MANITOBA SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
The focus was all upon the Manitoba Senior Baseball League based within the western part of the province as, for the second season in succession, the diamonds in Winnipeg and vicinity were void of any senior-level loops.
The MSBL, already divided into two four-team divisions, continued to expand, adding two teams from the now-defunct North-West Baseball League, Grandview and Neepawa, which enlarged membership to ten entries. An ambitious 130-game schedule was implemented for the 1974 campaign.
SOUTH DIVISION
Brandon Cloverleafs
Hamiota Red Sox
Riverside Canucks
Souris Cardinals
Virden Oilers
NORTH DIVISION
Binscarth Orioles
Dauphin Redbirds
Grandview Lakers
McAuley Blazers
Neepawa Cubs
(May 26) One of the two new kids on the block, the Neepawa Cubs, shocked the highly-touted Binscarth Orioles 6 to 3 in an 11-inning game which highlighted the opening of the new MSBL season. The combatants were locked in a 3 – 3 deadlock after nine innings and a first round of overtime settled nothing. Then, in the top-of-the-second bonus inning of play, Pat Angers blasted a three-run circuit-jack off losing chucker Dave Rottman to put the highly-competitive Cubs in front to stay. Rottman, who gave up eight hits while fanning ten and walking three in going the distance, had cracked a solo four-bagger in the ninth to tie the game and send the affair into extra innings. Reliever Ron McGorman, who took over for his brother Don McGorman in the tenth, picked up the win for Neepawa. Don surrendered six of the seven Binscarth hits but ten bases-on-balls kept him in jeopardy throughout. Angers, aside from his dinger, had a single to his credit. Catcher Norm Hemstad managed a double and two singles while Neil Martin laced a triple and one-bagger. Rottman had a double to go along with his dinger.
D. McGorman, R. McGorman (W) (10) and Hemstad
Rottman (L) and Gallant
(May 26) The defending payoff champion Riverside Canucks opened their campaign by dropping the visiting Hamiota Red Sox 8 to 5. A four-run outburst in the sixth stanza carried the hosting Riversiders to victory. Three consecutive walks issued by losing chucker Dale Anderson fueled the flames of the flare-up and led to a crucial two-run single by Cliff Seafoot. Lefthander Rob Medoff went seven full innings on the hill for the Canucks to garner the pitching victory, yielding all seven of the Hamiota base knocks. Red Sox starting tosser Jerry Araujo pitched the first five innings and departed in favor of Anderson with the score knotted at 4 – 4. Ed Beare and Morley Hartel, each with a double and two singles, were the offensive stars for the winners. Seafoot added a second one-bagger to his two-RBI rap in the fourth. Araujo and Mel Smith singled twice for the Sox.
Araujo, Anderson (L) (6), Andrews (8) and Woods
Medoff (W), Russell (8) and C. Seafoot, Campbell (8)
(May 26) The McAuley Blazers scored two runs in both the sixth and eighth innings to double the Grandview Lakers 6 to 3. Tim Hangen, who relieved starter Ross Lynd after five innings, was the winning pitcher. He held the Lakers to one run on two hits in his two-inning mound stint. Portsider Steve Stahlheber mopped up for the Blazers, holding the newcomers to the league off the scoreboard in the final two cantos. The losing heaver was Gerry Asselstine, who lasted just an inning-and-a-third in a relief role after taking over from starter Don Luhowy in the fifth frame. Ross Jamieson led the eight-hit attack of the winners with two singles and a double. Don Bowes had a pair of doubles for the losers.
Luhowy, Asselstine (L) (5), Makadenski (6), Kalechyn (8) and Martin, O’Sullivan (6)
R. Lynd, Hangen (W) (6), Stahlheber (8) and R. Jamieson
(May 28) The invading Brandon Cloverleafs unloaded a 20-hit barrage and went on to hammer the Virden Oilers 19 to 2 in the home opener at Manitoba’s Oil Capital. Lefthander Brian Hodgson, who gave way to Rick McFadyen in the eighth inning, was credited with the win in the darkness-shortened eight-inning tilt. Virden starter Mike Labossiere, chased from the bump in the fifth frame, was tagged with the defeat. Outfielder Bob Wilson slugged a three-run tater and a two-bagger for the Leafs, driving in four runs. Contributing another four RBI’s was third baseman Roy McLachlan who had a double and single while McFadyen drove in three tallies with a two-bagger and a one-base rap. Doug Fraser and Dennis Wiebe collected two singles and a double each while Dave Bender, Bob Thompson and Bill Chapple all chipped in with a brace of one-base hits. Bob Labossiere had two of the five Oiler safeties.
Hodgson (W), McFadyen (8) and McFadyen, M. Harvey (8)
M. Labossiere (L), Bridgett (5) and B. Labossiere
(May 28) Catcher Norm Hemstad had three hits, including a four-ply clout, as the Neepawa Cubs manhandled the Dauphin Redbirds 14 to 1. Pat Angers was the winning pitcher while Dauphin starter Garry Keating was saddled with the loss.
Keating (L), xxx, xxx, xxx, and xxx
Angers (W) and Hemstad
(May 28) Garth Neville fashioned a three-hitter in pitching the Binscarth Orioles past the Hamiota Red Sox by a 9 to 3 count. Neville struck out 11 but walked ten in going the distance. Losing hurler Ron Ramsey made his exit after the sixth inning. He was touched for four of the seven Binscarth base raps and issued eight free passes. Dale Geis helped the Oriole cause with a three-run homer in the ninth inning plus a double earlier in the contest. Reg Falloon stroked a double and single for the winners while Dennis Anderson punched out two singles for the Red Sox.
Neville (W) and Gallant
Ramsey (L), Araujo (7) and Woods
(May 30) Doug Freeth twirled a five-hit shutout and Gary Davidson drove in three runs as the homestanding Souris Cardinals blanked the Neepawa Cubs 5 to 0. In making the Cardinals first start of the season a successful one, Freeth struck out eight batters and walked only two while Davidson rapped two singles and a double. Neepawa starting heaver Dennis Buhlin surrendered all five Souris runs on nine hits before heading to the showers after seven spasms of losing mound toil. Stan Furman doubled and singled for the winners while Brian Moffatt had a pair of one-baggers. No batter from the Cubs lineup managed more than one single.
Buhlin (L), D. McGorman (8) and Hemstad
Freeth (W) and Dell
(May 30) When the grounds keeper at Kinsmen Stadium could not be located to turn on the artificial lighting, plate umpire Doug Lund put a halt to the proceedings in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning of the MSBL clash between the Brandon Cloverleafs and the visiting Riverside Canucks. The Leafs had a comfortable 8 to 1 cushion at the time so there was little or no objection to his decision from the Riverside bench. Dale Harvey, who was seldom used as a pitcher last season by the Brandonites, turned in a sparkling four-hitter in earning his first-ever MSBL hillock decision. The Wheat City nine, who scored at least one run in each of the first five frames, were paced at the plate by the home run hitting of third baseman Roy McLachlan and shortstop Bill Chapple. Both of their blasts came in the third inning and there was one teammate aboard for Chapple’s swat. Ron Russell of the Canucks was driven from the knoll after serving up the meatball to Chapple and was stung with the loss. Bob Wilson drove in a brace of counters for the victors with a single and a double as did Bob Thompson with two singles. Keystone sacker Doug Fraser also drilled a pair of one-baggers. Ron Seafoot drove in the lone run for the Riversiders with a sacrifice fly in the second spasm.
Russell (L), Medoff (3) and C. Seafoot
D. Harvey (W) and M. Harvey
(May 31) Import slab artists Steve Stahlheber and Jon Langston of the McAuley Blazers combined their pitching talents for an 8 to 0 no-hit victory over the visiting Virden Oilers. Stahlheber, the big Californian, worked the first eight innings of the tilt, played at Moosomin SK, and struck out 18 Virden batters while walking half a dozen. Langston handled the hurling chores in the final frame, walking one and punching out a pair. John Ellison started on the bump for the Oilers and endured until the eighth episode when he was finally chased. He gave up all eight tallies on 11 hits and eight free passes while striking out six. Barry Jamieson paced the undefeated Blazers at the plate with three hits, including a double. Terry Lynd and Ross Lynd added a pair of singles each.
Ellison (L), Thompson (8) and M. Labossiere
Stahlheber (W), Langston (8) and R. Jamieson
(May 31) After dropping their opening assignment to McAuley, the Grandview Lakers won their first-ever MSBL game, a 4 to 3 triumph over the Dauphin Redbirds. The first-year Lakers received a solid pitching effort from Don Luhowy who went the distance and effectively scattered nine hits to earn the victory. Luhowy struck out five and walked four. Brodie McLean started on the knoll for Dauphin but was replaced in the fifth inning by eventual losing chucker Barrie Maciura. The Redbird duo surrendered just six base raps. Tony Kalechyn and Dennis Martin were tops for the Lakers at the dish with two singles apiece. For the Redbirds, Garry Keating unloaded a pair of doubles and a single.
B. McLean, Maciura (L) (5) and Goldade
Luhowy (W) and Martin
(June 2) The Souris Cardinals, bottom-feeders in their division a year ago, remained undefeated by sweeping both ends of a three-team twin-bill on their home turf. The Cards edged the Grandview Lakers 4 to 2 in the opener and then sidelined the Dauphin Redbirds 6 to 1 in the nightcap to capture their third-straight MSBL victory.
Stan Furman threw a four-hitter and drove in three runs with a double and single in spearheading Souris to the matinée-game win. Furman, who struck out seven and walked four, gained the mound decision over Gerry Asselstine who pitched well in defeat, yielding but five base raps while fanning seven and walking six. There were no extra-base hits in the game and no players from either team that had multiple hit production.
Asselstine (L) and Martin
Furman (W) and Dell
Ray Bruels struck out ten and walked five as he pitched a four-hitter for the Cardinals to the second-game win. Dauphin used three twirlers with starting heaver Brodie McLean taking the loss. Souris collected seven safeties off the Redbird trio as Bruels led the way with two singles and a pair of RBI’s.
B. McLean (L), B. Walmsley (5), J. Walmsley (9) and Goldade
Bruels (W) and Dell
(June 2) The Binscarth Orioles blasted out a 12 to 8 decision over the visiting Hamiota Red Sox in an MSBL contest in which offenses from both teams dominated. The Orioles roughed up Red Sox starter and loser Jerry Araujo for 12 hits while the winless Hamiotans collected 11 safeties off winning heaver Dave Rottman and sixth-inning replacement Les Lisowski. Leading the Binscarth attack was Reg Parton with three singles and an equal number of RBI’s. Rottman also rapped a triad of one-baggers and drove in a tally while Dale Gies garnered two singles and an RBI. The most impactful blast, however, for the victors, was a grand-slam home run by catcher Lyle Gallant in the third inning that boosted the Birds into a 7 to 1 lead. Doug Matheson and Ron Ramsey both drove in three counters for the Scarlet Stockings on the basis of two singles. Laurie Andrews doubled twice and had an RBI while Araujo laced a brace of one-baggers.
Araujo (L) and Woods
Rottman (W), Lisowski (6) and Gallant
(June 3) Presented with a fifth-inning opportunity, the Riverside Canucks, aided by some key hits and Brandon defensive miscues did all their scoring and grabbed a 4 to 2 victory over the hosting Cloverleafs. In spite of flinging a steady, complete-game six-hitter with 11 punchouts, portsider Brian Hodgson of the Wheat City nine was stung with a tough defeat. The winning pitcher, meanwhile, was Grant Everard who was involved in his first decision of the campaign, Everard allowed nine hits and three walks but was forced to work himself out of jams on several occasions. Seldom able to produce a timely hit, the Leafs stranded 13 runners over the course of the game while the Riversiders jumped all over their openings during the crucial fifth frame. Top swatters in the contest for the Brandonites were Dennis Wiebe with two triples and a double as well as Doug McPhail who singled twice. The Canucks were paced by Mark Fisher’s double and single.
Everard (W) and Campbell
Hodgson (L) and McFadyen
(June 5) Beneficiaries of a no-run, no-hit effort just five days previous, the McAuley Blazers found themselves the victims of such an occurrence, falling to the Grandview Lakers by a 6 to 0 count. Grandview’s Don Luhowy twirled the gem to knock the Blazers from the ranks of the undefeated. The Laker slab artist got all the runs he needed in the second spasm when his mates ran across a brace of counters. He walked three and had only two strikeouts as his defensive corps handled most everything they were presented with. McAuley starter Tim Hangen pitched the first 5-2/3 innings and suffered the setback. Dennis Martin paced the Lakers’ offensive thrust with two singles and three RBI’s. Clubmate Deryl Ortynski also banged out a couple of one-base raps.
Luhowy (W) and Martin
Hangen, R. Lynd (6) and R. Jamieson
(June 5) The Binscarth Orioles handed the slump-ridden Dauphin Redbirds their fourth consecutive defeat, pounding the visitors 12 to 7 in a clash of feathered flocks. The O’s jumped on Dauphin starter George Darrah for nine tallies in just 1-1/3 innings before he was mercifully yanked for George Pette. Brodie McLean was the workhorse for the Redbirds pitching corps, taking over from Pette at the start of the third canto. Bob Kutzan went the distance for Binscarth, yielding ten hits while whiffing seven and walking a pair. Ron Falloon cracked out a double and two singles for Binscarth while Lyle Gallant had a double and four RBI’s. Don Gies slammed a double and single while Bill Derlago and Dale Gies had two singles each. Dauphin was led by Bob Buchy who launched a homer to go along with a one-bagger. Teammate Dale Rideout had a double and single.
Darrah (L), Pette (2), B. McLean (3) and Goldade
Kutzan (W) and Gallant, Bicknell (3)
(June 5) The Riverside Canucks won their third of the campaign, belting the hometown Neepawa Cubs 15 to 8. An eight-run explosion in the eighth episode by the visiting Riversiders put the game out of reach for the Cubs. Ron Seafoot, the last of three Riverside twirlers, picked up the pitching win, his first of the season. Ron McGorman, who took over hurling chores from his brother Don in the fifth panel, suffered the defeat. Mark Fisher led the Canucks’ 13-hit offense with two doubles and a single. Danny Cassils belted a triple and single while Cliff Seafoot drilled two singles. Dan Secundiak and Ed Crabbe both singled twice for Neepawa.
Russell, Beare (8), R. Seafoot (W) (8) and Campbell, C. Seafoot (8)
D. McGorman, R. McGorman (L) (5) and Wallin
(June 5) Dave Bender’s bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning broke up a tight game and allowed the Brandon Cloverleafs to knock off the winless Hamiota Red Sox 5 to 3. Winning chucker Dale Harvey and eighth-inning reliever Rick McFadyen allowed Hamiota hitters six scattered safeties, all singles, while loser Ron Ramsey was nicked for just four hits in his 7-2/3 innings of mound toil but also walked seven and hit one batter. Bob Thompson, with a double and single, had two of the four Brandon base knocks. Laurie Andrews singled twice for the vanquished Sox.
Ramsey (L), McNiven (8) and Woods
D. Harvey (W), McFadyen (8) and M. Harvey
(June 6) The streaking Souris Cardinals pushed their undefeated string to four games by dropping the visiting Riverside Canucks 7 to 4. Ray Bruels struck out seven and walked three in picking up the complete-game mound decision with a seven-hitter. Riverside starting and losing heaver Ed Beare was charged with all seven Cardinal runs before exiting in the fifth frame. Stan Furman singled twice for the winners while the Canucks were sparked by Mark Fisher’s two-run homer and a double.
Beare (L), R. Seafoot (6) and C. Seafoot
Bruels (W) and Dell
(June 6) Dennis Hunter singled home catcher Norm Hemstad in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning to gave the homestanding Neepawa Cubs a 4 to 3 walkoff victory over the winless Virden Oilers. Hunter’s game-winning blow came off reliever Kevin Mickelson who had replaced Virden starting heaver Rick Wiley in the eighth episode. Don McGorman, who came to the rescue of Cubs’ starter Pat Angers in the fifth inning, got credit for the pitching win. Hemstad was the main offensive threat for the Cubs, collecting two singles and a double which produced a pair of RBI’s. Neil Martin garnered a two-bagger and single while Don Martin poked out a couple of one-baggers. Leading the way for the Oilers, meanwhile, was Bob Downie with two one-base hits.
Wiley, Mickelson (L) (8) and B. Labossiere
Angers, D. McGorman (W) (5) and Hemstad
(June 7) Two streaks came to a crashing halt at Hamiota where the hosting Red Sox, after four straight setbacks, broke into the win column by clipping the previously unbeaten Souris Cardinals 8 to 5. Ken Wowryk cracked a couple of singles to drive in three runs and complete-game tosser Jerry Araujo scattered eight hits in leading the hosts to the victory. Araujo struck out ten and walked five in copping the knoll verdict over Doug Freeth who was lifted with two out in the fifth inning after allowing eight hits and five walks. Ron Ramsey, along with Wowryk, led the Crimson Hose at the plate with three singles. Clubmate Bob Caldwell delivered a brace of singles. Doug Armour, Stan Furman and Brian Moffatt had two base raps each for the Cards with a double included in Armour’s brace of knocks.
Freeth (L), Furman (5), Hunter (7) and Dell
Araujo (W) and Woods
(June 7) The McAuley Blazers rallied with a four-spot in the seventh spasm to tie the visiting Brandon Cloverleafs 7 to 7 in a game which was called after nine innings because of darkness. The Cloverleafs jumped out to an early 6 – 0 lead but were unable to maintain the cushion over the late-charging Blazers. Both squads used two chuckers. The Wheat City diamondeers outswatted their hosts by an 11 to 7 margin. Bob Wilson led the Leafs offensively with a double and single while Dennis Wiebe and Bob Thompson delivered two singles each. Wayne Poole doubled and singled for the McAuley pastimers.
Hodgson, Thompson (7) and M. Harvey
Langston,, Stahlheber (2) and Lowes
(June 8) In a clash of division leaders at Souris, the hosting Cardinals exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning to topple the Binscarth Orioles 7 to 3. It was the first of two games for the North Division-leading O’s on a busy Sunday afternoon as they headed for Riverside immediately after their afternoon encounter to face the Canucks in the second part of a three-team double-dip. In winning their fifth contest of the season, the South Division-leading Souris nine received a strong pitching effort from Ray Bruels who improved his record to 3 – 0. Bruels limited the Binscarth batters to six hits and three walks in going the distance to claim the victory over Garth Neville who also went the route. The Cards roughed up Neville for 11 base knocks and were also the recipients of seven free passes. Souris flychaser Gary Davidson lit up Neville for two doubles and a single which accounted for a pair of RBI’s. Doug Armour followed with a two-bagger and a one-base rap while Dwayne and Grant Kirkup both delivered two singles. The Orioles were led offensively by Gerry Bicknell’s three singles.
