1976 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1976 BC Interior
1976 Vancouver Island
VICTORIA SENIOR AMATEUR BASEBALL LEAGUE
Unlike 1974 and 1975, no interlocking games with senior teams from Vancouver were implemented into the 1976 Victoria Senior Amateur League schedule although each member club has two games with the Firefighter Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars scheduled, the results of which will be counted in the standings.
Farmer Construction
Gorge Hotel
Greave’s Moving & Storage
Kubicek’s Home Service
(May 25) Geoff/Jeff Owens, Dan Rogers and Terry Armstrong sparked a 12-hit attack as Farmer Construction nudged Kubicek’s 6 to 5 in the opening game of the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League at Lambrick Park. Owens drove in two runs while Rogers and Armstrong drove in one each. Wayne Krimmer overcame some early control issues and earned the mound triumph with fifth-inning relief help from Terry Painter. The farmer duo allowed only four hits.
Krimmer (W), Painter (5) and Pakos
Lynn (L) and D. Kubicek
(May 26) Settling down after a shaky start, Bob Mabee went on to pitch Gorge Hotel to a 7 to 4 decision over Greave’s Movers at Lambrick Park. Mabee, who didn’t pitch much last season because of a shoulder injury, started off by yielding four bases-on-balls and four opening-inning tallies but gave up only two walks the rest of the way while whiffing four. The veteran hurler also connected for a triple and two singles. Teammates Ian Hood, with a three-bagger and a triad of singles, and Bob Moysey, with a double and a brace of one-baggers, topped the Gorge willow wielders. George Lomas drove in two of the Greave’s markers.
Mabee (W) and Russ Holmes
Karpiuk (L) and Mark
(May 27) Veteran catcher Russ Holmes greeted rookie pitcher Dale Aune with a two-run double in the first inning and a second-stanza three-run homer in leading Gorge Hotel to a 10 to 1 triumph over Kubicek’s Home Service at Lambrick Park. Driven to the showers in the third canto, Aune was replaced on the hill by Randy Strandlund. Garnet Moen drove in two runs for Gorge with a pair of singles while Randy Price topped Kubicek’s offensively with a triple and two singles. Rick Cook scattered eight hits and struck out six to earn the route-going victory. He lost the shutout in the sixth inning when Roger Laberge doubled and scored on a single by Brock Coupar.
(May 30) Roy Moretti won one game as a starter and another in relief as Greave’s Moving & Storage swept a doubleheader from Farmer Construction. Moretti went the distance and hurled a four-hitter as Greave’s won the opener 3 to 2. He then came on in relief of starter Ted Beech in the fifth inning of the nightcap as the Movers came on late to annex a 3 to 1 conquest.
(May 31) Derek Drinkwater made his season debut a successful one, ringing up 11 punchouts and allowing only three hits while pitching Gorge Hotel to a 4 to 1 decision over Kubicek’s Home Service at Lambrick Park. Designated hitter Bob Mabee had two singles and a pair of RBI’s for the Hotelmen.
Drinkwater (W) and Russ Holmes
Lister (L) and D. Kubicek
(June 1) Sophomore chucker Wayne Krimmer picked up his second victory of the season as Farmer Construction ended Gorge Hotel’s unbeaten streak with a 3 to 2 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League victory at Lambrick Park. Krimmer, with relief help from Terry Painter in the seventh inning, held the hotelmen to four hits. Dan Rogers and Terry Armstrong led the seven-hit Farmer attack. Rogers connected for a double and triple while Armstrong singled and tripled. Loser Pete Jolly blanked the Contractors until the sixth inning when he gave up Rogers’ run-scoring triple and then got the hook. Reliever Rick Cook added more gasoline to the fire with a base-on-balls and an RBI single to Armstrong and, before the dust had settled George Pakos crossed the dish with what turned out to be the winning marker. Mike Squire singled home both Gorge runs.
Krimmer (W), Painter (7) and Pakos
Jolly (L), Cook (6), Mabee (6) and Russ Holmes
(June 2) Despite committing seven errors, Greave’s Movers managed to trip Kubicek’s Home Service 11 to 10 at Lambrick Park. Roy Moretti, in a seventh-inning relief appearance, picked up his third victory of the season. Playing-manager Terry Karpiuk singled home the tying and winning counters during the Movers’ four-run seventh frame.
B. Kubicek, Lynn (3), Lister (L) (7) and D. Kubicek
W. Burrows, Beech (5), Moretti (W) (7) and Moretti, Mark (7)
(June 3) Sophomore slabster Roy Moretti earned his fourth hillock triumph in five days, spinning a three-hitter as Greave’s Movers edged Farmer Construction 2 to 1 at Lambrick Park. Moretti fanned five and walked three. The lone Farmer tally he yielded was unearned. What turned out to be the winning counter was plated in the fourth frame when Walt Burrows doubled, moved to third base on a passed ball and romped home on an error.
Anderson. Painter (L) and Carlson, Pakos (5)
Moretti (W) and Mark
(June 6) Clutch hitting by Randy Price in the second-half of a twin-bill powered Kubicek’s to a 9 to 8 extra-inning victory over Gorge Hotel and their first triumph in the young season. Gorge had extended Kubicek’s winless streak to five by defeating the cellar-dwellers 3 to 1 on Mike Squire’s two-run homer in the opening tussle at Lambrick Park.
