden Oilers 2 to 1 as both squads got their season underway. Rolla’s Gord Roberge and his pitching counterpart with the Oilers, Tom Scott, locked horns in a high-intensity clash that saw the NoDaks claim a 5 to 3 edge in base hits. Roberge fanned 18 and walked four while Scott whiffed 15 and issued one free pass. The winning run came in the top-of-the-ninth inning when the Dakotans struck for a pair of two-baggers after two were out. Harold Neameyer paced the winners’ attack with two doubles while Gene Roebuck added a double and single. Jim Gailus had the other Rolla hit, a double. Ralph Gardiner smacked a pair of singles for Virden. .
Roberge (W) and Martinson
T. Scott (L) and Gardiner
(May 31) The Hamiota Red Sox started their campaign successfully by coming from behind to crush the hosting Souris Cardinals 12 to 5. The Cards were coasting along with a 3 – 0 lead after four innings. In the fifth, however, a pair of ill-timed miscues combined with Glennis Scott’s three-run homer put the Red Sox in front 6 – 3 and they never relinquished that lead. Ellis Woods made hid return to the Crimson Hose a winning one but he needed relief help from Ron Ramsey in the fifth. Souris used both of their import chuckers with starter Bernie Graner absorbing the loss. The Cards outhit the visitors 8 to 6 but five costly errors and 13 walks made the difference. Aside from Scott’s four-bagger, Gord Lyall and Lynn Caldwell garnered two singles each for the victors. Bill Carpenter unloaded a solo homer and a pair of one-baggers for the vanquished nine while Graner belted a two-run dinger.
Woods (W), Ramsey (5) and Wright
Graner (L), Marsden (5) and Dell
(May 31) The surprising Rolla NoDaks waltzed into Riverside and came back with a 4 to 2 verdict against the Canucks. Tom Kurtti struck out nine Riverside batters in going the distance for the mound decision. Wayne Kaplar started for the Canucks, went seven full innings and was charged with the loss. He surrendered seven of the ten Rolla hits. Terry Anderson led the NoDaks at the plate with a solo homer and a single. Harold Neameyer chipped in with a double and single. For the Canucks, veteran Cliff Seafoot drove in both of their runs with a fifth-inning double. He also picked up a single.
Kurtti (W) and Martinson
Kaplar (L), Reid (8) and C. Seafoot
(June 3) Import southpaw Tom Scott was on the mound at Virden as the Oilers checked the Riverside Canucks 5 to 2. Scott twirled a four-hitter, walked eight and rang up 18 punchouts in going the route. Russ Reid, who gave way to Grant Everard in the fourth frame, was charged with the loss. Veteran Norm Hemstad led the nine-hit Virden offense with a pair of doubles and a single while Mike Labossiere collected a double and single. Rookie Bob Downey unloaded a two-run triple that sparked a four-run fourth inning.
Reid (L), Everard (4) and C. Seafoot
T. Scott (W) and Gardiner
(June 3) The hosting Rolla NoDaks continued their winning ways with a convincing 12 to 6 victory over the Brandon Cloverleafs.
(June 3) The Dauphin Redbirds finally got into action and shaded the invading Souris Cardinals 4 to 3 in ten innings. Third baseman Bob Buchy had four hits, including a bases-empty homer, in five tries for the winners.
(June 4) Import Gary Baldwin made his MSBL pitching debut for Virden not once, but twice, and each time he was driven from the knoll as the Brandon Cloverleafs climbed all over the visiting Oilers 19 to 4 in a rather lacklustre and drawn-out affair at Riverside Stadium. While Baldwin and two of his clubmates were having their troubles on the mound, the Brandon pitcher of record, Bob Thompson, started shakily but got stronger as the game progressed and exited in the eighth with a comfortable 12 – 2 lead. The Leafs combed the Oiler tossers for 14 base raps. Maurice Oakes ripped three singles to go along with a pair of walks, scoring five runs. Brian Hodgson also stroked a triad of one-baggers while Bob Wilson and Glen Agar each added a pair. Catcher Bill Gray contributed a two-run triple. Ted Bridgett was, far and away, the best of the Oilers with the baton, unloading a run-scoring single, a tape-measure triple and a well-stoked two-bagger.
Baldwin (L), Bridgett (2), Labossiere (7), Baldwin (8) and Gardiner
Thompson (W), Fitchner (8) and Gray
(June 5) Gord Hunter slid under catcher Bob Urbanoski’s attempted tag to score the tying run as the Riverside Canucks battled to a 5 – 5 tie with the Dauphin Redbirds. The game went ten innings but had to be halted on account of darkness. Bob Neufeld twirled nine innings for Dauphin with Herb Andres coming in to finish things off. The Canucks used five pitchers with Grant Everard starting and toiling the first four frames. Bob Buchy paced the Redbirds’ 13-hit attack with four hits including a home run. Andres and Gary Keating followed with two singles each. Everard singled four times for the Riversiders while Ross Kinsley and Russ Reid had two each.
Neufeld, Andres (10) and Urbanoski
Everard, Lilley (5), Kaplar (8), Hunter (9), Kinsley (10) and C. Seafoot
(June 7) The Hamiota Red Sox swept into first place in the MSBL when the took a doubleheader from the visiting Rolla NoDaks. The Red Sox won the first game 6 to 1 and came back with a 10 to 1 victory in the nightcap.
The winners banged out 12 hits in the opener with Bryan Smith going all the way on the bump for the victory. He gave up six hits and seven walks while striking out six NoDaks. Gord Roberge, shelled from the mound in the fifth, suffered the loss. Al Robertson laced two singles and a double for Hamiota while Lynn Caldwell and Glennis Scott had three singles each. Rolla’s leading hitter was Bill Berube who banged out a double and single while teammate Dennis Burkholder collected a brace of one-baggers.
Roberge (L), Rednick (5), Burkholder (7) and Martinson
B. Smith (W) and Wright
An eight-run outburst in the third inning paved the way for the Red Sox victory in the second match. Losing pitcher Tom Kurtti was the victim of the eight-run ambush. Glennis Scott toiled eight innings on the rubber for the victors, surrendering all five Rolla safeties. Catcher John Wright tripled and singled for the Sox while Mel Smith registered three RBI’s with a double and single.
Kurtti (L), Burkholder (3) and Martinson
G. Scott (W), Woods (9) and Wright
(June 8) After a shaky start to the season, the Brandon Cloverleafs reeled off their second consecutive victory, a 4 to 0 whitewashing of the homestanding Riverside Canucks. Southpaw ace Brian Hodgson checked the Canucks on two singles and had a perfect game going until veteran Wes Rathwell stroked a single in the fourth frame. Catcher Cliff Seafoot followed with another one-bagger in the fifth. While Hodgson was twirling his wonders from the slab, teammate Bob Wilson provided all the scoring needed with a three-run homer in the fourth inning off losing heaver Wayne Kaplar. Maurice Oakes and Bill Chapple pitched in with two singles each as part of the ten-hit Brandon attack.
Hodgson (W) and Gray
Kaplar (L), Lilley (7), Reid (9) and C. Seafoot
(June 9) The visiting Hamiota Red Sox continued their winning ways, jumping all over import hurler Tom Scott en route to a 13 to 6 thrashing of the Virden Oilers. Although Hamiota only had a 13 to 12 edge in base hits, errors played a major factor as the host club committed six compared to two by the Sox. Ellis Woods, with late-inning relief help from Ron Ramsey, garnered the pitching win. Garth Sarasas led the Red Sox in the hitting department with three singles and a double while Gord Lyall and Bryan Smith picked up two singles each. Ted Bridgett smacked a homer and single for the Oilers and clubmate Ralph Gardiner contributed two singles and a double. Jack Day and Gary Baldwin stroked two one-base hits each.
Woods (W), R. Ramsey (8) and Wright
T. Scott (L), Baldwin (7) and Gardiner
(June 9) Import pitcher Dick Marsden spun a four-hitter and swished 14 batters as the Souris Cardinals breezed past the slumping Rolla NoDaks 6 to 0. Marsden received all the run support he needed when big Bill Carpenter slugged a three-run circuit-jack and Craig Cameron swatted a two-RBI single in the eighth episode. Carpenter and Cameron, besides their timely hits, also added singles. Losing flinger Dave Ouradnik surrendered nine safeties and whiffed ten.
Ouradnik (L) and Gailfus
Marsden (W) and Dell
(June 11) The Virden Oilers and Souris Cardinals battled to a nine-inning 1 – 1 draw in a game called because of darkness. The host club scored a run in the fourth inning and the Cards knotted the count with a singleton in the sixth. Souris out-hit he Oilers 6 – 4. Gary Baldwin walked one and fanned 12 in going the distance for Virden while the Cardinals’ Bernie Graner waked five and whiffed 11, also in a route-going performance.
(June 14) Hitting dominated pitching as the Souris Cardinals outlasted the hosting Riverside Canucks 10 to 7 in MSBL play. Five round-trippers were belted in the slugfest including a game-winning shot by the Cards’ Bill Carpenter with one aboard in the eighth episode. Other Souris swatsmiths going yard with four-baggers were imports Dick Marsden and Bernie Graner. Carpenter and Marsden added one-baggers to their hit totals while Graner added a brace of one-base raps. Riverside’s Cliff Seafoot unleashed a dinger and two singles while rookie Paul Solon dialed long distance with a tater in his first official at bat in the MSBL. Lew Morrison, who ascended the knoll in the seventh spasm in relief of Marsden and no-hit the Canucks for the duration of the tilt, got the win over complete-game loser Grant Everard. Other hitters of note in the offensively-charged contest were Wes Rathwell of the Riversiders who had three hits including a double as well as the Cardinals’ Doug Armour, Brian Moffatt and Don Hodgson who each had a brace of safeties.
Marsden, Morrison (W) (7) and Dell
Everard (L) and C. Seafoot
(June 15) Like a thief in the night, Bob Wilson stole home with the winning run in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning as the Brandon Cloverleafs edged the Dauphin Redbirds 2 to 1 at Kinsmen Stadium. The Leafs, behind the pitching of winner Bob Thompson, grabbed a 1 – 0 lead in the second stanza and hung on to that slim margin until the top-of-the-ninth when two Brandon errors opened the door for the tying tally. Dauphin returned the favor in the Cloverleafs’ half of the frame when Wilson reached base when his ground ball went astray at the hot corner. He moved to second and then third on successive fielder’s choice plays and caught southpaw pitcher Rich Mahlman of the Redbirds off guard. Mahlman, with his back to Wilson as he came to a set position on the rubber, failed to notice the Leaf outfielder sprinting for the plate and, by the time he caught a glimpse of what was occurring, Wilson was three-quarters down the line and just evaded the hurried throw to catcher Bob Urbanoski. Thompson yielded six hits, walked one and struck out six while hard-luck loser Mahlman was superb after allowing the second-spasm run, not allowing a Brandon runner past first base until the fateful ninth. Through one part of the game, he pitched to 13 batters without yielding a safety.
(June 15) The hosting Rolla NoDaks edged the Virden Oilers 3 to 2. No other details of the game were published.
(June 15) The streaking Hamiota Red Sox won their fifth consecutive MSBL game with a 5 to 3 conquest of the Riverside Canucks. Ron Ramsey, who took over for sore-armed Bryan Smith in the opening canto, toiled for six spasms on the bump for the victory before retiring in favor of Ellis Woods while Riverside starter Russ Reid suffered the loss. Lynn Caldwell and Glennis Scott banged out two singles each for the Red Sox while Garth Seafoot of the Canucks reached base every time he came to the plate, singling twice and drawing three walks. Cliff Seafoot also drilled a brace of one-baggers.
