With the addition of a sixth team in the SMBL for the 1979 season, the Kindersley Royals having been admitted, playoff pairings for semi-final rounds will no longer be based upon geographic proximity as was the case in the five-team circuit.
1979 SMBL Game Reports
(May 23 ) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners started their 1979 season with a bang when they travelled to Moose Jaw and hung a 10 to 4 defeat on the homestanding Devons. Winning tosser Dwayne Andreen, with relief help from Roy Kemp, held the Devons in check by limiting them to six hits. Two of those base raps were long-distance with Dave Kennedy connecting for a three-run dinger and veteran Ned Andreoni a bases-empty circuit-clout. Dan Andrie was the losing pitcher, giving up ten hits.
Andreen (W), Kemp (6) and Bacala
Andrie (L) and Devine
(May 27) The Regina Red Sox opened their SMBL season with a 14 to 11 win over the Saskatoon Patrick Liners in Saskatoon. The slugfest fostered 34 base hits, 18 by the Red Stockings and 16 by the Liners. In the high-scoring affair, Jerry Zrymiak, Bill Bell and Doug Simon blasted home runs for the Queen City visitors. Ken Wiebe, Jim Elliot and Roy Kemp retaliated with four-baggers for the losers. Pat McGehee, in relief of starter Randy Sawa, was the winning pitcher while Todd Kesterson took the loss. Zrymiak and Jim Paisley both had three hits for the Reginans while Wiebe and rookie Jerry Kot each garnered three safeties for the losers.
Sawa, McGehee (W) (5) and xxx
Kesterson (L), Kemp (3), Goodman (7), Elliot (8) and xxx
(May 27) Playing in Unity, the newest SMBL member club, the Kindersley Royals, were defeated 11 to 4 in their first-ever league game by the Unity Cardinals. Dennis Rogers picked up the pitching win while Gord Cannon suffered the loss. Brian Flasch had three singles and a triple for Unity while Bob Brown added two singles and a double. Ross Weseen kicked in with a pair of doubles. Doug Mitchell and Cary Miller each had a double and single for Kindersley.
Brenna, Cannon (L) (3), McGrath (7) and O’Sullivan, Sutherland (7)
Rogers (W), Stang (6) and xxx
(May 29) The Moose Jaw Devons posted a 13 to 2 win over the Regina Red Sox in their first home game of the SMBL season. Winning pitcher Dan Andrie toiled on the hill for the entire nine frames, giving up four hits while striking out an equal number of Regina batters. The Red Sox used three hurlers, with each tossing three innings. Ned Andreoni’s double in the third inning drove in a pair of Moose Jaw counters while Brad Hennenfent’s two-bagger in the next frame brought in another two.
Bourassa (L), Lynd (4), Deighton (7) and Logan
Andrie (W) and Devine
(May 30) Bill Bell whacked three singles in three trips to the plate and drove in three runs as the Regina Red Sox bludgeoned the Moose Jaw Devons 12 to 1 at a frigid Currie Field in their home opener. Pat McGehee tossed the first five innings for the Sox to garner the mound triumph. His deceptive move to first base also allowed him to pick off three Moose Jaw base runners. Leadoff hitter Jim Baba of the Devons greeted McGehee rudely by opening the game with a first-pitch home run over the left field fence. Loser Rod Heisler and reliever Phil Flanagan were ineffective in the less-than-warm weather conditions, constantly getting behind in the count and occasionally unloading wild pitches.The big inning for Regina was the sixth when they poured across four runs on three hits, a couple of walks and a pair of Moose Jaw errors.
Heisler (L), Flanagan and Devine
McGehee (W), Sawa (6) and Logan
(May 30) The Eston Ramblers got their first taste of 1979 SMBL action when they travelled to Kindersley and dropped a 10 to 6 decision to the fledgling Royals. Kindersley got to youthful Dave Brown early and drove him to the showers in the third. The Wanderers were unable to come up with the big hit when needed and stranded 18 base runners. Gord Cannon had three hits for the Majestics including a two-run triple. Rod McIvor, Rick Morrice and Randy Arthur each had two hits for Eston.
Brown (L), Sproesser (3) and Morrice
Miller (W), Adams (8) and O’Sullivan, Sutherland (8)
(June 2) Ross Lynd hurled a five-hitter and Ross Mahoney poked two doubles as the Regina Red Sox whipped the Kindersley Royals 6 to 1 in SMBL play in Kindersley. Catcher Andy Logan of the Sox added a pair of hits off the slants of losing flinger Grant McGrath.
Lynd (W) and Logan
McGrath (L), xxx and xxx
(June 2) The Moose Jaw Devons made a visit to Unity and came away with an 8 to 2 SMBL triumph over the Cardinals. The Devons had only 5 hits but took advantage of six errors by the Redbirds to score four runs in the first inning, two in the seventh and two more in the ninth. Pete Maus went all the way, whiffing 12, to record the hill victory while Egbert Stang suffered the defeat. Maus singled twice for the winners while leading the eight-hit Cardinal attack were Brad Dekraai with three singles and Dennis Rogers with a double and single.
Maus (W) and Devine
Stang (L), Zimmerman (8) and Wilburn
(June 3) The Kindersley Royals were blasted 10 to 2 by the Moose Jaw Devons in eleven innings in the first game of an SMBL doubleheader in Royal town but responded by picking up their first league win in the second encounter, dropping the Friendly City visitors 6 to 1. The Devons erupted for eight runs in the second extra-frame of the matinee encounter to break open a 2 – 2 deadlock. Overall, the Moose Jaw batsmen blasted a total of 17 hits with Ned Andreoni leading the way with four of them. Brian Chalmers produced three hits and three RBI’s while Pete Maus had two hits for the winners including a home run. Phil Flanagan, with 12 strikeouts, earned the mound victory over Cary Miller of the Royals.
Flanagan (W) and xxx
Miller (L), xxx (11) and xxx
Kindersley’s Ron Leach tossed a two-hitter, surrendering base raps to only Pete Maus and Rod Heisler, in outdueling Moose Jaw’s Dan Andrie in the late game. The Royals stroked eight safeties in securing the win.
Andrie (L) and xxx
Leach (W) and xxx
(June 6) In an abbreviated contest in which the Eston Ramblers led the Unity Cardinals 4 to 1, both members of the Unity battery were ejected from the game for disputing an umpire call, leaving the Redbirds without a sufficient number of players. It will go into the books as a 9 to 0 score. Steve Sproesser picked up the win, allowing the lone run on a bases-empty homer by Ron Zimmerman in the second inning. Dennis Rogers took the loss for Unity. Murray Holmes had two singles for the Ramblers.
Rogers (L) and xxx
Sproesser (W) and xxx
(June 9) The Moose Jaw Devons edged the Eston Ramblers 2 to 1 at Ross Wells Park. Left-hander Rod Heisler struck out 13 Eston batters in earning the win. Losing pitcher Steve Sproesser went the distance for the Ramblers accumulating six strikeouts. Both teams managed only three hits. Catcher Rick Morrice of the Nomads led all hitters with a pair of doubles.
Sproesser (L) and Morrice
Heisler (W) and Devine
(June 10) A total of 14 home runs were belted during a double-bill at Currie Field in which the participants divided the spoils. The visiting Eston Ramblers picked up their first 1979 win as they edged past the Regina Red Sox 6 to 5 in the matinee encounter. The Crimson Hose came back to dump the Wanderers 12 to 8 in the finale. In the first match, the Ramblers took a 6 to 0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning, then watched in dismay as the Red Sox rallied with a two-run homer homer by Jim Paisley and a three-run blast by Rich Gergley. The Queen City crew had an opportunity to tie the game in the seventh but stranded runners at first and third. As well, they came away empty-handed in both the fourth and fifth innings after loading the sacks both times. Ross Lynd pitched the first five innings for the Sox and came away with the loss. He was lit up for a pair of circuit-jacks off the bat of Scott Van Ostenbridge as well as dingers by Rod McIvor and Rick Morrice. Don Sasser got the pitching win even though he had difficulty locating his pitches and wound up walking nine Reginans.