Neville (L) and Bicknell, Gallant (8)
Bruels (W) and Dell
(June 8) The travelling Binscarth Orioles fared much better in the second-half of their split-venue double-bill, riding the solid pitching of Les Lisowski for a 7 to 2 triumph over the Riverside Canucks. Lisowski threw a four-hitter and rang up a dozen punchouts in gaining his first decision of the year. He also swung a potent baton, collecting two singles and a double to drive in three runs. Losing chucker Ron Russell exited after 3-1/3 innings after allowing four runs on four hits and five walks. Larry Kearns stroked three singles and drove in a brace of tallies for the winners while Dale Gies doubled and singled to drive in another marker. Ed Beare paced the Riversiders’ four-hit offense with a couple of one-base hits.
Lisowski (W) and Gallant
Russell (L), R. Seafoot (4) and Campbell, C. Seafoot
(June 8) The hosting Virden Oilers, last in the South Division, started off the first-half of a three-team twin-bill by defeating their cellar-dwelling counterparts from the North Division, the Dauphin Redbirds, 3 to 1. Import Kevin Mickelson limited the still-winless Redbirds to seven hits and three walks while fanning eight. He achieved the mound victory over Dauphin’s Bob Buchy who was kayoed from the knoll in the second stanza. Bill Walmsley did a creditable job on the bump for the losers in twirling the remainder of the tilt. Rick Bohonis doubled in a pair of runs for the Oilers while Bob Senff singled to drive in their other tally. Rick Wiley and Perry Kalynuk both garnered a pair of singles for the winners while Redbird catcher Ron Goldade also laced a brace of one-baggers.
B. Buchy (L), B. Walmsley (3) and Goldade
Mickelson (W) and M. Labossiere
(June 8) After their afternoon victory over Dauphin, the Virden Oilers clashed with the invading Grandview Lakers in the late portion of their MSBL doubleheader and appeared completely out of gas, falling decisively to the visitors 13 to 1. The Lakers ripped into losing slabster Larry Thompson and reliever Ted Bridgett for 16 safe swats. Don Luhowy drove in four runs for the victors and winning pitcher Gerry Asselstine also had plenty of offensive help from Deryl Ortynski who drilled three singles and drove in a pair of counters. Teammate Tony Kalechyn singled twice and knocked in a couple of tallies. Asselstine pitched seven strong innings, allowing the Oilers their only run on four hits. Bridgett had two of those safe blows, a bases-empty round-tripper and a single.
Asselstine (W), Ongarato (8) and Martin
Thompson (L), Bridgett (3) and M. Labossiere
(June 8) Jerry Araujo had a double along with three singles and drove in three runs in leading the Hamiota Red Sox to a 7 to 5 conquest of the Neepawa Cubs in an MSBL encounter that produced 24 base hits, 12 by each side. Aside from Araujo, winning slabster Ron Ramsey also had offensive aid from Mel Smith who blasted a two-run tater and Bob Caldwell who launched a solo dinger. Losing flinger Dennis Buhlin was lifted after eight cantos and yielded all but one of the dozen Hamiota safeties. Caldwell, along with his four-ply clout, added a single for the victors. The Cubs were led offensively by Pat Angers who doubled and singled. Warren Wallin, Dan Secundiak and Buhlin all singled twice with Wallin’s swats driving in a pair of runs and Secundiak’s producing one marker.
Ramsey (W) and Woods
Buhlin (L), R. McGorman (9) and Hemstad
(June 10) After playing their first five contests on the road, and losing on each occasion, the Dauphin Redbirds made their season-opener at home a winning one, edging the visiting Grandview Lakers 6 to 5. Enjoying the luxury of playing in Dauphin’s Community Centre Park for the first time this year, the Redbirds prevailed in a hard-hitting affair in which the visitors had a 13 to 12 edge in base knocks. In spite of the high number of safe swats, both winning heaver Brodie McLean of the Redbirds and Grandview’s chucker Jim Deaver managed to hang on to the end. John Morrison tripled home teammate Garry Keating in the bottom-of-the-sixth inning and then rushed home on a passed ball to score what turned out to be the winning run for Dauphin. Keating singled three times for the winners and drove in two runs. Ken Buchy belted a triple and single while Sig Sigurdson and McLean both singled twice. Deryl Ortynski drilled three singles for the Lakers while Wayne Keeler had a two-bagger and a one-base hit. Tony Kalechyn, Dennis Martin and Mike Ongarato each delivered a brace of singles.
Deaver (L) and Martin
B. McLean (W) and Goldade, Rideout (2)
(June 10) The Riverside Canucks scored three times in the top-of-the-eighth episode to break open a tight game and end the Hamiota Red Sox’ two-game winning streak, coming away with a 6 to 3 victory. Grant Everard copped his second pitching win in two starts with an effective seven-hit mound effort. Everard walked three and punched out four as he went the distance while losing twirler, Dennis Anderson, also went the route and was combed for a dozen Riverside raps while fanning three and giving out seven free passes. Ross Kinsley sparked the Riversiders with the hickory, lacing the horsehide for a double and a pair of singles. Teammates Morley Hartel and Cliff Seafoot followed with a brace of one-baggers each. Ellis Woods stroked a couple of one-base hits for the vanquished Sox.
Everard (W) and C. Seafoot
Anderson (L) and Woods
(June 11) Don McGorman tossed a six-hitter to lead the Neepawa Cubs to a 4 to 1 conquest of the Brandon Cloverleafs at Kinsmen Stadium. The slim right-hander struck out ten and walked six, while also managing to contribute a double and a run-scoring single off starter Dale Harvey and reliever Rick Hlady of the Leafs. Led by outfielder Brian Reid, who collected four singles in four times at bat, the Cubs banged out a dozen safe swats and made the best of their scoring opportunities. Pat Angers and Dennis Hunter slapped out a pair of singles each. The Leafs were paced offensively by middle pasture patroller Bob Wilson who checked in with a double and a one-bagger.
D. Harvey (L), Hlady (4) and M. Harvey
D. McGorman (W) and Hemstad
(June 12) Despite showing signs that their pitching and defense have been shored up, the Virden Oilers still did not pack much scoring punch and fell 3 to 1 to the hosting Riverside Canucks in an MSBL South Division scuffle. Rob Medoff fired a five-hitter for Riverside in subduing the Oilmen, winning his second game against no losses. Newcomer Tim Kaiser sparkled on the knoll for the losers, registering 14 strikeouts while limiting the Riversiders to eight hits but, with minimal offensive help, was tagged with the loss. A two-run fifth inning provided the winning margin for the Canucks. Cliff Seafoot managed a double and single for the victors while Danny Cassils and Bob Williamson both singled twice. Tom Vanrobaeys laced a brace of one-base knocks for Virden.
Kaiser (L) and Fordyce
Medoff (W) and Campbell, C. Seafoot (8)
(June 12) The North Division pace-setting Binscarth Orioles disposed of the hometown Grandview Lakers 5 to 1 in MSBL action. Bill Derlago cracked three hits, including a solo home run, and Bob Kutzan threw a seven-hitter to pace the Orioles to their fifth win of the season. The invading Birds raked the offerings of complete-game loser Mike Ongarato for 11 safeties. Besides Derlago’s triad of safe swats, Herb Andres singled three times for Binscarth. Other contributing significantly to the cause were Don Gies with a triple and two-bagger and Lyle Gallant with two singles. The Laker safeties were divided equally among seven of their batters.
Kutzan (W) and Gallant
Ongarato (W) and Martin
(June 13) The Brandon Cloverleafs rallied for four runs in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning to pull out an 11 to 10 triumph over the South Division front-running Souris Cardinals. The slugfest produced 29 hits, six errors and an abundance of lineup changes. Trailing 10 to 7, the Leafs got to reliever Bill Carpenter, the eventual loser, for three consecutive singles to start their final turn at bat. A walk to Dave Bender forced in a run to cut the deficit to two and then Bob Wilson unloaded an opposite field triple to clear the sacks and give the hosts the walkoff triumph. Wilson finished with five RBI’s, having cracked a two-run single in the second stanza, and was four-for-four with the lumber. Neither starter, Ray Bruels of Souris nor the Cloverleafs’ Brian Hodgson, figured in the decision. Rick McFadyen, who was the starting catcher for the Wheat City nine, had two stints on the mound as well, in the sixth and also in the eighth. His final knoll appearance earned him the comeback mound decision. Besides Wilson’s four safeties, the winners’ 15-hit attack included a double and two singles by Roy McLachlan, three one-base raps by McFadyen, a triple and one-bagger off the bat of Rick Hlady and Bob Thompson’s two-bagger and single. Leading Cardinals’ 14-hit barrage were Greg Cameron, Stan Furman and Gary Davidson, all with three hits. with a triple included in Cameron’s triad of swats. Carpenter added two singles.
Bruels, Carpenter (L) (7) and Dell
Hodgson, McFadyen (6), Hlady (8), McFadyen (8) and McFadyen, M. Harvey (6)
(June 13) Ron Ramsey’s early-season pitching troubles appear to be over. After dropping his first two decisions of the campaign, the Hamiota right-hander chalked up his second consecutive win, hurling the Red Sox to a 2 to 0 whitewashing of the invading McAuley Blazers. Facing only 29 batters, two over the minimum, Ramsey fashioned a brilliant one-hitter while racking up nine punchouts. The Red Sox scored their pair of runs in the opening canto against the Blazers’ ace slab artist Steve Stahlheber when Ramsey drilled a two-run double, scoring Ellis Woods and Jerry Araujo who had singled ahead of him. Stahlheber, who breezed nine, was nicked for just five safeties but had command issues and doled out eight bases-on-balls. Ramsey also had a single to go along with his two-bagger while Woods finished with two singles.
Stahlheber (L) and Lowes
Ramsey (W) and Sheardown
(June 14) Taking advantage of a favorable wind at the Neepawa ball yard, the McAuley Blazers belted four home runs, two by Dale Lowes, to edge the hometown Cubs 5 to 4 in an MSBL clash. Lowes cracked a solo tater in the opening panel and a two-run shot in the third. Brian Rose slugged a bases-empty dinger in the sixth stanza and Terry Lynd led off the ninth with another solo blast that broke a 4 – 4 tie and gave the Blazers their third win in five starts. Jon Langston earned the mound win in his first decision of the season. He allowed nine hits and two walks, punching out ten in his complete-game effort. The loser in relief was Ron McGorman who took over from starter Pat Angers in the fifth frame. Lowes had a single in addition to his brace of circuit-jacks. Lynd also drilled a one-bagger to go along with his round-tripper. Ross Jamieson added a double and one-base rap for the winners. Brian Reid led the Cubs offensively with a pair of doubles.
Langston (W) and R. Jamieson
Angers, R. McGorman (L) (5) and Hemstad
(June 14) The Virden Oilers went yard on four occasions with round-trippers but the quartet of circuit-jacks went for naught as they were lambasted 14 to 6 in a 28-hit slugfest by the invading Hamiota Red Sox. Rick Wiley dialed long distance twice, gathering four RBI’s along the way, while Oiler teammates Bob Downey and Ted Bridgett both launched solo four-baggers in a losing cause. Jerry Araujo struck out a dozen and allowed an equal number of hits in going the distance for the win. The loser was Kevin Mickelson who was ripped for 16 safeties while swishing 12. Laurie Andrews had a banner evening at the plate for Hamiota, swatting the horsehide for three singles and a pair of doubles. Bob Caldwell singled twice and doubled while Araujo managed a two-bagger and one-base-rap. Mike Labossiere delivered two singles and a double for Virden, losers for the sixth time in seven games.
Araujo (W) and Woods
Mickelson (L) and M. Labossiere
(June 14) The homestanding Binscarth Orioles maintained their game-and-a-half North Division lead by dropping the Dauphin Redbirds 4 to 1. The loss for the Redbirds was their sixth setback on the road. Winning moundsman Bryan McCauley of the Orioles stymied the visitors on five hits while fanning six in copping his initial triumph of the campaign. He also contributed a decisive two-run double in Binscarth’s three-run fourth inning. Stung with the heaving setback was Brodie McLean who yielded eight base raps in a route-going effort. His mates betrayed him defensively, committing a total of five errors, three of them coming in the pivotal fourth frame. Don Gies stroked three singles to lead the winners while bother Dale managed a run-scoring two-bagger. Former Brandon Cloverleaf Bert Ready and Ken Dudar singled twice for the Redbirds with Dudar driving in the only Dauphin run.
B. McLean (L) and Goldade
McCauley (W) and Bicknell
(June 15) The hometown Hamiota Red Sox blasted 16 hits, including four home runs, but wound up on the short end of a 12 to 11 verdict with the Dauphin Redbirds. Jeff Sheardown slammed two circuit-clouts and Bob Caldwell and Ken Wowryk one each but it wasn’t enough to withstand a four-run Redbird ninth-inning. Bill Walmsley went all the way on the hill for Dauphin to record his first win of the season. Glennis Scott, who ascended the knoll in the fifth frame as a reliever for the Red Sox, yielded the four final-canto tallies and lost his first decision of the year. With just eight hits, half the total of the losers, the Redbirds displayed some long ball power of their own as Bob Buchy and John Morrison blasted dingers. Ken Buchy came through with a couple of singles.
B. Walmsley (W) and Goldade
Anderson, Scott (L) (5) and Sheardown
(June 16) In the first of two road games as part of a split-venue doubleheader, the Grandview Lakers fell prey to the superb two-hit pitching of Riverside’s Grant Everard and were dumped 7 to 1 by the hosting Canucks. Everard struck out eight and walked four batters in winning his third game in three decisions. He was aided by Mark Fisher’s three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Canucks improved their record to 6 – 3. Laker starter and loser Don Luhowy, who lasted 6-2/3 innings on the bump, allowed all seven Riverside counters on eight hits and a walk.
Luhowy (L), Makadenski (7) and Martin
Everard (W) and C. Seafoot
(June 16) The traverse from Riverside to Brandon’s Kinsmen Stadium did the visiting Grandview Lakers a world of good as they rebounded from their first-game offensive malaise and bounced the hosting Cloverleafs 10 to 2. The Laker bats stirred up a six-run fourth inning, breaking open a tight game, to virtually assure themselves a split of the daily spoils. Winning heaver Jim Deaver went all the way on the knoll for the victors, evening his record at 1 – 1 with an effective six-hitter. The Cloverleafs used three pitchers, including two stints for reliever Dale Harvey, as starter Rick Hlady was dinged with the loss. Grandview batters made up for their weak offensive performance at Riverside by stinging the sphere for 13 base blows in the Wheat City ball yard. Don Luhowy punched out four singles, driving in five runs. Dwayne Lawless had three one-baggers and an RBI while Wayne Keeler and Mike Ongarato both singled twice with Keeler gathering a brace of RBI’s. The Leafs were led by Bill Chapple’s two singles.
Deaver (W) and Martin, O’Sullivan (8)
Hlady (L), D. Harvey (4), Thompson (4), D. Harvey (8) and M. Harvey
(June 16) Hitters from the Binscarth Orioles hitters were out in full force, unleashing a 14-hit attack which paved the way for a 10 to 2 shellacking of the travelling Neepawa Cubs, who were playing their first of two road games as part of a split-venue double-dip. Don and Dale Gies managed seven hits and three RBI’s between them to back the six-hit effort of winning pitcher Garth Neville. Don had two singles and a double to drive in a pair of tallies while Dale collected four singles. Neville worked eight innings, striking out ten, and allowed both Neepawa runs. Bill Koering mopped up to preserve the mound victory. Losing twirler Ron McKinnon was lifted in the fifth frame after the Birds pushed across three runs on four hits and a walk. Bill Fraser finished up on the hill for the visitors, yielding ten hits and the final seven Oriole runs.
McKinnon (L), Fraser (5) and Hemstad
Neville (W), Koering (9) and Gallant
(June 16) Later in the day, the completion of their two-game set on the road ended in disappointment for the Neepawa Cubs as they fell victim to a come-from-behind surge by the hosting McAuley Blazers and were nosed out by an 8 to 7 score. McAuley playing-manager Roy Cuthill’s ninth-inning single drove in two runs and sparked a four-run rally as the hosts overcame a 7 – 4 deficit to win. Barry Jamieson, better known to his clubmates as Sam, pitched 3-1/3 innings in relief of starter Steve Stahlheber, to gain the win. The losing slabster, also in relief, was Bill Fraser who was rocked for four hits and four runs in just 1-2/3 innings. Terry Lynd drove in a run with a double and single for the winners while Brian Rose, John Langston and Wayne Poole each stroked a pair of singles with Rose and Langston delivering two RBI’s. Norm Hemstad and starting heaver Don McGorman both registered a double and single for the Cubs as Hemstad drove in a pair of counters and McGorman one.
D. McGorman, McKinnon (8), Fraser (L) (8) and Hemstad
Stahlheber, B. Jamieson (W) (8) and Lowes
STANDINGS
NORTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Binscarth 7 2 .778 ----
McAuley 4 2 .667 1.5
Grandview 4 5 .444 3.0
Neepawa 4 6 .400 3.5
Dauphin 2 6 .250 4.5
SOUTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Souris 5 2 .714 ----
Riverside 6 3 .667 ----
Brandon 4 3 .571 1.0
Hamiota 4 6 .400 2.5
Virden 1 6 .143 4.0
(June 17) The McAuley Blazers, a second-year team in the MSBL, served notice that there will indeed be a pennant race in the North Division when they trimmed the Division-leading Binscarth Orioles 5 to 1. Brian Rose and Jon Langston hit two-run triples in the second and sixth innings respectively to lead the Blazers to the victory. McAuley’s Ross Lynd picked up the pitching victory, limiting the Orioles to four hits, including Dale Gies’ second home run of the year. Lynd whiffed five batters and walked two. The loser was Herb Andres who went the distance, allowing six safeties while issuing four bases-on-balls. Terry Lynd tripled to drive in the other run for the winners. Don Gies singled twice for Binscarth.
Andres (L) and Gallant
R. Lynd (W) and Lowes
(June 18) The Riverside Canucks blasted the Neepawa Cubs to move to within a half-game of the idle Souris Cardinals in the race for the South-Division pennant. Ron Seafoot scattered eight hits and drove in three runs with a bases-loaded single on the way to collecting his second pitching win of the season. The only runs he surrendered came on a two-run homer by Cubs’ catcher Norm Hemstad in the eighth inning. Neepawa’s Pat Angers, derricked from the knoll after five frames, was tabbed with the loss. Mark Fisher managed a double and single for the Riversiders, driving in a pair of runs. Teammate Grant Everard garnered two singles. Jim Schmall singled twice for the Cubs.
R. Seafoot (W) and C. Seafoot, Campbell (7)
Angers (L), D. McGorman (6) and Hemstad
(June 18) The Brandon Cloverleafs, unleashing an 18-hit assault, hammered the Hamiota Red Sox 12 to 2 to settle into third place in the South Division, a full-game out of first place. Backed by the seven-hit tossing of left-hander Brian Hodgson, the Leafs led from the outset, grabbing a 3 to 0 cushion after their very first turn at bat. Loser Ron Ramsey, lit up for seven runs on seven hits, was chased from the elevated portion of the diamond after only 1-1/3 innings. Dennis Wiebe sparked the offensive attack of the Wheat City nine, crushing a triple, double and two singles as he drove in three runs. Roy McLachlan wasn’t far behind with an output of two singles and a double, driving in three counters. Bob Wilson had a triple, double and an RBI while Bill Chapple singled twice and knocked home a brace of tallies. Dave Bender chipped in with a double and single while Mel Harvey singled on a couple of occasions and drove in a marker. Laurie Andrews, with two one-baggers, was the lone Hamiotan to reach plural hit totals.