Reid (L), Laplar (3), Kinsley (8) and C. Seafoot
B. Smith, R. Ramsey (W) (1), Woods (7) and Wright
(June 16) The hometown Souris Cardinals humbled the Brandon Cloverleafs, crushing the Wheat City nine 11 to 1. A five-run explosion by the Cards in the fifth frame pretty well put the game out of reach for the Leafs. Starter Jack Mahon suffered the loss. Lew Morrison went all the way on the knoll for Souris, effectively spacing nine hits, to post the win. Greg Cameron had a double and three singles in pacing the Cardinals’ 13-hit offense. Dan Hodgson chipped in with three singles while Brian Moffatt and John Dell added two each. Jack Borotsik banged out a double and single for the Cloverleafs while Maurice Oakes and Bob Wilson picked up a brace of one-base hits each.
Mahon (L), McBean (5), McLachlan (7) and Gray
Morrison (W) and Dell
(June 16) The Hamiota Red Sox shaded the Dauphin Redbirds 2 to 1 to capture their sixth straight MSBL game. Trailing 1 – 0 , the Sox pushed across a pair of counters in the sixth stanza when catcher John Wright delivered a key two-run single which allowed the Hamiotans to keep their unblemished record intact. Glennis Scott outduelled import Dave Rottman for the pitching win. Scott was nicked for nine safeties while Rottman was combed for eight. Both heavers went the route. Scott and Bryan Smith singled twice for the victors. Herb Andres drove in the lone Redbird tally with a fourth-inning single and added a one-out, ninth-inning triple but was unable to deliver the tying tally. Teammate Bob Buchy added a brace of singles.
Rottman (L) and Urbanoski
G. Scott (W) and Wright
(June 17) Reeling off their seventh triumph in a row, the Hamiota Red Sox remained smoking hot by whipping the Riverside Canucks 12 to 8 in an MSBL skirmish limited to eight chapters because of dark skies. A five-run outburst in the sixth spasm broke a 5 – 5 tie and sewed up the decision for the Crimson Hose. Gord Lyall, who relieved Hamiota starter Bryan Smith in the third inning, received credit for the win while Canucks’ starting heaver, Lorne Lilley, took the loss. Mel Smith belted a homer and two singles for the winners while clubmate Lynn Caldwell delivered a double and a brace of one-baggers. Lyall aided his cause with a three-run triple and a one-base hit. Best with the baton for the Riversiders were Cliff Seafoot and Russ Reid who launched two-run dingers while Craig Bell chipped in with a pair of singles.
B. Smith, Lyall (W) (3), R. Ramsey (8) and Wright
Lilley (L), Reid (6) and C. Seafoot
(June 21) The Virden Oilers and hosting Dauphin Redbirds split the proceeds of an MSBL double-bill, the Oilers annexing the opener, an 11-inning marathon, 2 to 1 before the Redbirds rebounded for a 5 to 0 verdict in the finale.
Virden need a clutch single by Bob Downey in the top-of-the-second round of overtime to plate the winning marker in the curtain-raiser. Downey’s game-winning one-bagger, his second of the game, was slightly overshadowed by the brilliance of winning twirler Tom Scott in the bottom-of-the-eleventh after he got himself into a serious jam by loading the bases with none out. Bearing down with the game on the line, Scott induced a ground ball which garnered the first out with a force out at home and then registered two strikeouts to end proceedings. Scott had entered the game as a seventh-inning reliever for Oiler starter Jim Huff. Losing hurler, import Rich Mahlman went the full 11 stanzas, giving up seven singles while striking out 13.
Huff, T. Scott (W) (8) and Gardiner
Mahlman (L) and Urbanoski
In the second half of the double-dip, winning heaver Bob Neufeld of the Redbirds fanned ten and checked the Oilers on seven singles in posting the shutout. Loser Ted Bridgett was tagged for 12 hits. Ron Low provided all the hitting power needed to back Neufeld with a two-run homer. Besides Low’s blast, Bob Buchy and Herb Andres contributed a double and single each while Gerry Shumanski added a couple of one-base raps. Norm Hemstad picked up his second consecutive two single output for the visiting Virden nine.
Bridgett (L) and Gardiner
Neufeld (W) and Day
(June 21) The Brandon Cloverleafs scored three big runs in the seventh stanza to erase a two-run deficit and hang a 3 to 2 setback on the previously undefeated Hamiota Red Sox. Veteran pitchers Brian Hodgson and Glennis Scott limited opposition batters to five and four hits respectively with Brandon’s southpaw heaver winning the overall battle. Except for the seventh inning when he surrendered three of the four Wheat City bingles, Hamiota’s Scott was perhaps the sharper of the two. Dave Bender singled home the first two Cloverleaf counters while Hodgson nailed a one-bagger to drive in the run that turned out to be the winner. Ellis Woods drove in both Red Sox tallies with a second-inning sacrifice fly and a solid single in the top-of-the-seventh spasm.
(June 21) Forced into a premature retirement due to business commitments south of the border, Dick Limke made his first MSBL appearance of the season, a five-inning stint on the knoll, in helping the Souris Cardinals blank the hosting Riverside Canucks 7 to 0 in a benefit game for the Barry Moffatt Memorial Fund. Limke shared mound duties with Bernie Grader in the seven-inning tilt in which the Souris duo of chuckers did not allow any hits. Dick Marsden led the winners with the lumber, poling a two-run round-tripper.
(June 22) The Hamiota Red Sox won their eighth in nine starts, avenging their loss of 24 hours previous, by tripping the Brandon Cloverleafs 8 to 4. The Sox jumped on Leaf starter and loser Bob Thompson for five runs before the game was two innings complete. That cushion was all winning chucker Ron Ramsey needed, although reliever Gord Lyall came on to extinguish a small uprising in the ninth to preserve the victory. The Sox had 11 base knocks as Bryan Smith led the way with a double and two singles while brother Mel Smith and Lyall picked up two singles each. Flychaser Bob Wilson and reliever Ron Powers collected three one-baggers apiece in pacing the Leafs’ nine-safety offense.
Thompson (L), Mahon (2), Powers (5) and Gray, Oakes (7)
R. Ramsey (W), Lyall (9) and Woods
(June 22) Playing a home, the Souris Cardinals disposed of the Dauphin Redbirds 6 to 3 in a game limited to 6-1/2 innings due to darkness. Bernie Graner was credited with the pitching win while Dave Rottman was saddled with the setback. Bernie Marsden and Greg Cameron led the Cards at the platter with two singles each while Dauphin’s Gerry Shumanski and John Morrison both equalled that output.
Rottman (L) and Urbanoski
Marden, Graner (W) (5) and Dell
(June 23) The Riverside Canucks, gifted with an 11 error display by a fumble-fingered Virden nine, walloped the Oilers 17 to 2 in an MSBL tussle limited to eight frames because of dark skies. The Canucks had nine safeties but were aided not only by the shoddy Oiler defensive display but by their trio of chuckers who issued ten walks and hit two batters. Starter Grant Everard copped the hurling triumph for the Riversiders while Virden starting heaver Tom Scott was nailed with the defeat. Garth Seafoot led the winners in the hitting department with a three-run homer and a pair of singles. Wes Rathwell had three safeties and an equal number of RBI’s. Catcher Ralph Gardiner stroked three base raps for the Oilers.
T. Scott (L), McCannell (3), Downey (6) and Gardiner
Everard (W), P. Solon (8) and C. Seafoot
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Hamiota 8 1 .889 ----
Souris 5 2 .715 2.0
Brandon 4 4 .500 3.5
Rolla 4 4 .500 3.5
Dauphin 2 4 .333 4.5
Virden 2 6 .250 5.5
Riverside 2 6 .250 5.5
(June 25) Led by the steady pitching and clutch hitting of left-hander Gord Roberge, the upstart Rolla NoDaks disposed of the Brandon Cloverleafs 4 to 1 in an MSBL assignment that took 12 full innings for a decision. The win for the Dakotans bumped them up into sole possession of third spot in the seven-team loop. Roberge, who scattered seven hits, fanned 11 and walked six, was hitless in his first four appearances at the plate. However, in the top-of-the-third session of overtime, he led off with a towering triple and after one had been retired on a strikeout, was able to touch home with the deciding run on an infield grounder by Jim Berube when the throw to the plate was off target. Berube, who ended up on second after the wild throw to the pan, moved to third on Harold Neameyer’s ground out. Two intentional walks followed, loading the bases but these moves backfired as Tom Kurtti, who was had drawn the collar in five at bats, came through with a solid single to drive in a couple of insurance counters. Brandon heaver Bob Thompson doled out 11 safeties and rang up 15 punchouts in absorbing the tough loss. Gene Roebuck and Tom Kraft stroked three hits each for Rolla with a double included in Roebuck’s sum of swats. Neameyer contributed a double and a one-bagger. For the Leafs, veteran campaigner Mort Wright connected for a double and single while switch-hitting Bill Chapple added a brace of one-base raps, one of which drove in the lone Wheat City tally.
Roberge (W) and McDougall, Gailus (7)
Thompson (L) and Oakes
(June 25) The Hamiota Red Sox increased their league lead to three games with a 2 to 1 victory over the runner-up Souris Cardinals. Right-hander Glennis Scott went the route for the Sox in limiting the Cards to six hits while walking one and whiffing seven. Lew Morrison was tagged with the loss. The Scarlet Stockings banged out seven safeties including an eighth-inning triple by Bryan Smith who ultimately scored the winning marker when brother Mel Smith rapped the ball smartly behind first base.
(June 26) Portsider Brian Hodgson allowed just five hits, struck out eight and issued no walks as the Brandon Cloverleafs clipped the hosting Virden Oilers 4 to 1. The Leafs scored a trey in the sixth spasm to break a 1 – 1 tie and goon to victory. Import Jim Huff, the first of two Virden chuckers pitched the first six innings and was charged with the loss. Maurice Oakes paced the eight-hit Brandon attack with two singles. The Oilers committed four errors while the Cloverleaf fielders had a perfect night.
Hodgson (W) and Oakes
Huff (L), Bridgett (7) and Gardiner
(June 26) Playing on their home diamond, the Dauphin Redbirds disposed of the Riverside Canucks 6 to 2. Rich Mahlman limited the cellar-dwelling Canucks to just three singles while striking out 13 to post the knoll victory. Riverside starter Craig Bell, tagged for 11 of the 12 Dauphin hits, suffered the defeat. John Morrison was the big noise for the Redbirds with the baton, slamming a triple and single while Ron Low and Bob Urbanoski collected a double and single each. Coming up with a brace of one-base knocks were both Herb Andres and Bob Buchy.
Bell (L), Reid (7) and C. Seafoot
Mahlman (W) and Urbanoski
(June 28) A superb one-hit pitching effort by Hamiota’s Ron Ramsey allowed the hosting Red Sox to blank the Virden Oilers by a convincing 5 to 0 count. Rookie hurler Ramsey registered 12 strikeouts, walked three and hit one batter. His no-hit bid vanished in the third canto with a single off the bat of Oiler Bob Zarn. A four-run uprising in the fourth frame by his mates was more than enough required for victory. Bryan Smith had the most impactful blow in that inning, a two-run single. Losing flinger Tom Scott gave up six hits and eight walks while punching out four.
T. Scott (L) and Gardiner
R. Ramsey (W) and Wright
(June 28) An awesome display of hitting power ignited the Dauphin Redbirds to a doubleheader sweep of the hometown Rolla NoDaks. The invaders ambushed the NoDaks 29 to 5 in the opening clash which ended after seven stanzas when the hosts conceded. The second tilt went the full nine cantos and was a little less embarrassing for Rolla than the first result but still was a one-sided 16 to 8 shellacking by the Dauphinites.