Sasser (W) and Morrice
Lynd (L), Bourassa (6) and Logan
Another slugfest ensued in the late event in which the Red Sox out hit the Nomads 12 to 10. Both winning twirler Randy Sawa and the pitching duo for Eston, loser Scott Van Ostenbridge and reliever Neil McMillan, were far from being in mid-season form. Each team was the recipient of five free passes. The baseballs were flying out of Currie Field with regularity as Don Sasser with a pair, Greg Balas, Rob McCorkle and Randy Arthur all lambasted round-trippers for the Ramblers. Andy Logan cranked out two for the Scarlet Stockings while Ross Mahoney launched one.
Van Ostenbridge (L), McMillan (2) and McCorkle
Sawa (W) and Logan
(June 10) The visiting Unity Cardinals and Moose Jaw Devons halved a twin-bill played in the Mill City. The Cards prevailed 4 to 3 in the lid-lifter while the homesters rebounded for an 8 to 1 triumph in the late game. The Redbirds struck for four runs in the third frame of the opener, a total which was sufficient to ensure their victory. The homesters out hit their Unity guests 9 to 6. Both winner Ron Zimmerman and losing twirler Phil Flanagan each fanned five opposing batters. Jim Baba of the Devons was the only player to accumulate more than one hit. He manufactured a double and single in a losing cause.
Zimmerman (W) and Wilder
Flanagan (L) and Devine
It didn’t take the Devons long to turn the tide in the second game of the doubleheader. The four runs they scored in the opening frame proved to be enough to earn them the split. Winning tosser Pete Moss limited the Cards to three base hits and fanned five. Chris Pascal went the route for the U-Birds, surrendering seven base blows while whiffing four. Jim Baba’s two-run double was the big offensive blow of the game.
Pascal (L) and Wilder
Maus (W) and Devine
(June 10) Playing in Kindersley, the league’s newest entry, the Royals, crept past the Saskatoon Patrick Liners 2 to 1. Import pitcher Greg Bargar of the Liners made an auspicious SMBL pitching debut but did not get the offensive support he needed. Bargar limited Kindersley to three hits and recorded 14 strikeouts. In fact, he held the Royals scoreless until a two-run outburst swayed the decision in Kindersley’s favour. Cleveland Indians’ draftee, Ron Leach of the Majestics, scattered eight hits and registered 13 strikeouts in recording the win. Saskatoon scored their only run in the opening inning after Ken Wiebe doubled and was driven home on John Swanson’s two-bagger. In the fateful ninth, Kindersley’s Cary Miller reached base on an error and scored the tying run on a triple by John Westmoreland. The Royals’ Doug Mitchell then plated Westmoreland with a single. Swanson had a single to go along with his double in leading the Saskatonians at the dish.
Bargar (L) and xxx
Leach (W) and xxx
SMBL standings as of the end of June 10
W L T Pts.
Moose Jaw Devons 5 4 0 10
Regina Red Sox 4 2 0 8
Kindersley Royals 3 3 0 6
Unity Cardinals 2 2 0 4
Saskatoon Patrick Liners 1 2 0 2
Eston Ramblers 1 3 0 2
(June 11) Behind the reliable pitching of left-hander Pat McGehee, the Regina Red Sox drubbed the visiting Saskatoon Patrick Liners 9 to 1. McGehee’s solid hill performance, backed by steady fielding and aggressive baserunning, more than made up for an attack that was able to produce only five hits. Regina put the game away in the sixth inning, sending ten batters to the plate while scoring five times. Losing chucker Todd Kesterson’s penchant for issuing bases on balls had him in constant peril and indirectly led to his getting the hook in the fateful sixth. Andy Logan’s two-run single, which was preceded by a pair of walks, was the final straw for playing-manager John Swanson who took his place on the mound. McGehee improved his record to 2 – 0, scattering seven hits while fanning three. Catcher Scott Woronuik and outfielder Daryl Briggs were the only Saskatoon players to register more than one hit. Each had a double and a single.
Kesterson (L), Swanson (6) and Woronuik
McGehee (W) and Logan, Bell (7)
(June 12) Todd Van Ostenbridge scattered four hits and struck out seven in pitching the Eston Ramblers to a 4 to 2 win over the visiting Kindersley Royals. Cary Miller was the complete-game loser, fanning five while surrendering six base knocks. Don Sasser had a double and two singles for the Ramblers while John “Sandy” Sutherland singled twice for the Bluebloods.
Miller (L) and Westmoreland
Van Ostenbridge (W) and Morrice
(June 13) After building up an early 6 to 0 lead, the Regina Red Sox stumbled and allowed the Saskatoon Patrick Liners to roar back and take a 19 to 9 SMBL blowout decision. Daryl Briggs had an outstanding night at the plate for Saskatoon, cracking four hits in as many trips to the plate. The big blow was a grand-slam home run which accounted for four of Briggs’ seven RBI’s. Scott Woronuik added a three-run shot for the Bridge City Brigade while the Red Stockings’ Doug Simon blasted a tater in a losing cause. Greg Bargar and John Swanson of the Saskatonians and Regina’s Ross Mahoney all picked up three hits. Bargar got credit for the hill triumph in a relief role. Queen City starter Ovie Bourassa was saddled with the loss.
Bourassa (L), Albers (5), Deighton (8) and Bell
Yonkman, Bargar (W) (2) and Woronuik
(June 13) The Kindersley Royals nipped the Unity Cardinals 6 to 5 in an exciting 11-inning game played in Unity. The Cards were the victim of an excellent job of relief pitching turned in by Kindersley’s Ron Leach who hurled the final 5 1/3 innings for the Royals while whiffing eleven. Brad Dekraai yielded nine hits and fanned seven in taking the loss. Bill O’Sullivan’s two-out, run-producing single settled the issue in the second extra frame. John Westmoreland of the Bluebloods clouted a two-run round-tripper in addition to two singles. The Redbirds’ big man with the stick was Earl Wilder who ripped a pair of doubles and a single.
McGrath, Leach (W) (6) and xxx
Dekraai (L) and xxx
SMBL batting statistics as of June 13 (does not include Kindersley home games)
AB R H Aver.