Hodgson (W) and M. Harvey
Ramsey (L), Araujo (2), Woods (6) and Woods, Sheardown (6)
(June 19) The surprising McAuley Blazers continued their quest for the North Division pennant with a convincing 11 to 4 decision over the visiting Souris Cardinals. The win for the Blazers vaulted them a few percentage points ahead of Binscarth in their race for supremacy in the North while Souris dropped a full-game behind idle Riverside in the South standings. Import Jon Langston struck out 12 and scattered eight hits in copping the complete-game knoll decision. McAuley scored five times in the first three innings and never looked back. The Blazers had home run support from Dale Lowes, who belted a two-run shot off starting and losing heaver Ray Bruels of the Cards in the opening canto, as well as from Terry Lynd, who lit up reliever Stan Furman for an eighth-panel solo smash. Lynd also collected a double and single for the victors while Langston delivered a pair of two-baggers and a one-base rap. Furman and Blaine Fallis both drilled two singles for the Souris pastimers with Furman’s one-baggers driving home a brace of tallies.
Bruels (L), Hunter (4), Furman (8) and Dell
Langston (W) and R. Jamieson
(June 19) The Grandview Lakers, a first-year team proving that they belong in the MSBL, shelled the Dauphin Redbirds 15 to 3 to lift their record to the .500 mark. The Lakers exploded for five counters in the fifth frame and added an eight-spot in the seventh spasm to put the result on ice. Gerry Asselstine limited the road-challenged visitors to eight hits while Dauphin starter, Brodie McLean, suffered the pitching setback. Wayne Keeler rapped two doubles and a pair of singles for the Grandview Gang. Deryl Ortynski doubled three times and drove in a brace of runs while Jim Deaver added a two-bagger and a pair of singles. Tony Kalechyn stroked three singles. Bert Ready hit a run-scoring double for the Redbirds.
B. McLean (L), B. Walmsley (5), Ready (8) and Rideout
Asselstine (W) and Martin, O’Sullivan (9)
(June 20) Grant Everard won his fourth consecutive pitching decision and slammed a two-run homer to propel the Riverside Canucks past the slumping Souris Cardinals 7 to 2. Everard limited the hosts to eight hits, including Stan Furman’s bases-empty four-bagger, and struck out six as the loss for the Cards dropped into third-spot in the South Division. Complete-game loser Doug Freeth was holding his own until the fifth frame when he got himself into a jam and served up a bases-loaded single to Danny Cassils. Cliff Seafoot added a double and single for the winners. Leading the way for the hosts, during their third successive loss, was Greg Cameron with a double and a single while Brian Moffatt singled twice.
Everard (W) and C. Seafoot
Freeth (L) and Dell
(June 21) With the help of four doubles delivered by his teammates, Rick Hlady, a transplant from Thunder Bay, recorded his first MSBL mound win as the Brandon Cloverleafs subdued the bottom-feeding Virden Oilers in a South Division skirmish at Kinsmen Park. With the win, the Leafs moved into second place, a game behind leading Riverside. Hlady had things pretty well his own way and finished with a three-hitter with nine punchouts. Control was his forte as he didn’t walk a single Virden batter. The Cloverleafs scored once in the third, added a trey in the fifth and put the result on ice with a sixth-inning deuce. Run-scoring doubles by Mel Harvey, Dave Bender, Bob Wilson and Doug Fraser highlighted the offense of the victors. Hlady lost his shutout bid in the eighth when he was charged with a wild pitch. Loser Kevin Mickelson surrendered five hits and a pair of walks before he was derricked in the sixth in favor of reliever Larry Thompson, younger brother of Brandon outfielder-pitcher Bob Thompson.
Mickelson (L), Thompson (6) and Fordyce
Hlady (W) and M. Harvey
(June 21) Asserting himself as one of the better pitchers in the Manitoba Senior Baseball League, Californian Steve Stahlheber continued his impressive ways by hurling the streaking McAuley Blazers to a convincing 12 to 1 victory over the lowly Dauphin Redbirds. The win moved the Blazers a half-game ahead of the idle Binscarth Orioles in the North Division standings. Stahlheber limited the Redbirds to just four hits and rang up a remarkable 21 punchouts while walking three. Meanwhile, his mates were busy lighting up losing flinger Garry Keating for 16 base blows. Brian Rose paced the McAuley swatsmiths with three singles, one more than teammates Dale Lowes, Wayne Poole and Stahlheber. Terry Lynd contributed a double and one bagger.
Stahlheber (W) and Lowes
Keating (L) and Rideout
(June 23) The Souris Cardinals went on the road for a two-game set and broke a three-game losing streak, coasting to a 9 to 4 victory over the Grandview Lakers in an afternoon fixture before edging the Dauphin Redbirds in an evening tilt. In their encounter at Grandview, the Cards were led offensively by outfielder Brian Moffatt who singled three times and doubled once to drive in six runs. Ray Bruels annexed his fourth pitching win in five decisions in gaining the decision over the Lakers’ Don Luhowy. Both chuckers went the distance and both were tagged freely with Bruels being combed for 11 hits and Luhowy 12. Lending to the Souris attack was Stan Furman who singled twice and drove in a run. Former Cardinal Wayne Keeler paced the hosts with two singles and a double. Mike Ongarato supplied a triple and a pair of singles while catcher Dennis Martin singled three times.
Bruels (W) and Dell
Luhowy (L) and Martin
Stan Furman made his second pitching start of the campaign in the sunset skirmish at Dauphin and fashioned a five-hitter, winning at the expense of the Redbirds’ Bill Walmsley who lasted until the sixth spasm after Souris had put across all five of their counters. The visiting Cardinals had a 10 to 5 margin in base hits. Greg Cameron, Don Hodgson, Gary Davidson and Furman all managed two singles. The Redbird safeties, all singles, were gathered by five different batters.
Furman (W) and Dell
B. Walmsley (L), B. McLean (6) and Goldade
(June 23) The travelling Virden Oilers rebounded from a 5 to 1 loss to the Dauphin Redbirds in the afternoon and went of to edge the hosting Grandview Lakers 7 to 6 in a twilight tilt. Dauphin’s win in the early match was just their third of the season while the invading Oilers were inflicted with their eighth setback. Bert Ready drove in three runs for the Redbirds with a pair of singles which aided complete-game heaver John Walmsley in picking up his first mound verdict of the year. Dauphin scored four times in the seventh inning to chase Virden starter and loser Gary Randall from the knoll. John Morrison also singled twice for the winners who were outhit by a 9 to 8 margin. Bob Downey and Kevin Mickelson singled three times each for the Oilers.
Randall (L), M. Labossierre (7) and Fordyce
J. Walmsley (W) and Rideout
Trailing 6 – 3 heading into the ninth inning of their late fracas at Grandview, the visiting Oilers pushed across four runs to lift Ted Bridgett to his first hurling conquest of the season. Bridgett yielded only six hits and fanned nine while loser Jim Deaver, kayoed from the bump during the disastrous ninth, was also touched for six safeties but issued ten bases-on-balls. Blair Fordyce and Bob Downey hit a double and single each for the victors while Bridgett singled twice. Mike Ongarato drilled a triple and single for the Lakers.
Bridgett (W) and Fordyce
Deaver (L), Asselstine (9) and O’Sullivan
(June 23) The Binscarth Orioles regained top spot in the North Division with a 6 to 1 victory over the Neepawa Cubs, who were hosting their first game of two as part of a three-team twin-bill. Dale Gies slugged his third home run of the season, a two-run blast, and Les Lisowski tossed a three-hitter in pacing the Orioles to their eighth win. Lisowski, 2 – 0, struck out seven in earning the victory over the Cubs’ Don McGorman. Larry Kearns, Don Gies and Reg Parton each stroked two singles for the winners. No batter from Neepawa had more than one safety.
Lisowski (W) and Parton
D. McGorman (L) and Hemstad
(June 23) After taking it on the chin from Binscarth, the Neepawa Cubs turned things around and upset the McAuley Blazers 7 to 4 in their second clash of the day. Neepawa, outhit 12 to 8 throughout the game, exploded for five runs in the third inning. A key two-run double by Warren Wallin sparked the uprising which carried the Cubs to their fifth win in 13 games. Starting heaver Ron McKinnon earned the victory although he required relief help in the seventh stanza from Ron McGorman. Barry Jamieson, the second of three Blazer chuckers, suffered the loss. Brian Reid singled twice for the victors while Wayne Poole, Jon Langston, Brian Rose and Brian Lindsay replicated the output for McAuley.
Hangen, B. Jamieson (L) (3), R. Lynd (8) and Lowes
McKinnon (W), R. McGorman (7) and Hemstad
(June 23) The Brandon Cloverleafs leap-frogged past Riverside into top spot in the South Division by defeating the hometown Canucks 5 to 1. Lefthander Brian Hodgson pitched a six-hitter to pick up his third win in four mound verdicts as the charging Cloverleafs won their fourth game in a row. Hodgson fanned eight and issued one walk in triumphing over the Canucks’ Rob Medoff, who lost for the first time in three decisions. The Wheat City nine raked Medoff for nine hits, including Bob Wilson’s second home run of the year. First baseman Dennis Wiebe doubled and singled to drive in a run. Mark Fisher, with a four-ply clout and a one-bagger led the Riversiders with the baton.
Hodgson (W) and M. Harvey
Medoff (L) and C. Seafoot
(June 25) It was a win and a loss for both clubs as the McAuley Blazers visited the Brandon Cloverleafs in one of those special MSBL two-for-one fixtures at Kinsmen Stadium. The Blazers pushed across a pair of runs in the second inning of the contest to win the completion of the tie game of June 7 by a 9 to 7 count, only to have the Cloverleafs score a three-spot in the fourth frame and rebound for a 3 to 2 win in the regular scheduled game.
The Blazers’ hard-throwing southpaw Steve Stahlheber got credit for the overtime win and was saddled with the loss in the planned event. Brandon starter Rick Hlady suffered the loss in the mini-scuffle while reliever Rick McFadyen picked up his second win in as many decisions in the scheduled tilt. A solid single to the right pasture by McAuley’s Ross Lynd drove in the brace of counters that settled the suspended match, officially in 11 innings.
Hodgson, Thompson (7), Hlady (L) (10), McFadyen (11) and M. Harvey
Langston, Stahlheber (W) (2) and Lowes
Stahlheber’s errant throw to first base in the fourth frame after fielding a perfectly-placed bunt by the Leafs’ Dennis Wiebe allowed preceding baserunners Dave Bender and Bob Wilson to score all the way from second and first base to tie the nine-inning affair. The off-target toss ended up in deep right field as Wiebe moved all the way to third base. To make matters worse for Stahlheber, Wiebe plated what turned out to be the winning marker moments later on a passed ball. Neither team scored after that and both ended the clash with just five safeties.
Stahlheber (L), Langston (7) and Lowes, B. Jamieson (7)
Hlady, McFadyen (W) (2) and M. Harvey
(June 25) Gary Randall’s grand-slam home run in the sixth inning paved the way for the lowly Virden Oilers to edge the visiting Hamiota Red Sox 5 to 4. The Oilers had fallen behind 2 – 1 but a single by Tom Vanrebaeys and walks to Mike Labossiere and Ted Bridgett set the scene for Randall’s blast which gave last-place Virden their third win in 11 starts. Kevin Mickelson went the distance for his second victory of the season against three losses. He scattered ten hits, struck out five and walked six. The loss was pinned on Ron Ramsey who gave up nine hits in his eight frames of mound toil. Bridgett, Labossiere and Vanrobaeys banged out two singles each for the Petroleum Men while Randall added a double to his circuit-jack. For the Red Sox, Laurie Andrews and Jeff Sheardown nailed a double and single each while Ken Wowryk singled twice.
Ramsey (L) and Sheardown
Mickelson (W) and Fordyce
(June 26) The Gies brothers, Don and Dale, combined for eight of Binscarth’s 20-hit assault as the Orioles, leaders of the MSBL’s South Division, blasted the visiting Virden Oilers 16 to 6. Dale singled four times and drove in three runs while Don drilled three singles and a double to knock in two runs as winning pitcher Garth Neville improved his record to 3 – 1. Neville struck out 11 and limited the Virden batters to seven hits in the rout as reliever Mike Labossiere, who took over knoll chores in the fifth for the Oilers, was tagged with the loss. A four-run fifth inning for the Birds broke up what, until then, had been a close struggle. Herb Andres added to Labossierre’s woes by lighting him up for a two-run round-tripper. Neville helped his own cause with three singles while teammate Lyle Gallant delivered a two-bagger and single. Ted Bridgett singled twice for the losers.
Thompson, M. Labossiere (L) (5) and Fordyce
Neville (W) and Gallant
(June 26) The Cardinals of Souris exploded for six runs in the second stanza on their way to a 9 to 4 victory over the Riverside Canucks. The result gave the Cards a share of first place in the South Division with the idle Brandon Cloverleafs. Winning pitcher Doug Freeth and veteran Bill Carpenter drove in two runs apiece in the decisive second inning. Freeth, who scattered ten hits, picked up his second win in four decisions at the expense of Grant Everard who lost for the first time after reeling off four consecutive wins. Everard, who walked six, yielded eight Souris safeties, one of which was a solo home run by Doug Armour in the seventh spasm. Brian Moffatt singled twice for the victors while Carpenter added a second one-bagger. The MSBL’s home run leader, Mark Fisher, belted his fourth circuit-clout of the season for the Riversiders. Clubmates Ron Russell and Ed Beare both managed a brace of singles.
Freeth (W) and Dell
Everard (L), R. Seafoot (9) and C. Seafoot
(June 26) The struggling Hamiota Red Sox, playing on their home turf, received an encouraging pitching performance from left-hander Jerry Araujo who blanked the Neepawa Cubs 3 to 0. Araujo, aided by some timely hits from his mates, outdueled Pat Angers for the victory. The import southpaw distributed eight hits evenly and walked only one while Angers pitched well in defeat, limiting the Scarlet Stockings to just five hits. Bob Caldwell’s second-inning double drove in Mel Smith with the only run that Araujo would need. Angers, Dan Secundiak and Terry Oliver all singled twice for the Cubs.
Angers (L) and Crabbe, Hunter (7)
Araujo (W) and Sheardown
STANDINGS
NORTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Binscarth 9 3 .750 ----
McAuley 8 4 .667 1.0
Neepawa 6 8 .429 4.0
Grandview 5 7 .417 4.0
Dauphin 3 9 .250 6.0
SOUTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Brandon 8 4 .667 ----
Souris 8 4 .667 ----
Riverside 8 5 .615 0.5
Hamiota 5 8 .385 3.5
Virden 3 9 .250 5.0
(June 28) Back in the lineup of the Binscarth Orioles after spending the past three weeks in custody of the U. S. military for allegedly abandoning National Guard duty, Dave Rottman made his presence felt as he helped the Birds to an 11 to 9 conquest of the visiting Brandon Cloverleafs. Sent to the knoll as the O’s starting heaver, Rottman, rusty flipper and all, struck out seven and walked only two in the seven innings that he toiled. He turned the horsehide over to Bryan McCauley with a comfortable 11 to 4 lead, virtually assured of the win after surrendering seven hits. His most challenging inning was the top-of-the-first when he was lit up for dingers by the Leafs’ Bob Thompson and Dennis Wiebe but after that, he settled right down. The Wheat City nine rocked McCauley for their final five counters in the ninth, primarily of the strength of a grand-slam tater off the baton of Bill Chapple. The losing chucker was Brian Hodgson who was rocked for nine hits and ten runs in four innings before given the hook for Dale Harvey. Ron Low, Ron Falloon and Dale Gies registered two safeties each for Binscarth while Mel Harvey, Wiebe and Chapple delivered a brace of bingles for the Brandonites.
Hodgson (L), D. Harvey (5) and M. Harvey, McFadyen (6)
Rottman (W), McCauley (8) and Gallant
(June 28) Relief pitcher Glennis Scott of the Hamiota Red Sox walked in the winning run in the top-of-the-ninth inning to give the invading Souris Cardinals a close 3 to 2 win. The victory for the Cards moved them into top spot in the South Division. Winning flinger Ray Bruels and Hamiota’s Ron Ramsey went head-to-head for eight grueling frames with Souris in front 2 – 1 but, in the ninth, Ramsey tired and loaded the bases with none out as Scott took over. A base-on-balls to Don Hodgson forced in Doug Armour with the third Cardinal tally and, although the Red Sox scored once in their half of the panel, they fell one short of knotting the count. Both teams had just five base hits as most of the baserunners in the contest were aboard on free passes, eight by Bruels and 11 by Ramsey. Stan Furman of the victors and the vanquished nine’s Mel Smith were the only batters with a brace of safeties.
Bruels (W) and Dell
Ramsey (L), Scott (9) and Sheardown
(June 28) The McAuley Blazers scored three times in the third inning and four more times in the eighth inning to drub the homestanding Virden Oilers 10 to 3. Blazer pitcher Ross Lynd went seven innings to get the win over Gary Randall of Virden who went the distance. The Lynd boys, Ross and Terry, slapped out three singles apiece to pace McAuley’s 12-hit attack. Terry’s three safeties produced three RBI’s. Randall was two of the four Oiler base raps, both singles.
R. Lynd (W), Langston (8) and R. Jamieson
Randall (L) and Fordyce
(June 28) The Grandview Lakers erupted for four first-inning markers, three coming on a bases-loaded triple by Dwaine Lawless, and went to to double the visiting Neepawa Cubs 8 to 4. Both winning tosser Jim Deaver and losing heaver Ron McGorman pitched the entire game. McGorman was touched for eight hits and fanned ten while Deaver rang up a dozen punchouts and yielded five safeties. Mike Ongarato had three hits for the Lakers while teammate Don Luhowy checked in with a pair of doubles. Veteran outfielder Ed Crabbe was the only visitor to get two hits, a double and a single, and drove in three of the four Neepawa tallies.
R. McGorman (L) and Wallin
Deaver (W) and Martin
(July 1) Birtle annual Canada Day baseball tournament
(July 3) Mel Harvey, not known for his power, unleashed three home runs and drove in seven runs to propel the Brandon Cloverleafs to an 11 to 3 triumph over the host Neepawa Cubs in MSBL action. The light-hitting Harvey, homer-less coming into the tilt, connected for a two-run blast in the opening canto, a grand-salami tater in the sixth and a solo shot in the eighth. The victory for the Leafs moved them to within a half-game of the South Division pace-setters, the Souris Cardinals. Brandon portsider Brian Hodgson was the beneficiary of Harvey’s unexpected power surge, going the distance on the hillock for the one-sided victory. Two of the four hits he surrendered were bases-empty dingers by Don Martin and Pat Angers. Over the course of the nine frames, he rang up seven punchouts and gave away an equal number of free passes to the initial sack. Neepawa starting flinger, Ron McKinnon, who lasted until the fourth, was tagged with the loss. Rick McFadyen also went yard with a round-tripper for the victors and added a single as well. Delivering a brace of one-base raps were Bob Wilson, Doug Fraser and Bill Chapple.