Already holding a healthy 11 to 5 margin as they came to bat in the fifth inning of the lid-lifter, the Redbirds put this one on ice by collecting a whopping 15 more tallies in that frame. The victors collected 21 base blows in this abbreviated contest as Ron Low led the way with a homer and two singles, good enough for seven RBI’s, while Ken Buchy and Herb Andres collected two singles and a double each. Bob Neufeld clipped the orb for a four-bagger and a single. Gary Anderson nailed a three-run circuit-clout for the Dakotans.
Neufeld, Rottman (W) (3), Keating (5) and Urbanoski, Gallant (6)
Kurtti, Roberge (L) (2), Burkholder (5), Gailfus (5), Anderson (5) and Martinson
In the follow-up assignment, things didn’t exactly improve for the NoDaks as the visitors collected 17 safeties in another 30-hit slugfest. Dauphin starter Gary Keating picked up the win but he needed eighth-inning assistance from a pair of relievers. Dave Ouradnik was stung with the defeat. Keating helped his cause with a four-hit performance, all singles. Rich Mahlman added three one-base raps. For the losers, Gord Roberge hammered a dinger, two singles and a double while Jim Gailfus belted a tater and a one-bagger.
Keating (W), Andres (8), Neufeld (8) and Day, Urbanoski (6)
Ouradnik (L), Anderson (8), Martinson (9) and Gailfus, McDougall (8)
(June 28) The host Souris Cardinals consolidated their second-place standing with a 17 to 2 hammering of the Riverside Canucks. With import Bernie Graner spinning a five-hitter, the Cards built up a comfortable 13 – 0 lead after five frames and breezed to their six triumph of the campaign. Russ Reid started on the hill for the basement-dwelling Canucks and was charged with the setback. Souris’ Bill Carpenter continued his league-leading home run clip by unloading his fourth, a three-run blast, and added a pair of singles. Doug Armour and Greg Cameron contributed two singles and a double each to the winners’ 17 –hit offense while Dick Marden and Don Hodgson both singled twice.
Reid (L), Kaplar (4), P. Solon (5) and C. Seafoot, D. Solon (4)
Graner (W) and Dell
(June 29) Homestanding Dauphin handed the Hamiota Red Sox just their second setback of the season, clipping the Scarlet Stockings 6 to 2. The Redbirds wasted little time in taking control of the fracas as they blasted Hamiota starting slabster Ellis Woods from the bump in the opening canto while piling up a four-spot. The Sox pecked away at the deficit, plating singletons in the second and third, but were never able to get any sustained momentum. A deuce in the eighth put a bow on it for the Redbirds who outswatted the visitors by an 11 to 8 margin. Bob Buchy had a two-run double and single for the victors while Rich Mahlman, John Morrison and Bob Neufeld added two singles each. Bryan Smith and Rick Robinson both singled twice for the Hamiotans.
Woods (L), Lyall (1) and Wright
Mahlman, Rottman (W) (4) and Urbanoski
(June 29) The Souris Cardinals moved to within two games of the front-running Hamiota Red Sox by knocking off the Brandon Cloverleafs 4 to 1 at Kinsmen Stadium. Import Dick Marsden limited the Leafs to nine hits and one free pass, while striking out eight, in copping the complete-game victory. Losing flinger Bob Fitchner also went the route, allowing ten base raps, issuing six walks and fanning a pair. The Cardinals’ Brian Moffatt, Greg Cameron and Doug Armour all contributed two singles while Jack Borotsik of the Wheat City nine replicated the feat.
Marsden (W) and Dell
Fitchner (L) and Gray, Oakes (8)
(July 1) Birtle $1,600 annual Canada Day baseball tournament
(July 3) Catcher Cliff Seafoot was the driving force as the last-place Riverside Canucks upset the Brandon Cloverleafs 8 to 7 in an 11-inning encounter at Kinsmen Stadium. After flying out in his first appearance at the plate, the veteran backstop collected five consecutive hits, including two triples and a double, driving in three runs. He also scored a pair of runs including the winner in the top-of-the-eleventh. The Canucks added 15 other hits to their assault on complete-game loser Brian Hodgson. Playing-manager Gord Hunter, as well as Wes Rathwell, drilled three each, all singles, while Gene Cory added a double and single. Wayne Kaplar, the third in a trio of Riverside hurlers, was credited with the win. The threesome were tagged for 12 hits and walked 11. Switch-hitting Bill Chapple led the Leafs’ hitting attack with a double and two singles while Rick McFadyen slapped out three one-baggers.
Multiple outs were the order of the evening as Brandon had one double play and the Riversiders reeled off three twin-killings. On top of that, the Canucks pulled off the defensive play of the evening when they completed a triple play in the opening canto. With Cloverleaf runners at first and second, Bill Chapple’s liner was snared by Riverside first baseman Hunter who calmly stepped on the initial sack for a second out and then fired the horsehide to Wes Rathwell, covering the keystone bag, to catch easily catch the retreating runner by three or four strides for the final out.
Lilley, P. Solon (7), Kaplar (W) (8) and C. Seafoot
Hodgson (L) and Oakes
(July 5) The underdog Riverside Canucks outlasted the front-running Hamiota Red Sox in an 11 to 10 slugfest at Riverside. The Riversiders belted three Hamiota chuckers, including starter and loser Ron Ramsey, for 16 base knocks. Rookie Craig Bell was the batting hero for the upstart Canucks, collecting four doubles and driving in four runs including the tying and winning tallies. Starter Grant Everard, tagged for all ten runs and 13 hits garnered by the Red Sox in the 7-2/3 innings he toiled on the slab, picked up the win. Other than Bell, veterans Wes Rathwell and Cliff Seafoot had good outings at the plate for the winners, each contributing three hits with Seafoot’s safeties accounting for three RBI’s. Garth Sarasas, Bryan Smith and Mel Smith had multiple-hit games for the Red Sox.
R. Ramsey (L), Lyall (1), Woods (3) and Wright, B. Caldwell (8)
Everard (W), Lilley (8) and C. Seafoot
(July 5) The lowly Virden Oilers exploded for four big runs in the eighth inning to capture a 6 to 4 come-from-behind victory over the homestanding Souris Cardinals. Winning heaver Tom Scott checked the Cards on five singles in toeing the rubber for the entire game. He fanned 13 but had command issues, doling out a dozen bases-on-balls. Loser Dick Marsden, who also went the limit, was touched for nine safeties while fanning six and walking four. Norm Hemstad and Ralph Gardiner ripped to singles each, a feat duplicated by the Cards’ Greg Cameron.
T. Scott (W) and Gardiner
Marsden (L) and Dell
(July 7) The Hamiota Red Sox went on a hitting spree in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning and scored five big runs to edge the dazed Brandon Cloverleafs 9 to 8. The decisive blow, a triple by Bryan Smith, drove in the winning run. The Leafs blew a 7 to 1 lead, gained after six innings of play, in which they drove Hamiota starting heaver Glennis Smith from the mound in the fifth frame. Ron Ramsey, who replaced Scott on the bump, went the rest of the way for the win. Shell-shocked Brian Hodgson, who persevered to the bitter end on the hill for the Brandonites, was lit up for 16 safeties in absorbing the loss. Scott and John Wright of the Sox both creamed the orb for three safeties with a double included in Wright’s total of base raps. Lynn Caldwell had two singles, accounting for four RBI’s while Bob Caldwell also singled twice. Bob Wilson led the Leafs’ 14-hit offense with a pair of singles and a double while Bob Thompson and newcomer Larry McCulloch both delivered a double and a one-bagger.
Hodgson (L) and Oakes
G. Scott, R. Ramsey (W) (5) and Wright
(July 8) The hometown Dauphin Redbirds needed an extra inning and an error to nose past the Riverside Canucks 4 to 3. Winning pitcher Rich Mahlman scored the deciding counter in the bonus round of play after singling, moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, advancing to third on a passed ball and romping in with the walkoff tally when Herb Andres’ fly ball to the left pasture was muffed by rookie Craig Bell. The Canucks outswatted their hosts by a 12 to 8 margin as both Mahlman and losing chucker Wayne Kaplar tossed the entire ten frames. John Morrison led the Redbirds with a double and single while Cliff Seafoot was tops for the Canucks with three singles. Riverside lodged a protest following a disallowed seventh-inning run which would have given them the victory after nine innings of play. On July 20, league president Ab Richardson upheld the protest and awarded the game to the Canucks.
Kaplar (L) and C. Seafoot
Mahlman (W) and Urbanoski, Day (7)
(July 8) Import Jim Huff tossed a two-hitter as the Virden Oilers whipped the visiting Rolla NoDaks 8 to 0 in MSBL action. Bill Berube got to Huff for both Rolla safeties, singles in the opening and seventh stanzas. In posting the complete-game shutout, Huff collected 13 strikeouts and walked six. Losing flinger Tom Kurtti also went the route, surrendering 12 hits and whiffing 11. Although Kurtti walked only three batters, he did encounter some control problems as four wild pitches allowed as many runs to ramble in from third base. Jim Madder led the Oilers offensively with a triple and single while teammates Bob Downey and Ralph Gardiner added a double and single each.
Kurtti (L) and Martinson
Huff (W) and Gardiner
(July 10) The once-lowly Virden Oilers put together their second straight victory, a 2 to 1 upset of the front-running Hamiota Red Sox. Import Tom Scott, with a superb ninth-inning save performance by Ted Bridgett, copped the heaving decision over rookie Allan McNiven of the Sox. Jim Huff’s two-run homer in the top-of-the-ninth gave the visitors the win. Bryan Smith nailed a bases-empty four-ply clout for Hamiota’s lone tally in the fifth. The Red Sox registered eight safeties to six for the victors.
T. Scott (W), Bridgett (9) and Gardiner
McNiven (L) and Wright
(July 10) The Souris Cardinals moved to within a game of the league-leading Hamiota Red Sox by defeating the Dauphin Redbirds 8 to 3. The Cards, playing at home, received a five-hit pitching effort from import Dick Marsden en route to the win. Not only did Marsden impress with his work from the knoll, he also packed a potent bat, smashing a pair of taters, one a grand-salami dinger, as well as a single. Clubmate Bill Carpenter followed Marden’s bases-clearing round-tripper by going yard with a solo circuit-jack. Losing chucker Gary Keating went the distance for the Redbirds and was lit up for 11 base knocks, including the triad of four-baggers. Rich Mahlman was best with the baton for Dauphin, dialing long distance with a second-stanza home run plus a single.
Keating (L) and Day, B. Buchy (9)
Marsden (W) and Dell
(July 10) With ageless Lorne Lilley toeing the rubber, the hometown Riverside Canucks doubled up on the Rolla NoDaks 6 to 3. In going the distance for the mound verdict, Lilley scattered nine Rolla hits, one of them a double by Dennis Burkholder. The NoDaks, meanwhile, utilized three twirlers as starter and loser Dave Ouradnik was sent packing in the fifth frame. The trio surrendered 11 hits. A two-run single in the fifth-inning by rookie Craig Bell broke a 2 – 2 tie and provided the Riversiders with the ultimate winning counter. Grant Everard had a double and two singles for the Canucks. Teammates Dwight Solon and Ross Kinsley checked in with a double and one-bagger each.
