1951 Tournaments

Gull Lake (May 24)   Swift Current Outlaws captured top money of $400 at the Gull Lake sports day.  Outlaws downed the host club, Gull Lake, 11-6 to reach the final.  Shaunavon topped Medicine Hat 10-1.  Swift Current took the title with a 7-5 win behind the pitching of Kjarsgaard.

Swift Current : (May 30) Sceptre Nixons walked off with the $1,000 top prize in the Swift Current tournament beating the host club 9-3 in the final.  Cliff Jacobson held the Indians to eight hits in gaining the victory.   Sceptre got ten hits off Wimpy Stevenson and Alex Palica.  A four-run 7th inning proved decisive.  A triple by Hal Price and double by Pedro Osorio were key blows in the inning.

Swift Current 3 Sceptre 9
Stephenson (L), Palica (7) and Mowbray
Jacobson (W) and Monroe

Sceptre made the final defeating Regina Caps 6-3 behind the mound work of Hal Price.  Harry Monroe tripled in the 2nd to score a pair for the winners.  Frank Joyner was the loser.

Price (W) and xxx
Joyner (L), Vogt and xxx

Swift Current advanced with a 4-3, 10 inning victory over Moose Jaw. Del St. John knocked in the winner after Jim Ryan had doubled and Ken Hobbs singled. Vern Callihan held Moose Jaw to six hits in gaining the win.  Indians had eleven hits off Art Worth.

Callihan (W) and xxx
Worth (L) and xxx

Moose Jaw took third place money with a 13-8 win over Regina. Gerry Brock and Murray O'Flynn each scored three times for the winners.  Al (Lefty) Erfle gave up thirteen hits but went the distance for the mound win. Seven errors by the Caps were instrumental in the loss. 

Erfle (W) and xxx
Coons, Merritt and xxx

In opening action, Harry Monroe, recently released by Swift Current, blasted a grand slam homer to lead Sceptre past Indian Head 6-2.  Chet Brewer was the winner on a six-hitter. He fanned ten.  Peanuts Davis allowed just five hits in taking the loss.  Bob Prescott knocked in two runs with a first inning triple for Sceptre.

Brewer (W) and Monroe
Davis (L) and xxx

Swift Current downed Shaunavon 12-3 behind Johnny Mulholland's five-hitter. Ken Hobbs, Johnson, Bill Clovinski and Jack Mowbray each had two hits.  Hobbs and Ken Nelson belted triples.

Mulholland (W) and Mowbray
Oldheiser (L) and Jensen

Moose Jaw beat Eston Ramblers 6-2 behind Murray O'Flynn's seven-hitter.  Jackie McLeod had a hit and two walks for the winners.  Andy Porter took the loss.

O'Flynn (W) and Harford
Porter (L) and Serpa

A three-run first inning helped Regina to an 8-6 victory over Estevan Maple Leafs.

Chadwick (W) and Turner
Torgenrud (L), Goodwill and xxx
 

Eston : (May 31-June1)  

Saskatoon :  (    )   Saskatoon 55s.

(July 23)  North Battleford Beavers scored early off Sceptre ace Hal Price to notch a 3-1 win in the opening game of the $3,700 Saskatoon exhibition baseball tournament.  Beavers plate all their runs in the first two innings.

Lloydminster : (June 6)  Steve Wylie pitched North Battleford to first place in the annual Lloydminster tournament with an 11-1 win over Morinville.  Wylie limited the Alberta club to six hits and had a shutout going into the ninth inning.  Beavers took home top prize of $2,000.  More than 5-thousand fans watched the final game in spite of near freezing temperatures and light rain.  

North Battleford reached the final with a 9-6 win over Medicine Hat.  Morinville edged Kamloops 12-10 in their semi-final game. 

Morinville 1 North Battleford 11
Devine, Drenniers (7) and Carlson 
Wylie and Green

Kamloops 10 Morinville 12
Wilbourn, Gatien (6) and Garey
Morris, Wilson (3), Tripp (7) and Bokenfohr.

Medicine Hat 6 North Battleford 9
Bates, Stavrianoudakis (5) and Bechelli
Wylie, Swota (2) and Green.