Don Sasser (Eston Ramblers) 12 4 8 .667
Daryl Briggs (Saskatoon Patrick Liners) 14 7 8 .571
Ron Zimmerman (Unity Cardinals) 11 2 5 .454
Brian Flasch (Unity Cardinals) 15 3 6 .400
Ken Wiebe (Saskatoon Patrick Liners) 10 3 4 .400
Bill Bell (Regina Red Sox) 28 10 11 .392
Rich Gergley (Regina Red Sox) 24 4 9 .375
Cal Thompson (Saskatoon Patrick Liners) 19 5 7 .368
Bob Silzer (Saskatoon Patrick Liners) 11 2 4 .363
Ross Mahoney (Regina Red Sox) 20 7 7 .350
Runs – Bell (Regina) 10, Doug Simon (Regina Red Sox) 8
Hits – Bell (Regina) 11, Jim Paisley (Regina Red Sox) 10
Doubles – Briggs (Saskatoon) 5, Brad Hennenfent (Moose Jaw Devons) 4, Mahoney (Regina) 4
Triples – six players tied with one
Home Runs – Simon (Regina), Andy Logan (Regina Red Sox) – tied with 2
Sacrifices – Briggs (Saskatoon) 2
Stolen Bases – Thompson (Saskatoon) 5, Doug Senyk (Regina Red Sox) 3
Bases on Balls – Simon (Regina) 12, Mahoney (Regina) 9
Strikeouts – Mahoney (Regina) 8, Jerry Zrymiak (Regina Red Sox) 7, Gergley (Regina) 7
Hit by Pitch – Bob Forschner (Regina Red Sox) 3, Jim Baba (Moose Jaw Devons) 2
Runs Batted In – Logan (Regina) 11, Briggs (Saskatoon) 9
(June 15) Rich Gergley’s single in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning broke a 6 – 6 tie and allowed the Regina Red Sox to escape with a narrow 7 to 6 win over the Moose Jaw Devons at Currie Field. The Devons had just made a dramatic comeback, plating three runs in the top of the frame to knot things up. Moose Jaw playing-manager Jim Baba had been the catalyst during that rally, drilling a two-run homer for the second and third tallies of the inning. It was Baba’s fourth hit in five tries and was the final of five circuit-clouts powered out of the park. Moose Jaw’s Brad Hennenfent had a first inning two-run shot. For Regina, Doug Simon hit a solo shot in the first and a two-run dinger in the seventh while Ross Mahoney whacked another two-run blast in the first. Simon and catcher Andy Logan will now be off to join Canada’s national team at the Pan-Am Games.
Andrie (L) and Devine, Maus (9)
Sawa, Lynd (W) (9) and Bell
(June 19) Scott Van Ostenbridge and Randy Arthur both hit home runs to pace the Eston Ramblers to a 14 to 2 thumping of the neophyte Kindersley Royals. Eston managed only seven hits in the 14-run surge but took advantage of seven Kindersley errors. Steve Sproesser scattered seven hits and fanned 17 in picking up the win. Starter Gord Cannon of the Aristocrats took the loss. Rob McCorkle had a double and two singles for Eston while Rick Morrice and Don McDonald both had a double and single. John Westmoreland drilled a homer for the Royals.
Cannon (L), Adams (6) and Sutherland
Sproesser (W) and Morrice
(June 19) Ross Weseen hit a two-run, eighth-inning double that capped a three-run rally, giving the Unity Cardinals a 5 to 3 victory over the visiting Saskatoon Patrick Liners. The Liners led the game 3 to 0 before Unity began their comeback with two runs in the fifth inning. Dennis Rogers allowed seven Saskatoon hits in earning the win and did not allow a run during the final six innings of the game. The Redbirds also had seven hits. John Swanson, who came on in relief in the fifth frame, took the loss.
xxx, Swanson (L) (5) and Woronuik
Rogers (W) and Wilder
SMBL standings as of end of June 19
W L T Pts.
Regina Red Sox 6 3 0 12
Moose Jaw Devons 5 5 0 10
Eston Ramblers 4 3 0 8
Kindersley Royals 4 5 0 8
Unity Cardinals 3 4 0 6
Saskatoon Patrick Liners 2 4 0 4
(June 23) The Regina Red Sox dropped a 6 to 4 decision to the Kindersley Royals in the first game of their three-game weekend road trip. The first-year Royals pounded out 14 base hits in chalking up the win. John McGrath of the Bluebloods threw an eight-hitter to beat the Capital City crew. Ross Lynd was the loser. Doug Longtin led the Majestics with the stick, drilling three singles which produced five RBI’s. Doug Senyk had a triple for the Red Sox.
Lynd (L) and Bell
McGrath (W) and Westmoreland
(June 23) The Eston Ramblers played tough defensively on their home turf in knocking off the Unity Cardinals 7 to 1. Scott Van Ostenbridge went the distance on a four-hitter to go along with nine strikeouts. Six errors made it difficult for the Cards to keep pace with the league-leaders. The Ramblers had six base hits with one of the blows being a four-bagger by Don “Sassy” Sasser. Unity catcher Earl Wilder had three singles.
Van Ostenbridge (W) and Morrice
Stang (L), Dekraai (7) and Wilder
(June 24) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners captured the opener of a split-opponent SMBL double-dip by taking down the visiting Kindersley Royals 5 to 3. Import chucker Greg Bargar of the Liners had a strong hill presence and was working on a no-hitter until the ninth inning when he tired and surrendered two hits and three runs. Jim Elliot came to his rescue from the bullpen and promptly retired the three batters he faced. Bargar wound up with 13 strikeouts and four walks while losing tosser Cary Miller gave up eight hits, fanned seven and walked five. Gary Hollman had a solo homer for the winners. Catcher Scott Woronuik added a crucial bases-loaded single which produced two Saskatoon runs. Fellow backstop, John Westmoreland of the Royals, laced a two-run triple.
Miller (L) and Westmoreland
Bargar (W), Elliot (9) and Woronuik
(June 24) Playing a split-venue twin-bill, the Moose Jaw Devons first travelled to Unity and grabbed an afternoon 8 to 4 win over the Cardinals. In the evening, the Mill City gang ventured into Saskatoon’s Cairns Field where they were handed a 5 to 2 loss by the hosting Patrick Liners. Phil Flanagan recorded the first game victory while Dennis Rogers took the loss. The Devons piled up 12 base hits in backing Flanagan. Pete Maus led the hit parade with three while Ned Andreoni, Brad Devine and Jim Baba had two each. Unity managed to produce six hits . Brad Dekraai and Gary Mitchell had two raps apiece.
Flanagan (W) and Devine
Zimmerman, Rogers (L) (1) and Wilder
A comedy of errors by Moose Jaw gave the Liners all the help they needed in the nightcap event. Six fielding miscues allowed the homesters to grab an early 5 to 0 lead. Loser Pete Maus didn’t allow a run after the third frame but the damage had already been inflicted. John Swanson tossed a neat four-hitter to pick up his first SMBL pitching win. He whiffed 12 and issued six free passes. Moose Jaw scoring resulted from a two-run dinger by Ned Andreoni. The veteran Devon infielder also laced a double. Cal Thompson paced the Bridge City Brigade at the plate with a pair of hits.
Maus (L) and Devine
Swanson (W) and Woronuik
(June 24) The Regina Red Sox lost their second and third games of the weekend as the Eston Ramblers took them to the cleaners twice, by scores of 1 to 0 and 6 to 2. Rambler chucker Steve Sproesser fanned six Regina batters and checked the Red Sox on one hit in the opener, that being a leadoff single by Bill Bell to start the game. Losing twirler Randy Sawa of the Crimson Hose allowed seven hits and struck out five.
Sawa (L) and Bell
Sproesser (W) and Morrice
Neil McMillan threw a six-hitter and recorded an equal number of strikeouts against the Reginans in the second match. The Ramblers scored four times in the third which provided their winning margin. Reg Andrew had three singles for the victors while Don Sasser picked up a pair. Bill Bell and Doug Senyk both had two one-baggers for Regina. Rich Gergley of the Sox homered in a losing cause.