Ouradnik (L), Kurtti (5), Roberge (5) and Gailfus, Anderson (6)
Lilley (W) and D. Solon
(July 12) The Brandon Cloverleafs ended their four-game tailspin by defeating the NoDaks at Rolla 9 to 4. Big Bob Thompson, Brandon right-hander, checked the NoDaks on eight hits in going the distance for the win. Gord Roberge, meanwhile, rang up 11 punchouts but was tagged for 11 Cloverleaf safeties in suffering the loss. Thompson also helped himself at the plate with a double and two singles. Shortstop Bill Chapple equalled Thompson’s output while flychaser Bob Wilson had four RBI’s. Terry Anderson and Bill Berube accounted for the Rolla tallies as Anderson connected for a three-run homer while Berube delivered a solo shot in addition to a two-bagger.
Thompson (W) and Gray
Roberge (L) and Martinson, Gailfus (6)
(July 12) The suddenly-hot Virden Oilers edged the invading Riverside Canucks 9 to 8 in a ten-inning affair. The clubs were deadlocked 4 – 4 after nine innings, sending the encounter into a bonus round of play. In winning their third in a row, the Oilers made a dramatic overtime comeback in putting up a five-spot after the Canucks went on a rampage by scoring four runs in the top-of-the-tenth. Seventh-inning reliever Ted Bridgett got the win while Wayne Kaplar, who entered the fracas in the tenth and was nailed for all five Virden runs in that episode, absorbed the setback. Jim Madder and Norm Hemstad drilled a double and two singles each for the winners. Madder was the hero of the contest, driving in the tying counter in the bottom-of-the-ninth and the winning marker in the overtime session. For Riverside, Gene Cory collected a double and three singles while starting heaver Grant Everard had a pair of doubles, a one-bagger and four RBI’s. Rookie Craig Bell chipped in with a four-bagger and added a single.
Everard, Kaplar (L) (10) and C. Seafoot
Huff, Bridgett (W) (7) and Gardiner
(July 13) Exploding for eight runs in a wild eighth episode, the Souris Cardinals went on to take down the visiting Hamiota Red Sox 13 to 7 to move a few percentage points in front of the losers in the MSBL pennant race. Reliever Lew Morrison was credited with the victory while Ron Ramsey, who imploded in the drastic eighth, was tagged with the defeat. Ellis Woods, who ascended the bump after Ramsey was given the hook, failed to stop the bleeding. The Red Sox had a slight 12 to 11 edge in base raps. Souris starting heaver Bernie Graner singled three times, good for three RBI’s. Clubmates Dick Marsden, John Dell and Lynn McEvoy each whacked the horsehide for a double and single with McEvoy’s blows driving in four runs. Lynn Caldwell cranked out a grand-slam home run for the Sox while Al Robertson and Gord Lyall added three one-base knocks each.
R. Ramsey (L), Woods (8) and Woods, B. Caldwell (8)
Graner, Morrison (W) (8) and Dell
(July 15) Import southpaw Tom Scott of the Virden Oilers checked the Brandon Cloverleafs on four hits, two of that number scratch infield singles, and still lost 3 to 1 as his mates weren’t able to come up with a clutch hit when bingles meant bacon. Scott, the league’s strikeout leader with 86 following his eight-whiff performance at Kinsmen Stadium, ran into some control problems and walked six. Another southpaw, Brian Hodgson, went the route for the Leafs, allowing eight singles and four free passes while accumulating 11 punchouts. Virden backstop Ralph Gardiner was the lone batter from either club to manufacture two safeties, both singles.
T. Scott (L) and Gardiner
Hodgson (W) and Gray, Oakes (9)
(July 15) Donn Feldner pitched the visiting Hamiota Red Sox to a 6 to 0 whitewashing of the Rolla NoDaks. No game details were published.
(July 16) Right-hander Bob Thompson rang up 13 punchouts, including one which catcher Maurice Oakes muffed with two retired in the ninth inning, as the Brandon Cloverleafs edged the Souris Cardinals 4 to 3 in an exciting MSBL contest at Riverside Stadium. The missed third strike, with the Leafs in front by a pair, eventually allowed the Redbirds’ Brian Moffatt to bat and he promptly came through with an RBI- single to reduce Brandon’s lead to just one. Thompson, with the potential tying run aboard, then bore down and whiffed pinch-hitter Don Kowalchuk for the final out of the game. The Wheat City slabster yielded five hits and walked just two in his route-gong effort. Other than the third inning when the hosting Leafs scored all four of their counters on a brace of fielding miscues and four hits, including a triple by Bob Wilson, losing chucker Dick Marsden of the Cards was tough on the victors, limiting them to six safeties while punching out nine. Wilson was the lone batter from either side to register a brace of bingles, adding a one-base hit to his three-bagger.
Marsden (L) and Dell
Thompson (W) and Oakes
(July 16) By virtue of an 11 to 6 conquest of the Virden Oilers, the Hamiota Red Sox moved 1-1/2 games in front of Souris in the MSBL standings. Relievers Ron Ramsey, the winner, and Jim Huff, the loser, were the pitchers of record in the eight-inning, darkness-shortened tilt. Al Robertson and Mel Smith powered the Sox to the win with three singles each as well as four and three RBI’s respectively. Bryan Smith and Ramsey added two singles each. Jack Day drilled a double and two singles in a losing cause, good for three RBI’s. Veteran Norm Hemstad picked up a pair of singles.
G. Scott, R. Ramsey (W) (6) and Wright
Bridgett, Labossiere (5), Huff (L) (7) and Gardiner
(July 17) The Brandon Cloverleafs, powered by four home runs, got past the Riverside Canucks 8 to 6 in a seven-inning, rain-shortened MSBL contest. Two of the round-trippers came in the seventh and final frame, accounting for three runs, and pulling the Cloverleafs ahead after trailing 6 – 4. Reliever Ron Powers got credit for the mound verdict over Riverside starter Lorne Lilley. Bob Thompson smashed a two-run tater to tie the game and then Brian Hodgson belted Lilley’s next offering for a solo dinger for what turned out to be the winning tally. Bill Gray had one the Wheat City nine’s other four-bagger, a sixth-inning blast, to go along with two singles. Bob Wilson unloaded the initial Leaf circuit-jack in the first canto. Gene Cory of the Canucks also delivered a four-ply clout, as well as a one-bagger.
Fitchner, Powers (W) (4), Thompson (7), Hodgson (7) and Gray
Lilley (L), Reid (7) and C. Seafoot
(July 18-19) Manitoba Qualifying Tournament for Canadian Senior Championship
(July 19) The Souris Cardinals travelled to Riverside and hammered the Canucks 14 to 1. The Cards’ potent bats turned the venture into a carnival as they unloaded 14 hits and outlasted losing pitcher Craig Bell and reliever Paul Solon for nine bases-on-balls. Winning pitcher Lew Morrison checked the Canucks on four hits while punching out ten. Souris third baseman Greg Cameron continued his personal assault on the league batting title by driving in three runs with a triple, two doubles and a single. Bill Carpenter had five RBI’s on the strength of two singles and a double while Doug Armour came through with a two-bagger plus a brace of one-base raps. Rookie Murray Thoms, a call-up from the Boissevain Border Kings of the South-Central circuit, accounted for the Riversiders’ lone tally with a sixth-inning solo homer.
Morrison (W) and Dell
Bell (L), P. Solon (3) and D. Solon
(July 19) Continuing their winning ways of late, the Dauphin Redbirds grabbed a doubleheader from the slipping Virden Oilers by scores of 4 to 2 and 6 to 3.
In the opening skirmish at Virden, the Redbirds had to overcome a one-run deficit in the final two innings for the victory, in spite of the fact that import Rich Mahlman twirled a complete-game one-hitter and struck out 15. Virden’s counterpart on the knoll, Tom Scott, also went the distance, yielding six safeties and fanning ten in suffering the loss. Both pitchers issued seven walks. Gary Keating led the Redbirds at the plate with a double and single while Dave Rottman stroked a brace of one-base raps.
Mahlman (W) and Day
T. Scott (L) and Gardiner
In the concluding clash, Gary Keating got credit for the mound win but required relief help from Rottman in the eighth. The duo swished eight and gave up seven safeties. Jim Huff went the route for the Oilers, allowing 11 hits, walking five and striking out a half-dozen. Keating drove in three of his team’s six runs with a double and single and Mahlman did his share with four singles. Jerry Shumanski and Bob Neufeld added two singles each, the same output as provided by Jack Day and Bob Zarn of the vanquished nine.
Keating (W), Rottman (8) and Day
Huff (L) and Gardiner, Hemstad (7)
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Hamiota 13 5 .722 ----
Souris 11 5 .688 1.0
Dauphin 9 6 .600 2.0
Brandon 9 9 .500 4.0
Rolla 6 11 .353 6.5
Virden 6 12 .333 7.0
Riverside 6 12 .333 7.0
(July 21) The Dauphin Redbirds, smarting from an league-decreed loss against Riverside in a disputed July 8 contest, invaded Canuck country and extracted sweet revenge by winning a game 4 to 3 against the Riversiders that was worth two victories in the standings.
The Redbirds and Canucks had previously fought to a 5 – 5 stalemate on June 5 in a suspended match and, according to league rules when play resumed, the first team to lead at the end of a complete inning would get credit for a win. John Morrison’s only hit, a single, drove in a second-inning Dauphin tally to settle that issue. Then it was up to Dave Rottman to preserve that slim lead and, he did just that by striking out nine and walking four. For his effort, Rottman was credited with two wins. Grant Everard went the distance in suffering the dual defeats. He struck out five and walked three. Herb Andres hit a double and two singles for the winners while teammates Ron Low and Gerry Shumanski stroked a double and single each. For Riverside, Everard drilled a triple and single, Gord Hunter a double and single and Randy Earl a couple of one-base hits.
Rottman (W) and Day
Everard (L) and C. Seafoot
(July 21) The sliding Rolla NoDaks started off like gang-busters in their encounter with the high-flying Souris Cardinals but faltered in the late innings en route to a 3 to 2 Souris victory. Plating a deuce on two safeties in their opening turn at bat, the Dakotans were tough opponents for the hosts but winning tosser Bernie Graner of the Cards slammed the door after the shaky opening-canto start, allowing just two singles the rest of the way while breezing 15 and walking a pair. Graner and his clubmates began to chip away with single runs in the second, eighth and ninth to salt the victory away and move within a half-game of the league-leading Hamiota nine. Doug Armour led the Souris comeback with a double and a pair of singles while Lynn McEvoy and Graner added two singles each.
Kurtti (L) and McDougall
Graner (W) and Dell
(July 22) The homestanding Rolla NoDaks, behind the exceptional hitting and pitching of veteran Gord Roberge, upset the Hamiota Red Sox. The loss for the Crimson Hose dropped them a few percentage points behind Souris in the battle for top spot in the MSBL west. Roberge checked the normally-potent Hamiotans on four hits and three walks, while striking out 13. Lefthander Donn Feldner whiffed out ten, walked a half-dozen and surrendered eight Rolla safeties in absorbing the route-going loss. Aside from his solid performance on the bump, Roberge collected a pair of singles and drove in a run. Jim Berube tripled and singled while Bill Berube, Dave Ouradnik and Tom Kurtti each added a two-bagger and a one-base hit. Lynn Caldwell hammered a triple for the Red Sox.
Feldner (L) and Wright
Roberge (W) and McDougall
(July 26) The Dauphin Redbirds shutout the Rolla NoDaks for 22 consecutive innings in sweeping a twin-bill from the invading Dakotans by scores of 3 to 0 and 1 to 0, the latter contest requiring 13 frames before a final result was reached. The pair of wins gives the Redbirds a share of second place in the seven-team circuit. In the curtain-raiser, it was Dauphin’s Gary Keating who blanked the NoDaks, limiting them to three hits while walking four and breezing eight. Losing tosser Gord Roberge, with a six-hitter, pitched well for the Amerks but simply had no offensive support. Rich Mahlman led the Redbird offensive charge, driving in the winning run while accumulating a double and single. Keating aided his cause with a couple of one-base hits.