Aune (L), Lister and Johnson
Cook (W), Mabee and Russ Holmes
Trailing 8 to 1 at one stage of the late tilt, the Servicemen tied the score in the seventh with a three-run outburst. Dave Graas then doubled with two out in the ninth and scored the winning run when Price bounced a one-hop shot off the left-centre field fence. It was Price’s fifth RBI as he went three-for-four at the plate. Graas, who banged out two doubles in the opener, wound up with a brace of safeties in the late tilt and scored three runs.
Drinkwater, Jolly, Mabee (L) and Russ Holmes
Strandlund, B. Kubicek, Lynn (W) and Johnson
(June 7) Rick Mark and Walt Burrows hit home runs as Greave’s Movers edged Farmer Construction 6 to 5 at Lambrick Park. Playing-manager Terry Karpiuk allowed one run in a seventh-inning relief appearance but saved the win for starter Ted Beech. Dan Rogers had a round-tripper for Farmer.
Beech (W), Karpiuk (7) and Mark
Krimmer, Painter (L) (6), Ron Holmes (6) and Pakos
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Greave’s Moving & Storage 5 1 .833 ----
Gorge Hotel 4 2 .667 1.0
Farmer Construction 2 4 .333 3.0
Kubicek’s Home Service 1 5 .167 4.0
(June 8) If the present trend continues, Ray Moretti of Greave’s Moving & Storage will make a shambles of the pitching records in the Victoria Amateur Baseball League. Moretti won his fifth game of the season in a 4 to 2 Movers’ victory over Gorge Hotel. Staked to a three-run lead in the top-of-the-third on a walk to Ralph Anderson, a double by George Lomas and a home run by Walt Burrows, Moretti relinquished mound duties part way through the bottom-half of the frame as playing-manager Terry Karpiuk took over briefly to quell a fire created by Moretti’s control issues. He then reappeared on the hillock in the fourth and blanked the Hoteliers for the remainder of the contest. Command issues kept him in hot water for much of the game as he issued ten free passes. He also punched out ten and gave up only three hits, one of which was a run-scoring double by Bob Mabee. Derek Drinkwater was saddled with the loss.
Moretti (L), Karpiuk (3), Moretti (4) and Morgan
Drinkwater (L), Mabee (3) and Russ Holmes
(June 9) Dan Rogers turned out to be an all-around handyman for Farmer Construction at Lambrick Park. Rogers scored two runs and was credited with the pitching win with a route-going six-hitter as the Contractors bounced Kubicek’s 5 to 1. In squaring his record at 1 – 1, Rogers rang up five punchouts. The Construction Crew managed only five hits off veteran Gerry Lister but made the most of their scoring opportunities.
Lister (L) and Johnson
Rogers (W) and Pakos
(June 10) Greave’s Movers won their seventh decision in eight starts, taking a 5 to 3 verdict over last-place Kubicek’s Home Service. Playing-manager Terry Karpiuk of the Movers tossed a two-hitter for the win while teammate George Lomas drive in a brace of tallies with a bases-loaded single in the fifth frame. Randy Price of the Servicemen lit up Karpiuk for a two-run dinger in the sixth stanza.
Karpiuk (W) and Mark
Lynn (L) and Johnson
(June 14) Lowly Kubicek’s won for just the second time this season by surprising front-running Greave’s Movers with a 6 to 0 setback. Rookie chucker Dale Aune, with a four-hitter, registered his first mound triumph. He struck out only two but walked just one. Dave Wallace hit a double and two singles for the Servicemen while teammate Dave Graas slammed a brace of two-baggers. Rob Parris had two safeties for the losers.
Aune (W) and D. Kubicek
Beech (L), Moretti (3) and Pickering, Mark (6)
(June 16) Garnet Moen and Derek Drinkwater combined to lead Gorge Hotel to an 11 to 5 win over first-place Greave’s Movers at Lambrick Park. Moen had three singles in five-at-bats, scored two runs and drove in another while winning flinger Drinkwater scattered eight hits and struck out four. Grant Boland was the top hitter for Greave’s with a double and single. The win moved Gorge to within a game of the pace-setters.
Drinkwater (W) and Russ Holmes
Karpiuk (L), Moretti (5) and Mark
(June 17) Rick Cook threw a one-hit shutout to lead Gorge Hotel to a 9 to 0 whitewashing of Farmer Construction. Cook struck out six and allowed three bases-on-balls. Al Moir singled up the middle with two out in the fourth inning for the only hit by the Contractors.
Cook (W) and Russ Holmes
Krimmer (L), Painter (5) and Pakos
(June 20) Farmer Construction squeezed past Gorge Hotel 5 to 4 in a Senior Amateur League clash at Lambrick Park. Terry Painter struck out nine and issued three walks in going the distance for the mound triumph. He also smacked a double in the fourth inning to dive in the ultimate game-deciding tally.