Hodgson (W) and McFadyen
McKinnon (L), D. McGorman (5) and Hemstad
(July 3) A critical error by Grandview third baseman Dwayne Lawless in the ninth inning allowed the tying and winning runs to score as the Hamiota Red Sox came back from a last-inning 5 – 3 deficit to prevail 6 to 5 over the visiting Lakers. The miscue was the second of the inning and fourth of the game for Grandview. Ron Ramsey of Hamiota went the route on the bump for his third win in eight pitching decisions. The Red Sox right-hander struck out ten, walked three and surrendered 13 hits. The Crimson Hose mustered only six hits off a trio of Laker slabsters but received 11 bases-on-balls. Ellis Woods clicked for three singles in leading the Hamiotans offensively. Mike Ongarato went three-for-five at the plate for Grandview while teammate Tony Kalechyn had a double and single. Don Luhowy and Gerry Asselstine pitched in with a couple of singles each.
Asselstine, Deaver (L) (6), O’Sullivan (9) and Martin
Ramsey (W) and Stephens, Sheardown (6)
(July 3) The hosting Dauphin Redbirds spoiled Dave Rottman’s homecoming, nosing out the Binscarth Orioles 3 to 2. Ex-Redbird Rottman, in his first start of the campaign against his former mates, was touched for just four hits but had the misfortune of locking horns with left-hander Ross Stone, the Saskatchewan mercenary, who joins the Dauphinites while in the area enjoying a lakeside vacation each July. Stone allowed eight hits and one walk while breezing six in his complete-game 1974 MSBL inauguration. Veteran Rollie Secord, pinch-hitting in the seventh stanza, drove in Ken Buchy with the run that turned out to be the winner. Don Gies slammed a double and triple to lead the Orioles’ offense. Dale Geis bashed an opening-panel four-bagger, his fourth of the season.
Rottman (L) and Gallant, Wasslen (4)
Stone (W) and Simon
(July 3) A 5 to 3 hometown win over the Riverside Canucks kept the McAuley Blazers deadlocked with Binscarth as co-leaders in the North Division of the MSBL. Import Jon Langston picked up his third win of the campaign, leaving the heaving chores in the capable hands of reliever Barry Jamieson after five frames. Riverside’s Rob Medoff surrendered ten hits in the route-going defeat. Jamieson, Wayne Poole, Dale Lowes and Brian Rose each slapped out a brace of one-baggers for the winners. Danny Cassils knocked in all three Canuck counters with a pair of singles. Cliff Seafoot also had two one-base raps for the Riversiders.
Medoff (L) and Campbell
Langston (W), B. Jamieson (6) and R. Jamieson
(July 4) Ray Bruels, the winningest pitcher in the MSBL this season, upped his record to 6 – 1 by blanking the Hamiota Red Sox on two hits as the Souris Cardinals prevailed 3 to 0. The win moved the Cards a full game ahead of the second-place Brandon Cloverleafs in the South Division. Catcher John Dell squeezed in the only run Bruels needed with a fourth-inning sacrifice bunt. The Cardinals scored their other tallies in the fifth chapter on a two-run single by Dwayne Kirkup, one of two hits he acquired in the contest. Losing chucker Jerry Araujo was nicked for seven hits and suffered the consequences of five errors committed by his clubmates. Red Sox backstop Bruce Stephens, with a couple of singles, had both Hamiota safeties. Aside from Kirkup, Bruels was the only other Souris batter to punch out more than one base rap, swatting a double and a single.
Araujo (L) and Stephens
Bruels (W) and Dell
(July 5) The Binscarth Orioles were upset victims at the hands of the hosting Virden nine, falling 4 to 3 in ten innings to the lowly Oilers. Oriole centre-fielder Dale Gies dropped a long fly ball by Oiler Gary Randall which enabled Mike Labossiere to race home from second base with the winning tally in the bottom-of-the-overtime session. Only one inning earlier, Gies had doubled home playing-manager Bob Wasslen to send the affair into extra innings. Virden received a strong pitching effort from import Kevin Mickelson in picking up only their fourth win in 14 starts. Mickelson, who struck out six and walked two, scattered seven Oriole safeties and was not damaged by the seven miscues his teammates committed. Losing chucker Bryan McCauley allowed six hits and six walks while fanning four.
McCauley (L) and Parton
Mickelson (W) and Fordyce
(July 5) The Grandview Lakers proved to be unwelcome hosts as they slapped down the favored McAuley Blazers 9 to 2. Mike Ongarato was a one-man wrecking crew for the Lakers, blasting out a two-run homer and unleashing a bases-loaded triple. Terry Lynd was the top willow-wielder for the Blazers with three safeties, including a double. Jim Deaver scattered eight hits and struck out 13 in picking up the mound win over import Steve Stahlheber who surrendered seven hits while accumulating 13 punchouts in his seven stanzas of knoll toil.
Stahlheber (L), B. Jamieson (8) and R. Jamieson
Deaver (W) and Martin
(July 5) The invading Brandon Cloverleafs erupted for four runs in the ninth inning to down the Dauphin Redbirds 5 to 1. After the Leafs loaded the bases in the top-of-the-ninth, second baseman Doug Fraser broke a 1 – 1 tie by singling home the winner. Losing twirler Garry Keating became unnerved at this point and unleashed a triad of wild pitches which allowed the three insurance counters to cross the pan. Rick McFadyen went the distance to gain credit for the mound win, improving his record to 3 – 0. Bob Thompson led the winners at the dish with two doubles and a single.
McFadyen (W) and M. Harvey
Keating (L) and Simon
(July 7) Riverside second baseman Bob Williamson exploded for four singles and a pair of doubles as the visiting Canucks scored nine times in the fifth inning to defeat the Binscarth Orioles 10 to 6 in the opening game for the hosting Birds in a three-team doubleheader. In their second tilt, the Orioles bounced back to drop the Souris Cardinals 9 to 3.
A pair of Binscarth pitchers were raked for 18 base knocks by the hard-hitting Riversiders in the lid-lifter. Twelve of those hits were collected off starter and loser Les Lisowski who was kayoed from the bump in the disastrous fifth. Rob Medoff gave up five of the six Binscarth tallies before giving way to Grant Everard in the seventh. Medoff also enjoyed a good day with the bat, drilling a double and a couple of singles. Danny Cassils, Bill Campbell and Cliff Seafoot all managed a pair of one-baggers for the winners. Bill Derlago and Oriole reliever Dave Rottman both singles twice.
Medoff (W), Everard (7) and Campbell, C. Seafoot (7)
Lisowski (L), Rottman (5) and Gallant, Parton (5)
After absorbing the matinée-game setback, Lisowski was sent back out to the hill to start the late match against the just-arrived Cardinals. Appearing to have learned from his mistakes against Riverside, Lisowski made this appearance a winning one, striking out nine and allowing the same number of hits over seven innings. As in the first tussle, Rottman came on in relief. Loser Doug Freeth also lasted seven spasms and yielded seven of the 11 Binscarth base raps, four of which, three singles and a double were swatted by Lisowski. Leading the Cardinals offensively were Ray Bruels with three singles as well as Freeth and Bill Carpenter with a pair.
Freeth (L), Carpenter (8) and Dell
Lisowski (W), Rottman (8) and Wasslen
(July 7) The homestanding McAuley Blazers hooked up with the Dauphin Redbirds in MSBL doubleheader action and divided the spoils. The Blazers took the opener 9 to 4 while the Redbirds captured the nightcap 7 to 5.
Ross Lynd scattered eight hits to win his third consecutive game for McAuley in the early contest. He worked seven stanzas before bowing out in favor of reliever Steve Stahlheber. The loser, meanwhile, was John Walmsley who gave up all nine Blazer counters on 13 hits in seven innings. Brian Lindsay helped the cause of the winners with four singles and an RBI. Terry Lynd singled twice and doubled to drive in a pair of tallies. Dale Lowes tripled and singles and winning tosser Lynd did his bit with a brace of one-baggers. John Morrison led the way for Dauphin with a couple of doubles while teammate Sig Sigurdson chipped in with two singles.
J. Walmsley (L), Ready (8) and Johnson
R. Lynd, Stahlheber (8) and Lowes
The invading Redbirds built up a 7 – 3 lead after six spasms of the late fracas and then, hung on for the win, their fifth of the season. Vacationing hired-gun Ross Stone won his second game in as many decisions for the Dauphinites, going the distance and surrendering 11 hits. McAuley’s Jon Langston was tagged with the loss, his first, as he was raked for ten hits. Ken Buchy stroked a double and a single for the winners while Garry Keating and John Morrison each delivered a brace of one-baggers. Barry Jamieson, Dale Lowes and Langston were the big hitters for the Blazers with a single and double apiece while Lindsay contributed two singles.
Stone (W) and Johnson
Langston (L) and Lowes
(July 8) A two-run single by Ron Ramsey in the eighth inning propelled the Hamiota Red Sox to a 5 to 3 MSBL victory over the visiting Virden Oilers. With the Crimson Hose in arrears by a 3 to 2 counts in the fourth frame, Ramsey had earlier scored the tying counter after doubling, moving to third on a passed ball and crossing the pan on a wild pitch. Jerry Araujo of the Red Sox and Virden’s Gary Randall locked horns in a pitching joust in which only seven hits, four by the winners, were mustered. Araujo struck out ten and walked five in tossing a three-hitter while Randall whiffed nine and walked four.
Randall (L) and Fordyce
Araujo (W) and Sheardown
(July 9) Dale Harvey scattered five singles with an equal number of walks and pitched himself out of a pair of bases-loaded jams in leading the Brandon Cloverleafs to a 5 to 0 victory over the hometown Souris Cardinals in MSBL action. In picking up his third win in four decisions, Harvey punched out seven Souris batters. The win was a big one for the Cloverleafs as it moved them one full game ahead of the Cardinals in the battle for the South Division pennant. Import Ray Bruels went the distance for the Cards and suffered only his second loss of the season against six wins. He surrendered ten hits and one walk while striking out six. Mel Harvey and Doug Fraser both had two hits for the winners.
D. Harvey (W) and McFadyen
Bruels (L) and Dell
STANDINGS
NORTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Binscarth 11 6 .647 ----
McAuley 11 6 .647 ----
Grandview 7 8 .467 3.0
Neepawa 5 11 .313 5.5
Dauphin 5 11 .313 5.5
SOUTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Brandon 11 5 .688 ----
Souris 10 6 .625 1.0
Riverside 9 6 .600 1.5
Hamiota 7 10 .412 4.5
Virden 4 11 .267 6.5
(July 10) Dave Rottman gave up only three safeties and two bases-on-balls while fanning 18 in pitching the Binscarth Orioles to a 6 to 1 victory over the Grandview Lakers. The Orioles collected 17 hits off Jerry Asselstine who suffered the loss in going the route. Dale Gies, Glen Hodgson and playing-manager Bob Wasslen spiced the Binscarth attack with three hits apiece. One of the hits for Gies was his fifth home run, tops in the league. He also collected two doubles. Wasslen had two singles and a double. Bill Derlago and Ron Low each added a pair of one-baggers to the Birds’ attack.
Asselstine (L) and O’Sullivan
Rottman (W) and Wasslen
(July 10) The McAuley Blazers pounded out a 10 to 3 decision over the Neepawa Cubs to keep pace with Binscarth in the North Division pennant chase. Import southpaw Steve Stahlheber whiffed 15 and walked five while checking the Cubs on five safeties. The McGorman boys, starter Don and reliever Ron, took care of the Neepawa pitching, with Don, in his 5-1/3 innings on the knoll, taking the loss. The Blazers belted three home runs to highlight their 15-hit attack. Barry Jamieson had a two-run shot in the third inning, Dale Lowes connected for a three-run blast in the eighth and Graeme Lee a solo clout, also in the eighth episode. Jamieson and Lowes also added one single each to their dingers while Lee pasted a triple in addition to his tater. Wayne Poole knocked in a pair of runs with two singles and a double while Ross Lynd and Terry Lynd had two safeties apiece. Only one of the five base raps surrendered by Stahlheber went for extra-bases, that being a two-bagger by Neil Martin.
D. McGorman (L), R. McGorman (8) and Crabbe
Stahlheber (W) and Lowes
(July 10) Grant Everard blanked the Virden Oilers on four hits as the Riverside Canucks posted a 5 to 0 MSBL victory. The hapless Oilers, cellar dwellers in the South Division, for easy prey for Everard, who won his fifth game in six decisions this season. Virden starter Larry Thompson absorbed the loss, his third straight. Ted Bridgett hurled the final 2-1/3 innings in relief of Thompson. Danny Cassils, Mark Fisher and Cliff Seafoot paced the Canuck offense with two safeties each with a two-bagger included in the total for Cassils and Fisher. Only one of the four safeties yielded by Everard, a triple by Mark Labossiere, went for extra bases.
Everard (W) and C. Seafoot, Campbell (9)
Thompson (L), Bridgett (7) and Fordyce
(July 13) A 10 to 6 victory by the Riverside Canucks over the visiting Dauphin Redbirds tightened up the South Division race in the MSBL as it moved to Riversiders to within a half-game of the pace-setting Brandon Cloverleafs. Grant Everard went the distance for the Riversiders to pick up his sixth win of the year while the loss was pinned on Garry Keating, winless in four decisions. The Canucks, outhit by a 13 to 10 margin, had a huge 10 to 3 lead after eight chapters but Dauphin, even with three ninth-inning tallies, couldn’t overcome the big deficit. Ed Beare, Everard, Danny Cassils and Garth Seafoot each cracked out two hits for the winners. Ken Buchy cracked out three singles for the Redbirds while clubmates John Morrison, Bert Ready and Siggi Sigurdson each had two hits.
Keating (L) and Johnson
Everard (W) and Campbell
(July 13) The hometown Hamiota Red Sox rapped out 14 base knocks and clobbered the Virden Oilers 15 to 1. Oiler starter and loser Kevin Mickelson was shelled from the bump in the opening canto after failing to retire a batter and giving up three tallies, one of which resulted on a bases-empty home run by Ellis Woods. The rout continued from the second stanza on as winning tosser Ron Ramsey cruised to his fourth win in nine decisions. Jeff Sheardown led the Hamiota batting parade with three singles while Bob Caldwell and Jerry Araujo banged out two safeties each. For Virden, Bob Downey and Gary Randall had two singles each.
Mickelson (L), Bridgett (1), Thompson (6) and Fordyce
Ramsey (W) and Sheardown
(July 14) The invading Neepawa Cubs battered the Grandview Lakers 13 to 3 in MSBL action. Neepawa collected just nine hits in the game but took advantage of nine Laker miscues to make an easy winner of Don McGorman. The Cubs scored in each of the first five innings, building up an 11 – 1 lead and then coasted to the victory. Laker starting pitcher Jim Deaver was saddled with the loss, his fourth against three wins. Jim Schmall and Don Martin paced the visitors offensively with two singles each. Wayne Keeler and Don Luhowy tripled and doubled respectively for Grandview.
D. McGorman (W) and Wallin
Deaver (L), Kalechyn (4) and Martin
(July 15) The travelling McAuley Blazers began a three-team, two-game set by stopping off in Souris for an inter-divisional match with the hosting Cardinals and, after battling for eleven innings, came out as 3 to 2 losers. A successful squeeze bunt in the bottom-of-the-second overtime session by Greg Cameron plated teammate Grant Kirkup with the walkoff winner as the win kept the Cards in the thick of the three-way race for the South Division pennant. Doug Freeth turned in a fine five-hit pitching effort with seven strikeouts over the course of the contest for the victors. The winning run was charged against Steve Stahlheber who had relieved McAuley starter Ross Lynd in the 11th. The Souris diamondeers, who trail Brandon by one game, received a double and two singles from Kirkup while Cameron, Brian Moffatt and Johnny Dell all clipped the orb for two singles. Terry Lynd doubled for the Blazers.
R. Lynd, Stahlheber (L) (11) and Lowes
Freeth (W) and Dell
(July 15) Following their close loss in the afternoon segment of their split-venue double-dip, the McAuley Blazers motored to Riverside and were, once again, victims of a one-run defeat, falling 5 to 4 to the hometown Canucks. Both aggregations ripped the horsehide for seven base knocks but the McAuley squad stranded 13 base runners. A four-run eighth inning provided the Riversiders with the ammunition they needed to come out on top. The blow that delivered what transpired as the winning counter came off the bat of Danny Cassils, a single, sending Bob Williamson home from third base. Ron Seafoot, who took over from starter Canuck Ron Russell in the fourth frame, was credited with the pitching victory while Jon Langston was the complete-game loser. Williamson had two singles for the victors while Langston topped all swatsmiths in the bout with a single, double and two-run triple.
Langston (L) and R. Jamieson
Russell, R. Seafoot (W) (4) and C. Seafoot
(July 15) Rick Read made his 1974 MSBL debut an auspicious one as he held the hosting Grandview Lakers to six hits in pitching the Brandon Cloverleafs to a 7 to 4 triumph. His performance from the batter’s box was just as sparkling as he contributed a triple and single to the Leafs’ eight-hit attack. The Wheat City nine jumped on Grandview starter Gerry Asselstine for four runs in the first three innings, including a solo round-tripper by Rick Hlady. Doug Fraser managed a couple of singles for the winners, who maintained their half-game lead over Riverside in the battle for the South Division pennant. Deryl Ortynski delivered a double and single for the Lakers while teammates Dennis Martin and Bill O’Sullivan had two singles each.
Read (W) and McFadyen
Asselstine (L), Ongarato (3) and Martin, O’Sullivan (9)
(July 15) Ross Stone tossed a five-hitter to pick up his third consecutive win as the homestanding Redbirds of Dauphin slugged out a 9 to 0 victory over the Neepawa Cubs. The vacationing southpaw, provided with a lakeside cottage and a monthly stipend for the use of his portside flipper, was staked to a 6 – 0 lead after three innings and was never in trouble. He cruised to the decision over Pat Angers who lasted only two innings on the hill. Bob Buchy clouted a pair of triples and a single for the Redbirds. Siggi Sigurdson followed with a brace of two-baggers while catcher Ken Simon notched a couple of one-base raps. Jim Schmall was the leading hitter for the Cubs with two singles.