Roberge (L) and McDougall
Keating (W) and Day
The nightcap wasn’t settled until four extra frames had been played and ended on a controversial note. Dave Rottman’s timely two-out blast with the bases loaded in the bottom-of-the-thirteenth canto broke up what had been, up until then, a scoreless game. The NoDaks, however, lodged a protest, claiming that one of the Dauphin baserunners had missed touching a bag following the decisive hit. Rottman was also the winning heaver, having hurled all 13 spasms while holding the Rolla hitters to just four safeties. Dave Ouradnik suffered the loss. He also went the distance, giving up seven hits. Nary a player from either team managed to acquire more than one base knock.
Ouradnik (L) and McDougall
Rottman (W) and Day
(July 26) The Souris Cardinals took over sole possession of first place in the MSBL west standings with a decisive 16 to 8 doubling of the Brandon Cloverleafs. The Cards now enjoy a half-game lead over both Dauphin and the idle Hamiota Red Sox. The game itself was a heavy-hitting affair with the victors ringing up 19 safeties to 11 for the Leafs. Souris reliever Bernie Graner garnered the win over starting Brandon chucker Brian Hodgson. Dick Marsden stroked four singles for the Cards while Brian Moffatt and Lynn McEvoy added three each. Bill Carpenter collected a double and single and mates Doug Armour, Don Hodgson and Graner added two singles each. Jack Borotsik and Bill Chapple were tops with the lumber for the Wheat City nine with a double and one-bagger each while Bob Thompson laced a couple of one-base hits.
Hodgson (L), Powers (7) and Gray
Marsden, Graner (W) (4) and Dell
(July 26) The Virden Oilers pushed the lowly Riverside Canucks to the brink of elimination, coming out on top 4 to 0 behind the eight-hit pitching of import Tom Scott. One more loss for the Riversiders will sideline them from obtaining a playoff berth. Scott went the distance, striking out 12 Canucks and walking three in earning his fifth win of the campaign. Starting Riverside chucker Paul Solon was nailed with the loss. Although the Oilers’ Norm Hemstad had a perfect day at the plate with three singles and a pair of walks, it was Ted Bridgett’s bat that did most of the damage. The veteran first baseman-pitcher drove in three of the Virden runs on the strength of a pair of timely one-baggers. Teammate Mike Labossiere also had a brace of bingles. Cliff Seafoot and Ross Kinsley both banged out a double and single for the vanquished nine.
T. Scott (W) and Hemstad
P. Solon (L), Kaplar (7) and C. Seafoot, D. Solon (9)
(July 28) The Riverside Canucks, last season’s MSBL west pennant-winners, lost their final chance of gaining a playoff spot as they were pulverized 11 to 4 by the hosting Souris Cardinals. Besides going the distance on the knoll in gaining the pitching win, import Dick Mardsen keyed a five-run Souris uprising in the second stanza by leading off with a homer. The Cards’ twirler also added a single while checking the Canucks on eight hits. Losing heaver Lorne Lilley made his exit after four frames. Marsden’s teammate Doug Armour added a double and single to the 11-hit Souris total while Bernie Graner and John Dell contributed two singles each. Veteran catcher Cliff Seafoot led the Riversiders offensively with a double and single while Wes Rathwell and Craig Bell both stroked a couple of singles.
Lilley (L), Kaplar (5) and C. Seafoot, D. Solon (7)
Marsden (W) and Dell
(July 28) Bob Buchy’s two-run homer in the eighth-inning carried the Dauphin Redbirds to a close 3 to 2 victory over the hometown Hamiota Red Sox. Rich Mahlman, with nine punchouts, went all the way for the Redbirds to cop the hurling triumph over Ron Ramsey who had seven whiffs. Dauphin had a slight 9 to 8 edge in base knocks. Ron Low of the winners accounted for his team’s only other run with an RBI-single in the fourth frame and added a second one-bagger in the eighth just prior to Buchy’s game-winning blast. Bob Neufeld added a double and single. Lynn Caldwell drove in both Red Sox counters with a timely third-canto safety. Al Robertson ripped a double and single off Mahlman while Bryan Smith and Gord Lyall managed two singles each.
Mahlman (W) and B. Buchy
R. Ramsey (L) and Wright
(July 28) The Virden Oilers needed an extra inning to dispose of the gritty Rolla NoDaks 5 to 3 in the Dakota town. The win moved the Oilers to within 1-1/2 games of the fourth-place Brandon Cloverleafs while the loss for Rolla all but eliminated them from the playoff picture. Winning flinger Jim Huff unloaded a two-run round-tripper in the opening canto for Virden and fashioned a six-hitter while punching out 15 NoDaks in going the full ten innings on the bump. He walked three, the same number as losing heaver Tom Kurtti who was touched for ten safeties while registering an equal sum of whiffs. Kurtti was hampered throughout by three costly errors and seven passed balls. Bob Zarn stroked a triad of one-baggers in support of Huff while teammate Ted Bridgett added a pair. Rolla’s Gary Anderson slammed a two-run dinger in the fifth while Hank Besouie drove in the other run for the Dakotans with a single in the eighth episode. Mike McDougall stroked a brace of one-base raps.
Huff (W) and Hemstad
Kurtti (L) and McDougall
(July 29) The Rolla NoDaks joined the Riverside Canucks on the playoff sidelines when they were victims of a late Brandon comeback at Kinsmen Stadium wherein the Cloverleafs came through with a 6 to 5 victory. The win for the Leafs consolidated their hold on the fourth and final playoff spot by two full games over the Virden Oilers. In arrears by a 5 to 1 count entering the bottom-half of the seventh stanza, the Wheat City nine reduced the deficit to a pair by plating a deuce in their portion of the chapter then reeled off a three-spot in the eighth to climax the comeback. The first of the triad of eighth-episode tallies that crossed the dish occurred when losing heaver Gord Roberge panicked, when Roy McLachan broke for home from third base on an attempted suicide squeeze, and heaved the throw homeward well over the head of catcher Mike McDougall. One out later, Dennis Wiebe nailed his third single of the evening, stole second and scored the equalizer when Bob Wilson cuffed the last of his three one-baggers. Wilson then moved into scoring position with a theft of the keystone sack and then galloped in with the winner as another one-base hit, this one by Maurice Oakes, gave the Brandonites the lead. Bob Thompson struck out 13, yielded nine hits and issued just one walk in garnering the complete-game mound victory. Roberge was nicked for a dozen Brandon base raps.
Roberge (L) and McDougall
Thompson (W) and Gray
(July 30) The race for the last berth in the MSBL west playoffs heated up as the hosting Virden Oilers edged the Brandon Cloverleafs 5 to 4, reducing the lead of the Wheat City baseballers to just one-game in the battle for fourth place. Oiler import Tom Scott scattered nine hits in gong all the way for the win. He struck out seven and walked as many. Lefthander Brian Hodgson was the pitcher of record for the Leafs. He, too, went the route, surrendering nine hits while fanning nine and giving up one free pass. Mike Labossiere unloaded a two-run homer to lead Virden to the win. Jim Madder added three singles, Bob Zarn a double and one-bagger and Norm Hemstad a couple of one-base raps. Bob Wilson led the Cloverleaf swatsmiths with a two-run tater and an RBI-sacrifice fly. Jack Borotsik garnered a double and single while Dennis Wiebe and Maurice Oakes slammed two singles each.
Hodgson (L) and Oakes
T. Scott (W) and Hemstad
(August 3) Souris Invitational Baseball Tournament
(August 4) By defeating the Souris Cardinals 10 to 3, the third-place Hamiota Red Sox closed the gap between them and the co-leading Cards to just half-a-game. The game was close until the seventh stanza when the hosting Sox broke through seven runs thanks to four singles, a walk and three costly Souris errors. Winning flinger Glennis Scott, who yielded six hits, and loser chucker Bernie Graner, who was combed for nine safeties, both went the distance. Mel Smith and John Wright led the winners at the plate with a pair of singles each. No one from the Cards managed to stroke more than one base rap.
Graner (L) and Dell
G. Scott (W) and Wright
(August 5) The Dauphin Redbirds helped themselves, not to mention the Virden Oilers, by edging the Brandon Cloverleafs 4 to 3 in an important MSBL west struggle that was called after eight innings because of darkness. With the crucial win, the Redbirds, who rallied from a 3 to 0 deficit, moved into first place in the three-team push for the pennant. The Leafs, meanwhile, gave up a half-game in their battle with Virden for the final playoff spot. Import slabster Dave Rottman went the distance to pick up the mound win, his seventh of the season. He scattered six hits, struck out seven and issued three walks. Rottman helped himself by bashing a pair of singles and driving in a run. Brandon’s Bob Thompson also went the route, giving up 11 hits, punching out a half-dozen while walking one. John Morrison, Ron Low and Bob Buchy each singled twice for the victors with Morrison’s brace of raps driving in a pair of runs. The Cloverleafs’ Dennis Wiebe continued his hot pace of late, amassing a double and single while teammate Jack Borotsik stroked a couple of one-base safeties.
Thompson (L) and Brisson, Oakes (7)
Rottman (W) and Day
(August 6) The Souris Cardinals devastated the hosting Virden Oilers by snatching 3 to 1 and 4 to 1 wins in a two-for-one contest that resulted from a 1 – 1 tie game suspended on June 11. The Cards captured the extension of the June tilt by scoring three runs in the fourth inning compared to one for the Oilers. The double-winners then added another insurance run in the seventh and final inning of the regular-scheduled game, abbreviated because of darkness. Import heaver Dick Marsden got credit for the two wins, scattering seven hits, walking a mere two and fanning six. The hard-luck duo of double-loser Jim Huff and reliever Tom Scott yielded just four hits to the visitors and combined for nine whiffs. Their downfall was in issuing seven bases-on-balls, four of which were generously handed out by Huff in the fourth frame when Souris plated a three-spot. Marsden led his mates in the hitting department with a double and single. Mike Labossiere hit his second homer in as many games for the vanquished Oilers, a solo shot while veteran Norm Hemstad had a triple and one-bagger.
Marsden (W) and Dell
Huff (L), T. Scott (7) and Hemstad
(August 6) The Hamiota Red Sox stayed very much in the chase for the 1970 MSBL pennant by knocking off the hosting Brandon Cloverleafs 8 to 5. A single game now separates the first three teams in the circuit and is also the margin that the losing Leafs maintain over the fifth-place Virden Oilers. Neither starting pitcher was at his best and neither made it to the end as it was a hitter’s evening at Kinsmen Park. The Red Sox raked losing heaver Brian Hodgson for 13 of their 14 base knocks and all of their runs. Winning flinger Ron Ramsey also started on the hill and was tagged for all five Brandon counters while giving up nine of the 11 safeties garnered by the Leafs. Veteran Hamiota second sacker Al Robertson led the batting barrage with a triple and two singles. He also drove in a pair of runs and scored one himself. Mel Smith followed for the winners with a triple and two-bagger while Bob Caldwell socked a pair of doubles. Switch-hitting Bill Chapple couldn’t be faulted for the Cloverleaf loss. He garnered three hits including a run-scoring triple. Bob Thompson added a double and single.