Painter (W) and Rogers
Mabee (L), Drinkwater (2), Mabee (4), Drinkwater (4) and Russ Holmes
(June 21) Dave Graas belted a double and a home run, to accumulate three RBI’s, in leading Kubicek’s Home Service to 6 to 4 conquest of Gorge Hotel at Lambrick Park. Dale Aune, who picked up the pitching victory with relief help from Gerry Lister, also had a pair of safe swats for the winners. Gorge starter Pete Jolly was nicked with the loss.
(June 22) Greave’s Moving & Storage took advantage of a flurry of throwing miscues by their rivals in the sixth inning to shade Farmer Construction 5 to 4 and consolidate their hold on first place in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League. Roy Moretti, in a relief role, earned the pitching win after ascending the hillock in the sixth. The versatile Moretti, who now sports a 6 – 0 hurling record, broke a 4 – 4 tie in the seventh when he singled, went all the way to third on another erratic throw by the Contractors, and scored on a one-bagger by Grant Boland.
Krimmer (L) and Rogers, Pakos (7)
Mark, Moretti (W) (6) and Moretti, Mark (6)
(June 23) Randy Johnson, Dave Graas and Randy Price sparked a ten-hit barrage that carried Kubicek’s Home Service to a 7 to 2 upset win over Gorge Hotel in Senior Amateur play at Lambrick Park. It was the second straight win for the Servicemen over the Hoteliers and their fourth triumph in 11 starts this season. Johnson and Graas each had three hits while Price connected for a home run. Wayne Messer earned his first victory of the campaign while combining with Gerry Lister for an eight-hitter.
Messer (W), Lister (6) and Johnson
Drinkwater (L) and Russ Holmes
(June 24) Losers of seven of their first eight starts, Kubicek’s Home Service has suddenly become a giant killer. The Servicemen scored four runs in the sixth inning at Lambrick Park to knock off front-running Greave’s Movers 4 to 3 for their third successive win. A run-scoring single by Randy Price started the comeback from a 3 to 0 deficit. Brock Coupar later nailed a one-bagger for two RBI’s to tie the score and then touched home with the lead counter when pinch-hitter Randy Johnson singled. Dale Aune picked up the victory after relieving Gerry Lister in the fifth inning. Dave Morgan smashed a four-bagger for Greave’s.
Karpiuk (L) and Mark
Lister, Aune (W) (5) and D. Kubicek, Johnson (7)
Standings W L Pct. GBL
Greave’s Moving & Storage 8 4 .667 ----
Gorge Hotel 6 6 .500 2.0
Kubicek’s Home Service 5 7 .417 3.0
Farmer Construction 4 6 .400 3.0
(June 25) Gorge Hotel outhit Farmer Construction by a 19 to 12 margin on the way to a 15 to 11 slugfest victory at Lambrick Park.
(June 27) A 7 to 2 conquest of Framer Construction in the opening game of a Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League doubleheader at Lambrick Park extended the winning streak of Kubicek’s Home Service to five games. The streak was snapped in the second contest, however, when the Contractors captured a decisive 7 to 0 victory over the Servicemen. Kubicek’s won the curtain-raiser on the strength of a five-spot in the eighth canto. Errors and walks preceded run-scoring hits by winning pitcher Gerry Lister and Brock Coupar in the spree.
xxx, Lister (W) (7) and D. Kubicek, Johnson (7)
Krimmer (L) and Pakos
Terry Painter threw a four-hitter for the shutout win in the owl encounter, fanning eight and walking four in going the route. Dan Rogers went yard with his third dinger of the campaign for the Contractors while teammate George Pakos as well as Dave Wallace of the losers stroked two safeties each.
Painter (W) and Pakos
Aune (L), Linn (4) and Johnson
(June 28) Farmer Construction moved into a third-place tie with idle Kubicek’s by outlasting top-dog Greave’s Movers 12 to 10 at Lambrick Park. Two big innings did it for the Contractors who outswatted Greave’s 13 to 11. They scored a half-dozen in the third spasm and followed with a five-run fourth canto which was featured by Lee Doney’s three-run tater. Roy Moretti had given the Movers a 2 to 1 cushion in the second panel with a two-run ding-dong.
Beech (L), Karpiuk (3), Morgan (5) and Moretti, Pickering (6)
Rogers (W), Painter (7) and Ron Holmes
(June 29) Derek Drinkwater won a pitching duel with Roy Moretti and Gorge Hotel moved into a tie with Greave’s Moving & Storage for top spot in the Senior Amateur circuit by nosing out the Movers 2 to 1. Drinkwater struck out 12 while surrendering four hits and two walks in his winning effort. After six hillock victories, Moretti was saddled with his initial setback on the knoll when Bob Mabee drove in a brace of sixth-inning counters with a timely three-bagger. Moretti finished with a three-hitter while fanning eight and issuing three walks.
Drinkwater (W) and Russ Holmes
Moretti (L) and Mark
(June 30) Gerry Lister tossed a one-hitter as Kubicek’s shaded Farmer Construction 1 to 0 at Lambrick Park. Lister breezed nine, surrendering only a fourth-inning triple to Dan Rogers. His shutout was kept in tact when outfielder Brock Coupar leaned over the centre-field fence to snare a smash off the lumber of Al Moir which appeared labeled for a four-base clout. Wayne Krimmer gave up just three hits in taking the loss as the lone run yielded was unearned.