In opening action, 18-year-old Dane Tripp pitched a three-hitter as Morinville upset Sceptre 4-2.  Kamloops Elks beat the heavily favoured Edmonton Oilers 4-2, North Battleford topped Eston 4-2 and the California Mohawks scored six in the first inning and held on to beat Delisle Gems 13-10.  Gems had won the tournament in 1949 and 1950.

Kamloops broke a 2-2 deadlock with a pair of runs in the 8th to down Edmonton.  They collected ten hits off pitchers John Carpenter and Lefty Belter.  Carpenter took the loss. Len Gatie allowed just four hits, including a homer by Oiler catcher Ross Kortgard.  Horace Latham had a homer for the Elks.

Kamloops 4 Edmonton 2
Gatie and Garry
Carpenter, Belter (8) and Warwick, Kortgard (2)

Sceptre 2 Morinville 4
Jacobson, Brewer (6) and Grant, Powell (6)
Tripp and Bakenjohr

North Battleford 4 Eston 2
Richardson and Green
McKinnon, Porter (7) and Serpa

California 13 Delisle 10
Jarvis, Stavrianoudakis (7) and Bechelli
Fowlkes, Severyn (1), Brown (5), Courtoreille (9) and Reg Bentley, Shirley (6) 

Lacombe : (June 10)  Medicine Hat / California Mohawks trounced Morinville 11-1 to win top prize money at the second annual Lacombe tournament.  

"Stan Jarvis was the hero of Saturday's final as he pitched Mohawks to first prize money of $1,400.  The chubby southpaw hurled four-hit ball against the powerful Morinville sluggers."  (Lacombe Globe, June 14, 1951)

Medicine Hat 11 Morinville 1
Jarvis and Bechelli
Dutch Lakeman, Mac MacDonald and Garay

Mohawks reached the final with a 12-3 victory over the Central Alberta All-Stars. 

Bates and Bechelli
Morris, Peterson (3), Martin (6) and Kruger

Morinville scored four runs in the bottom of the 8th to win its semi-final, 10-8 over Swift Current.

Callihan, McManus (8) and McNabb, Thederan (7)
Brennies, Tripp (5) and Garay

In first round action, the All-Stars edged the heavily favoured Sceptre Indians 4-3 as Ralph Vold picked up the win with 8 1/3 effective innings.  Charlie Morris came on in relief in the ninth and stifled a Sceptre threat. Chet Brewer took the loss. 

Vold, Morris (9) and Kruger
Brewer and Powell

Swift Current trounced the club from Standard, Alberta 16-2, Morinville upset the Edmonton Oilers 7-6, and Medicine Hat erupted for five, first-inning runs and held on to shade the Indian Head Rockets 6-5.

Mohawks 6 Indian Head 5
Garcia, Jarvis (7) and Bechelli
Davis, Morrow (1) and Barnhill, Ford ( )

Swift Current 17 Standard 2
Mulholland and McNabb
Sear, A Uffleman (4), Neilson ( ) and Charlton

Morinville 7 Edmonton 6
Tripp and Garay
Lowe, Belter (6) and Warwick, Kortgard ( )

Nipawin :  (June 13)  Lefty Arnold tossed a six-hit shutout as Saskatoon 55s whipped Kamsack 12-0 to cop the $1,000 top prize in the Third Annual Nipawin Tournament. Outfielder Bob Garcia, who drove in four runs in the semi-final game, had another pair in the final.  Norm Brown had two hits and three walks to pace the 55s.  Arnold helped his cause with two safeties.

Arnold (W) and xxx
McGowan (L) and xxx

Ken Bird held North Battleford to five hits and held on as Prince Albert shaded the Beavers 5-4 to take the consolation final.  Prince Albert was filling in for the Ligon All-Stars who were unable to make it to the tourney.  The Bohemians broke loose for four runs in the 4th inning on three hits, a hit batter and error. 

Bird (W) and xxx
Wylie (L) , Dodds (4) and xxx

Kamsack Cyclones scored three runs in the 1st inning and four in the 2nd to defeat Prince Albert 7-3 to advance to the final. Four Prince Albert errors were crucial in the Cyclone's outburst.