Angers (L), R. McGorman (3) and Hemstad
Stone (W) and Simon
(July 16) A tenth-inning single by Les Lisowski drove in Ron Falloon from third base with the run that stood up for a 3 to 2 Binscarth Oriole triumph over the hosting Brandon Cloverleafs. Falloon, who had singled to open the bonus round of play, reached the hot corner sack on an overthrow to first base by Brandon reliever Rick Read who fielded Ron Low’s intended sacrifice bunt. Sixth-inning reliever Dave Rottman picked up the pitching win after coming to the aid of Lisowski. Read, on the other hand, failed in his attempt for prevent the loss from falling upon Leaf starter Dale Harvey who had dished out the overtime one-bagger to Falloon before getting the hook. Fallon had driven in the first two counters for the Birds with an opening-canto single and a booming triple in the fifth while Rick McFadyen and Doug McPhail had laced RBI-singles for the Wheat City nine in the second and fifth stanzas respectively.
Lisowski, Rottman (W) (6) and Wasslen
D. Harvey (L), Read (10) and McFadyen
(July 16) The struggling Virden Oilers won their fifth game of the MSBL season in a fashion slightly unbecoming the South Division club. The normally light-hitting Oilers rocked Souris Cardinal starter and ace slab artist, Ray Bruels, for 14 hits, including seven during a four-run eighth inning to register a come-from-behind 5 to 4 victory. Virden’s Bob Downey, who stung the sphere for three safeties during the tilt, capped the late comeback with an eighth-inning RBI single that plated teammate Bob Senff with the deciding run. Import chucker Gary Randall collected the win for the hosts, his first of the season against three losses. In a route-going performance, Randall limited the Cards to five hits while striking out 11. Bruels, now 6 – 3, pitched 7-2/3 innings before giving way to Stan Furman. Aside from Downey’s three hits, Tom Vanrobaeys had a double and single for the Oilers while Randall and Senff drilled two singles each. Cardinal flychaser Brian Moffatt singled twice.
Bruels (L), Furman (8) and Dell
Randall (W) and Fordyce
(July 17) Brandon outfielder Bob Thompson belted his second, third and fourth home runs of the season to spark the visiting Cloverleafs to a 10 to 2 decision over the Souris Cardinals, a win which kept the Wheat City baseballers a half-game behind the South Division front-running Riverside Canucks. Two of Thompson’s blasts were solo shots while the third was a two-run clout. The Brandonites collected a total of 12 hits off a pair of Cardinal pitchers, including seven off starter and loser Stan Furman. Winning twirler Rick Hlady allowed 14 Souris hits but still had a shutout going until the eighth episode when Doug Freeth’s double drove in two runs. Hlady had a double and single for the winners while teammate Bob Wilson picked up a pair of one-baggers. Freeth managed a single to go along with his two-bagger and clubmate Brian Moffatt had a triad of singles.
Hlady (W) and M. Harvey
Furman (L), Hunter (4) and Dell
(July 17) The hometown Dauphin Redbirds turned a triple play, the first of the MSBL season, in defeating the visiting Hamiota Red Sox 6 to 5. The triplet-killing occurred in the seventh stanza when the Red Sox’ Laurie Andrews attempted a sacrifice bunt with runners at the first two stations. Without the proper front-hand grip on the bat to deaden the contact with the ball, Andrews’ bunt was more of a line-drive which was easily snared by Redbird flinger Ross Stone. Successive relays to keystone sacker Jerry Shumanski for the second out and from Shumanski to Garry Keating at first base for the third completed the defensive gem. The Dauphin baseballers had the lead for most of the game but lost it briefly in the top-of-the-eighth when the Sox moved in front 5 to 4. In the bottom-half of the canto, however, they knotted the count on a successful RBI-bunt by Shumanski and then went ahead for good when Keating singled home Bert Ready. Stone went the distance, allowing 11 hits while fanning four, to claim his fourth victory against no losses. The loser, meanwhile, was Jerry Araujo, who gave up nine hits and whiffed six. Ready, Siggi Sigurdson and John Morrison all had a brace of singles for the winners. Glennis Scott, in an unaccustomed role as a catcher, smacked a home run and two singles for the Crimson Hose.
Araujo (L) and Scott
Stone (W) and Johnson
(July 17) The Riverside Canucks maintained their one-game margin atop the MSBL’s South Division with an easy 14 to 0 romp over the Virden Oilers. The Riversiders slapped 17 hits off a pair of Oiler pitchers as Grant Everard, the MSBL’s leading pitcher, won his seventh game in eight decisions. With a huge lead, Everard bowed out after seven stanzas as Ron Seafoot came on to mop up. Larry Thompson, the Virden starter, was saddled with his fourth straight loss. Ted Bridgett finished up on the knoll for the visitors. Canuck first baseman Mark Fisher singled three times to drive in a pair of runs. Newcomer Barry Hooke and veteran Ed Beare also stung the sphere for three safeties while Bob Williamson delivered a triple and single. The Oilers, losers for the 14th time in 19 games, received a double and single from Kevin Mickelson.
Thompson (L), Bridgett (6) and Fordyce
Everard (W), R. Seafoot (8) and C. Seafoot, Beare (7)
(July 17) The Grandview Lakers surprised the second-place McAuley Blazers to annex a 5 to 2 Northern Division win. Jim Deaver yielded a pair of opening-panel tallies to the Blazers and then blanked them the rest of the way. Both teams wound up with six base raps. Taking the loss was McAuley reliever Jon Langston who took over from starter Steve Stahlheber during the Lakers’ three-run fifth frame. Jerry Coppicus of the vanquished nine was the lone batter in the game with more than one base hit, singling twice.
Stahlheber, Langston (L) (5) and Lowes
Deaver (W) and O’Sullivan
(July 18) The North Division All-Stars prevailed 5 to 4 over their South Division counterparts in the annual MSBL all-star game held at Brandon’s Kinsmen Stadium. Starter Steve Stahlheber of the McAuley Blazers hurled the first three frames for the Northerners to earn credit for the pitching victory over Souris Cardinals’ heaver Ray Bruels who was nicked for all five opposition counters in his three frames of mound toil for the Southerners. The Gies brothers, Don and Dale, of the Binscarth Orioles banged out four hits between them for the victors.
Bruels (L), Everard (4), Araujo (7) and C. Seafoot
Stahlheber (W), Ongarato (4), Angers (6), Langston (6) and Hemstad, Lowes (6)
(July 19) A two-run homer by Pat Angers and a solo shot off the bat of Dan Secundiak highlighted a five-run Neepawa uprising in the fourth frame as the hosting Cubs stopped the sagging Souris Cardinals 11 to 8 in a MSBL contest. Neepawa’s Dan McGorman went the distance on the hillock for the victory, his fourth in six decisions. It was a sloppily-played game with 12 errors committed, seven by the visitors. Souris starter Doug Freeth was kayoed in the fifth, taking the loss. Secundiak led the Cubs’ 12-hit attack with two singles in addition to his tater while Angers, Norm Hemstad, Brian Reid and Dennis Hunter each checked in with two safeties. For the Cards, Gary Davidson, Brian Moffatt and Stan Furman banged out three hits apiece with one of Davidson’s blows being a double. Catcher John Dell did his bit with a couple of one-base hits. Ray Bruels connected for the losers’ most productive swat, a three-run two-bagger.
Freeth (L), Carpenter (4), D. Kirkup (4) and Dell
D. McGorman (W) and Hemstad
(July 20-21) M.B.A. senior elimination tournament
(July 22) The surging Dauphin Redbirds, with veteran southpaw Ross Stone leading the way, clipped the North Division-leading Binscarth Orioles 9 to 2 in an eight inning, darkness-shortened MSBL affair. Stone pitched a five-hitter and punched out seven in picking up his fifth consecutive victory as his mates racked up a five-spot in the sixth spasm to put the game away. Siggi Sigurdson rapped a double and single for the hosts, driving in a pair of runs. Catcher Ken Simon/Simons also managed a two-bagger and single. All the safeties garnered off Stone were singles, two by Ron Low.
McCauley (L), B. Andres (6) and Wasslen
Stone (W) and Simon
(July 22) The Brandon Cloverleafs regained top spot in the South Division of the MSBL with a 9 to 2 triumph over the hosting Hamiota Red Sox. The Cloverleafs collected 12 hits off Hamiota starting chucker Ron Ramsey including a solo homer and single by first baseman Dennis Wiebe. The Wheat City nine pushed across three first-inning counters and were never headed as complete-game winner Brian Hodgson handcuffed the Sox on six hits. Ramsey was charged with all nine Brandon tallies before heading for an early shower in the seventh. The Leafs received a triple and single from Mel Harvey and two singles from both Roy McLachlan and Bill Chapple. Ramsey and Ken Wowryk each cuffed a brace of one-base raps for the Scarlet Stockings.
Hodgson (W) and McFadyen
Ramsey (L), Andrews (8) and Sheardown, Young (6)
(July 22) The Riverside Canucks were bounced 9 to 5 by the Souris Cardinals to fall a half-game behind Brandon in the South Division pennant race. Greg Cameron’s bases-loaded double in the second inning drove in three runs and sparked the visitors to their 12th victory of the season. Riverside’s ace slab artist, Grant Everard, was raked for eight runs on eight hits before being chased in the fifth. Earning the mound decision for Souris was import Ray Bruels who yielded eight hits, struck out nine and walked only one in improving his season’s log to 7 – 3. The Cardinals’ Stan Furman collected four, all singles, of the victors’ 14 base hits. Gary Davidson followed with a triple and one-bagger. Canuck second baseman Bob Williamson had a double and two singles while Danny Cassils delivered a pair of singles.
Bruels (W) and Dell
Everard (L), Cassils (5) and C. Seafoot
STANDINGS
NORTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Binscarth 13 7 .650 ----
McAuley 12 9 .571 1.5
Grandview 8 11 .421 4.5
Dauphin 8 12 .400 5.0
Neepawa 7 13 .350 6.0
SOUTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Brandon 14 7 .667 ----
Riverside 13 7 .650 0.5
Souris 12 9 .571 2.0
Hamiota 9 12 .429 5.0
Virden 5 14 .263 8.0
(July 23) A bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly in the third inning provided all the scoring needed for the Souris Cardinals who went on to blank the visiting Virden Oilers 2 to 0. The tussle featured strong pitching performances by both winner Doug Freeth of the Cards and the Oilers’ Kevin Mickelson. Freeth whitewashed the lowly Virden nine on only three hits and one free pass, swishing ten along the way. Tough-luck loser Mickelson gave up just two hits and four walks while breezing six. Only one of the five safeties registered during the nine-inning fracas was for extra bases, a double by Ted Bridgett of the Oilmen.
Mickelson (L) and Fordyce
Freeth (W) and Dell
(July 23) The Neepawa Cubs scored four times in the fourth inning to defeat the invading Grandview Lakers 5 to 2. Winning heaver Pat Angers fired a five-hitter, struck out six and walked three in breaking a personal three-game losing streak. Import pitcher Jim Deaver of the Lakers lasted 5-1/3 innings on the bump in absorbing his fifth loss in nine decisions. Catcher Norm Hemstad drove in a pair of runs for the Cubs with a brace of singles. Grandview’s top willow wielder was Don Luhowy who stroked a single plus a two-run double.
Deaver (L), Ongarato (6) and Martin
Angers (W) and Hemstad
(July 24) M.B.A. senior elimination final
(July 25) A pair of home runs by Virden’s Mike Labossiere, one a hotly-disputed shot and the other an inside-the-park clout, wasn’t sufficient enough to carry the Oilers to victory as the visitors to Kinsmen Stadium were dumped 12 to 9 by the Brandon Cloverleafs. It was a long drawn-out affair which saw 91 batters parade to the plate with the invaders holding a 13 to 9 edge in base knocks. Labossierre’s second dinger, a solo blast in the eighth, was controversial relative to its legitimacy as a fair ball and drew the ire of fuming Leaf manager Irv Powers who was tossed for his vehement over-reaction to the call. The lead changed hands a few times before the Wheat City pastimers put a bow on things with a six-spot in the seventh stanza. Brandon flinger Dale Harvey, who entered the game just prior to the outburst, worked 3-2/3 innings in relief of starter Rick Read to cop the win while Virden’s Kevin Mickelson, who was knocked cold while covering home plate in a collision with burly Roy McLachlan of the Leafs, was tagged with the loss. Mickelson had taken over from Oiler starter Gary Randall in the fifth frame. Rick McFadyen had a bases-empty circuit-jack and a single for the winners while teammate Dennis Wiebe delivered a triple and double. Labossiere had a brace of one-baggers for the Oilmen in addition to the pair of dingers. Teammates Randall, Bob Senff and Perry Kalynuk managed a couple of one-base hits each.
Randall, Mickelson (L) (5), Bridgett (7) and Fordyce
Read, D. Harvey (W) (7) and McFadyen
(July 26) Mike Ongarato launched a grand-slam tater in the seventh spasm and Don Luhowy added a three-run dinger in the eighth to pace the Grandview Lakers to a 15 to 6 cleansing of the North Division-leading Binscarth Orioles. Picking up the pitching win for the visiting Grandview nine was import Jim Deaver who yielded 12 hits while striking out ten. Bob Chuchmuch, the first of three chuckers to work for the Birds, was saddled with the loss in his first decision. He was nicked for seven of the 13 Oriole safeties in the six stanzas that he was toeing the rubber. Ongarato and Luhowy both drove in five runs for the Lakers as Luhowy managed a pair of singles to his homer while Ongarato had one. Teammate Tony Kalechyn singled three times. Binscarth received a double plus a couple of singles from Glen Hodgson as well as a pair of one-baggers from both Don Gies and Chuchmuch.
Deaver (W) and O’Sullivan
Chuchmuch (L), Neville (7), McCauley (9) and Gallant, Parton (6)
(July 26) Right-hander Garth Everard won his eighth pitching decision in ten games and Mark Fisher cracked a pair of doubles and a single as the duo combined to lead the Riverside Canucks to a 5 to 3 verdict over the Hamiota Red Sox. Both Everard and complete-game losing hurler Ron Ramsey of the Sox were touched for six hits. Everard was the beneficiary of a three-run fifth inning in which Fisher had two of his three RBI’s. Jeff Sheardown was the leading Hamiota batter with a double and single while veteran Al Robertson contributed two singles.
Ramsey (L) and Sheardown
Everard (W) and Campbell
(July 28) The road warriors from Riverside played their first of a split-venue twin-bill in Grandview and took it on the chin by an 11 to 6 count. The Lakers struck for nine runs in the first two innings off losing hurler Ron Seafoot and then coasted to the victory behind the eight-hit pitching of Mike Ongarato. Catcher Bill O’Sullivan keyed a six-run first inning for the hosts with a three-run homer off Seafoot while teammate Tony Kalechyn slapped a two-run shot off reliever Danny Cassils in the fourth. O’Sullivan added two singles to go along with his round-tripper while Kalechyn delivered one. Wayne Keeler and Dwayne Lawless both singled twice as part of the winners’ 12-hit attack. Sparking the Riversiders at the dish were Mark Hunter and Morley Hartel who both homered and singled while keystone sacker Bob Williamson chipped in with three singles.
R. Seafoot (L), Cassils (2) and Campbell
Ongarato (W) and O’Sullivan
(July 28) A 12 to 7 victory over the Dauphin Redbirds in the late portion of their two-game set salvaged a split for the travelling Riverside Canucks. Ron Seafoot made up for his dismal mound performance at Grandview by coming to the aid of Canuck starter Ron Russell in the third chapter and holding the Redbirds to five hits and two runs the rest of the way, earning the victory. Mark Fisher was, once again, lethal with the lumber for the Riversiders, accumulating a triple, two singles and a pair of RBI’s while Danny Cassils drove in three markers by registering a triple and double. The loser was Barrie Maciura who lasted just 3-1/3 innings. Russell rapped a double and a single for the winners while Dauphin’s Siggi Sigurdson, Jerry Shumanski and Garry Keating all had a couple of one-baggers.
Russell, R. Seafoot (W) (3) and C. Seafoot
Maciura (L), J. Walmsley (4) and B. Buchy
(July 28) The Souris Cardinals scored ten times in the first three innings in clobbering the hapless Virden Oilers 19 to 2. The third-place Cards had four-baggers from Bill Carpenter and Brian Moffatt as Ray Bruels won his eighth game in 11 decisions. The hosts lashed 15 hits, including a single and double by Carpenter and a two-bagger by Moffatt. Gary Davidson singled three times and drove in five runs while Greg Cameron and Doug Armour had a pair of one-base hits each. Three Oiler hurlers, including loser Kevin Mickelson who was kayoed after the opening panel, suffered the indignity of a constant hammering. Bruels, meanwhile, limited the invaders to eight hits including a first-inning leadoff homer by Bob Downey and three singles by catcher Blair Fordyce.
Mickelson (L), Bridgett (2), Bohonis (6) and Fordyce
Bruels (W) and Dell, Dwight Kirkup (8)
(July 29) Easy pickings for most of their MSBL opponents this season, the lowly Virden Oilers lived up to their billing and were thrashed 18 to 4 by the visiting Brandon Cloverleafs in a contest that was shortened to seven innings because of darkness. The Leafs scored in every inning but the sixth, lighting up losing heaver Mike Labossiere for 22 base blows, including five by outfielder Bob Thompson. The Wheat City flychaser delivered a triple, two doubles and two singles to drive in five runs. Versatile catcher Rick McFadyen, who relieved winning pitcher Brian Hodgson in the seventh, got the Cloverleafs off to a fast start with a three-run circuit-blast in the opening panel and later added a brace of singles. Delivering a double and single each for the victors were Roy McLachlan, Bill Chapple and Hodgson while Dennis Wiebe banged out three singles. Dave Bender and Doug McPhail contributed a pair of one-baggers. Bob Senff and Ted Bridgett led the losers with a double and single apiece.
Hodgson (W), McFadyen (7) and McFadyen, M. Harvey (7)
M. Labossiere (L) and Fordyce
(July 29) The McAuley Blazers, behind the seven-hit pitching of Jon Langston and a 14-hit attack of their own, moved to within a half-game of the idle Binscarth Orioles in the battle for the North Division pennant. Consecutive second-inning singles by Barry Jamieson, Terry Lynd, Dale Lowes, Wayne Poole and Langston keyed a five-run uprising which carried McAuley to victory. The rally came against starter and loser Ron Ramsey who went the distance. Jamieson led the winners with a double and two singles while Terry Lynd managed a triple and single. Lowes and Poole had a double and single each with two and three RBI’s respectively. Brian Lindsay added a pair of one-base hits. Jerry Araujo tripled, double and singled for the Red Sox while Mel Smith collected a double and single.
Ramsey (L) and Sheardown
Langston (W) and Lowes
(July 29) The Neepawa Cubs moved past Dauphin into sole possession of fourth place in the North Division of the MSBL with a narrow 5 to 4 triumph over the hometown Redbirds. An opening-inning dropped fly ball with two out opened the door for the Cubs to jump in front with three unearned counters. Neepawa managed to hand Dauphin starter Ross Stone his first setback of the year. Stone yielded only four hits and struck out seven but wasn’t helped by five Redbird errors. Ron McGorman of the visitors struck out four and surrendered six hits to pick up his second win of the season against three losses. Neil Martin had two of the four Cub base raps, both singles. Bert Ready of Dauphin also had a couple of singles.