Krimmer (L) and Pakos
Lister (W) and Johnson
(July 1) Breaking a 3 – 3 tie by plating a deuce in the fifth frame, Kubicek’s Home Service knocked Greave’s Movers into second place in the Senior Amateur Baseball League by taking a 5 to 3 decision from the Movers. It was the second win in two days for the Servicemen who evened their record at 8 – 8 for the season. Andy Linn was the winning chucker, coming on in relief of starter Wayne Messer who was rocked for a three-run tater by Jim Pickering in the second stanza. Randy Price doubled home a brace of fifth-inning counters, breaking a 3 – 3 tie, to provide the winning margin for Kubicek’s.
Messer, Linn (W) (2) and Johnson
Karpiuk (L) and Mark
(July 4) The Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League All-Stars battered Vancouver Puccini’s of the Pacific Metro Baseball League 10 to 3 and 10 to 5 to sweep an exhibition doubleheader at Capilano Stadium. Rick Mark, who played last season for the Vancouver Capilanos, and Garnet Moen each had three hits and two RBI’s for the Capital City Crew in the opener. Mark drove in three more counters in the second encounter with a bases-loaded triple. Victoria’s Dan Rogers had a three-run round-tipper in this game as well.
(July 5) Rick Cook maintained his unbeaten record, pitching a five-hitter for his fourth win as Gorge Hotel edged Kubicek’s Home Service 3 to 1 at Lambrick Park. The win for the Hotelmen gave them a full one-game lead over second-place Greave’s Movers in the standings. Garnet Moen had two safeties for Gorge and scored the winning run on a two-run single by Bob Mabee in the sixth spasm.
Cook (W) and Russ Holmes
Aune (L), Messer (6) and Johnson
(July 6) Rick Mark provided the batting power and Roy Moretti the pitching finesse as Greave’s Movers dumped the Victoria Firefighter Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars 7 to 4. Mark clipped the apple for two doubles and a triple while Moretti, for his part, relieved starter Ted Beech in the second inning and allowed only three hits, while whiffing eight, the rest of the way to cop the pitching win, his seventh of the campaign. Teammate Rob Parris clipped the orb for a double and single, good for three RBI’s, off the slants of losing chucker Ross Barnett.
(July 7) Mike Squire capped a productive night at the plate by unloading a fifth-inning grand-slam homer that concluded an eight-run rally which helped pace-setting Gorge Hotel to an 11 to 2 victory over Farmer Construction at Lambrick Park. Squire, who had three singles in addition to his circuit-jack, also scored twice. Winning pitcher Bob Mabee helped his own cause by plating a pair and driving in what proved to be the winning run.
Painter (L), Krimmer (5) and Pakos
Mabee (W) and Russ Holmes
(July 8) Catcher George Pakos helped Farmer Construction end a losing streak at three games by slamming three hits in an 8 to 3 win over the Firefighter Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars in an interlocking tussle at Lambrick Park. Winning pitcher Dan Rogers scattered six hits in picking up his third victory of the season. Terry Armstrong contributed two additional hits for the winners and had three RBI’s. The win moved the Construction Crew within a game of third-place Kubicek’s.
Procevist (L) and Barnett
Rogers (W) and Pakos
(July 9) Ron Holmes, making his fourth mound appearance of the season but his first as a starter, pitched a three-hitter and earned his first victory as Farmer Construction defeated Kubicek’s Home Service 5 to 1 to draw even in the standings with their foe. Holmes helped himself with the bat, going two-for-three and driving in three runs.
Linn (L) and Johnson
Ron Holmes (W) and Pakos, Painter (2)
(July 11) After dropping the first game of a rare three-team triple-header at Lambrick Park, Greave’s Movers pulled to within a few percentage points of front-running Gorge Hotel by capturing victories in the final two contests.
Gerry Lister pitched his third consecutive win, a nine-hitter with a dozen punchouts, as Kubicek’s Home Service tripped the Movers 8 to 7 in the opening game. Greave’s came back to capture the second game against the Servicemen 7 to 5 and then went on to defeat Gorge 5 to 4 in the finale. In the first scuffle, Lister also came through at the plate for Kubicek’s, spanking the sphere for a single and double to drive in three runs. Losing chucker Dave Morgan swatted a four-bagger off the slants of Lister.
Lister (W) and Johnson
Karpiuk, Morgan (L) (2) and Mark
Roy Moretti keyed the first Greave’s triumph in the sandwich event by whiffing eight in tossing a seven-hitter. At the plate, he bashed out a single, double and home run. Dave Graas had a circuit-clout for the losers.
Moretti (W), Beech, Moretti and Mark
Messer, Aube (L) and Johnson
Terry Karpiuk came out on top of Derek Drinkwater in a tightly-contested third match of the day. Mike Squire belted a round-tripper for the Hotelmen.