Valentine (W) and
Holdaway (L) and xxx

Saskatoon advanced to the final with an 8-3 win over North Battleford Beavers.  Murray Coben picked up the win with relief help from Charlie Beene in the ninth.  55s belted Steve Wylie for five hits and collected three walks in the first two frames to count eight runs before Murray Richardson took over and blanked Saskatoon for the rest of the game. Bob Herron's triple was a feature for the game for the 55s as he failed to touch first base and was called out after his gallop around the diamond.

Coben (W), Beene (9) and xxx
Wylie (L), Richardson (2) and xxx

Camrose : (June 13) Swift Current Indians knocked off the defending champion Sceptre Panthers 6-4 in the final to win the 2nd Annual  $4,400 Camrose baseball tournament before a crowd of 6,000.   The Indians took home the $1,800 first prize in the $4,400 tourney.  Hal Price, a hero in Sceptre's 1950 victory, was driven from the hill in the third inning and replaced by Cliff Jacobson.  

In the semi-finals, Swift Current shutout Edmonton Oilers 5-0 as Johnny Mulholland, a 20-year-old Montreal college student, limited the Oilers to six hits. Sceptre whipped the Trail Smoke Eaters 11-5 in spite of being out-hit 11-10 and making a stunning 11 errors.  Chet Brewer went the distance for the win.  Reg Clarkson belted a two-run homer for the winners, his third of the two-day tournament.

Sceptre 4 Swift Current 6
Price, Jacobson (3) and Hamilton
Maren, McManus (8) and McNabb.

Trail 5 Sceptre 11
Jenkinson, Lavaratto (5), Boisevert (7) and Spees
Brewer and Hamilton.

Edmonton 0 Swift Current 5
Belter, Forss (5) and Warwick
Mulholland and McNabb.

In opening games,  Edmonton defeated Morinville 13-6, Swift Current 2 Indian Head 0, Trail beat the Central Alberta All-Stars 5-3, and Sceptre topped Medicine Hat 8-6.  

Chet Brewer's relief pitching was key to Sceptre's win over the Mohawks.  He took over in the sixth inning from Cliff Jacobson and mowed down the last eleven Medicine Hat batters. Reg Clarkson drove in four runs with a pair of homers.

Alex Palica (brother of Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Erv Palica) tossed the shutout for Swift Current. Palica and Jim Morrow had hooked up in a brilliant pitching duel. Bob Hobbs belted a two-run homer for the victory.

Moose Jaw : (June 14) Regina Caps came back from an early three-run deficit to shade Estevan 8-7 for first prize money in the Moose Jaw tournament. Eli (Skip) Merritt was key, both on the hill and at the plate, for the Caps.  He came on in relief in the second inning, and belted a two-run homer in the fifth.  

Delisle Gems won the consolation final, 7-3 over Moose Jaw.  Lefty Neil Courtoreille went all the way on the hill for the Gems holding the Canucks to seven hits.  Bert Forbes had a triple and a single for the winners.

Estevan 7 Regina 8
Green, Bryant (4) and Landrum
Chadwick, Merritt (2) and Kyle

Delisle 7 Moose Jaw 3
Courtoreille and R. Bentley, Shirley (9)
Erfle and Harford

In opening games, Regina walloped Moose Jaw 20-7 and Estevan squeezed out a 4-2 win over Delisle.  Second baseman Roland Miles sparked the Caps with four hits, including a grand slam homer. Lefty Allen Bryant went the distance to beat the Gems. Andy Porter took the loss.

Regina 20 Moose Jaw 7
Woolley, Vogt (8) and Turner, Kyle (8)
O'Flynn, Worth (3), McLeod (4) and Harford

Estevan 4 Delisle 2
Bryant and Landrum
Porter and Shirley

Kenaston :  (June 16 )  Roy Taylor's Saskatoon 55s won their third straight tournament with an 11-inning11-8 win over North Battleford in the final of the Kenaston tourney.  

Beavers blew a four-run lead in the top of the ninth when the 55s broke through to tie on a triple by Jules Swick.  In the 11th, singles by Roy Taylor and Bob Garcia, followed by Sherman Watrous' double and Ray Hamilton's single resulted in three markers for Saskatoon.  Murray Coben shutdown the Beavers in the bottom of the inning for the win.