Albers (L), Dechaine (6) and Bell
McMillan (W) and Morrice
(June 26) The Unity Cardinals and Saskatoon Patrick Liners battled to a 3 – 3 draw in a nine-inning SMBL encounter in Unity that had to be called because of darkness. Chris Pascal pitched the entire game for the Cards, surrendering eight hits and striking out six. He also picked up a brace of safeties to lead the Redbirds offensively. The homesters managed to garner six base blows. Gary Hollman and Scott Woronuik both had a pair of hits for the Liners.
xxx and Woronuik
Pascal and xxx
(June 27) The visiting Eston Ramblers unloaded a 17-hit attack and whipped the Kindersley Royals 14 to 3 in SMBL action. Don Sasser yielded five hits and whiffed nine in picking up the mound win while Kindersley starter Parker Blaney suffered the loss. Rambler catcher Rob McCorkle broke out of a hitting slump with a bang as he went four for five at the plate. Randy Arthur collected three singles. Rick Morrice continued his hitting ways with a double and single. Sasser drilled a triple and single while Rod McIvor stroked a double and single. Cary Miller had three hits for the Royals. Doug Mitchell’s bases-loaded triple in the fifth drove in all three Kindersley counters.
Sasser (W) and McCorkle
Blaney (L), Cannon (7) and Westmoreland
(June 27) The Regina Red Sox lost their fourth consecutive SMBL game, a 13 to 6 pasting by the visiting Saskatoon Patrick Liners. Still trying to survive without Doug Simon and Andy Logan in their lineup, the Reginans played poorly, booting the ball eight times and committing almost as many mental errors. Saskatoon pummelled loser Russ Dechaine and reliever Lorne Deighton for 12 hits, including home runs by Colin Blyth, Daryl Briggs and John Swanson while the Sox managed seven hits off the slants of three Patrick’s hurlers. Swanson was the big man at the plate for the Liners with a double and a pair of singles in addition to his tater. Blythe added a double and single with his dinger while Briggs had a single to accompany his circuit clout. Clark Bacala also chipped in with a double and a brace of one-baggers. Regina’s Bill Bell had a leadoff four-bagger off winning chucker Roy Kemp in the first while Jim Paisley swatted a two-run shot off Len Yonkman in the seventh.
Kemp (W), Yonkman (6), Bargar (7) and Woronuik
Dechaine (L), Deighton (7) and Bell
(June 28) The Unity Cardinals stood firm on their home turf and dumped the Kindersley Royals 10 to 5 in SMBL play. Dennis Rogers got the hurling win, allowing four hits in the seven innings that he toiled. Grant McGrath took the loss, surrendering ten hits to the Cards. Brad Dekraai had a triple and single for the winners. Teammate Chris Pascal added a double and single while Gary Mitchell singled twice. Ron Zimmerman, who came to the rescue of Unity’s second twirler, Ross Weseen, in the eighth, fanned five of the last six Saskatoon batters.
McGrath (L) and Westmoreland
Rogers (W), Weseen (8), Zimmerman (8) and Wilder, Volk (6)
(June 29) The drought just keeps getting longer for the Regina Red Sox. Playing at Ross Wells Park in Moose Jaw, the punchless Reginans lost for the fifth straight outing, going down 6 to 1 to the hometown Devons. Pete Maus slugged a grand-slam home run in the third inning to give the Devons and pitcher Dan Andrie the win. Andrie and reliever Phil Flanagan held the Red Sox swatters to just four hits while the Devons collected eight with Andrie garnering two singles of that total.
Lynd (L) and Bell
Andrie (W), Flanagan (6) and Devine
SMBL standings as of end of June 29
W L T Pts.
Eston Ramblers 8 3 0 16
Moose Jaw Devons 7 6 0 14
Regina Red Sox 6 8 0 12
Saskatoon Patrick Liners 5 4 1 11
Kindersley Royals 5 8 0 10
Unity Cardinals 4 6 1 8
(July 4) In a closely contested doubleheader played at Cairns Field, the Saskatoon Patrick Liners and Eston Ramblers came out with a split, Saskatoon copping the opener 6 to 4 but dropping the second encounter 2 to 1 in a classic mound duel. The Liners trailed 3 to 1 in the matinee game until the sixth when they went through the batting order and erupted for four runs. Their recipe for success included three bases hits, including a double by Gary Hollman, two Eston errors and a walk issued by losing hurler Steve Sproesser. The Nomads came back to narrow the deficit to 5 – 4 with a single counter in the eighth but the Cairns Field tenants picked up an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning as Roy Kemp stroked an RBI double. John Swanson, with late-inning relief help from Greg Bargar, was the winning chucker. Kemp led all swatters with two doubles and a single. Dwayne Andreen and Hollman each had a two-bagger and single. Scott Woronuik added a brace of singles. Rick Morrice, Randy Arthur and Sproesser all managed two hits for the Wanderers.
Sproesser (L), Van Ostenbridge (8) and Morrice
Swanson (W), Bargar (8) and Woronuik
Scott Van Ostenbridge handcuffed the Hub City nine in the late game as he fired a five-hitter. After a shaky start, the Patrick’s Len Yonkman delivered a solid hill performance and also wound up yielding five safeties. With the Ramblers maintaining their 2 to 0 margin, John Swanson gave the Saskatonians a late flurry of hope when he unloaded a solo homer off Van Ostenbridge in the seventh but the Eston right-hander went unscathed for the balance of the match.
Van Ostenbridge (W) and xxx
Yonkman (L) and xxx
(July 6) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners shell-shocked the visiting Unity Cardinals with seven first-inning runs as they went on to bury the Redbirds 16 to 1. Greg Bargar tossed a five-hitter for the homesters and recorded 15 strikeouts while watching his mates dismantle three U-Bird twirlers for 18 base blows. Roy Kemp led the onslaught, slugging a double and two singles while knocking in four runs. Those with two hits were Cal Thompson, Gary Hollman, Scott Woronuik, Dwayne Andreen and Jerry Kot. Unity’s Chris Pascal ruined Bargar’s shutout bid with a ninth-inning, bases-empty round-tripper.
Rogers (L), Weseen (3), Schwartz (6) and xxx
Bargar (W) and xxx
(July 7) The Regina Red Sox thrashed the Kindersley Royals 8 to 2 at Currie Field. Winning tosser Randy Sawa allowed six hits, one of which was a mammoth four-bagger by the Royals’ John Westmoreland over the right field fence. The Red Stockings had ten base knocks off losing chucker Blaney Parker. Ross Mahoney used the lumber to lace a pair of singles and a double for the Sox while Bob Forshner picked up three singles.
Blaney (L) and Westmoreland
Sawa (W) and Bell
(July 8) The Eston Ramblers confirmed their top-spot superiority in the SMBL with a doubleheader sweep of the Saskatoon Patrick Liners. Playing in Eston, the Ramblers had narrow 6 to 5 and 4 to 3 victories. Don Sasser outlasted the Patrick’s John Swanson for the opening game victory.
Swanson (L) and xxx
Sasser (W) and xxx
Eston’s Scott Van Ostenbridge won the mound joust in the follow-up tilt, besting Roy Kemp of the Liners.
Kemp (L) and xxx
Van Ostenbridge (W) and xxx
(July 8) The Unity Cardinals dropped into Regina’s Currie Field and promptly snuck away with a two-game twin-killing, blanking their hosts 2 to 0 in the opener and taking the second game 4 to 2. Ron Zimmerman of the Cardinals ran his SMBL pitching record to 4 – 0 with the matinee shutout. He fanned eight, walked two and gave up five hits over the course of the game. Bill Bell of the Scarlet Hose was the only batter to trouble Zimmerman with a triple and double. Loser Len Albers also was touched for five safeties but the big difference was that two of those blows were bases-empty four-baggers with Zimmerman connecting in the first frame and Brad Dekraai in the fifth.
Zimmerman (W) and Wilder
Albers (L) and Bell
Inflicting the seventh loss in the last eight outings upon the Reginans, pitcher Bert Stang went the route on the hill for the Redbirds and limited the Sox to five base knocks in the late encounter.The decisive blow in this game was a two-run round-tripper by Stang’s battery mate, Earl Wilder off loser Russ Dechaine, who wound up tossing a seven-hitter.