Drinkwater (L) and Moysey
Karpiuk (W) and Mark
(July 12) Gorge Hotel regained sole possession of top spot in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League standings by scoring a 3 to 1 decision over the Firefighter Senior Babe Ruth League All-Stars. Rick Cook struck out 12 and had little trouble with the Senior Babe Ruthers except for the fourth frame when they got to him for four hits and scored their only run. The Hotelmen plated all their counters in their first turn at bat.
Barnett (L) and White
Cook (W) and Moysey
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Gorge Hotel 11 7 .611 ----
Greave’s Moving & Storage 11 8 .579 0.5
Kubicek’s Home Service 9 11 .450 3.0
Farmer Construction 8 10 .444 3.0
* includes results of interlocking games with Victoria Firefighters Senior Babe Ruth League All-Stars
(July 13) Greave’s Movers scored all their runs in the first inning and then hung on for a 3 to 2 win over Farmer Construction at Lambrick Park. A triple by Rob Parris, a bungled fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly by Terry Karpiuk brought in the triad of opening-canto markers for the Movers. The Contractors, who left runners stranded in six different innings, plated their brace of tallies in the third when Ron Holmes cracked a bases-loaded single.
Krimmer (L) and Pakos, Ron Holmes (5)
Moretti, Mark (W) (3) and Mark, Moretti (3)
(July 14) Terry Painter struggled through seven innings but wound up with the victory as Farmer Construction nudged past the Firefighter Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars 7 to 5 at Lambrick Park. Painter was tagged for seven hits but was able to pitch himself out of jams with eight timely strikeouts. Mike Baier had two hits for the winners.
Stenseth, Wedgewood (L) (4), King (5) and Barnett
Painter (W) and Ron Holmes, Pakos (5)
(July 15) Gerry Lister ran his winning streak to four games in pitching Kubicek’s Home Service to a 6 to 2 decision over Gorge Hotel at Lambrick Park. Lister, now 4 – 3 on the season, struck out ten batters and didn’t allow a base-on-balls. Randy Price backed him up offensively by scoring two runs and driving in three others with a seventh-inning home run, his third of the campaign. League-leading hitter Dave Graas whacked two singles and a double for the winners. Russ Holmes was best with the baton for second-place Gorge, cuffing the horsehide for two hits in three appearances.
Lister (W) and D. Kubicek
Drinkwater (L), Mabee (1) and Marshall
(July 18) Gorge Hotel took over first place in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League by splitting doubleheader against Farmer Construction and then tripping former-leader Greave’s Movers. Gorge scored 11 runs in the sixth inning to bounce Farmer 13 to 1 in the opener but the Contractors came back to take the second encounter 7 to 6. In their final test during a grueling day at Lambrick Park, the Hoteliers prevailed 16 to 6 over the Movingmen.
Bob Mabee pitched the Gorge win over Farmer, hurling a four-hitter while swishing seven and walking just one. At the dish, Mabee collected three hits while catcher Russ Holmes had a brace of safeties and three RBI’s. Dale Marshall nailed his first dinger of the season for the victors.
Krimmer (L), Armstrong (6) and Pakos
Mabee (W) and Russ Holmes
Deuces were wild for Al Moir of the Construction Crew in their second-game conquest. Moir had two base hits, scored two runs and had two RBI’s.
Drinkwater (L), Mabee (7) and Russ Holmes
Pakos, Rogers (W) (1) and Ron Holmes
Rick Cook extended his unbeaten pitching record to 6 – 0 in the Gorge triumph over Greave’s in the finale. Garnet Moen and Mike Squire paced the willow-wielders for the Hotelmen with three safeties apiece in this affair with Moen driving in a pair and Squire having one RBI. Rick Mark of the Movers belted a four-bagger in a losing cause.
Moretti (L), Mark (3), Morgan (4) and Mark, Morgan (3), Mark (4)
Cook (W) and Russ Holmes
(July 19) The game between Greave’s Movers and the Firefighter Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars was called because of darkness with the score tied 1 – 1 after eight innings.
(July 20) Playing-manager Terry Karpiuk pitched a four-hit shutout to boost Greave’s Moving & Storage to a 1 to 0 win over Kubicek’s Home Service and a share of first place in the Senior Amateur loop. Karpiuk whiffed seven, walked four and drilled a brace of base raps in the Lambrick Park affair. After drawing a third-inning base-on-balls and advancing into scoring position on a groundout, Rob Parris reached home with the game’s only run on an RBI-single by Dave Morgan. Dave Graas had a pair of safe swats for the vanquished nine.
Karpiuk (W) and Mark
Aune (L) and D. Kubicek
(July 21) Derek Drinkwater fashioned a two-hitter at Lambrick Park as Gorge Hotel blanked Farmer Construction 4 to 0 to nose a half-game ahead of Greave’s Movers atop the standings. Barry Moen and Ron Holmes were the only Farmer baserunners during the tilt as Drinkwater issued nary a walk in squaring his season’s record at 4 – 4. His batterymate, catcher Russ Holmes spanked the horsehide for three safeties and drove in a trio of counters. He broke a scoreless tie in the third chapter with a two-run double.