R. Ramsey (W), Lyall (6). B. Smith (8) and Wright
Hodgson (L), Wiebe (8) and Gray, Oakes (9)
(August 7) Assuming the role of spoilers, the cellar-dwelling Riverside Canucks ended their season on a positive note by upsetting the homestanding Hamiota Red Sox 7 to 4, bringing an abrupt end to the pennant aspirations of the hosting Crimson Hose. Veteran Lorne Lilley scattered seven hits in going all the way on the bump for the Riversiders. The only Hamiotans to get to him were Mel Smith, who unloaded four safeties including a double, and Ells Woods, who stroked three singles. The Scarlet Stockings used three chuckers with starter Al McNiven, driven from the knoll in the opening canto, being nailed with the defeat. Grant Everard led the Canucks nine-hit offensive assault with a double and single while Lilley, Gene Cory and Craig Bell all added two singles.
Lilley (W) and C. Seafoot
McNiven (L), Lyall (1), Woods (8) and Woods, Wright (8)
(August 7) Thanks to a 5 to 3 decision over the hometown Dauphin Redbirds, the Souris Cardinals are guaranteed no worse than a tie for the MSBL west pennant. A four-run uprising in the fourth inning was all the Cards needed for victory. Winning pitcher Bernie Graner effectively spaced ten Dauphin hits, struck out eight and walked one in recording the complete-game mound triumph over Bob Neufeld. Although he checked the invaders on eight hits and four walks while breezing six, Neufeld was rocked for five base raps in the fatal fourth while, at the same time, his mates were committing a couple of costly errors. John Dell led the Souris attack with a run-scoring double and a single while Graner drilled two one-base hits and also had an RBI. For the Redbirds, John Morrison had a pair of hits, including a double, and drove in a tally. Neufeld and Dave Rottman delivered two singles each.
Graner (W) and Dell
Neufeld (L) and Morrison
(August 8) The Hamiota Red Sox, minus any hope of grabbing the MSBL west pennant, stopped the Dauphin Redbirds from that end by administering a 9 to 0 shellacking to the hometown Birds. The victory for the Hamiotans clinched the pennant for the idle Souris Cardinals. The one-sided contest was called after six frames of play. Right-hander Ron Ramsey earned his seventh win of the campaign, doling out but five hits, while starting heaver Gary Keating, derricked in the fourth frame, was saddled with the loss. Mel Smith paced the Red Sox at the plate with a homer and two singles, driving in four runs. Brother Bryan Smith chipped in with a pair of singles. Bob Buchy singled twice in a losing cause for Dauphin.
R. Ramsey (W) and Wright
Keating (L), Andres (4) and Day
(August 9) The Souris Cardinals, already assured of the 1970 MSBL west pennant, sidelined Virden from any post-season play in slipping by the Oilers 5 to 3. Making an infrequent appearance on the mound, Cards’ mentor Don Hunter pitched seven full innings in picking up the win. Import Dick Marsden mopped up. Losing flinger Tom Scott had serious control issues, walking nine batters, during his brief tenure on the bump as Ted Bridgett took over midway through the fourth. Souris emerged with a 10 to 8 advantage in base hits as first baseman Bill Carpenter led the way with three singles. Marsden unloaded a homer and added a one-bagger. Mike Labossiere and catcher Ralph Gardiner, the latter back in the lineup after several weeks of recovering from a broken thumb, had two singles each for the Oilers.
T. Scott (L), Bridgett (4) and Gardiner
Hunter (W), Marsden (8) and Dell
(August 9) The Dauphin Redbirds grabbed a share of second place with the Hamiota Red Sox by knocking off the Brandon Cloverleafs 8 to 6 in the sloppily-played final game of the MSBL west schedule. Sixth-inning reliever Dave Rottman earned the hillock decision while sophomore Rick McFadyen, the second of three Brandon twirlers, met with the setback. Ken Buchy had three singles for the victors and drove in the winning run while brother Bob Buchy hit a triple and single. John Morrison and Jerry Shumanski added to the 13-hit Redbird attack with a double and single each. The Leafs managed seven safeties including two by Jack Borotsik, one of which was a double.
Mahlman, Rottman (6) and B. Buchy, Morrison (6)
Thompson, McFadyen (L) (2), Powers (7) and Gray, Brisson (9)
Final standings W L Pct. GBL
Souris 18 6 .750 ----
Dauphin 16 8 .667 2.0
Hamiota 16 8 .667 2.0
Brandon 10 14 .417 8.0
Virden 9 15 .375 9.0
Rolla 8 16 .333 10.0
Riverside 7 17 .292 11.0
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Brandon vs Souris & Dauphin vs Hamiota (best-of-seven series)
(August 11) The Brandon Cloverleafs upset the pennant-winning Souris Cardinals 4 to 1 to win the opening-game of their best-of-seven west division semi-final. The Leafs, who struggled just to make the playoffs, received solid pitching from Bob Thompson and power-hitting from second baseman Jack Borotsik. Fireballing right-hander Thompson scattered nine hits, walked three and struck out five in going the distance for the win. Souris import Dick Marsden also toiled on the knoll all the way, giving up ten safeties while walking only two and punching out seven. Borotsik had his number, however, and unloaded two doubles and a single, driving in a run, off his slants. Roy McLachlan stroked a pair of singles for the winners as well. Bill Carpenter belted a double and single, driving in the Cards’ lone run. Lynn McEvoy added a couple of one-baggers.
Thompson (W) and Gray
Marsden (L) and Dell
(August 11) The hometown Hamiota Red Sox did all their scoring in the seventh and eighth innings in edging the Dauphin Redbirds 5 to 3 as their semi-final series got underway. Bryan Smith, in a rare mound appearance this season, went the distance for the Sox in copping the hillock verdict from Dauphin starter Bob Neufeld. The Redbirds had a narrow 9 to 8 advantage in base hits but, at the same time, their two tossers were more generous in doling out free passes than Smith. One of the runs plated by the winners was of the gift variety as Dauphin catcher John Morrison, losing his focus when a ground ball to third base was relayed home, mistakenly thought that a force play was in order and simply stepped on the plate, failing to tag the incoming runner who would have been dead-on-arrival. Glennis Scott laced a double and a run-scoring single for the Crimson Hose while Lynn Caldwell delivered a couple of one-base raps. Losing heaver Neufeld was best with the baton for the Birds with a double and single while Ron Low followed with a brace of singles.
Neufeld (L), Mahlman (8) and Morrison
B. Smith (W) and Wright
(August 13) With surprise starting pitcher, left-hander Dennis Wiebe on the mound, the Brandon Cloverleafs stunned the pennant-winning Souris Cardinals 4 to 3 to grab a two-game lead in their semi-final showdown. Lifted in the top-of-the-ninth with two retired for fireballing Bob Thompson, Wiebe picked up his first MSBL win ever. Far from overpowering, Wiebe was combed for nine hits, which were well-spaced, and he seemed to be at his best with ducks on the pond as the Cards stranded 12 baserunners. Control problems plagued him in the final canto when Souris made a valiant attempt to tie the score but Thompson bailed him out by breezing a called third strike past Lynn McEvoy to end the threat. The Leafs managed only four hits off losing chucker Bernie Graner but made the most of their scoring opportunities. Bob Wilson cracked a two-run dinger in the first inning and later added a pair of singles, one of which drove in what proved to be the winning run in the seventh stanza. Graner recorded ten whiffs in suffering the tough setback. He also led the Souris batting attack, cuffing a double and single. Teammates Greg Cameron and Doug Armour added a couple of singles each.
Graner (L) and Dell
Wiebe (W), Thompson (9) and Gray
(August 13) The Hamiota Red Sox took a 2 – 0 lead in their best-of-seven semi-final by edging the hometown Dauphin Redbirds 4 to 3. Ignited by the hitting of the Smith brothers, not to be confused with the cough-drop siblings, the Scarlet Stockings had a decisive 10 to 5 margin in base knocks. Mel Smith belted a two-run tater in the fourth frame and added a single while brother Bryan Smith made amends for a three-run error in the second inning by stroking three singles. Ron Ramsey went the distance on the hill, fanning four while walking as many, to pick up the pitching win over import Dave Rottman who sent 14 Hamiotans down swinging while walking a pair. Beside the heroics of the swinging Smiths, Lynn Caldwell tagged a pair of singles for the victors, an output duplicated by the Redbirds’ Bob Buchy.
R. Ramsey (W) and Wright
Rottman (L) and Day
(August 14) Unleashing a 15-hit attack, the Souris Cardinals closed the gap in their playoff series with Brandon by dumping the visiting Cloverleafs 13 to 2. The Wheat City pastimers still hold a lead in the series but now with only a 2 – 1 edge. Import Dick Marsden paved the way for the lopsided Souris win. While toeing the rubber, he scattered five safeties, walked one and swished six. Besides going all the way for the mound triumph, he used his big bat to advantage, unloading a two-run dinger, a run-scoring double plus a single. Clubmates Greg Cameron, Doug Armour, Bill Carpenter, Bernie Graner, Lynn McEvoy and Don Hodgson all stung the sphere for a brace of safeties with a double included in Cameron’s total. Starting heaver Bob Thompson of the Cloverleafs, kayoed from the knoll in the fourth frame, was tagged with the defeat. Bob Wilson connected for a two-run circuit-jack, accounting for both Leaf tallies. Teammate Jack Borotsik singled twice.
Thompson (L), McFadyen (4), Powers (8) and Gray
Marsden (W) and Dell
(August 14) Solid pitching by Glennis Scott, coupled with a couple key walks, was all that the Hamiota Red Sox needed to edge the Dauphin Redbirds 3 to 2 in their semi-final series that stretched the Red Sox advantage to three games. Scott checked the Redbirds on a pair of hits, one walk and eight strikeouts in going the distance for the win. Rich Mahlman, kayoed from the bump in the third panel when he encountered control issues and was tagged for a triad of tallies, was slapped with the loss. Although surrendering a mere two safeties, Mahlman issued seven bases-on-balls during his brief appearance on the slab. Gary Keating took over mound chores for Mahlman and fashioned a no-hitter the rest of the way while his mates were falling just short of creating a deadlock by scoring singletons in each of the sixth and ninth chapters. Lynn Caldwell’s sacrifice fly drove in Hamiota’s opening counter while a brace of bases-loaded walks forced in the other pair. John Morrison had an RBI-triple to account for Dauphin’s opening marker. After reaching base on a three-base error, Herb Andres plated the second Redbird
run on a wild pitch.
Mahlman (L), Keating (3) and Day
G. Scott (W) and Wright
(August 16) With thanks to a 2 to 1 extra-inning victory over the favored Souris Cardinals at Kinsmen, the Brandon Cloverleafs grabbed a 3 – 1 stranglehold on their semi-final playoff series. In the fourth game thriller, the Leafs scored the winning run in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning courtesy of an error to Cards’ shortstop Don Hodgson. Another Hodgson, this one left-handed chucker Brian Hodgson of the Wheat City baseballers, went the full ten innings on the rubber and pitched a superb game in gaining the victory over Bernie Graner who also went the route and as equally effective. Souris had a slight 6 to 5 edge in base hits. Graner, with a double and triple, was the only swatsmith from either team to deliver two base knocks.
Graner (L) and Dell
Hodgson (W) and Dell
(August 16) The Dauphin Redbirds kept their hopes alive in the best-of-seven MSBL west division semi-finals as they defeated the Hamiota Red Sox 7 to 5 in the fourth game. Hamiota now leads the series 3 – 1. Bob Neufeld went all the way on the hill for the victory while Hamiota starter Bryan Smith, driven from the slab after surrendering four runs in 1-2/3 innings of toil on the bump, was tagged with the loss. Al McNiven pitched the remainder of the contest, allowing the final three Redbird runs on four hits and four walks. Neufeld drilled a brace of timely singles in helping his cause. Mel Smith was the lone Hamiotan to get to Neufeld twice, cuffing a couple of singles.