Stang (W) and Wilder
Dechaine (L) and Bell
(July 8) It was a four-point afternoon for the Moose Jaw Devons as they picked up two wins over the Kindersley Royals at Ross Wells Park. Behind the steady chucking of Pete Maus, the Devons prevailed 5 to 3 in the opening contest. A potent offense carried them to a 12 to 3 blowout triumph in the late encounter. Maus fanned 11 Kindersley batters, several in critical situations, and effectively scattered six hits as his mates lit up loser Cary Miller for eight base blows. Leading the Moose Jaw offensive charge were Brad Hennenfent with a first-inning home run and a single as well as Ned Andreoni and Don Anderson who both singled twice. Ron Leach blasted a leadoff homer off Maus in the opening frame while Kindersley catcher John Westmoreland also went deep, with a third inning bases-empty shot.
Miller (L) and Westmoreland
Maus (W) and Devine
The Mill City Mashers whacked 16 base hits off three Royals’ twirlers in the nightcap, making things easy for winning chucker Phil Flanagan who held the Bluebloods to five hits while fanning seven. Jim Baba had an outstanding game at the platter for the winners, hitting for the cycle. Pete Maus connected for a brace of doubles and a single while Bob Freeman and Ned Andreoni both singled twice. John Sutherland and John Westmoreland both had a pair of one-baggers for the losers.
McGrath (L), Adams (4), Cannon (6) and Westmoreland
Flanagan (W) and Devine, Dzurka (7)
(July 11) Len Yonkman earned his first SMBL mound victory when the Saskatoon Patrick Liners whipped the Regina Red Sox 7 to 2 at Cairns Field. Yonkman scattered six hits for the win and struck out four batters. Offensively, the hero of the game was outfielder Daryl Briggs who drove in four runs with a home run, single and sacrifice fly. The circuit-clout was a two-run shot in the third inning which sent the Liners into a 3 to 0 lead. Briggs’ RBI single in the fourth followed John Swanson’s two-run double and stretched the lead to 6 – 0, effectively sealing the deal for the Patrick Patrol. Losing flinger Russ Dechaine went the distance and allowed eight Saskatoon hits.
Dechaine (L) and Bell
Yonkman (W) and Woronuik
(July 11) The homestanding Kindersley Royals clobbered the Unity Cardinals 12 to 4 in SMBL play. The Royals outclubbed the visitors 13 to 7. John Westmoreland smoked a two-run triple for the winners. Brian Flasch, Chris Pascal and Dennis Rogers had two hits each for the Cards.
Schwartz (L), Weseen (6) and Zimmerman
Cannon (W), Adams (7) and Westmoreland
SMBL statistics printed in the July 12 edition of the Regina Leader-Post
Batting
AB R H Aver.
Don Sasser (Eston Ramblers) 37 12 17 .459
Ron Zimmerman (Unity Cardinals) 28 4 11 .393
Pete Maus (Moose Jaw Devons) 45 12 17 .378
Ned Andreoni (Moose Jaw Devons) 59 15 22 .373
Rob McCorkle (Eston Ramblers) 41 8 14 .341
Jim Baba (Moose Jaw Devons) 56 18 19 .339
Ross Mahoney (Regina Red Sox) 42 12 14 .333
Randy Arthur (Eston Ramblers) 36 17 12 .333
Andy Logan (Regina Red Sox) 27 7 9 .333
John Sutherland (Kindersley Royals) 28 2 9 .321
Runs – Baba 18, Scott Van Ostenbridge (Eston Ramblers) 15, Andreoni 15
Home Runs – Doug Simon (Regina Red Sox) 4, four others tied with 3
RBI’s – Andreoni 19, Sasser 14, five others tied with 11
Pitching
ERA – Pete Maus (Moose Jaw Devons) 1.41, Steve Sproesser (Eston Ramblers) 1.76, Greg Bargar (Saskatoon Patrick Liners) 1.95
Strikeouts – Phil Flanagan (Moose Jaw Devons) 48, Bargar 43, Cary Miller (Kindersley Royals) 40
(July 12) John Swanson must be shaking his head following the Saskatoon Patrick Liners 1 to 0 SMBL defeat at the hands of the hometown Moose Jaw Devons. Swanson, one of the Patrick’s talented import pitchers, had a no-hitter after nine innings but his mates couldn’t give him the crucial one run he needed. In the tenth, the bubble burst for Swanson as he gave up a single to Pete Maus who then stole second and was sacrificed to third by Brad Devine. Ironically, Swanson’s outstanding mound performance was washed away when he threw a wild pitch which allowed Maus to score the game’s only run. Winning twirler Phil Flanagan did a great job in effectively spacing nine Saskatoon hits and recording seven strikeouts. Scott Woronuik, Clark Bacala and Bob Silzer each had two hits for the visitors who stranded 13 runners on the base paths.
Swanson (L) and Woronuik
Flanagan (W) and Devine
(July 12) The league-leading Eston Ramblers outscored the Unity Cardinals 11 to 8 in an SMBL game played in Unity. Both teams swung the bats well with the Nomads holding a 12 to 10 advantage in base hits. Glen Miller had a two-run homer for Unity in a losing cause.
Arthur, Sasser (W) (7) and Morrice
Weseen, Rogers (3), Pascal (L) (8) and Wilder
(July 17) The Unity Cardinals were dropped 6 to 1 by the league-leading Eston Ramblers.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(July 17) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners recorded their second road victory of the SMBL season with an 8 to 5 triumph over the Moose Jaw Devons, the team the Liners must overhaul in their bid for second spot. The Saskatonians chased Moose Jaw starter and loser Phil Flanagan from the mound in the third inning after having scored four runs in the first frame and three in the third. After that, Devons’ ace southpaw, Rod Heisler, yielded only one run but by then, the damage had been done. Winning pitcher Greg Bargar struck out seven while effectively spacing eight hits. While Bargar was effective on the mound, he also added a double and two singles at the plate. Teammate Roy Kemp went three-for-five and John Swanson also provided offensive punch for his twirler with a solo homer plus a pair of singles. Moose Jaw’s output at the dish centered around the long ball. Ned Andreoni unloaded a three-run shot in the fifth inning and Dan Andrie added a bases-empty blast in the sixth. Jim Baba and Pete Maus both added a brace of base knocks for the losing side.
Bargar (W) and Woronuik
Flanagan (L), Heisler (3) and Devine
(July 18) What started out as a pitchers’ duel between Moose Jaw’s Pete Maus and Regina’s Randy Sawa turned in to a slam-bang slugfest, the kind of offensive deluge the Devons and Red Sox usually indulge in at Currie Field. The Red Stockings finally prevailed 9 to 8 through absolutely no effort of their own as the winning run was a gift. The teams were deadlocked 8 – 8 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. Dan Andrie, who had replaced Maus on the mound for the Devons an inning earlier, walked Rich Gergley. In the process of retiring the next two Moose Jaw batters, Andrie unloaded three wild pitches which brought Gergley all the way around to score the winning and final run of the game. The lead had changed hands three times once the hitters took control of the game in the middle innings. The Devons held a 15 to 11 advantage in base hits once the issue was settled. With veterans Doug Simon and Andy Logan back on the scene after playing for Canada’s national team in the Pan-Am Games in Puerto Rico, the Sox seemed more focused in their approach and snapped out of their dry spell. As for individual batting stars, the Devons’ Maus shone the brightest with three hits including two home runs. Moose Jaw’s Jim Baba also accumulated a trio of base raps with one of those being a four-bagger. Bob Forshner drilled three singles for the Capital City gang and Doug Senyk launched a three-run dinger.