Drinkwater (W) and Russ Holmes
Rogers (L) and Ron Holmes
(July 22) Gerry Lister came up with some solid relief work in collecting his fifth successive pitching triumph, sparking Kubicek’s Home Service to a 3 to 1 victory over Farmer Construction. Lister breezed five, walked a pair and yielded only three hits after taking over knoll duties from starter Wayne Messer in the fourth frame in a 1 – 1 stalemate. Duane Pack drilled a sixth-inning single to drive in Blair Kubicek with the ultimate winner and later scored the insurance counter on a Farmer error.
Messer, Lister (W) (4) and Johnson
Krimmer (L) and Rogers
(July 25) Third-place Kubicek’s Home Service swept a brace of interlocking tilts from the Firefighters’ Senior Babe Ruth All-Star squad by scores of 6 to 5 and 4 to 0.
(July 26) Playing-manager Terry Karpiuk picked up his third straight victory while pitching Greave’s Movers to a 6 to 0 whitewashing of Gorge Hotel at Lambrick Park. Karpiuk struck out seven, yielded no walks and allowed only five hits as the Movers snapped losing tosser Rick Cook’s six-game win streak. Catcher Rick Mark had a double, single and three RBI’s for the winners.
Karpiuk (W) and Mark
Cook (L), Drinkwater (2) and Russ Holmes
Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Greave’s Moving & Storage 14 9 .609 ---
Gorge Hotel 14 10 .583 0.5
Kubicek’s Home Service 13 12 .520 2.0
Farmer Construction 10 14 .417 4.5
* includes results of interlocking games with Victoria Firefighters Senior Babe Ruth League All-Stars
(July 30 - August 2) B. C. Senior Amateur Baseball championship tournament
(August 3) The ready bat of Mike Squire and the reliable arm of Rick Cook combined to propel Gorge Hotel to a 2 to 0 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League victory over Kubicek’s Home Service. Squire scored both runs for the winners at Lambrick Park. He drew a two-out walk in the opening inning, stole second and raced home on a single by Russ Holmes. In the sixth stanza, Squire nailed a solo home run, his fourth dinger of the season, to provide an insurance tally. Cook struck out 12 batters and yielded only three hits while boosting his pitching record for the campaign to 7 – 1.
Cook (W) and Russ Holmes
Aune (L) and D. Kubicek
(August 4) With pitcher Roy Moretti directing the operation, Greave’s Moving & Storage gained some altitude in the standings at Lambrick Park. Moretti delivered a five-hit shutout for the Movers who trimmed last-place Farmer Construction 8 to 0, regaining first place in the process. Boosting his pitching record to 9 – 2 this season, Moretti struck out eight batters and did his part with the baton, cracking a two-run double. Senior Babe Ruth call-up, Mark Lawless, was also efficient with the bat for Greave’s, stroking a double and two singles.
Moretti (W) and Mark
Ron Holmes (L) and Painter
(August 8) Gorge Hotel topped Greave’s Movers 3 to 1 and 4 to 0 in a Lambrick Park doubleheader to move back into first place in the Senior Amateur league. The Hoteliers now sport a 1-1/2 game cushion over Greave’s as the see-saw battle for the regular-season pennant continues down to the wire. Mike Squire hit his fifth homer of the season in addition to a single to drive in all three runs for the Hotelmen in the opener while Bob Mabee rang up six punchouts, issued two free passes and gave up seven base raps in copping the pitching victory.
Karpiuk (L) and Moretti
Mabee (W) and Russ Holmes
Derek Drinkwater pitched his second shutout of the season in the finale, spinning a four-hitter with eight strikeouts and a pair of walks. Mabee scored twice for Gorge and drove in one run.
Drinkwater (W) and Russ Holmes
Moretti (L), Morgan (5) and Morgan, Moretti (5)
(August 9) Rick Cook tossed his third shutout of the season as Gorge Hotel clinched the regular-season pennant by blanking Farmer Construction 4 to 0 at Lambrick Park. Cook pitched a four-hitter in improving his record on the bump to 8 – 1. Bob Mabee and Russ Holmes both scored once and drove in a run each.
Cook (W) and Russ Holmes
Ron Holmes (L) and Armstrong
(August 10) Dave Morgan and Roy Moretti smacked home runs to lead Greave’s Movers to a 4 to 0 win over Kubicek’s Home Service at Lambrick Park. Morgan drove a 2-2 pitch over the 325-foot mark in left field to score three runs in the first inning and Moretti added his third home run of the season, a solo shot, in the fourth inning. Moretti was also the winning pitcher, fanning ten while allowing only three hits in registering his 10th win against three losses. Gerry Lister was nicked for six safeties in taking the loss. The victory clinched at least a second-place finish for the Movers.
Lister (L) and D. Kubicek, Johnson (5)
Moretti (W) and Morgan
(August 11) Farmer Construction tripped Greave’s Movers 5 to 3 at Lambrick Park to move to within one game of third-place Kubicek’s and the final playoff spot in the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League. Wayne Krimmer pitched the complete-game victory for the Contractors, striking out seven, walking only one and yielding just four hits, one of which was a round-tripper launched by losing chucker Terry Karpiuk. Terry Painter was best with the hickory for Farmer, collecting three hits, scoring twice and driving in another while clubmate George Pakos had a brace of safeties and two RBI’s.