B. Smith (L), McNiven (2) and Wright
Neufeld (W) and Morrison
(August 18) Refusing to bite the dust, the pennant-winning Souris Cardinals remained alive by edging the invading Brandon Cloverleafs 5 to 4 in game five to reduce their deficiency in the best-of-seven playoff series to a three to two shortfall. Import Dick Marsden, the triumphant twirler, allowed eight hits and didn’t issue a single free pass. Losing heaver Bob Thompson also allowed eight safeties and walked a pair. Both slabsters went all the way. Brian Moffatt’s three-run, bases-loaded triple in the first inning was the decisive blow for the Cards. Jack Borotsik of the Leafs also slammed a three-bagger to drive in a pair of fifth-inning counters. Aside from Moffatt’s three-RBI blow, he also had a single while Greg Cameron and Bernie Graner slapped out two singles apiece for the victors. Borotsik also added a one-base hit to his triple while Leaf clubmates Dave Bender and Dennis Wiebe contributed two singles apiece.
Thompson (L) and Gray
Marsden (W) and Sell
(August 18) The Dauphin Redbirds and Hamiota Red Sox didn’t solve anything in the fifth game of their best-of-seven semi-final series, battling to a ten-inning 4 – 4 draw. Hamiota needed an eight-inning three-spot to tie the game after trailing from the second inning on. Ron Ramsey of the Red Sox and Dauphin’s Dave Rottman battled tooth-and-nail for the entire ten chapters as the Hamiotans garnered nine safeties to eight for the Redbirds.
Rottman and Morrison
R. Ramsey and Wright
(August 19) A 6 to 5 home field victory over the Hamiota Red Sox kept the Dauphin Redbirds on life support. The game ended after eight innings because of darkness. After dropping the first three games of their semi-final series, the Redbirds have responded positively in do-or-die situations by reeling off a tie sandwiched around two victories. Rich Mahlman allowed five hits and six walks in taking the mound verdict from veteran Glennis Scott who was combed for ten safeties while giving up three free passes. Both hurlers went the route. The Buchy brothers did the most damage for Dauphin as they had five hits between them. Bob socked three singles while Ken had a double and single along with a pair of RBI’s. Mahlman helped his own cause with a triple and single. Lynn Caldwell singled twice and drove in four runs for the Red Sox.
G. Scott (L) and Wright
Mahlman (W) and Morrison
(August 20) A three-run outburst in the top-of-the-ninth inning allowed the Souris Cardinals to stay alive for another day as they were able to eke out a 4 to 3 come-from-behind victory over the Brandon Cloverleafs. In squaring the semi-final series at three games each, the Cards were down to their final out when Doug Armour came through with a clutch two-out, two-run triple to tie the score. Dick Marsden followed with a slow roller that hard-luck losing pitcher Brian Hodgson wasn’t able to handle, allowing Armour to score what proved to be the winner. Both Hodgson and winning tosser Bernie Graner pitched the entire game and both surrendered seven safeties. Greg Cameron lashed a pair of singles for the winners and was the only batter in the contest with multiple hit totals.
Graner (W) and Dell
Hodgson (L) and Gray
(August 20) The Dauphin Redbirds have battled back to even their best-of-seven semi-finals with the Hamiota Red Sox at three games each plus a tie, by virtue of a 6 to 4 triumph over the hosting Sox. Dauphin erupted for a brace of eighth-inning counters to break a 4 – 4 deadlock and cop the do-or-die victory. Bob Neufeld, in relief of Gary Keating, was credited with the pitching victory while Hamiota’s Bryan Smith, who went the distance, suffered the setback. The Red Sox had eight base knocks to seven by the Redbirds but made five untimely errors which cost them big time. Herb Andres had a double and a pair of singles for the Dauphinites while Lynn Caldwell was tops for the vanquished nine with a couple of one-base raps.
Keating, Neufeld (W) (4) and Morrison
B. Smith (L) and Wright
(August 21) Battling back after losing the first three games of their playoff series with the Hamiota Red Sox, the Dauphin Redbirds won the eighth and final game in the hard-fought series 7 to 5 to move into the MSBL finals. It was a free-hitting finale with the Redbirds holding a slight 11 to 10 edge in base hits. Dave Rottman went all the way for Dauphin to garner the knoll decision, whiffing seven and walking just one while Hamiota’s Gord Lyall, in relief of starter Ron Ramsey, was tagged with the loss. Bob Buchy led the way for the Redbirds at the dish with a triple and a pair of singles while Bob Neufeld drilled a brace of one-baggers. Ramsey and Glennis Scott both had a double and one-base hit for the Red Sox while Lyall rapped a couple of singles.
R. Ramsey, Lyall (L), G. Scott (6) and B. Smith
Rottman (W) and Morrison
(August 23) Before more than 1,500 fans at Souris, the invading Brandon Cloverleafs reeled off four twin-killings in bouncing the hometown Cardinals 12 to 6 to win game seven in a tough MSBL west semi-final showdown. Big Bob Thompson went all the way on the hill for the Wheat City victory, allowing ten base hits. Losing chucker Dick Marsden lasted 7-1/3 innings before being relieved by Bernie Graner. The Cardinal duo shelled out a dozen safeties to the Cloverleaf swatsmiths. Thanks to a grand-slam home run by Dennis Wiebe, the Leafs took control of the game in the second inning with a six-run splurge. Wiebe later connected for a double. Thompson also had a good evening at the plate as he stroked three timely singles. Jack Borotsik lined a brace of one-baggers while speedy flychaser Bob Wilson launched a solo four-ply clout. First baseman Bill Carpenter of the dejected pennant-winning Cards blasted a home run, double and single. Doug Armour and Graner followed with two singles each.
Thompson (W) and Gray
Marsden (L), Graner (7) and Dell
(August 28-31) Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball senior championship tournament
FINALS Brandon vs Dauphin (best-of-seven series)
(September 1) The Brandon Cloverleafs travelled to Dauphin and upset the short-staffed Redbirds 7 to 5 as the MSBL west finals got underway. With southpaw Brian Hodgson providing superb relief hurling, the Leafs bounced back twice from deficits to finally prevail in the affair, limited to eight episodes because of darkness. The Redbirds garnered seven safeties to six for the invaders but stranded ten baserunners compared to six for Brandon. Bob Neufeld went the distance for Dauphin, striking out seven and walking five, in taking the loss. Hodgson limited the hosts to two hits and one run after taking over pitching chores in the fifth frame. The five Brandon safeties were equally distributed with the most impactful swat being a two-run double by Dave Bender. Herb Andres paced the Redbirds at the plate with a pair of base knocks, including an inside-the-park home run. Ken Buchy also had a brace of bingles, one of which was a run-scoring two-bagger.
McFadyen, Hodgson (W) (5) and Gray
Neufeld (L) and Day
(September 3) Despite the loss of both of their impactful import players, Dave Rottman and Rich Mahlman who have both returned to California, and with another regular John Morrison limited to just spot duty as he is in attendance at hockey camp in Flin Flon, the remaining 11-player roster of the Dauphin Redbirds came through in grand style by fashioning an 11 to 4 conquest of the Brandon Cloverleafs at Kinsmen Stadium to deadlock the MSBL west finals at a game apiece. Dauphin’s Herb Andres wasted little time in informing the Leafs that his short-handed team was there to play by smashing the first pitch of the game for a triple. Teammate Ron Low then singled Andres home and the Redbirds were on their way. The visitors sent starter and loser Bob Thompson packing in the third canto when they lit into his offerings for six consecutive line-drive singles. The winners tagged Thompson and two successors for a dozen base blows while being the recipients of five bases-on-balls. Meanwhile, winning heaver Gary Keating was scattering ten hits, striking out eight and walking six in going all the way. Leading the way for Dauphin with the hickory was Low who, in addition to his run-scoring one-bagger in the opening-inning, added another single in the third and drove in another marker with a double in the eighth. Teammate Bob Buchy unloaded a triple and single and wound up with three RBI’s. Keating also aided his chances as he collected two RBI’s on the strength of as many singles. Thompson and second baseman Jack Borotsik were the only Brandon batters to get to Keating for multiple base raps. Both hit two singles, driving in two counters and one run respectively.
Keating (W) and Urbanoski
Thompson (L), McFadyen (3), Powers (8) and Gray
(September 4) Behind the three-hit pitching of Bob Neufeld, the Dauphin Redbirds blanked the Brandon Cloverleafs 5 to 0 to assume a 2 to 1 advantage in the MSBL west-division finals. With the bases loaded in the second inning, clean-up hitter Bob Buchy of the Birds stroked a solid single, plating a brace of counters. Then, in the third canto, Ron Low hit an elusive fly ball into the right-centre garden that went for a two-bagger and produced three more Redbird counters. Leadoff batter Herb Andres led the eight-hit attack of the victors with two safeties, including a double. Jack Borotsik acquired two of the three Brandon safeties. Neufeld whiffed seven and walked three while complete-game loser, Brian Hodgson, fanned five and issued four free passes.
Hodgson (L) and Gray, Agar (7)
Neufeld (W) and Urbanoski
(September 6) The Brandon Cloverleafs pounded three Dauphin chuckers for a dozen base blows in whitewashing the visiting Redbirds 9 to 0 at Kinsmen Stadium to deadlock the MSBL west finals a two games apiece. Brandon’s Bob Thompson pitched a masterful three-hitter, all one-base raps, issued just one walk and swished nine in leading the Leafs to their romp. Bob Neufeld, making his second consecutive start of the series on short rest, lasted only 4-1/3 innings on the bump for the Redbirds before getting the hook and taking the loss. Bob Wilson paced the Cloverleaf offensive thrust with a triple, two singles and a pair of RBI’s. Rick McFadyen cracked a triple and double, Roy McLachlan a double and single and Dennis Wiebe a brace of one-baggers.
Neufeld (L), Andres (5), Morrison (80 and Urbanoski
Thompson (W) and Oakes, Agar (7)
(September 7) The Brandon Cloverleafs moved to within one game of winning the MSBL west division title as the edged the hosting Dauphin Redbirds 1 to 0 in what was probably the best game of the finals.. Brian Hodgson went all the way on the knoll for the Cloverleafs in their winning effort which game them a 3-2 lead in the series. He allowed six hits, one walk and had ten strikeouts. Hard-luck losing flinger Gary Keating allowed only four hits and two walks while registering seven punchouts. The Wheat City nine scored the only run of the game in the top-of-the-seventh spasm when Bob Wilson and Rick McFadyen cracked back-to-back triples. Wilson had a single to go along with his three-bagger. Bob Buchy and Rollie Secord stroked a pair of single each for the deflated Redbirds. Things look grim for the Dauphinites who are operating with a razor-thin roster of available manpower following the loss of three more of their stalwarts, Ron Low, Herb Andres and Bob Neufeld, all of whom are attending hockey camps.
Hodgson (W) and Oakes
Keating (L) and Urbanoski
(September 8) The Brandon Cloverleafs waltzed to a meaningless 10 to 3 bashing of the Dauphin Redbirds to officially complete the 1970 MSBL west finals. In reality, it was learned that the series had actually been forfeited by the player-strapped Dauphinites last week. Only four of the Redbirds were in attendance at the allotted game time and, although five more latecomers were added to the lineup, a couple of whom were ineligible under league rules, the team was minus a regular pitcher and yet the fiasco went on, supposedly for the benefit of the paying fans.