Maus, Andrie (L) (6) and Devine
Sawa, Albers (W) (7) and Logan
(July 18) With several of the younger members on the roster in the line-up, the Saskatoon Patrick Liners responded well and downed the Unity Cardinals 7 to 2 to move ahead of the Moose Jaw Devons in the fight for second spot in the SMBL. The teams were locked in a 2 – 2 deadlock until the eighth inning when Saskatoon erupted for five runs off losing pitcher Chris Pascal. Included in the hitting barrage was a two-run single by Gary Hollman. The Patrick middle infielder assumed the DH role for this tussle and finished the night with a double and two singles for three RBI’s. While winning pitcher Len Yonkman might not have contributed at the plate, he continued to show improvement on the slab as he fired a seven-hitter for his second-consecutive complete-game victory. John Swanson impressed with the bat for the Liners with a three-hit performance while Ken Wiebe chipped in with a double and single. For the Cardinals, Dennis Rogers had a pair of hits.
Pascal (L) and xxx
Yonkman (W) and xxx
(July 20) In this season as well as past campaigns, the Regina Red Sox have been known for their powerful offense in the SMBL. They lived up to their billing at Currie Field against the Saskatoon Patrick Liners but it didn’t do them any good as the Liners were more than equal to the task, emerging on the winning side of a sloppily played 25 to 15 slugfest. Saskatoon used the long ball to full advantage as they raked four Regina pitchers, plus two other position players masquerading as hurlers, for 23 hits including nine home runs. Winning tosser Roy Kemp and John Swanson each cracked a pair of four-baggers for the Liners while Greg Bargar, Scott Woronuik and rookie Bob Silzer each launched grand-slam taters. Ken Wiebe and Colin Blyth also had round-trippers. Bill Bell and Doug Simon replied with circuit-clouts for the Red Sox.
Kemp (W), Andreen (6), Bargar (7) and Woronuik
Lynd (L), Dechaine (3), Zrymiak (4), Mahoney (8), Simon (9) and Logan
(July 20) The penthouse-dwelling Eston Ramblers recorded a 4 to 1 win over the Kindersley Royals on the Bluebloods’ home turf. Winning tosser Don Sasser was outstanding as he allowed only three hits and struck out nine Royals. Loser Cary Miller was excellent in defeat, surrendering six hits while cutting down eleven Estonites through the strikeout route.
Sasser (W) and Morrice
Miller (L) and Westmoreland
(July 21) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners maintained their determined bid for second spot in the SMBL when they edged their closest pursuers, the third-place Moose Jaw Devons, 3 to 2 at Cairns Field. The teams were deadlocked 2 – 2 as the Saskatoonians came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Ken Wiebe reached base on an infield error and ultimately scored the winning marker following singles by teammates Gary Hollman and John Swanson off the slants of losing pitcher Rod Heisler. Swanson scattered seven hits in a route-going performance while Heisler was nicked for eleven. Swanson helped his own cause with four hits including the game-winning single. Hollman and Ken Wiebe each added two hits with both of Wiebe’s being two-baggers. Brian Chalmers was the big man at the plate for Moose Jaw with a four-for-four effort.
Heisler (L) and Devine
Swanson (W) and Bacala, Woronuik (6)
(July 21) The Regina Red Sox crushed the Kindersley Royals 19 to 8 in the first of three road games that the Majestics have on their southern weekend agenda. Red Sox’ bats rang particularly loud at Currie Field, not an unusual happening. No less than five Regina players clouted three hits or more. Leading the 24-hit Queen City arsenal were Ross Mahoney with a home run, double and two singles and Bill Bell with two doubles and two singles. Then, there was Andy Logan with home run, double and single, Doug Senyk with two doubles and a single and Rich Gergley with three singles. Doug Simon also drilled a four-bagger for the winners. In all of the carnage levelled against the pitching staff of the Bluebloods, the Crimson Hose were totally fair. Half their hits came off losing pitcher Parker Blaney while the other half were garnered off fireman Doug Adams. Winning pitcher Don Albers wasn’t exactly mowing down the Royals either as he was touched for 14 base blows including homers by Cary Miller and John Sutherland.
Blaney (L), Adams (5) and Westmoreland
Albers (W) and Logan
(July 22) The Regina Red Sox won their second and third games of a profitable weekend when they swept a doubleheader from the homestanding Unity Cardinals by counts of 6 to 5 and 7 to 1. In the first game, the Scarlet Stockings opened a 6 to 1 lead after four innings but then had to hang on for the narrow win as the Redbirds made a late charge. The U-Birds collected ten hits off winning left-hander Randy Sawa, one of them a home run off the bat of Ron Zimmerman. The Sox touched loser Dennis Rogers for eight base blows.
Sawa (W) and Bell
Rogers (L) and Mitchell
The Red Sox got off to a quick start in the late tussle as well, scoring a single run in the first inning and deuces in each of the next three for a 7 to 3 lead. Regina’s Ross Lynd, coming off a dismal outing just two days previous, limited the Cardinals to seven hits and picked up the hurling win. The Redlegs, on the other hand, picked apart loser Egbert Stang for 14 base knocks.
Lynd (W) and Bell
Stang (L) and Mitchell, Pascal (4)
(July 22) The Moose Jaw Devons finished the weekend on a successful note by sashaying into Eston and exiting with four points at the expense of the Ramblers. The southern visitors claimed two closely contested games, winning the opener 4 to 2 and later capturing the owl encounter by a narrow 2 to 1 margin. Devons’ twirler, winning pitcher Phil Flanagan, had a no-hitter going for the first six frames of the matinee tussle. In the seventh, however, the Rambler bats saw some daylight and the homesters went on to score both their runs. Flanagan finished with a two-hitter and and seven strikeouts. Gerry Gattinger’s three-run homer in the fourth inning proved to be the winning element in this joust. Moose Jaw teammate Pete Maus kicked in with a double and single.
.
Flanagan (W) and Devine
Sproesser (L) and McCorkle
Pete Maus held the Ramblers to six hits in recording the second game win. Dan Andrie’s single in the early part of the game scored two runners to give Moose Jaw the narrow win. Loser Scott Van Ostenbridge gave up just five base blows. Steve Sproesser’s home run accounted for Eston’s only run.
Maus (W) and Devine
Van Ostenbridge (L) and Morrice
(July 22) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners got out of the chute with a bang, scoring five times in their first turn at bat, and went on to demolish the Kindersley Royals 18 to 0 in Kindersley. Saskatoon’s Greg Bargar breezed to the shutout win and watched his mates annihilate a trio of Majestic twirlers. The game was mercifully terminated after eight innings due to extended shadows.
Bargar (W) and xxx
Cannon (L), McGrath (6), Adams (8) and xxx
(July 24) The Moose Jaw Devons pushed across four runs in the first inning which proved to be ample enough to defeat the visiting Regina Red Sox by a 4 to 1 count. Gerry Gattinger with a two-run single, Brad Devine with a single and Dan Andrie with a sacrifice fly knocked in the Moose Jaw runs. Randy Peterson singled home Jim Paisley in the fifth for Regina’s only run. Andrie was the winning pitcher. Russ Dechaine was the loser. Both went the distance. Andrie allowed six hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter. Dechaine gave up seven hits, struck out three and walked four.