55s made the final with an 8-7 win over Delisle as Lorne Rumball picked up the win in relief of Charlie Beene.  Bob Garcia blasted a three-run homer for the 55s and Max Bentley had a pair of doubles for the Gems. North Battleford dumped Colonsay 9-3 behind the pitching of Doug Dodd.  Watrous had seven hits in eleven trips to the plate in the two games. 

Lafleche : (June 18) Walter (Butch) Buttgereit slammed a three-run homer in the seventh inning to carry Regina to a 6-3 win over Estevan in the final of the Lafleche baseball tournament.  John McDaniels also homered for the Caps.  Carl Coons went the distance on the hill for Regina as did Jack Bruton for the Maple Leafs.  It was Coons second complete game victory in three days. He beat Eston 5-1 on Saturday. 

Coons (W) and Kyle
Bruton (L) and Landrum

Regina 6 Estevan 3
Coons and Kyle
Bruton and Landrum

In the opening game of the tourney, Estevan beat Moose Jaw 8-5.

Medicine Hat :  (June 18) Sceptre Panthers won first prize money of $1,000 in the Medicine Hat tournament defeating the Indian Head Rockets 4-1 in the final.

Hal Price gave up just six hits and an unearned run in taking the victory over mound opponent Jesse Blackman. Pedro Osorio had a homer for the Panthers.  

Indian Head 1 Sceptre 4
Blackman and Cameron
Price and Garay

In the consolation final, Medicine Hat Mohawks, behind the pitching of Cliff Allmon,  trounced Lethbridge Cubs 14-3.

(June 16) Indian Head scored six runs in the 1st inning and coasted to an 18-1 win over Lethbridge Cubs who committed ten errors.  Toribio Leal, the little Cuban, pitched a six-hitter and struck out 16 in racking up the win.  He had a shutout until the 7th inning when Bill Dea scored an unearned run. 

Sceptre Panthers notched four markers in the bottom of the first and held on to down Medicine Hat 6-3.  Cliff Jacobson held the Mohawks to nine hits in gaining the win.

Rockets 18 Cubs 1
Leal and Cameron, Ford (5), Barnhill (8)
Granberg, Godlenton (7) and Dea, Yanosik (8)

Mohawks 3 Sceptre 6
Watkins and Noce
Jacobson and Garay

Officials selected a tournament all-star team. 

Catcher -- John Noce, Medicine Hat
First base -- Tom Alston, Indian Head
Second base -- Willie Reed, Medicine Hat
Third base -- Charlie Robinson, Indian Head
Shortstop -- Clemente Varona, Indian Head
Left field -- Al Endriss, Medicine Hat
Centre field -- Gene Jacobs, Medicine Hat
Right field -- Les Witherspoon, Indian Head
Pitcher -- Hal Price, Sceptre

Second team battery -- Jesse Blackman, Indian Head and Ed Garay, Sceptre

North Battleford :  (June 21)  Saskatoon 55s won their fourth consecutive tournament with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Beavers in the final of the North Battleford tourney.  55s picked up $1,000 for the win.  55s had won earlier events in Saskatoon, Nipawin and Kenaston.

The big blow for the 55s was a bases-clearing double by Normie Brown in the sixth inning.  Brown then scored on Roy Taylor's single.  The four-run inning erased a 2-0 North Battleford lead.  Beavers made it a one-run game in the seventh when Pete Prediger singled in Matt Meredith.

Herron, Coben (1), Arnold (7) and Watrous
Wylie, L Dean (8) and Green

Saskatoon advanced to the final with a 2-0, 10-inning win over Colonsay in a brilliant pitchers' duel.  Monarchs' Johnny Folk lost while pitching a two-hitter.  Lefty Lauer of the 55s allowed just three hits.  Bob Herron drove in the only runs with a triple in the top of the tenth.

Lauer and Watrous
Folk and Rosher

North Battleford defeated Eston 6-2 on a four-hitter by Murray Richardson to reach the final series.  Shortstop Joe Paronne clouted a grand slam homer for the Beavers. 