R. McGorman (W) and Wallin
Stone (L) and K. Buchy
(July 30) With their 6 to 2 victory over the Souris Cardinals at Kinsmen Stadium, the Brandon Cloverleafs reduced their magic number to one for assuring themselves at least a tie for top spot in the South Division. Superb sophomore Dale Harvey, a pleasant surprise for the Leafs this campaign tossed a seven-hitter to capture his fifth win against two losses. While he had to dodge a couple of jams to hold the Cards in check, his clubmates were banging the offerings of complete-game loser Doug Freeth for ten safeties with three of those swats coming off the bat of Bill Chapple. Dave Bender followed with a double and single. Freeth delivered a triple and one-bagger for the vanquished Souris nine while Stan Furman managed a pair of singles.
Freeth (L) and Dell
D. Harvey (W) and McFadyen
(July 30) Tony Kalechyn belted a leadoff home run in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning off Binscarth’s Bob Kutzan to give the Grandview Lakers an 8 to 7 MSBL victory over the visiting Orioles. The victory all but guaranteed the Lakers, a first-year entry in the loop, a playoff spot in the North Division. The Grandview Gang, trailing 7 – 5, had to scramble for a deuce in the ninth to send the scuffle into overtime. Winning slabster Jim Deaver allowed seven hits and walked an equal number, continuously finding himself in peril as his mates booted the ball eight times. Kutzan was nicked for eight hits, walked eight and fanned eight. Wayne Keeler had two hits for the winners, both singles, an offensive output equalled by Bill Derlago and Dave Rottman of the Binscarth Brigade.
Kutzan (L) and Gallant
Deaver (W) and O’Sullivan
(July 31) The McAuley Blazers took over sole possession of first place in the North Division by doubling their pennant adversaries, the slumping Binscarth Orioles, 8 to 4. There were 21 hits in the game, 11 by McAuley, but none went for extra bases. Portsider Steve Stahlheber of the Blazers rang up 13 punchouts in copping his fifth knoll verdict while Dave Rottman, who breezed six, was clipped with the defeat. Jon Langston, Dale Lowes and Terry Lynd paced the victorious visitors with two safeties apiece with Langston’s blows accounting for three RBI’s. Rottman, Ron Falloon and Lyle Gallant had two hits each for the Orioles.
Stahlheber (W) and Lowes
Rottman (L) and Gallant
(July 31) The hometown Hamiota Red Sox did the idle Brandon Cloverleafs a big favor by dropping the South Division runner-up Riverside Canucks 9 to 8, expanding the Leafs’ lead atop the division to two full games. Mel Smith hammered a pair of home runs in helping the Scarlet Stockings defeat ace slabster Grant Everard of the Riversiders. Smith, who also collected a pair of singles, smashed a two-run shot in the second inning and a solo blast in the fourth. With the score knotted at 8 – 8 in the eighth episode, the hosts pushed across the winning run when an outfield relay, intended for Canuck backstop, Bill Campbell went astray, allowing Al Robertson to motor home from third base. It was a hard hitting affair in which winning heaver Jerry Araujo was combed for 13 hits and Everard rocked for 14 safeties. Araujo helped his cause by clipping the horsehide for a double and two singles while Hamiota teammates Ron Ramsey and Robertson helped out with a brace of one-baggers each. Everard and Ron Russell singled three times for the visitors while Danny Cassils hit a double and single.
Everard (L) and Campbell
Araujo (W) and Sheardown
(July 31) The Neepawa Cubs consolidated their hold on fourth place in the North Division with a 3 to 0 victory over the playoff-eliminated Virden Oilers. Pat Angers pitched a three-hitter to level his record at 3 – 3 and was ably assisted by teammate Brian Reid who broke up a scoreless tie with a two-run eighth-inning homer. The Cubs added another tally in the ninth on losing pitcher Gary Randall’s throwing error. Angers struck out 13 and walked four while Randall whiffed 12 in spinning a four-hitter. There were no players with multi-hit batting performances in the tilt.
Angers (W) and Wallin
Randall (L) and Fordyce
(August 1) Outhit by a 14 to 8 margin, the Brandon Cloverleafs sleepwalked through the early and middle frames of their clash with the visiting Dauphin Redbirds before coming to life to capture a thrilling, 8 to 7 comeback victory and clinch the South Division pennant. A three-spot in the seventh spasm and a deuce in the eighth lifted the Leafs out of a 7 to 3 hole they had dug for themselves. Rick McFadyen’s three-run round-tripper in the seventh reduced the deficit to one and then, in the eighth, a sharp single up the middle by Roy McLachlan drove in Bill Chapple and Dave Bender with the tying and deciding tallies. Dauphin starter Garry Keating, kayoed after 7-1/3 frames in favor of Ross Stone, dropped his fifth decision in as many verdicts while Bob Thompson, in a rare mound stint for the Wheat City nine this season, annexed the win in a relief role. John Morrison, Siggi Sigurdson and Jim Meisner had three hits each for the Dauphinites while Bert Ready and Keating both singled twice. McLachlan had a second one-bagger for the winners to go along with his crucial eighth-episode safety. Doug McPhail also singled twice for the Cloverleafs.
Keating (L), Stone (8) and Morrison
Read, Thompson (W) (4), Hodgson (9) and McFadyen
(August 2) The McAuley Blazers virtually ended a season-long scrap with Binscarth for the North Division pennant by shading the homestanding Orioles 2 to 1 to clinch at least a tie for first place. The Blazers scored single runs in the first and fourth innings and then relied on the five-hit pitching of Ross Lynd to grab their second win inside a week from the Birds. Wayne Poole and Jerry Coppicus drove in all the tallies that Lynd needed to pick up his fourth win of the season. The lone counter for the O’s crossed the pan as a result of a sacrifice fly by Dale Gies in the fifth frame. Binscarth starter Bob Chuchmuch was saddled with his second loss in as many decisions. He allowed six hits and both Blazer runs before giving way to Garth Neville in the eighth. Terry Lynd of McAuley, with two singles, was the only batter from either team to register a plural hit figure.
R. Lynd (W) and Lowes
Chuchmuch (L), Neville (8) and Parton
(August 2) The hometown Neepawa Cubs came up with an important 11 to 3 win over the Grandview Lakers. With the victory, the hosts moved into a third-place tie with Grandview and clinched at least a tie for the final playoff spot in the North Division. Jim Schmall belted his first two home runs of the season, a solo shot in the second and a three-run blast in the sixth, to pace the Cubs to their important triumph. Benefiting from the 14-hit attack put together by his mates, Neepawa’s Don McGorman registered his fifth win in seven decisions. McGorman gave up ten hits and struck out eight. Losing slabster Mike Ongarato was replaced on the hill in the fifth after being raked for eight runs on ten hits. Norm Hemstad collected two doubles and two singles for the victors while Dennis Martin managed a double and single and Pat Angers a couple of one-baggers. Fifth-inning reliever Jim Deaver smacked his first four-bagger of the year for the Lakers, a two-run tater in the final canto. Deryl Ortynski rapped three singles, Gary Maxwell a single and double and Wayne Keeler a brace of one-base hits.
Ongarato (L), Deaver (5) and O’Sullivan
D. McGorman (W) and Wallin
(August 2) Right-hander Ray Bruels tossed a five-hitter for his ninth victory as the Souris Cardinals blanked the Hamiota Red Sox 5 to 0. Bruels fanned three and didn’t walk anyone in taking the mound verdict over Glennis Scott who surrendered ten hits and fanned four. Light-hitting backstop Johnny Dell sparked the Cards offensively with a double and single while Greg Cameron singled twice. No Red Sox swatter had more than one safety.
Scott (L) and McKinnon
Bruels (W) and Dell
(August 2) Riverside’s Grant Everard won for the ninth time to keep pace with Ray Bruels of Souris as the invading Canucks shelled the inept Virden Oilers 11 to 5. Everard pitched only the first five innings and, with a large lead, turned the ball over to Ron Seafoot to mop up. The loser, for the eighth time this season, was import Kevin Mickelson who exited after six stanzas. Bob Williamson singled twice and doubled once for the Riversiders, driving in three runs. Teammate Ron Russell drilled a two-run dinger as well as a single. Garth Seafoot delivered three singles and Mark Hunter a pair. The Oilers received three singles from Perry Kalynuk and two from catcher Blair Fordyce.
Everard (W), R. Seafoot (6) and Campbell
Mickelson (L), Bridgett (7), Randall (9) and Fordyce
(August 3) The South Division pennant-winning Brandon Cloverleafs concluded their regular-schedule play by dumping the runner-up Riverside Canucks 5 to 2. The visiting Leafs scored three times in the third inning without benefit of a hit and rode the six-hit pitching of left-hander Brian Hodgson to capture their 19th win in 26 games. Losing twirler Grant Everard gave up just five hits but a bevy of walks in the fateful third cost him dearly. Canuck first baseman Mark Fisher was the only player in the clash who collected a pair of hits, one of which was his sixth homer of the year.
Hodgson (W) and M. Harvey
Everard (L) and Campbell. C. Seafoot (6)
(August 3) The Hamiota Red Sox fell 6 to 5 to the Grandview Lakers in a ten-inning scrap. Wayne Keeler tripled home Deryl Ortynski from first base with the winning tally in the overtime session. The Red Sox had plated a pair in the ninth on Al Robertson’s triple to tie the score. Tony Kalechyn, who took over pitching chores from Grandview starter Don Luhowy in the 10th, earned his first win of the campaign. The loser, for the ninth time this season, was Ron Ramsey who went the distance for the Sox. The Lakers had an 11 to 8 edge in base hits. Ortynski had a pair of singles and a double for the winners. Mel Smith and Brent Montague each brace of one-base raps for Hamiota.
Ramsey (L) and McKinnon
Luhowy, Kalechyn (W) (10) and Martin
(August 3) The McAuley Blazers officially clinched the North Division pennant with a 6 to 3 win over the second-place Binscarth Orioles. The Blazers struck for 11 hits off loser Dave Rottman while winning tosser Jon Langston surrendered nine hits and struck out the same number in gaining his fifth victory in eight decisions. Langston, Ross Jamieson and Barry Jamieson each had two singles for the winners. Catcher Bill Derlago swatted a triple and single for the Birds while Don Gies came through with a double and single.
Rottman (L) and Derlago
Langston (W) and R. Jamieson
(August 3) The non-playoff bound Dauphin Redbirds forfeited their scheduled game against the Neepawa Cubs.
(August 7) In their last league tussle of the season, the Souris Cardinals edged the Virden Oilers 5 to 4 to tie Riverside for second place in the South Division final standings. Brian Moffatt’s second single of the game drove in teammate Gary Davidson to cap a three-run ninth inning and send the Oilers reeling to their 21st loss of the season. The win was credited to Ray Bruels, his tenth of the year against three losses. Bruels surrendered eight Virden safeties, with four of those, two singles, a double and a triple, being collected by catcher Blair Fordyce. Losing heaver Mike Labossiere was combed for ten base raps including three singles by Doug Armour plus a two-bagger and one-base knock by Dwight Kirkup.
Bruels (W) and Dell
M. Labossierre (L) and Fordyce
(August 7) Run-scoring doubles by Norm Hemstad and Jim Schmall highlighted a four-run third inning which carried Neepawa Cubs to an 8-5 victory over Binscarth. Don McGorman allowed eight hits in racking up his sixth win of the year before giving way to brother Ron McGorman in the ninth. Dave Rottman, the first of three Orioles' pitchers took the loss. Centrefielder Brian Reid led the Cubs knocking in three runs with a pair of doubles and a single. Bill Derlago had a double and single for the Orioles. The win moved the Cubs into a second place tie with the Orioles.
Rottman (L), Kutzan (4), Lisowski (7) and Gallant
D. McGorman (W), R. McGorman (9) and Wallin, Crabbe (4)
(August 7) The North Division cellar-dwelling Dauphin Redbirds, having disbanded for the season, forfeited a pair of make-up games, one each to McAuley and Grandview. The Grandview result had implications in the North Division final standings as it created a three-way tie for second place between the Lakers as well as Binscarth and Neepawa, which will require a pair of tie-breakers to resolve.
FINAL STANDINGS
NORTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
McAuley 17 9 .654 ----
Neepawa 13 13 .500 4.0
Binscarth 13 13 .500 4.0
Grandview 13 13 .500 4.0
Dauphin 8 18 .308 9.0
SOUTH DIVISION W L Pct. GBL
Brandon 19 7 .731 ----
Riverside 16 10 .615 3.0
Souris 16 10 .615 3.0
Hamiota 10 16 .385 9.0
Virden 5 21 .192 8.0
(August 8-11) Canadian senior baseball championship tournament
DIVISIONAL TIE-BREAKERS
NORTH (SECOND-PLACE)
Neepawa drew the bye, forcing Binscarth and Grandview to clash in a first-round match.
(August 9) Herb Andres cracked his third and fourth home runs of the year in sparking the Binscarth Orioles to a 9 to 2 triumph over the Grandview Laker in a seven-inning, darkness shortened affair. The Orioles will now travel to Neepawa to decide the final order of finish in the North Division standings. Andres’ first dinger, a solo shot, came in the second stanza while the final tater, a two-run blast, was launched in the third. Dave Rottman pitched a six-hitter for the win, gaining the decision over Gerry Asselstine.
Asselstine (L), O’Sullivan (6) and Martin
Rottman (W) and Wasslen
(August 13) The hometown Neepawa Cubs, paced by a first-inning grand-slam home run off the bat of Pat Angers, edged the Binscarth Orioles in their North Division battle for second place. The game was called after eight innings due to darkness. Dan McGorman scattered nine hits and needed relief help from Pat Angers in the final inning to pick up his eighth knoll victory. Complete-game losing heaver Dave Rottman gave up only four hits but it was the early blast by Angers that cost him the decision. For the Orioles, light-hitting Glen Hodgson smashed his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth spasm. The slumping Orioles received additional bad news concerning pitchers Rottman and Les Lisowski as well as playing-manager Bob Wasslen. All three were suspended from participating in the first round of the playoffs for actions that were considered detrimental to the MSBL.
Rottman (L) and Wasslen
D. McGorman (W), Angers (8) and Wallin
SOUTH (SECOND-PLACE)
(August 13) The hosting Souris Cardinals pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom-of-the-eighth inning to nose out the Riverside Canucks 5 to 4. The close decision gave the Cardinals second place in the MSBL’s South Division. Doug Armour’s timely single off Grant Everard drove in Gary Davidson and winning twirler Doug Freeth with the tying and winning tallies. Freeth checked the Canucks on six hits and struck out 11 in gaining his fifth victory of the season while Everard, who hurled only one inning in relief of starter Ron Seafoot, was tagged with the defeat. The Canuck duo gave up ten Souris safeties. Mark Fisher launched his seventh four-bagger of the season for the Riversiders.
R. Seafoot, Everard (L) (8) and Campbell
Freeth (W) and Dell
PLAYOFFS
DIVISIONAL SEMI-FINALS (best-of-five series)
SOUTH
Hamiota Red Sox vs Brandon Cloverleafs
Riverside Canucks vs Souris Cardinals
NORTH
Neepawa Cubs vs Binscarth Orioles
Grandview Lakers vs McAuley Blazers
(August 15) Laurie Andrews’ run-scoring double in the top-of-the-thirteenth inning boosted the Hamiota Red Sox past the Brandon Cloverleafs 11 to 10 in marathon slugfest at Kinsmen Stadium. The win gives the Sox a one-game lead in the South Division semi-final round. Aside from his game-winning hit, former-Cloverleaf Andrews also found time to crack a three-run triple and a single which produced another two runs. As well, he had an unexpected five-inning emergency stint on the hill, wherein he stopped the bleeding and allowed his mates to recover from a 7 to 3 deficit to get back in the game. Winning pitcher Jerry Araujo followed him to the knoll in the ninth and hurled the final five frames. The Wheat City crew banged out 15 base knocks while the Hamiotans registered eleven. Losing chucker Rick McFadyen had an impressive two-way effort, catching for eight episodes before shedding the tools of ignorance for a five-spasm stretch on the bump in which he fanned eleven. With the lumber, McFadyen drove in five runs on a pair of singles. Ellis Woods and Ron Ramsey both singled twice for the Crimson Hose. Bob Thompson managed three doubles for the losers while Doug McPhail delivered a triple and one-bagger. Other Leaf batters of note were Dennis Wiebe with a brace of two-baggers and Mel Harvey with a double and single.
Ramsey, Anderson (1), Andrews (4), Araujo (W) (9) and Young, Woods (4)
Hodgson, Thompson (8), McFadyen (L) (9) and McFadyen, M. Harvey (9)
(August 15) Not at all bothered by their loss to Souris in the second-place tie-breaker, the Riverside Canucks recorded an 11 to 7 conquest of the Cardinals in the first clash of their South Division semi-final series. Expected to be a pitching duel between slab artists Ray Bruels of the Cards and the Riversiders’ Grant Everard, the opening event was anything but. The teams combined for 21 hits, 11 by the Canucks and four home runs were launched, two by each team including a three-run shot by Bob Williamson of the victors in the seventh stanza. Batting champion Mark Hunter continued his torrid hitting for the victors with a solo home run and a couple of one-baggers. Veteran Cliff Seafoot chipped in with a pair of hits. Stan Furman topped the Souris swatsmiths with a bases-empty round-tripper and two singles. Teammate Brian Moffatt also went yard with a dinger.
Everard (W) and Campbell
Bruels (L), Dwayne Kirkup (5) and Dell
(August 15) Pat Angers tossed a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts and went three-for-four at the plate to propel the Neepawa Cubs to a 9 to 2 conquest of the shorthanded Binscarth Orioles as their best-of-five North Division semi-final got underway. Bob Chuchmuch absorbed the loss, yielding 12 hits while fanning six. His mates made things more difficult by committing a glaring total of ten errors. Jim Schmall singled twice for the Cubs. Bryan McCauley belted a two-run dinger to account for both Binscarth tallies. Dale Gies added a double and single for the Birds.
Chuchmuch (L) and Derlago
Angers (W) and Hemstad
(August 15) The McAuley Blazers zipped past the Grandview Lakers 4 to 2 in a rapidly-played North Division semi-final opener, played at Moosomin SK. The Lakers committed four errors while McAuley had a flawless defensive performance. The Blazers scored all four of their runs in the second inning to help Ross Lynd earn the hillock triumph. Lynd scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out a half dozen. Saddled with the loss, Don Luhowy also surrendered eight safeties, while issuing two free passes and fanning five. Brian Rose singled twice for the winners. Mike Ongarato unloaded a triple and single for the Grandview Gang while Luhowy picked up a pair of singles.