The Leafs now advance to tangle with the winner of the east division, more-than-likely the Transcona Bisons who apparently held a lead in their series against St. Boniface.
MANITOBA SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE (EAST DIVISION)
The 1969 spike in membership from four to nine clubs took a slight turn in the reverse direction in 1970 with the departure of Warren and Woodridge but with the addition of an entry from Ste. Anne, leaving eight teams battling it out for the laurels.
As was the case in the previous campaign when the Transcona club changed names in mid-stream from the Atomics to the Blues, history repeated itself in 1970 when the Blues, after acquiring the uniforms of the International League’s defunct Buffalo franchise in July, became the Bisons. This was all part of a late-June shift of the Montreal Expos’ AAA farm club from Buffalo to the Manitoba capital, where they became the Winnipeg Whips.
Unlike their cohorts in the western half of the circuit, the eastern-division continued to be in a funk when it came to publicizing their product on the diamond and, during the regular season, made little effort to provide game information to the press. Snippets with the results of a few early-season games appeared but coverage of the regular-season campaign in the Winnipeg newspapers virtually ceased after mid-June while an occasional final score of a July encounter did surface in the Steinbach newspaper. Coverage improved come playoff time and the semi-finals rolled along on schedule, winding up on August 18 with Transcona and St. Boniface surviving as the two remaining foes to duke it out in the finals. Although no results or game details were ever published, Transcona apparently captured two of the first three games of the finals before things were put on hold temporarily as they became focused on being part of the C.F.A.B. senior national championship tournament during the last weekend in August. Upon completion of that event and with still plenty of time to finish the finals and declare a winner to face the western-division playoff champions, the series never resumed for whatever reason. With a start to the east-west finals delayed as per this inactivity, the Manitoba Baseball Association finally took action in late September, stepping in and awarding the long-delayed MSBL east-west final to the western champion Brandon Cloverleafs.
Balmoral Orioles
C.U.A.C. Blues
Sanford/R. M. of MacDonald Mets
South End Sioux
St. Boniface Saints
Ste. Anne
Steinbach Millers
Transcona Blues/Bisons
(June 4) Gary Benson spun a four-hitter and his South End Sioux teammates put on a show of strength at the plate in trouncing CUAC 13 to 1 in an MSBL east fixture. Larry Morton paced the Sioux with three hits while Ted Findlay/Finlay and Wayne Bell added a pair of safeties each. Losing pitcher Brian Gwizon had a brace of base raps.
(June 4) Transcona hammered out 16 hits en route to a 13 to 2 triumph over St. Boniface in MSBL east action. Starter Brock McConachy picked up the win over the Saints’ Norm Rogers. Reliever Neil Sharpe rang up 11 punchouts for the ‘Sconas. Dave Saulnier has four safeties for the winners while Al Hunter, Gary Boland and Sonny Stephens added two each. Bill McNamee had a triple, only of of five St. Boniface hits.
(June 5) Ste. Anne edged Steinbach and losing heaver Corny Hiebert by a 10 to 9 margin. Ray Rosner packed a power-laden bat in defeat, collecting a home run, triple and double for the Millers.
(June 7) The St. Boniface Saints came-from-behind to nose out the Steinbach Millers 7 to 6. Crawford of the Saints copped the hurling verdict over Ron Funk who came to the aid of Brian Renwick. Eddie Klassen and Ralph Rempel had two safeties apiece for the vanquished Millers.
(June 8) After suffering two defeats to begin the season, the Steinbach Millers collected 14 hits and broke into the win column when they clipped the CUAC Blues 10 to 7. Third-inning reliever Ron Funk was the winning pitcher, taking over from starter Wayne Pauls. Centrefielder Bob Code ripped three singles for the winners.
(June 11) The South End Sioux clobbered the Steinbach Millers 12 to 1 behind the seven-hit pitching of Len Mackendski. John Ryskytylo and Jim Silver had two hits each for the winners while Brian Reimer paced the Millers with the baton, stroking three safe swats.
(June 14) Bill McNamee twirled a one-hitter, scored the winning run and drove in the insurance marker as the St. Boniface Saints blanked the Sanford Mets 2 to 0 at the R.M. of MacDonald. McNamee didn’t walk a batter and struck out 13 in going the distance. Sanford’s Doug Harrison gave up seven safeties and fanned 13 in a losing cause. Jack Shuba delivered two singles and a double for the Saints.
(June 14) The Transcona Blues stopped the Steinbach Millers 5 to 1 as Paul Chartrand scattered six hits to record the win over Ron Funk. Phil Gorman topped the winners’ offensive thrust with a double and two singles. Dave Saulnier followed with a two-bagger and one-base hit. Al Hunter supplied the power sure with a two-run homer and Sandy Stephens stroked a couple of singles.
(June 30)
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Transcona 7 0 1.000 ----
St. Boniface 8 1 .889 ----
Balmoral 5 4 .556 3.0
South End 4 4 .500 3.5
C.U.A.C. 3 6 .333 5.0
Sanford 2 5 .286 5.0
Steinbach 2 6 .250 5.5
Ste. Anne 1 6 .143 6.0
(July 17) Scoring four runs in the opening inning, the South End Sioux wet on to whip the Steinbach Millers 9 to 3.
(July 18-19) 1970 Manitoba qualifying tournament for Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball senior baseball championship
(July 20) Norm Rogers fired a two-hitter to lead St. Boniface past Steinbach 7 to 2.
PLAYOFFS
QUARTER-FINALS South End vs Sanford & Steinbach ve Balmoral (best-of-three series)
(August 6) A stellar relief effort by Carl Watson allowed the Sanford Mets from the R. M. of MacDonald to prevail 7 to 4 over South End and sweep their best-of three quarter-final series from the Sioux. Watson relieved starter Gerald Hogue in the fourth inning and allowed just four hits the rest of the way in posting the win. Losing chucker Bruce Southern was nicked for seven safeties including a triple and single by Hogue. Ron Lagace drilled a three-run homer for the winners. Jim Neilson ripped a three-run triple for the Sioux.
(August 6) The Balmoral Orioles bounced the Steinbach Millers by scores of 7 to 1 and 4 to 0 to sweep their playoff series. Winning heavers for the Orioles were Ledochowski who fired a three-hitter and Vern Nickel who yielded eight safeties in tossing a shutout. Ron Funk was the losing chucker in the first game of the series. Balmoral’s Rick Cruise launched a four-ply clout off Steinbach’s D. McCartney in the clincher.
SEMI-FINALS Sanford vs Transcona & Balmoral vs St. Boniface (best-of-five series)
(August 9) The Transcona Bisons nipped the Sanford/R. M. of MacDonald Mets 2 to 1 in 12 innings to capture the opener of their MSBL east semi-final series. Bob Hunter went the distance in copping the pitching win, fanning 18 while allowing four hits. Doug Harrison was tagged with the setback. He gave up nine Transcona safeties and whiffed an equal number. Al Hunter cracked three singles for the ‘Sconas while Darcy Norman drove in the winning run.
(August 9) Hal Westberg’s clutch hit in the bottom-of-the-eleventh inning drove in the winning run as the St. Boniface Saints tripped the Balmoral Orioles 3 to 2. Bill McNamee copped the hurling decision over Rick Cruise.
(August 11) Gerald Hogue slugged a bases-empty homer in the bottom-of-the-seventh stanza to give the R. M. of MacDonald Mets a 3 to 2 win over the Transcona Bisons. The Mets’ win at Sanford squared the best-of-three series at a game apiece. Winning pitcher Carl Watson fanned 12 and walked three in spinning a four-hitter. Losing flinger Brock McConachie was tagged for five hits including a pair of singles by Cam Hurst who drove in the first two ‘Scona tallies. Jack Forsythe ripped a brace of one-baggers for the Sanford baseballers.
(August 16) The St. Boniface Saints advanced to the MSBL east finals with a 3 to 2 victory over the Balmoral Orioles. The Saints captured the best-of-five series after losing an afternoon tilt to the Orioles 6 to 4.
In the first game, Vern Nickel went the first 5-1/3 innings on the knoll to earn the win while reliever George Ledochowski got the save. Norm Rogers took the loss. Rick Cruise singled twice for the Birds while Nickel and Calvin Croy had two RBI’s each.
The final game of the series saw Bill McNamee, with late relief assistance from Doug Marks, annex the victory. McNamee allowed five hits and rang up 13 punchouts. Ledochowski was tagged with the loss. Jack Ritchie belted a home run triple and single for the Saints while McNamee followed with a double and a couple of one-base raps.
(August 18) The Transcona Bisons took the MSBL east best-of-five semi-final with a 4 to 1 victory over the Sanford Mets of the R. M. of MacDonald. Bob Hunter was the winning pitcher for Transcona allowing four hits and five walks while striking out 11. Carl Watson, the losing slabster, allowed four walks and seven hits, fanning five along the way. Brock McConachy and Al Hunter had a double and single each for the Bisons.
FINALS St. Boniface vs Transcona
No results reported although Transcona apparently had a 2 to 1 edge in games played when the series stalled. No evidence found that the series was ever completed.
MSBL EAST-WEST FINALS
(September 20) The Manitoba Baseball Association awarded the 1970 MSBL championship to the west-division champion Brandon Cloverleafs citing the failure of the east-division to live up to its provincial commitment of having a winner declared in time for a best-of-seven final series with the western representative. As of the date of the decision, Transcona and St. Boniface had not completed their intra-division playoff series.
OTHER MANITOBA LEAGUES/TEAMS/ROSTERS
SOUTH-CENTRAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
A remake of the six-team circuit in 1970 saw the departure of perennial champion Rivers, along with Oak River and Cardale, while Treesbank returned after a year’s absence and were joined by new entries from Baldur and Belmont. Baldur Regals
Belmont
Boissevain Border Kings
Elgin Cubs
Treesbank Tigers
Wawanesa Orioles
FINAL STANDINGS Pts.
Boissevain 28
Wawanesa 26
Treesbank 25
Elgin 24
Baldur 12
Belmont 5
BORDER BASEBALL LEAGUE
Cypress River
Glenboro Canucks
Holland
Notre Dame de Lourdes
Pilot Mound Pilots
Treherne
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS
Glenboro eliminated Treherne and Cypress River sidelined Holland.
FINALS
(July 24) Glenboro, behind the strong one-hit hurling of Harry Lalonde, stopped hosting Cypress River 10 to 1 in the first game of the best-of-three final series. The Canucks banged out a total of 12 hits.
(July 29) Cypress River came back strong at Glenboro, nosing out the Canucks 7 to 6 to tie the series. Bill Young, with relief help from Ernie Cheyne, picked up the pitching win. The Rivermen collected 11 hits and an equal number of walks off losing heaver Harry Lalonde and two relievers.
(July 31) The Glenboro Canucks went on a batting spree and dropped the hometown Cypress River nine 15 to 7 in the rubber match of the series to claim the 1970 championship. An ailing Harry Lalonde persevered through nine stanzas, allowing nine hits and two walks, to cop the heaving decision over Cypress starter Bill Young. Don Barr had four safeties, three of them for extra bases, in leading the victors’ 15-hit offense.
POLAR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Thompson Reds
Flin Flon Cardinals
The Pas TeePees
NORTH-WEST BASEBALL LEAGUE
Angusville Cardinals
Binscarth Orioles
Birtle Blues
Grandview Lakers
Rossburn Mallards
NEEPAWA & DISTRICT BASEBALL LEAGUE
Neepawa Cubs
MANITOBA JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Carman Goldeyes
Legion #141
South End Sioux
St. James Cardinals
Transcona Mallards