McKinnon, McNeil (8) and Hucul
Richardson and Green

In the opening round, 55s trounced Delisle 12-2 as 17-year-old Jack Hannah tossed a four-hitter and had one of three homers for Saskatoon.  Roy Taylor and Sherman Watrous also had circuit blows.  

Courtoreille, Fowlkes (2), Max Bentley (8) and Shirley
Hannah and Watrous

North Battleford whipped the Triangle All-Stars 13-2 as Roy Dean and Pete Polus each knocked in four runs.  

Jimmy Linnell, Stynsky (8) and Strautman
Polus and Green

Colonsay scored two in the ninth to beat Kindersley 5-4.  A double by Tony Nunes plated Lou Pisani with the tying run and a wild pitch allowed Nunes to score the winner.  Len Breckner, who started on the mound for the Monarchs, had four hits.

Breckner, Coffin (3) and Rosher
Kimbel and Mills

Eston had 12 hits and took advantage of 9 Sceptre errors to score a 6-5 win.  Fred Hucul of the Ramblers and Ed Garay and Cliff Jacobson of Sceptre had homers.

Porter and Hucul
Brewer, Jacobson (8) and Garay

Prince Albert : (June 24)  Indian Head Rockets won the $1,500 top prize in the Kinsmen second annual tournament in Prince Albert with a 9-5 win over North Battleford.  Veteran Chet Brewer, who started the season with Sceptre, came on in relief with the bases loaded in the ninth to snuff out a Beaver threat. With two out, Brewer struck out Les Dean on four pitches.  

Indian Head 9 North Battleford 5
Blackman, Davis (3), Brewer (9) and Barnhill
Richardson, Wylie (9) and Green

Sceptre 10 Indian Head 13
Jacobson, Olmstead (3), Jarvis (5) and Garry
Leal, Berry (3), Brewer (5) and Barnhill

Medicine Hat 1 North Battleford 5
Reader, Garcia (3) and Noce
Swota and Green.

Indian Head 10 Saskatoon 9
Blackman, Morrow (7) and Cameron
Arnold, Herron (8) and Watrous

Sceptre 10 Eston 5
Price and Garry
Courtoreille, H Stevenson (9) and Shirley

Ligon 3 Medicine Hat 8
Kelly, Brazzel (9) and Scott
Watkins and Noce

North Battleford 11 Prince Albert 1
Dodd, L Dean (4) and Green
Logue, Booker (3) and Wilson

Biggar  (June 27)  Rain washed out the semi-finals and final of the $2,500 Biggar tournament.  

Saskatoon 55s, Eston Ramblers, Delisle Gems and Ligon All-Stars had advanced after the first round.   

The feature of the opening day was a two-hitter by Saskatoon's Jack Hannah as the 55s upset the powerful Sceptre club 5-1. The 55s backed up the 17-year-old's mound effort with eight hits off Cliff Jacobson including six doubles -- two each by Bob Garcia and Sherman Watrous.  Eston squeaked out a 3-2, 11-inning, win over North Battleford as playing-manager Jimmy Shields singled, stole second and romped home on a single by Grant Locke.  Delisle defeated Kindersley Klippers 5-1 and Ligon All-Stars shaded Colonsay Monarchs 6-4.

Each of the semi-finalists received $250 with the first round losers -- Sceptre, North Battleford, Colonsay and Kindersley -- pocketing $100 each.

Brandon : (July 2 )  Winnipeg Buffaloes took  top prize in the $1,500 Brandon Holiday tournament with a 3-2 win over Elmwood Giants.  A double down the right field line by playing-manager Willie Wells, followed by an error on Lyman Bostock's hard grounder brought in the winning run.

Finch and Radcliffe
Day and Robinson

Minot and Brandon battled to a 1-1 tie in the playoff for third place.

O Renfroe and Kempf
Suarez and Rodriguez

Buffaloes reached the final with a 2-1 win over Minot while the Giants blanked Brandon Greys 4-0 as newcomer Tom Parker tossed a one-hitter.  Parker was one of three new pitchers to join Elmwood.  Barney Morris and Dave Hall were the others.