Karpiuk (L) and Morgan
Krimmer (W) and Pakos
(August 12) Four runs in the top of the ninth inning earned Farmer Construction a 5 to 2 victory over Kubicek’s Home Service to complete a game suspended on August 5 with the clubs tied 1 - 1 at the end of eight innings. Two base hits and three errors by the Servicemen helped the Construction Crew score four times in the top-of-the-ninth while Kubicek’s replied with a singleton in their half of the frame. The result deadlocked the two squads for third-place in the final standings and necessitates a sudden-death tie-breaker to determine which team will qualify for the last playoff berth.
Krimmer, Ron Holmes (W) (9) and Ron Holmes, Pakos (9)
Graas (L) and D. Kubicek
Final Standings * W L Pct. GBL
Gorge Hotel 18 10 .643 ---
Greave’s Moving & Storage 16 12 .571 2.0
Kubicek’s Home Service 13 16 .448 5.5
Farmer Construction 13 16 .448 5.5
* includes results of interlocking games with Victoria Firefighters Senior Babe Ruth League All-Stars
THIRD-PLACE TIE-BREAKER
(August 15) Kubicek’s Home Service will face second-place Greave’s Moving & Storage in the best-of-three Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League semi-finals. A 4 to 0 conquest of Farmer Construction at Lambrick Park guaranteed the Servicemen a playoff spot and sent the Contractors packing for another year. Gerry Lister hurled the tie-breaker win, fanning eight, walking one and giving up six hits. Duane Pack led Kubicek batters with two hits in four at-bats. A two-base throwing error allowed Pack to score what proved to be the winning run in the third inning.
Painter (L) and Pakos
Lister (W) and Johnson
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS Kubicek’s Home Service vs Greave’s Moving & Storage (best-of-three series)
(August 16) Roy Moretti couldn’t win with a one-hit pitching performance while Kubicek’s claimed a Senior Amateur Baseball League playoff victory without scoring a run. It all happened because Greave’s Movers ran out of players at Lambrick Park as the semi-finals got underway. The opener was awarded to Kubicek’s when an ejection left the Movers with just eight players. Greave’s started with a roster of ten which was reduced to nine when Ron Arcuri was used as a sixth-inning pinch-hitter. Then it was down to eight, and the forfeiture, when catcher Rick Mark was tossed from the game for arguing a third strike call. Moretti, hurling for the Movingmen, allowed only one hit in the eight-inning duel. He lost his no-hitter when opposing flinger Gerry Lister beat out an infield hit in the eighth inning.
Aune and Johnson
Moretti and Mark
(August 17) Mark Lawless sparked Greave’s Movers to a 2 to 1 decision over Kubicek’s Home Service at Lambrick Park that squared the best-of-three semi-final series at a game apiece. Lawless had two hits in three trips to the plate and scored what turned out to be the winning run in the sixth inning. He hit a two-out single, stole second base and scored on a single by Dave Piercy. Grant Boland scored the other Greave’s counter on a throwing error. Terry Karpiuk picked up the pitching victory with a five hitter.
Karpiuk (W) and Morgan
Messer (L) and D. Kubicek
(August 18) Kubicek’s Home Service scored a major upset at Lambrick Park to reach the finals in the Senior Amateur Baseball League against pennant-winning Gorge Hotel. Despite being outhit by a 6 to 3 margin, the Servicemen bunched much of their offense into one big inning and were able to shade Greave’s Movers 3 to 2 in the rubber match of the best-of-three series. After Greave’s went ahead 1 to 0 in the second inning, Kubicek’s staged a three-run rally in the third. With two out, Duane Pack reached base on an error, Dave Graas was intentionally walked, Dave Wallace and Randy Price also drew walks, forcing in a run, and Dale Aune smacked a single to drive in two more tallies. The Movers added a run in the fifth to end the scoring. Both pitchers of record, winning tosser Gerry Lister and losing chucker Rick Mark, went the distance.
Lister (W) and Johnson, D. Kubicek (7)
Mark (L) and Morgan
FINALS Kubicek’s Home Service vs Gorge Hotel (best-of-five series)
(August 22) Pennant-winning Gorge Hotel and Kubicek’s Home Service are even after the first two games of the Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League final series. The Servicemen won the opening game 7 to 0 and then bowed to Gorge 2 to 0 in the second encounter. Dale Aune picked up the matinée-game pitching win for Kubicek’s, swishing five batters while yielding an equal number of hits. Blair Kubicek led the winners’ 11-hit offensive thrust by banging out three safeties to drive in a brace of tallies. Teammates Randy Price and Duane Pack each contributed a pair of base knocks.
Aune (W) and Johnson
Mabee (L), Drinkwater (3) and Russ Holmes
After pitching most of the curtain-raiser in a relief role, Derek Drinkwater of the Hoteliers returned to the hillock as the starter in the late-contest and went the route, blanking the Servicemen on seven safeties while recording six punchouts and walking one. Both Gorge markers came in the fourth inning. A sacrifice fly by Russ Holmes drove in Mike Squire and, later in the frame, Bob Mabee, on base after stroking one of his three singles of the evening, crossed the pan on a one-bagger by Rick Cook.