Dechaine and Logan
Andrie and Devine
(July 31) All the runs were scored in the first inning as the Saskatoon Patrick Liners defeated the Moose Jaw Devons 4 to 1 in an SMBL match at Ross Wells Park. Greg Bargar went the distance on the mound for the victors, giving up six hits, striking out eight and walking five. Loser Pete Maus of the Devons also twirled the entire game, allowing seven base hits, fanning an equal number of batters while issuing three bases on balls. John Swanson of the Liners and Moose Jaw’s Jim Baba both launched home runs. Dwayne Andreen had a brace of singles for Saskatoon.
Bargar (W) and Kot
Maus (L) and Devine
(July 31) The Kindersley Royals earned their first road win of the season by trouncing the home standing Unity Cardinals 14 to 5 in SMBL action. Gord Cannon hurled the win, scattering nine hits, and Les Schwartz took the loss. The Royals had seven tallies in the first four frames and put seven more on the scoreboard in the last four innings. Cary Miller connected for a pair of circuit-clouts for the winners while teammate John Westmoreland picked up a double and triple.
Cannon (W) and xxx
Schwartz (L), xxx and xxx
(August 1) Rallying from a 6 to 0 deficit after three innings, the Moose Jaw Devons shaded the Eston Ramblers 7 to 6 at Ross Wells Park. The Devons plated the winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Brad Devine doubled home Pete Maus who had singled. The duo of Devine and Maus blasted Ramblers’ pitchers for four and three hits respectively in leading the Moose Jaw offensive charge. The Devons collected 13 hits to Eston’s nine. Dan Andrie struck out four while walking four in earning the complete game victory. Loser Don Sasser whiffed seven and walked two.
Sasser (L) and xxx
Andrie (W) and Devine
(August 1) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners throttled the Kindersley Royals 17 to 3 in Kindersley as the Saskatonians finished their regular season in second place and will enter the playoff picture for the first time in their three-year existence. Len Yonkman recorded the mound win and Cary Miller absorbed the loss. The Bridge City Brigade opened up a 14 to 3 lead by scoring eight times in the fourth inning. Gary Hollman and Scott Woronuik led the way for Saskatoon, collecting three hits apiece. Dick Hanson, John Swanson, Colin Blythe and Yonkman each chipped in with a pair of Saskatoon hits. Kindersley’s John Westmoreland had three safeties including a home run. Teammate Randy Ervine also had a trio of base raps.
Yonkman (W), Andreen (8) and Woronuik
Miller (L), Blaney (5), McGrath (8) and Westmoreland
(August 7) The SMBL regular schedule concluded in Kindersley with the two non-playoff teams battling it out for fifth place. The first year Royals ended their season on a winning note as they downed the Unity Cardinals 9 to 4. Gord Cannon picked up his third win of the season as he tossed the entire nine innings and whiffed 14. Starter Dennis Rogers of the Cards suffered the loss. Cannon was the game’s big hitter producing three safeties including a bases-loaded triple. With the win, the Aristocrats finished a point ahead of the Redbirds in the final SMBL standings.
Rogers (L), Weseen (8) and xxx
Cannon (W) and xxx
Final SMBL standings
W L T Pts.
Eston Ramblers 16 8 0 32
Saskatoon Patrick Liners 15 8 1 31
Moose Jaw Devons 14 10 0 28
Regina Red Sox 11 13 0 22
Kindersley Royals 8 16 0 16
Unity Cardinals 7 16 1 15
Semi-final playoff action will pit the Moose Jaw Devons against the Saskatoon Patrick Liners while the Regina Red Sox will face the pennant-winning Eston Ramblers.
(August 7) John Swanson of the Saskatoon Patrick Liners edged Moose Jaw's Pete Maus to capture the batting title of the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League. Swanson's .414 average was just ahead of Maus' .410 mark. Playing manager Don Sasser of Eston was third, at .395 and Roy Kemp, fourth, with a .370 average.
SMBL Playoffs
(August 7) Steve Sproesser did a good part of the offensive work and filled the important winning pitcher’s role for the Eston Ramblers in their 4 to 1 win over the Regina Red Sox in the opening game of their semi-final playoff. In Eston, Sproesser had a fourth-inning sacrifice fly and a two-run homer in the eighth inning for a total production of three runs driven in. On the mound, he allowed seven Regina hits. The Red Sox were without the services of outfielder/manager Doug Simon and catcher Andy Logan, both of whom were unable to make the trip to Rambler country for the opening game of the series. Simon will also miss the second encounter. The homesters touched losing chucker Don Albers for eight safeties. Jim Paisley with three base hits and Doug Senyk with a pair were the bright offensive lights for the Red Stockings.
Albers (L) and Mahoney
Sproesser (W) and Morrice
(August 7) The Moose Jaw Devons jumped into a one game lead in their semi-final with the Saskatoon Patrick Liners by dropping the regular season second-place finishers 4 to 1 at Cairns Field. The Devons’ Pete Maus belted a three-run homer in the top of the first frame to give the visitors a lead they would never relinquish. Ned Andreoni added three singles to the six-hit attack from the Friendly City nine. Roy Kemp hit a bases-empty home run in the sixth inning for Saskatoon. He also registered a double and single. Winning pitcher Rod Heisler yielded six base raps, whiffed 11 and walked four while loser John Swanson struck out seven and issued four free passes.
Heisler (W) and Devine
Swanson (L) and Woronuik
(August 8) The Eston Ramblers swamped the short-staffed Regina Red Sox 12 to 1 in an eight-inning playoff game in Eston to take a commanding two games to none lead in their semi-final series. With the defeat, the Scarlet Hose now find themselves on the brink of elimination. Don Sasser gave Eston an early jump on Regina with a two-run homer in the first inning and the Ramblers went on to score in every inning but the third, piling up 14 hits in total. Winning pitcher Scott Van Ostenbridge allowed only five Red Sox hits in going the distance. He also contributed with his bat, collecting a double and two singles. The Redlegs, with a depleted pitching roster, went with two players on the mound who don’t pitch unless there's an emergency. Shortstop Jerry Zrymiak started on the rubber and was relieved by catcher Andy Logan in the seventh when Eston led 10 to 1.
Zrymiak (L), Logan (7) and Logan, Senyk (7)
Van Ostenbridge (W) and McCorkle
(August 8) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners and Moose Jaw Devons played to a nine-inning 4 – 4 draw at Ross Wells Park in the second game of their playoff round. Darkness prevented any extra-inning action. The Liners had a 9 to 6 advantage in base hit production. The Saskatonians got home runs from Roy Kemp and Ken Wiebe which spurred them to a 3 to 1 lead in the top of the sixth but relinquished it in the bottom of the eighth when Ned Andreoni drove in a pair of Devon base runners with a timely double.
Andreen, Elliot (8) and Woronuik
Maus and Devine
(August 9) The Regina Red Sox managed to stay alive in their best-of-five SMBL semi-final with a 9 to 2 thumping of the visiting Eston Ramblers. The Wanderers still lead the series two games to one. Although the weather was chilly, the game was a heated one as tempers flared from both dugouts. The Red Sox touched losing flinger Neil McMillan for 14 base blows including four home runs. Andy Logan drilled a pair, a two-run bomb and a solo shot. Doug Simon with a three-run job and Jerry Zrymiak with a two-run blow were the other Reginans who launched four-baggers. Eston playing-manager Don Sasser slammed a bases-empty round-tripper in the sixth, one of five hits that winning pitcher Randy Sawa yielded.
McMillan (L) and McCorkle
Sawa (W) and Logan
(August 9) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners pulled even with the Moose Jaw Devons in their playoff series although they needed ten innings to salvage an exciting 4 to 3 victory in game three. The Liners held a decided margin in the base hit department, stroking 13 to but four for the Mill City gang. Len Yonkman, who provided ninth-inning relief help for Saskatoon starter Roy Kemp, was the winning pitcher. Phil Flanagan toiled the entire ten-frame route for the Devons and was nailed with the loss. Yonkman went two-for-two at the plate, knocking in the winning run.
