.
(May 25) In an outstanding pitching duel, Regina Balmorals kicked off their 1927 season with a 2-1, 7-inning, victory over Wildrose, North Dakota, in an exhibition match at Park de Young. Casey Moroschan fired a one-hitter, and knocked in the winning marker, to take the pitching win over Lefty Ryan who allowed just three hits for the visitors. Wildrose scored in the top of the 1st inning on a pair of errors and Kabeary's single. Regina tied the scored in the bottom of the 1st as catcher Pat McNeally singled to drive in Hans Wagner. Balmorals plated the winner in the 4th as Hap Felsch opened with a double, advanced on a fielder's choice and scored on Moroschan's single.
Ryan (L) and Berg
Moroschan (W) and McNeally
(May 26) Regina Balmorals won their second straight over Wildrose, North Dakota, 7-1 at Park de Young. A night after Casey Moroschan held the visitors to one hit, Cottingham fired a four-hitter for the home squad. Playing-manager Hap Felsch had two safeties, including a double. Lefty Knight gave up 8 hits in taking the loss.
Knight (L) and Berg
Cottingham (W) and McNeelly
(July 3. 1927) In an exhibition game at Claresholm, the hometowners whipped the Calgary Athletics 7-0 as Dodger Lewis fanned 19 in hurling the shutout. The visitors managed just three hits off the Claresholm ace. Bus Geddes led the offense with a homer, two doubles and a walk in four trips to the plate. Stewart Lucas took the loss.
Lucas (L) and xxx
Lewis (W) and Scott
John Donaldson was back in Moose Jaw for his third straight appearance at the Kiwanis Tournament. His hand-picked catcher for the 1927 tournament was Sylvester "Hooks" Foreman, a former Negro Leaguer.
Donaldson, now 35 years of age and well past his prime, returned to Minnesota for the 1927 season, again with the Bertha Fishermen. Bertha finished the campaign with a record of 22 wins against 4 losses. Donaldson's pitching record for Bertha was 20 wins and 4 losses. A highlight was a no-hit, no-run, one-walk game against Fargo, ND.
During the summer of 1927, Donaldson took on a new role for a game between Albany and Holdingford, MN, on July 2nd. A large advertisement gave prominent notice that Donaldson would be the umpire. One could probably count on one hand the number of times a Negro umpired a game between two white teams in that era. The assignment says a great deal about how people felt about John as a person of integrity and how he became to be trusted as an individual.
As was the case the previous summer, he was brought in to pitch for the Moose Jaw entry in their 1927 Kiwanis tournament. This time he got to play with the tournament winner. He played in three games, pitching complete game victories in the opener and the semi-final games. In the tournament final against Gravelbourg, he played first base and went 2 for 4 at the dish including a double. Moose Jaw knocked off Ponteix 9 - 2 in the opening game of the tournament. John struck out 6 and gave up 5 hits, walking only one. He also smacked out a single and a pair of doubles. Then in the semi-final, he tossed a five-hitter as Moose Jaw edged past the Regina Balmorals 4 - 3.
(July 19) Regina Balmorals erupted for five runs in the second inning and coasted to a 6-2 win over Sherwood, North Dakota in the opening round of the annual Moose Jaw Kiwanis Tournament. Ryan tossed a four-hitter, with 9 strikeouts, for the win. Casey Moroschan, McNeally and Dobbin each had two hits for Regina.
Barrett (L), Woock (2) and Campbell
Ryan (W) and McNeally
(July 19) Import John Donaldson was the story as Moose Jaw downed Ponteix 9-2 in an opening round game at the Kiwanis Tournament. Donaldson fired a five-hitter on the mound while contributing three hits, two of them doubles, and scoring twice. His hand-picked battery mate, Sylvester Foreman, had two hits, one a double, a scored three times. Donaldson fanned six and walked one.
Donaldson (W) and Foreman
Ganguish (L) and Blaney
(July 19) Gravelbourg came from behind with four runs in the 7th inning and another three in the 9th to put away Mossbank 11-5. Outfielders Hurley and Childs led the attack each with three hits. Hurley had a triple. First baseman Bonynge had two hits, one a triple, and scored a pair. Therrien went the distance for the win, giving up 11 hits and compiling 11 strike outs.
Therrien (W) and Kerr
Vandenberg (L), Mapes (7) and Miller
(July 20) John Donaldson fired a five-hitter and fanned eight to led Moose Jaw into the final of the Kiwanis Tournament with a 4-3 win over Happy Felsch's Regina Balmorals in semi-final action. The winning blow was catcher Sylvester Foreman's home run, with Donaldson on base with an intentional walk, in the 7th inning. It was the only four-bagger of the tournament.
Clink (L) and McNeally
Donaldson (W) and Foreman
(July 20) A three-run, 6th inning carried Moose Jaw to top money of $600 at the Kiwanis Tournament as the host team beat Gravelbourg 7-2 in the final. George Haigh scattered nine hits in taking the mound victory. Imports John Donaldson and Sylvester Foreman led the offense. Donaldson, who was the winning pitcher in the semi-final, played first base and had a double and single and scored twice. Foreman belted two doubles. Shortstop Dawson had a triple. Moose Jaw broke open a tight 2-1 game with their three runs in the 6th. Gravelbourg starter Bill Nutzhorn took the loss.
Nutzhorn, Therrien (6) and Kerr
Haigh (W) and Foreman
(July 22) The Regina Balmorals, guided by Hap Felsch, trounced Moose Jaw 15-4 in the opening action at the Regina tournament at Park de Young. The game was called after six innings. Moose Jaw was without the services of their Negro battery - John Donaldson and Sylvester Foreman - from the Moose Jaw tournament. The pair had returned to their home club in Minnesota. Regina scored four in the first inning and another five in the third in coasting to the win. Wagner, Turen and Casey Morochsan each had two hits for the winners. Three Regina hurlers - Lefty Ryan, Wagner and Felsch - held Moose Jaw to four hits. Fans saw quite a spectacle. In the fifth inning, with Shafey relieved Scribner with the bases loaded and former major leaguer Felsch at the plate.
" ... Instead of hitting the apple for a home run and clearing the sacks, Felsch extracted a walk when Shafey, the relief hurler, pitched four consecutive balls into the wire netting, seemingly imbued with the charitable object of clearing the paths himself." (Regina Morning Leader - Saturday, July 23, 1927)
Scribner, Shafey (5) and Mills
Ryan, Wagner, Felsch and McNeally
(July 22) Sherwood, North Dakota, got a six-hitter from Wooch to blank Gravelbourg 9-0. First sacker Barrett belted a homer for the winners. Centre fielder Childs had three hits and Wooch and catcher Campbell each had a pair.
Beatty (L), White (3) and Morrison
Wooch (W) and Campbell
(July 23) With a 19-hit offensive, Regina destroyed Ponteix 17-0 to advance to the final of the Regina Tournament. 35-year-old playing manager Hap Felsch, Wagner and Turen each had three hits for the Balmorals and Felsch, McNeally and Dobbins each scored three times. Lefty Ryan and Moroschan combined to shutout Ponteix on six hits.
Maser, Grandquist, Summers and Blaney
Ryan (W), Moroschan and McNeally
(July 23) Hap Felsch had four hits, one a homer, to lead the Balmorals to top money at the Regina Tournament with an 8-1 triumph over Sherwood, North Dakota, in the final. McNeally and Moroschan each added three hits as Regina pounded out 17 safeties in the tourney final after a 19-hit effort in semi-final action. George Clink held Sherwood to four hits in a route-going performance.
Barrett (L), Myers and Campbell
Clink (W) and McNeally