Drinkwater (W) and Russ Holmes
Lister (L) and Johnson
(August 23) Rick Cook was a double hero at Lambrick Park when Gorge Hotel took a two-games-to-one lead over Kubicek’s Home Service in the Senior Amateur League finals. Not only did Cook pitch the Hotelmen to a 1 to 0 victory in game three with an impressive one-hit shutout, he also singled in the third inning to drive in Dennis Sproule with the game’s only run. Sproule had led off the inning with a single and been sacrificed to second base. Randy Johnson was the only batter from the vanquished nine to muster a hit off Cook, who fanned nine in the continuation of the shutout string the series has produced.
Messer (L) and D. Kubicek, Johnson (6)
Cook (W) and Russ Holmes
(August 24) Gorge Hotel, holding the upper hand in the Senior Amateur League finals, had a 9 to 5 lead over Kubicek’s Home Service at Lambrick Park when the game was suspended in the sixth inning because of darkness. The game will be resumed on August 25 with the Servicemen needing a four-run outburst to remain in the chase.
(August 25) Gorge Hotel applied a little overkill while capturing the 1976 Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League playoff crown at Lambrick Park. The Hotelmen swamped Kubicek’s Home Service 15 to 5, in the completion of game four which had been suspended with Gorge in front 9 to 5, to capture the best-of-five series 3 – 1. Russ Holmes highlighted the 14-hit offensive attack by the Hoteliers with a pair of hits, including a home run, to drive in five runs. Brian Meadmore had three safe swats to power in a brace of tallies. Bob Mabee collected the pitching victory.
Squire, Mabee (4), Drinkwater (6) and Russ Holmes
Aune (L), Graas (6), Messer (7), D. Kubicek (7) and Johnson
MID-ISLAND BASEBALL LEAGUE
Campbell River Athletics
Courtenay Kelly’s Bonos
Lake Cowichan Video
Nanaimo Harewood Sports Royals
Nanaimo Villas
Port Alberni Souther 68’ers
(July 11) Nanaimo Harewood Sports Royals clinched the Mid-Island League pennant, taking a doubleheader from the Campbell River Athletics at Robins Park.
In the afternoon contest, Bruce Willgress and Art Fransen combined to pitch the Royals to a 1 – 0 win over the last-place Athletics. It was a pitcher’s duel all the way with Campbell River’s Paul Wood holding the Royals to just three hits. The Royals’ only run came in the bottom-of-the-fifth inning when Dave Barker, pinch-running for Bill Bestwick who had doubled, crossed the plate on a hard-hit liner down the first-base line by Randy Senini. The A’s collected five hits but were unable to bunch them into scoring opportunities.
The evening tilt was awarded to the Nanaimo nine because of unsportsmanlike conduct by the Athletics.
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (best-of-three series)
(July 17-18) In an all-Nanaimo semi-final showdown, the Harewood Sports Royals bounced an error-infested Villa Hotel squad from the playoffs with twin triumphs over the weekend at Serauxman Park. Saturday, southpaw Al Hill stymied the Villas on just two hits as the Royals prevailed 8 to 2. Mike Miller was the losing chucker.
A 9 to 2 triumph by the Royals on Sunday eliminated the Hotelmen from further play. The Villas got off to a fast start when outfielder Gary Yakelashek went yard for a two-run dinger in the opening panel but that was the extent of their scoring. The Royal plated a deuce in the second spasm to knot the count and took control of the game in the third when they scored six times. Randy Senini, Bill Bestwick and Bruce Willgress each stroked a brace of bingles for the victors while Hill racked up five safeties in seven trips to the plate during the two-game series.
(July 17-18) The Port Alberni Souther 68’ers, with an injury decimated line-up, won two straight weekend playoff games to advance to the Mid-Island League finals. The 68’ers rode the four-hit pitching of Don Wiebe to a 3 to 0 victory over hosting Lake Cowichan Video Saturday evening.
The Sunday afternoon clash at the Port was a mismatch that saw the winners collect 32 hits in swamping the visiting Lakers 26 to 7. Clean-up hitter Lon Miles blasted a solo home run and four singles. Norm Meunier was equally effective with the baton, spanking the horsehide for a three-run circuit-clout, a double and two singles. Grant Forrest nailed a two-run goner for the outclassed Videomen.
FINALS (best-of-three series)
(July 24-25) The Nanaimo Harewood Sports Royals captured the 1976 Mid-Island Baseball League championship over the weekend, defeating the host Souther 68’ers 5 to 3 in Port Alberni on Saturday and following that up with an 8 to 1 romp on their home turf at Serauxman Park on Sunday.
The Saturday fracas was an evenly-matched affair. The Royals fell behind 3 to 1 early in the game after Lon Miles of the 68’ers slugged a two-run dinger in the third panel. The Coal City crew scored a deuce in the fourth to knot the count. Jim Luck plated what turned out to be the winning tally in the sixth stanza for Nanaimo after nailing a two-bagger. Luck then drove in an insurance marker in the seventh with an RBI-double.
The Royals jumped all over Miles and reliever Norm Meunier in the series’ finale on Sunday and led from start to finish.