Flanagan (L) and Devine
Kemp, Yonkman (W) (9) and Woronuik
(August 10) The Regina Red Sox forced a deciding game in their best-of-five semi-final series with the pennant-winning Eston Ramblers by dumping the Nomads 8 to 0 at Currie Field. Complaining about the bandbox outfield dimensions at the Regina home park, Eston pitcher and field manager Don Sasser proceeded to serve up home run blasts to Doug Simon, who took Sasser deep twice, and catcher Andy Logan who had a two-run shot. Sasser wound up as the loser. He was replaced by Dave Brown in the sixth inning after having been on the mound for all of the Regina runs. Given equal time to deposit the baseball outside the fences, the visiting Nomads were unable to do so from the offerings of Regina’s Ross Lynd. Lynd went the distance in chalking up the hill win, fanning two, allowing just five hits and walking two. Simon added a double to his duo of taters to lead the 11-hit Crimson Hose offense. Logan also had a two-bagger to go along with his round-tripper.
Sasser (L), Brown (6) and Morrice
Lynd (W) and Logan
(August 10) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners downed the Moose Jaw Devons 12 to 7 at Ross Wells Park to take a two games to one lead in their series. One game also resulted in a tie. The hard-hitting Liners accumulated 20 base hits in this slugfest with three of their base knocks clearing the fence for circuit clouts. Ken Wiebe blasted two of them and Dwayne Andreen had the other. Although he was touched for eight Moose Jaw hits including a dinger off the bat of Ned Andreoni, winning twirler John Swanson coasted to the easy mound triumph. Losing chucker Dan Andrie was driven from the hill and replaced by Pete Maus as the Saskatonians were in the process of scoring four first-inning runs.
Swanson (W) and Woronuik
Andrie (L), Maus (1) and Devine
(August 11) The Regina Red Sox capped a comeback performance with a 7 to 4 win over the pennant-winning Eston Ramblers in Eston. The victory, which was the Redlegs’ third in a row after spotting the Nomads the first two series’ tussles, qualified them for the league championship. Playing-manager Doug Simon assumed the pilot’s role in engineering the comeback. Absent from the Sox’ lineup for the initial brace of contests when the Scarlet Stockings had a depleted roster of nine, Simon led Regina’s 14-hit attack with two home runs, a single and five RBI’s. Ross Mahoney added a home run and single, Andy Logan a triple and single and both Bill Bell and Jerry Zrymiak a pair of singles. Winning pitcher Don Albers went the distance, allowing five hits, two of which were circuit clouts drilled by losing twirler Steve Sproesser. Don Sasser slapped two singles for the losers.
Albers (W) and Logan
Sproesser, Van Ostenbridge (L) (3) and Morrice
(August 11) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners eliminated the Moose Jaw Devons from further playoff action with a 7 to 1 shellacking of the MIll City visitors at Cairns Field. The Bridge City boys, in their first-ever SMBL post-season series, won the showdown three games to one with one game tied. Five Patrick’s tallies in the third inning spelled the difference. Winning pitcher Len Yonkman struck out six while holding the Devons to but four safeties. Dan Andrie, taking over hill chores from starter Rod Heisler in the third inning, was tagged with the loss. Roy Kemp led Saskatoon’s 10-hit blitz with a two-run homer. Gary Hollman, Jerry Kot and Cal Thompson all added two singles. The Liners will now tangle with the Regina Red Sox to decide an SMBL champion. The series will be held following the Canadian senior championships later this month. Members of both squads have joined together to form the Saskatchewan team in the national event.
Heisler, Andrie (L) (3) and Devine
Yonkman (W) and Woronuik
(August 21) Following a ten day break, SMBL playoff action resumed in Saskatoon. The Regina Red Sox and Saskatoon Patrick Liners opened their best-of-five final series but they never finished it. Saskatoon was awarded a 9 to 0 win, by default. The Red Sox brought only ten players on the trip to the Hub City and two of them were ejected from the game, leaving them one short of the requirement. Umpire Lee Von Hagen gave Jerry Zrymiak an early exit for arguing on a ruling. Saskatoon’s Roy Kemp had hit the ball off the Cairns Field scoreboard in the right field fence area in the fifth frame and the ball bounced back onto the field. Von Hagen ruled it a home run and Zrymiak disagreed. Jim Paisley was ejected for disputing a called strike. Saskatoon was leading 7 to 3 at the time but Regina had the bases loaded and were threatening with none out.
(August 22) With fire in their eyes, the Regina Red Sox took to the diamond and absolutely clobbered the Saskatoon Patrick Liners 19 to 1 to even their final series with the visitors at one game each. The rout began early as four Saskatoon pitchers combined to issue eleven walks, hit three Regina batters and get lit up for 18 base hits. The list of Red Sox swatters who had highly productive performances included Andy Logan with three singles and a grand-slam homer which gave him six RBI’s; Doug Senyk with a grand-salami and a pair of one-baggers; Doug Simon with a two-run homer, two singles, two walks and three RBI’s; and Rich Gergley with a three-run circuit clout, a double and three runs scored. The Liners only managed to collect four singles off winning pitcher Randy Sawa. John Swanson, the SMBL batting champion with a .413 average, had two of Saskatoon’s nominal total.
Kemp (L), Andreen (2), Kot (5), Wiebe (5) and Woronuik, Elliot (8)
Sawa (W) and Logan
(August 23) Jerry Kot rapped a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Saskatoon Patrick Liners a 9 to 8 win over the Regina Red Sox and a two games to one advantage in their SMBL playoff final. Beginning their final turn at bat, the Liners, who had been humiliated by the Sox the previous evening, found themselves two runs in arrears even though they had been tearing the cover off the ball against ultimate losing twirler Jim Paisley. As was the case in their semi-final series against Eston, the Reginans went on the road minus key pitching personnel. Kot’s single scored Colin Blyth, who had walked, and Ken Wiebe, who followed Scott Woronuik’s inning-opening single with an RBI double. Roy Kemp, who had five hits in as many trips to the plate, scattered 12 Regina hits to earn the mound victory. Paisley, who normally patrols second base for the Scarlet Stockings, was pressed into duty as a hurler and found himself being raked for a grand total of 22 hits. Wiebe and Regina’s Doug Simon hit home runs.
Paisley (L) and Logan
Kemp (W) and Woronuik
(August 24) The Saskatoon Patrick Liners, who made the SMBL playoffs this season for the first time in three tries, are the new champions of the circuit. After falling behind 5 to 0 to their Capital City hosts in game four of the championship series, the Liners put it all together and hammered an out-gunned, understaffed and seemingly uninspired Regina Red Sox crew 11 to 5 at Currie Field to cop the showdown three games to one. Andy Logan’s RBI double, a three-run homer by Doug Simon and a solo blast by Rich Gergley had staked the Reginans to an early five-run cushion. But, then the roof fell in after that as the Saskatonians stormed back and began to batter loser Ross Lynd, taking the lead in the sixth and then running away with the contest. Winning chucker Jim Elliot of the Transport Troupe became downright stingy on the hill after his rough start, allowing just two more hits until being replaced by John Swanson in the eighth. As for Swanson, he was simply a terror at the plate, belting a three-run homer and three singles. Other major contributors to the Patrick’s offensive thrust were Ken Wiebe who clouted a home run and single and Roy Kemp who singled three times.
Elliot (W), Swanson (8) and Woronuik
Lynd (L), Albers (7) and Logan