Luhowy (L) and Kalechyn
R. Lynd (W) and Lowes
(August 16) Paced by the offense of veteran Bob Thompson and the four-hit pithing of Rick Hlady, the Brandon Cloverleafs shaded the hometown Hamiota Red Sox 2 to 1 to square their South Division semi-final series at a game apiece. Thompson doubled in the second inning off losing twirler Ron Ramsey and eventually plated the game’s opening run. In the sixth, Thompson nailed a second two-bagger to drive in Rick McFadyen with the tally that would turn out to be the winner. Thompson also added a single, giving him three hits in as many official trips to the plate. Teammate Dennis Wiebe had a pair of singles as part of the winners’ eight-hit total. Hlady issued only one walk and lost his shutout bid in the bottom-of-the-sixth spasm when Mel Smith lit him up for a bases-empty dinger.
Hlady (W) and McFadyen
Ramsey (L) and Young, Sheardown (8)
(August 16) The Riverside Canucks moved to within one victory of eliminating the Souris Cardinals from the MSBL playoffs by scoring a 9 to 3 victory over the visiting Cards. The Canucks were sparked by the steady six-hit pitching of Rob Medoff. A four-run third inning set the Riversiders on the path to success and provided Medoff with all the offensive support he would need. Losing slabster Doug Freeth gave up four runs and four of the nine Riverside hits before heading for an early shower in the fourth. Medoff issued eight bases-on-balls including three intentional passes to Doug Carpenter. The Souris first baseman got his revenge in the ninth when Medoff opted to pitch to him and served up a two-run single. Morley Hartel paced the winners at the dish with three singles while clubmate Cliff Seafoot rapped a brace of one-baggers. Greg Cameron singled three times for the Cards.
Freeth (L), Furman (4) and Dell
Medoff (W) and Campbell, C. Seafoot (5)
(August 17) The visiting McAuley Blazers romped to an 11 to 2 conquest of the Grandview Lakers as winning pitcher Steve Stahlheber stifled the hosting Lakers on two hits. Singles by the Lakers’ Gary Maxwell and Dwayne Lawless in the ninth inning spoiled Stahlheber’s bid for a no-hitter. By that time, the Blazers had sewn up the game with three runs in the second and four in the fourth. The import southpaw struck out ten and walked eight. Grandview’s Mike Ongarato toiled on the hill for the first eight cantos and was nicked for all 11 McAuley runs and hits in taking the loss. Barry Jamieson, Terry Lynd and Wayne Poole all singled and doubled for the invaders while Jon Langston added a couple of one-baggers.
Stahlheber (W) and Lowes
Ongarato (L), Maxwell (9) and Martin
(August 17) Herb Andres smacked the first home run of the playoffs, a solo shot in the bottom-of-the-sixth stanza, as the hometown Binscarth Orioles and the Neepawa Cubs battled to an 8 – 8 deadlock in a darkness-shortened, seven-inning affair. Garth Neville went all the way for the Birds, giving up ten hits and fanning six. Neepawa starter Ron McKinnon was shunted to the sidelines in the second spasm as Ron McGorman took over and pitched the remainder of the Contest. Andres had a single to go along with his four-bagger while Reg Parton contributed a double and two singles. Ed Crabbe and Terry Oliver singled three times each for the Cubs.
McKinnon, R. McGorman (2) and Crabbe
Neville and Parton
(August 18) Summoned into the game in the sixth inning to replace a faltering Dale Harvey with the bases loaded and his team clinging to a 7 to 4 margin, Brian Hodgson achieved positive results, bailing out the Brandon starter with a strikeout and an inning-ending ground out as the hosting Cloverleafs hung on to prevail 9 to 4 over the Hamiota Red Sox. With the triumph, the Wheat City baseballers moved ahead two-games-to-one in the series. The Leafs jumped on Hamiota complete-game heaver Jerry Araujo for four first-inning runs and never trailed. 13 base hits were raked off Araujo’s offerings, including two doubles and two singles by first baseman Dennis Wiebe. Bill Chapple whacked a triple, double and single while Rick McFadyen and Bob Wilson both contributed a pair of singles. The Red Sox got to winning flinger Harvey for six safeties plus three more off reliever Hodgson. Mel Smith and Ron Ramsey led the way with two singles each.
D. Harvey (W), Hodgson (6) and McFadyen
Araujo (L) and Sheardown
(August 18) The Souris Cardinals staved off elimination by scoring a 5 to 4, ten-inning victory over the invading Riverside Canucks. The Cards rallied to tie the score with a pair of runs in the bottom-of-the-eighth episode and then annexed the triumph when winning pitcher Ray Bruels slapped a single to centre-field with the bases loaded in the bonus round of play. Bruels surrendered seven hits in going the distance and received ten-hit support, including three home runs, from his mates. Brian Moffatt, Stan Furman and Doug Freeth all unloaded four-ply clouts for Souris. Riverside reliever Grant Everard, who ascended the bump in the seventh in relief of starter Mark Hunter, was nicked with the loss. Bob Williamson doubled three times for the losers.
Fisher, Everard (L) (8) and C. Seafoot
Bruels (W) and Dell
(August 18) The Grandview Lakers stayed alive in their North Division semi-final battle by doubling the McAuley Blazers 10 to 5. A six-run uprising in the sixth panel allowed the visiting Grandview nine to capture the contest and narrow McAuley’s lead in the series to one game. The Laker victory spoiled the two home run effort of the Blazers’ Terry Lynd. Jerry Asselstine, in relief of Don Luhowy, was the winning tosser while Ross Lynd, the victim of the six-run outburst, took the loss. The invading Lakers pelted the horsehide for 15 safeties in the contest, including three singles and a double by Mike Ongarato. His middle-infield partner Deryl Ortynski stroked three singles while Dwayne Lawless doubled twice. Lynd added a single and double to his brace of circuit-jacks while teammate Dale Lowes chipped in with a triple and single.
Luhowy, Asselstine (W) (5) and Martin
Langston, R. Lynd (L) (6) , B. Jamieson (6) and R. Jamieson, Lowes (5)
(August 18) An 8 to 4 loss to the Neepawa Cubs left the Binscarth Orioles in playoff jeopardy, one loss from the brink of exiting to the sidelines. The hosting Cubs jumped out to an early lead, scoring three times in their first turn at bat and it was a futile comeback attempt for the Orioles from that point on. Pat Angers earned his second pitching win of the series, allowing eight hits and an equal number of walks in going the distance. The losing twirler was Bob Chuchmuch who yielded all eight Neepawa runs on 11 hits before getting the hook in the eighth. Angers did more than pitch his team to victory, slamming a three-run homer in the opening panel. Ed Crabbe had a double and single while Ed Williams and Brian Reid had two singles each. Ron Low drilled a double and single for the Birds while Don Gies and Lyle Gallant both managed a brace of one-base raps.
Chuchmuch (L), Neville (8) and Gallant
Angers (W) and Crabbe
(August 20) Barry Jamieson’s two-out single to right-field in the ninth inning drove in Ross Lynd from second base with the winning run as the visiting McAuley Blazers defeated the Grandview Lakers 4 to 3 to win their MSBL playoff series three-games-to-one. The tussle was replete with errors as both teams committed five. Left-handed import Steve Stahlheber of the Blazers picked up his second win of the series, outduelling Grandview’s Mike Ongarato. Stahlheber gave up five hits and struck out 14 while Ongarato allowed six safeties, including two singles by Jamieson, and fanned seven. Ongarato and Tony Kalechyn both nicked Stahlheber for a brace of two-baggers in a losing cause.
Stahlheber (W) and Lowes
Ongarato (L) and Martin
(August 20) The struggling Binscarth Orioles returned to their early-season MSBL form, blasting out 15 hits in a 13 to 1 romp over the visiting Neepawa Cubs. The Orioles, who slumped from first to third place over the second-half of the Northern Division schedule, stayed alive with the win but still trail by a game in the series. The Birds scored 12 times in the first three innings and rode the steady pitching of winner Herb Andres and reliever Bryan McCauley to the win. Andres scattered eight hits over seven innings on the hill while, within the batter’s box, he socked the orb for two singles, a double plus four RBI’s. Glen Hodgson managed a double and single while Dale Gies, Ron Low, Lyle Gallant and Bob Chuchmuch all added a pair of singles to the Binscarth attack. Cubs’ starter and loser Don McGorman was chased in the second stanza. His brother, Ron McGorman, relieved and pitched the rest of the game while picking up a couple of singles when at bat. Don Martin also singled on two occasions for the losers.
D. McGorman (L), R. McGorman (2) and Hemstad
Andres (W), McCauley (8) and Gallant
(August 22) Rick Hlady of the Brandon Cloverleafs pitched no-hit baseball for 5-2/3 innings, and finally finished with a two-hitter, but it was the hometown Hamiota Red Sox who found cause to celebrate. Hlady’s hitless string was broken by Jeff Sheardown’s two-run, sixth-inning homer which accounted for the tying and winning run in the Red Sox’ 4 to 3 MSBL playoff victory over the visiting Leafs. The win evened the best-of-five semi final at two-games-each. Two unearned Hamiota runs, one in the fourth and a second in sixth, preceded Sheardown’s blast. The Brandonites came back with a pair of counters in their half of the sixth to narrow the margin but winning pitcher Glennis Scott shut the door on the South Division pennant winners the rest of the way. Scott, who allowed seven hits throughout the game, matched Hlady in the punchout department, each recording five. Rick McFadyen doubled home a brace of tallies for the losers while Dave Bender and Dennis Wiebe delivered a pair of one-baggers each.
Hlady (L) and McFadyen
Scott (W) and Sheardown
(August 22) A second 8 – 8 tie in the Neepawa-Binscarth North Division semi-final prolonged the series to at least a sixth, and possibly seventh game. The Cubs, sparked by Brian Reid’s grand-slam homer in the opening inning and a solo blast by Pat Angers in the second stanza, held a 7 – 0 lead after three innings of the eight-inning, darkness-shortened affair. The Orioles didn’t give up, however, and started their comeback with Herb Andres’ three-run tater in the fourth and eventually knotted the count on Ron Low’s two-run single in the sixth. The two teams collected 20 hits in the slugfest, 11 by the hosts from Neepawa. Angers stroked a double and single to go along with his dinger while Reid managed to add a one-base rap. Dan Secundiak delivered a brace of one-baggers. For the Birds, Don Gies had three singles and teammates Low and Dale Gies two each. Don McGorman started on the knoll for the Cubs and was relieved by brother Ron in the eighth chapter. Andres opened the game on the hill for the visitors but gave way to Bryan McCauley in the second who, in turn, yielded mound duties to Bob Chuchmuch in the fifth frame.
Andres, McCauley (2), Chuchmuch (6) and Gallant
D. McGorman, R. McGorman (8) and Hemstad
(August 22) Not known as a potent offensive threat, Riverside’s Morley Hartel nonetheless made his presence with the bat felt as he drilled a pair of singles, the second of which was the most important, as it drove in the final run in the Canuck’s 9 to 8 come-from-behind triumph over the Souris Cardinals. The win gave the Riversiders the best-of-five South Division semi-final series three-games-to-one. The Canucks trailed at one point 7 – 1 but rallied to tie the score at 8 – 8 in the sixth spasm of the darkness-shortened affair which was called after Hartel’s deciding swat in the seventh. Ron Seafoot got the pitching win over Ray Bruels who came on in relief for the Cards in the sixth. Mark Fisher slammed his second four-bagger, a solo shot, of the playoffs for the Canucks. Stan Furman doubled and singled for Souris.
Freeth, Bruels (L) (6) and Dell
R. Seafoot (W) and Campbell, C. Seafoot
(August 23) Generally regarded as the surest-fielding team in the MSBL, the Brandon Cloverleafs used defense to their advantage in registering an important 10 to 4 victory over the Hamiota Red Sox at Kinsmen Stadium. The win for the Leafs moved them into the South Division finals against the Riverside Canucks. The Wheat City nine, as the final score testifies, weren’t exactly suffering in the offensive aspect of the tilt but the play that turned the momentum around was a defensive gem initiated by flychaser Dave Bender. Trailing 5 to 4 with two gone in the top-of-the-eighth inning, and with speedy pinch-runner Bob Young entrenched at second and Mel Smith at the initial station, Red Sox batter Ron Ramsey drilled a single into the left garden for what appeared to be the game-tying RBI. The fleet-footed Young didn’t hesitate in rounding third and headed for home, only to be met by a perfect throw from Bender to catcher Mel Harvey which stopped the potential rally cold. Thanking their lucky stars for the dead-on relay, the hosts then put a bow on things by pouring across five runs against Hamiota reliever Glennis Scott in their half of the canto. Rick McFadyen, the third of a trio of Brandon heavers copped the pitching win over Crimson Hose starter Jerry Araujo. The versatile McFadyen held the visitors scoreless over the final 3-1/3 innings and enjoyed more than just a profitable evening pitching-wise. He drove in three Brandon runs on a triple and a couple of singles. Clubmates Bob Thompson and Doug Fraser followed with three-baggers and a single each.
Araujo (L), Scott (6) and Sheardown
Hodgson, Read (5), McFadyen (W) (6) and McFadyen, M. Harvey (6)
(August 23) Right-hander Pat Angers won his third pitching decision of the playoffs and upped his playoff-leading home run total to three in pacing the Neepawa Cubs to a 3 to 1 triumph over the Binscarth Orioles. Angers limited the hosting Birds to just three singles while whiffing five. The victorious Cubs now move on to face the McAuley Blazers in the North Division finals. Angers slammed a pitch from Oriole loser Garth Neville over the right-field fence in the sixth spasm to plate Brian Reid and erase a 1 – 0 Binscarth lead. Neepawa added an insurance tally in the eighth when Neil Martin’s single drove in Angers. Neville was nicked for nine safeties by the winners including a double and single by Reid and a pair of one-base raps by Jim Schmall.
Angers (W) and Hemstad
Neville (L) and Gallant
DIVISIONAL FINALS (best-of-five series)
SOUTH
Riverside Canucks vs Brandon Cloverleafs
NORTH
Neepawa Cubs vs McAuley Blazers
(August 25) The Riverside Canucks started off their South Division finals by scoring a well-deserved 8 to 2 decision over the hosting Brandon Cloverleafs. Along with an 11-hit attack, the Riversiders were solid defensively, aside from one harmless miscue in the seventh stanza. The visitors got to losing twirler Brian Hodgson for all ten of their hits before he departed for Rick Read in the eighth. Grant Everard drove in four runs for the Canucks, with singles in the second and eighth innings while catcher Cliff Seafoot contributed three singles. Lefthander Bob Medoff, who was never overpowering, struck out three and walked seven in garnering the complete-game win with a six-hitter. Rick McFadyen’s tater was the longest blow he yielded while Bob Wilson clipped his offerings foe a double and single.
Medoff (W) and C. Seafoot
Hodgson (L), Read (9) and McFadyen
(August 25) The McAuley Blazers received a strong pitching effort from import southpaw Steve Stahlheber plus a 12-hit offensive attack to defeat the Neepawa Cubs 7 to 0 as the North Division finals of the MSBL got underway. The Blazers produced two third-inning counters on doubles by Terry Lynd and Dale Lowes, and a single by Wayne Poole, to give Stahlheber all the runs he needed to pick up his third consecutive playoff victory. Stahlheber fanned nine in earning the win over Ron McKinnon, the first of two Cub hurlers. Lowes had a pair of singles to go along with his double while Lynd produced a second two-bagger and Poole another single. For Neepawa, catcher Norm Hemstad produced a brace of one-baggers,
McKinnon (L), D. McGorman (6) and Hemstad
Stahlheber (W) and Lowes
(August 27) The Brandon Cloverleafs, aided by three home runs, edged the hometown Riverside Canucks 6 to 5 in South Division semi-final play limited to seven innings because of darkness. The result evened the series at one win for each team. Bob Wilson led the visitors by cracking a pair of solo homers, the first coming in the opening inning and the other in Brandon’s two-run fifth. Dennis Wiebe also belted a four-bagger for the Wheat City nine. In spite of their power-hitting display, the Leafs needed a last-inning rally to record the narrow victory. With the bases loaded and the score knotted at 5 – 5 , losing chucker Grant Everard of the Riversiders forced in the winning run by hitting Roy McLachlan with a pitch. Rick McFadyen, who went all the way on the hill for the Brandon win, limited the hosts to six hits but made things difficult for himself by issuing seven free passes. The Canucks, who led the game until the fifth frame, received a three-run round-tripper from Mark Hunter in the first inning. McFadyen collected two of the seven hits off Everard, both singles. For Riverside, Morley Hartel had a pair of singles.
McFadyen (W) and M. Harvey
Everard (L) and Campbell, C. Seafoot (7)
(August 29) The Riverside Canucks, sparked by the brilliant long-relief pitching effort of Ron Seafoot, defused the MSBL’s most explosive offense at soggy Kinsmen Stadium and came away with a hard-fought 1 to 0 conquest of the hosting Brandon Cloverleafs in a South Division playoff clash that was halted by rain in the eighth episode. Coming to the aid of struggling starter Ron Russell, who walked five of the eight batters he faced, Seafoot took over in the second inning and stymied the normally heavy-hitting Cloverleafs on three hits until the unwanted precipitation curtailed the proceedings. With the win, the Canucks gained a 2 – 1 advantage in the best-of-five series. Mark Fisher plated the game’s lone tally in the second spasm when he drew a walk off losing twirler Rick Hlady, advanced to second base of Cliff Seafoot’s single, moved to the hot corner station on Grant Everard’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Ed Beare’s ground out. The Riversiders garnered five safeties off Hlady who pitched well in taking the tough setback. Mel Harvey of the vanquished nine, with two singles, was the only batter in the tilt to acquire more than one base rap.
Russell, R. Seafoot (W) (2) and C. Seafoot
Hlady (L) and McFadyen
(September 1) Veteran left-hander Brian Hodgson, who has been plagued with control issues of late, was near perfect in pitching the Brandon Cloverleafs to a 3 to 0 conquest of the homestanding Riverside Canucks. A crowd in excess of 1,000 watched Hodgson limit the Canucks to four singles while whiffing six in capturing his initial playoff triumph. The series now stands deadlocked with each team having won twice. Brandon catcher Rick McFadyen unloaded a two-run circuit-clout for the Leafs in the fifth frame after Roy McLachlan had staked Hodgson to a one-run cushion with a single, driving in Dave Bender. The Cloverleafs tagged losing hurler Rob Medoff for 13 hits and also picked up six free passes. Leading the onslaught was Mel Harvey with a pair of doubles and a single. McFadyen added a one-bagger to go along with his four-ply clout while Bob Thompson contributed a double and single. McLachlan and Dennis Wiebe delivered two singles each.
Hodgson (W) and McFadyen
Medoff (L), R. Seafoot (6) and C. Seafoot
(September 1-2) Following two rainouts and with the loss of key players through university enrollment, the McAuley Blazers sent but a shell of their pennant-winning lineup into battle with the Neepawa Cubs as their North Division final series resumed with three weekend encounters. With Steve Stahlheber having already departed for California and fellow-import Jon Langston available for only one more game, things did not look promising for the Blazers. With the pressure on Langston to come through in game two of the series, the relaxed Cubs rolled roughshod over McAuley 9 to 6 in the opener of a Sunday twin-bill and then took the series’ lead with a narrow 6 to 5 conquest in the late clash. On the holiday Monday, Neepawa wrapped up the North Division series by outscoring the shorthanded Blazers 8 to 5.
The hosting Cubbies wasted little time in hitting the scoreboard in the matinée portion of the Sunday double-dip, plating a four-spot against Langston in the opening panel. The Blazers fought back and took a 5 to 4 lead in the third but were outscored 5 to 1 during the remainder of the contest as Langston was stung with the defeat in his farewell pitching performance. Don McGorman picked up the complete-game win and received solid offensive support from Terry Oliver who stung the sphere for four singles. Wayne Poole, Langston and Graeme Lee each singled twice for the losers.
Langston (L) and Lowes
D. McGorman (W) and Wallin, Hemstad (7)
Two runs in the bottom-of-the-ninth canto of the follow-up match provided the ammunition for an exciting second-game win by Neepawa and a sweep of the day’s activities. Trailing by a single tally, the Cubs got a break when Terry Oliver reached first on an error and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ron McGorman. Ed Crabbe followed with a walk and Don Martin singled to load the bases. Neil Martin’s infield grounder produced an attempted force at the plate but the hasty throw was wide and resulted in a two-run error and the ball game. Pat Angers boosted his won-loss record in the playoffs to 4 – 0 and belted his fourth post-season dinger as well to go along with a single. Teammate Jim Schmall also homered. For the Blazers, Langston was a perfect four-for-four, driving in a pair of runs.
R. Lynd (L) and R. Jamieson
Angers (W) and Hemstad
In the deciding game, Neepawa scored seven run in their first three turns at bat and were never headed. Jerry Coppicus, who has played most of the season at second base, got the starting pitching assignment for the Blazers. However, his 1974 debut on the knoll was short and anything but sweet. He walked the first three batters he faced and that was it. Barry Jamieson, who pitched only 13 innings for McAuley during the regular season was summoned to the mound. He walked the first batter he encountered as the visitors went on a roll and it was downhill the rest of the way for the pennant-winners in spite of some heavy hitting later in the contest. Fifth-inning reliever Ron McGorman, was credited with the win. McAuley’s Terry Lynd went out in a blaze of glory for the vanquished nine, belting his third and fourth homers of the playoffs. Teammates Graeme Lee and Wayne Poole also managed to launch dingers in a losing effort. Pat Angers and Don Martin clubbed a double and single each for Neepawa.
McKinnon, R. McGorman (W) (5) and Hemstad
Coppicus (L), B. Jamieson (1) and R. Jamieson
(September 3) The Riverside Canucks, a team made up mostly of farmers, extended their baseball season and delayed their harvesting chores in the process by advancing to the MSBL finals with a 10 to 8, 11-inning victory over the Brandon Cloverleafs. In this, the fifth game of the best-of-five South Division finals wherein the visiting team won every game, the combatants belted the horsehide for a combined 31 base blows, with the vanquished Wheat City squad picking up 16 of those raps. The Brandonites, at one stage held a 4 – 0 lead but the Canucks started spanking the sphere with consistency in the fourth frame and kept it up to the end. The lead see-sawed back and forth in the seventh and eighth chapters and, in the ninth, the Leafs needed a two-out rally to plate the tying counter and send the bout into overtime. Both teams went down in order in the tenth but, in the second bonus round of play, Bill Chapple’s errant throw on a Bob Williamson grounder to shortstop allowed the go-ahead and insurance markers to cross the pan. Rob Medoff took over pitching chores for winning heaver Grant Everard in the bottom-half of the chapter after Dennis Wiebe reached base on a leadoff single. Medoff coolly recorded three successive outs to preserve the win. Ron Seafoot started on the bump for Riverside but was given the hook in the second panel when Everard was summoned to the hill. The Cloverleafs used three chuckers with the last of these, Brian Hodgson, suffering the loss. Williamson and 41-year old Gord Hunter had three hits each for the winners while Brandon’s Rick McFadyen belted his fourth playoff homer, a bases-empty drive.
R. Seafoot, Everard (W) (2), Medoff (11) and C. Seafoot
Hlady, McFadyen (6), Hodgson (L) (9) and McFadyen, M. Harvey (6), McFadyen (10)
NORTH-SOUTH FINALS (best-of-five series)
Neepawa Cubs (North) vs Riverside Canucks (South)
(September 6) Ed Beare’s three-run homer highlighted a five-run eighth inning that lifted the Riverside Canucks to a 7 to 2 decision over the Neepawa Cubs in the opening game of the MSBL finals. The Canucks, who held an early lead, staged the game-winning rally after Neepawa’s Brian Reid bolted a solo homer to tie the score in the top-of-the-eighth episode. A bases-empty four-bagger by Mark Fisher and a run-scoring single off the bat of Gord Hunter preceded Beare’s eighth-inning blast. The outburst was enough to make a winner out of reliever Ron Seafoot who took over from Grant Everard in the seventh stanza and didn’t allow a run in his two-inning stint. Loser Don McGorman was touched for five runs on six of the eight Riverside hits. Fisher had a double to go along with his long distance missile while clubmate Danny Cassils managed a pair of singles. Pat Angers singled three times for the Cubs while Don Martin stroked a brace of one-baggers.
D. McGorman (L), R. McGorman (8) and Crabbe
Everard, R. Seafoot (W) (7) and Campbell, C. Seafoot
(September 8) Pat Angers not only pitched the Neepawa Cubs to a 9 to 5 victory over the Riverside Canucks to deadlock the MSBL finals at a game apiece but it was his crucial sixth inning hit that decided the outcome of the game. With the game tied 4 – 4 in the fateful sixth, Angers strode to the plate with the sacks full and creamed a Ron Seafoot pitch for a sharp double, plating all three runners. He wasn’t outstanding on the knoll, surrendering ten reasonably well-scattered safeties, but managed to go the distance and subdue the dangerous Canuck batters when push came to shove. Ron Russell, the second of four Riverside pitchers, who faced only two batters in the sixth, took the loss. Dan Secundiak lashed three singles for the Cubs while Neil Martin doubled and singled and Vince Martin came through with a pair of singles. Neepawa’s Jim Schmall, 37 years old and one of the MSBL’s ageless wonders, cracked a leadoff homer in the fourth. Danny Cassils had the only extra-base blow for the Riversiders, a bases-empty dinger in the third while adding a single. Teammate Grant Everard delivered two singles.
Medoff, Russell (L) (6), R. Seafoot (6), Cassils (7) and C. Seafoot
Angers (W) and Hemstad
(September 10) The Riverside Canucks romped to a convincing 12 to 1 thrashing of the underdog Neepawa Cubs to grab a two-games-to-one lead in the MSBL finals. The Canucks wasted no time in asserting home-field advantage, constructing a 5 – 1 lead after five frames before settling the issue with a six-run outburst in the sixth. Eddie Beare contributed four safeties, two singles a double and a triple, in Riverside’s 16-hit barrage while complete-game hurler Grant Everard displayed a revitalized pitching form. Defensively, middle-infielders Bob Williamson and Morley Hartel sparkled as the hosts reeled of three double plays. Losing heaver Ron McKinnon was chased in the second spasm as the McGorman brothers split the remainder of the time on the hill for Neepawa. Williamson stroked four one-baggers while Mark Fisher garnered three. The lone extra-base knock surrendered by Everard was a two-bagger by Cub’s centre-fielder Brian Reid.
McKinnon (L), D. McGorman (2), R. McGorman (6) and Hemstad
Everard (W) and C. Seafoot, Campbell (8)
(September 13) The scrappy Neepawa Cubs, a team that played the entire MSBL campaign without the benefit of any American imports in their lineup, overcame a 3 – 0 deficit in a do-or-die situation and came back to earn a 3 – 3 tie with the invading Riverside Canucks in game four of the MSBL finals. The spunky Neepawa nine, outhit 8 to 5 in the game, had Lady Luck in their dugout as the triad of fifth-inning tallies were all of the unearned variety, one coming on a passed ball and the other two via Riverside errors. Four scoreless innings followed but lack of natural illumination prevented any play beyond the ninth. Pat Angers, the 35-year old Neepawa pitching ace, settled down after a shaky start and, using a dancing knuckle, allowed the Riversiders only two hits from the fourth inning on. Ed Beare went the route on the rubber for the visitors and, along with teammate Grant Everard, poked a pair of one-base hits. All five safe swats off Beare were singles and were hit by five different Cub batters.
Beare (W) and C. Seafoot
Angers and Wallin, Hemstad (6)
(September 15) With a 5 to 1 conquest of the visiting Neepawa Cubs, the heavily-favored Riverside Canucks captured their second consecutive MSBL championship before 1,200 hometown fans. A three-run sixth inning paved the way for the Canucks’ triumph. With the score deadlocked at 1 – 1, rookie flychaser Danny Cassils delivered a one-out single to start the rally. Consecutive one-baggers by Cliff Seafoot, Gord Hunter and winning pitcher Grant Everard boosted the Riversiders into a 4 – 1 lead and a firm command of the game. Everard, with four punchouts, limited the invaders to only six hits and one free pass in going all the way on the hill. The Cubs garnered their only marker on a first-inning RBI single by Brian Reid. Lean right-hander Don McGorman yielded nine safeties and three walks in a route-going loss. Mark Fisher and Cassils paced the victors at the plate with a pair of singles each. Catcher Norm Hemstad picked up a double and one-bagger for the vanquished Cubs.
D. McGorman (L) and Hemstad
Everard (W) and C. Seafoot
OTHER 1974 MANITOBA
The usage of the same name for more than one senior baseball league in the rural areas of southern Manitoba was not uncommon. In 1974, there were two senior-level leagues registered for play under the M.B.A. banner utilizing the moniker South-Central Baseball League as well as another pair of loops that were called the South-West Baseball League. All-star-teams from each did not face each other directly in the M.B.A. playdowns as they were placed in different tournament brackets, one each at both the Glenboro and Hamiota semi-final tournaments.
INTERLAKE SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Balmoral Orioles :
Inwood :
Grosse Isle :
Lundar :
St. Laurent :
Teulon Whips :
Warren :
Woodlands :
SOUTH-CENTRAL BASEBALL LEAGUE #1 (GLENBORO QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT)
Austin :
Carberry Royals :
Cypress River :
Glenboro Canucks :
Holland Athletics :
Notre Dame de Lourdes :
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (best-of-three series)
(July 26) The underdog Carberry Royals took the measure of the pennant-winning Holland Athletics in two straight games by scores of 5 to 2 and 2 to 0.
(July 26) Unleashing a timely hitting barrage, the Glenboro Canucks came from behind to score six times in the top-of-the-seventh inning to bounce the homestanding Notre Dame de Lourdes and sweep the best-of-three semi-final series in two straight games. Reliever Rick Davidson picked up the mound win while the offense was led by Harry Lalonde who stroked three hits. In the opening game of the series just 48 hours previous, Glenboro had knocked off the invading Notre Dame nine 5 to 2 behind the complete-game hurling of Ken Vertz and the three-hit output of Don Barr.
FINALS (best-of-three series)
(July 31) Behind the strong five-hit pitching of Ken Vertz, the Glenboro Canucks stopped the Carberry Royals 1 to 0 in an extra-inning nail-biter. Jim Elliott pitched a stout game for the losing visitors, allowing seven safeties. Rich Christie drove in Don Barr with the game’s lone run with his second safety of the contest.
(August 22) The Glenboro Canucks swept to their second straight playoff championship when they stopped the Carberry Royals on their home turf 4 to 3. Winning heaver Ken Vertz struck out nine, walked five and allowed three hits, one of those being a three-run homer off the bat of Johnny Watts. Losing chucker Jim Elliott was nicked for six Canuck base raps. Don Rankmore led the winners offensively with two safeties.
_________________________________________________
SOUTH-CENTRAL BASEBALL LEAGUE #2 (HAMIOTA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT)
Baldur Regals :
Boissevain :
Brandon Kiwanis Bisons :
Elgin Cubs :
Killarney :
Nesbitt :
Treesbank Tigers :
Wawanesa Orioles :
PLAYOFFS
FINALS
(August 26) The Elgin Cubs managed only six hits but took advantage of numerous bases-on-balls in defending their South-Central Baseball League crown at Kinsmen Stadium. A narrow 6 to 5 victory over the Brandon Kiwanis Bisons gave the Cubs a three-games-to-one edge in the best-of five finals with one game tied. The Cubs parlayed eight free passes into two opening-canto counters and three more tallies in the second stanza to chase Brandon starter Dale Foster and jump into a commanding lead. Mike Marcher took over from the struggling Foster with one gone in the second inning and limited the visitors to just three hits the rest of the way. An RBI-single by Andy Lingering in the sixth stanza iced the triumph for the defending champions. The Bisons rallied for four runs in the seventh but it wasn’t enough to make up the deficit. Cam Mealy was the winner over Foster, surrendering 11 hits and striking out three in going the distance. Wheat City catcher Wes Davidson ripped four singles and Danny Asham a triple, double and single in a losing cause. Rex Martin stroked a pair of singles for Elgin.
SOUTH-WEST BASEBALL LEAGUE #1 (GLENBORO QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT)
Coulter
Deloraine
Melita
Waskada
SOUTH-WEST BASEBALL LEAGUE #2 (HAMIOTA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT)
Goodlands
Lyleton
Sinclair
Tilston
BORDER BASEBALL LEAGUE
Cartwright Twins :
Clearwater :
Pilot Mound Pilots :
Morden Mohawks :
MANITOBA JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Assiniboia Buffaloes :
Carman Goldeyes :
Earl Grey Barons :
Legion #141 :
Portage La Prairie Foresters :
River East Raiders :
Sanford Mallards :
St. Boniface Legionnaires :
MANITOBA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION SENIOR ELIMINATION TOURNAMENTS
Representatives from a total of eleven senior-level leagues that registered with the M.B.A. came together to battle it out in two tournaments in an effort to whittle the competition down to just a pair of clubs. Six teams locked horns at Glenboro while five more faced off at Hamiota. The Manitoba Senior Baseball League had two rep teams in the competition, one from each of their South and North divisions, one taking part at each locale.
Another anomaly within the tournament structure was the presence of two senior-level leagues registered for play utilizing the moniker South-Central Baseball League as well as another pair of loops that called their alliance the South-West Baseball League. All-star-teams from each did not face each other directly in the M.B.A. playdowns as they were placed in different tournament brackets, one each in both the Glenboro and Hamiota semi-final tournaments.
SEMI-FINAL ELIMINATION TOURNAMENTS
(July 20-21) Over the weekend, a gathering of eleven entries partook in two elimination tournaments for senior-level clubs and, in each, the team representing the Manitoba Senior Baseball League prevailed.
GLENBORO TOURNAMENT
At Glenboro, six teams assembled for a double-knockout event.
- M.S.B.L. South Division all-stars
- Border Baseball League all-stars
- Interlake Baseball League all-stars
- South-Central Baseball League all-stars (with-players from Carberry, Cypress River, Glenboro, Holland and Notre Dame de Lourdes)
- Giroux Athletics (leagueless - representing southwest MB)
- South-West Baseball League all-stars (with players from Coulter, Deloraine, Melita and Waskada)
RESULTS
A-side
- MSBL South 23 to 0 over Border League
- Giroux defeated South-West League 7 to 0
- Interlake League knocked off South-Central League 6 to 2
- MSBL South 15 to 3 over Giroux
- MSBL South nosed out Interlake League 7 to 6 to win A-side
B-side
- South-West League eliminated Border League
- Giroux sidelined South-Central League 12 to 6
- South-West League ousted Giroux
- Interlake League wins B-side by blanking South-West League 3 to 0
A-B final
The MSBL South Division All-Stars coasted to a 10 to 2 triumph over the Interlake Baseball League All-Stars in the tourney final. The winners banged out 14 hits as first baseman Dennis Wiebe of the Brandon Cloverleafs launched out a solo home run off losing tosser Roy Fortin. Brandon’s Bob Thompson ripped three singles while Cloverleaf teammate Bob Wilson nailed a brace of doubles. Mark Hunter of the Riverside Canucks, who terrorized opposition pitchers throughout the two-day event, drilled a pair of singles. Starter Jerry Araujo of the Hamiota Red Sox earned the pitching win with a four-hitter. Catcher Claude Lambert of the Interlake squad had three of the four safeties garnered by the losers off Araujo. One of those knocks was a bases-empty four-bagger.
Araujo (W) and Woods, C. Seafoot (8)
Fortin (L), Desjarlais (6) and Lambert
HAMIOTA TOURNAMENT
Five entries battled at Hamiota in double-elimination action to determine one provincial finalist.
TEAMS
- MSBL North Division all-stars
- South-West Baseball League all-stars (with players from Goodlands, Lyleton, Sinclair and Tilston)
- South-Central Baseball League all-stars (with players from Baldur, Boissevain, Brandon Bisons, Elgin, Killarney, Nesbitt, Treesbank and Wawanesa)
- Thompson Reds representing the Northern Baseball League
- Sanford Mets (a leagueless team from he bedroom community just south of Winnipeg)
RESULTS
A-side
- South-Central League 5 to 4 over Sanford
- MSBL North blanked Thompson 3 to 0
- South-Central League shaded the South-West League 5 to 4
- MSBL North drubbed the South-Central League 8 to 2 to advance to the finals
B-side
- Sanford eliminated Thompson by a 7 to 6 score
- Sanford blasted the South-West League from further play with a 14 to 0 shellacking
- South-Central League reached A-B finals by ousting Sanford 7 to 5
A-B final
The Northern Division All-Stars from the Manitoba Senior Baseball League had an easy 9 to 0 victory over the youthful South-Central League All-Stars in the final of the Hamiota bracket of the M.B.A. senior tournament. Winning flinger Garth Neville of the Binscarth Orioles surrendered two safeties in the six innings that he hurled while Ross Lynd of the McAuley Blazers mopped up over the final three chapters and did not give up a hit. A couple of young Riverside Canucks, Ed Beare and Ron Seafoot, who are also part-timers in the South-Central loop, pitched for the vanquished nine with starter Seafoot taking the loss. Dale and Don Gies of the Orioles as well as McCauley’s Terry Lynd each stroked two singles for the North Division squad.
Neville (W), R. Lynd (7) and Hemstad
R. Seafoot (L), Beare (5) and Davidson
SUDDEN-DEATH M.B.A. SENIOR FINAL
(July 24) In a contest to determine Manitoba's team at the Canadian Senior Championships, the South All-Stars defeated the North Stars 9-7 Wednesday at Hamiota. After falling behind 4-0, the South Stars roared back to take a 9-4 lead, scoring the deciding runs in the ninth on singles by Dennis Wiebe and Bob Wilson and a double by Mark Fisher. Catcher Cliff Seafoot led the winners with three hits, all singles, while Fisher produced his two-bagger and a single. Brian Hodgson picked up the win in a relief role. North starter Glennis Scott was tagged with the loss.
Araujo, Everard (6), Hodgson (W) (7) and C. Seafoot
Scott (L), D. McGorman (9) and Hemstad