Bruton and Kempf
Wilmore and Robinson

Parker and Radcliffe
Naranjo and Bassett
 

Saskatoon Optimist :  (July 2)  Eston won $1,200 first prize money in the Saskatoon Optimist tournament upsetting two-time champion Delisle Gems 6-3 in the final before an estimated 8-thousand fans.  Gems had won the first two tourneys in 1949 and 1950.

Herb Stevenson, one of three brothers on the Eston club, scattered nine hits and pitched out of trouble several times to lead the Ramblers to the title.  He finished with a flourish fanning Doug Bentley, Max Bentley and Bert Forbes in the 9th.  He allowed just one extra base hit, a double by Max Bentley.  Stevenson fanned nine and walked four.  Ramblers drove Sam Fowlkes from the hill in the first frame. 

Stevenson and xxx
Fowlkes, Courtorelle (1) and xxx

Eston hammered out 15 hits to reach the final with a 10-6 win over North Battleford. Clint McNeil, with relief help from Andy Porter, got the win.  Delisle won its semi-final, 11-7 over Colonsay Monarchs as Max Bentley paced an 11-hit attack with three safeties.  Colonsay had advanced with a win over Medicine Hat.   

Delisle posted a 5-2 triumph over Sceptre in semi-final action. Jackie Woods had three hits and Doug and Bev Bentley each had a pair.  Barney Fox and George Mahaffy each had two for Sceptre. 

Andy Porter pitched Eston to a 5-2 win over Saskatoon 55s in the tournament opener Saturday. Sherman Watrous had 3 of the 6 Saskatoon hits.  Eston counted single runs in the 1st and 2nd innings and broke loose for three in the 7th on two walks, double by Grant Locke, and single by Chico O'Farrill. The 55s made seven errors. 

Lauer, Stravrianoudakis (7), Hannah (7) and Watrous
Porter and xxx

Behind the solid pitching of Murray Richardson and Steve Wylie, North Battleford Beavers topped Swift Current 5-0 Sunday.  Richardson had a no-hitter through three innings but experienced arm trouble and was replaced by Wylie who gave up only two hits the rest of the way. Roy Dean and Peter Prediger each had two hits for the Beavers.

Richardson, Wylie (4) and Green
Maren, Callihan, McManus and MacNabb

Colonsay edged Medicine Hat 7-6 in a game who featured a near riot over a call in the bottom of the 9th when the potential tying run was cut down at the plate for the final out.  Mohawks had taken the lead in the 1st on a three-run homer by Al Endriss. Colonsay bounced back with four in the 4th on four hits and three errors. 

Folk, Carlson (4) and Sasserville
Watkins, Bates (7) and xxx

(July 5-6)   The Spokane Solons of the Twi-Light League had a rude reception across the border in Trail.  The Solons were scheduled to play a weekend triple-header with the home town Smokies.  In the Saturday night matchup, Trail trounced the visitors 29-4 with 19 runs scoring in the 7th inning.   Sunday, the Smokies walloped the Solons 21-2 in the first game of the twin-bill using their 16-year-old batboy to hurl the last three innings.  Smokes declined to play the third game.  (The Canadian Press story did not identify the batboy. Ted Bowsfield, who was a pitching star the following season at age 17, seems the likely choice. )

Sceptre : (July 6)  The host club won.  Sceptre Nixons erupted for four runs in the sixth inning to defeat North Battleford Beavers 6-3 in the final game.  Sceptre outhit the Beavers 14-5.

North Battleford 3 Sceptre 6
Wylie, P Polus and Prediger, Green
Jarvis and Garay

The Nixons downed the Delisle Gems, and North Battleford got by Swift Current in the semi-finals. Earlier, Swfit Current downed the Sceptre Outlaws 12-2. 

Also in the tournament were Eston, Shaunavon, and Kindersley.

Moosomin : (July 6)  The Brandon Greys of the ManDak League scored two lopsided victories to claim the title in the $2,200 Moosomin tournament.  Greys whipped the Western League leading Indian Head Rockets 13-9 in the final after downing Estevan 12-5 in their opening game.

Greys erased an early 5-0 deficit with two runs in the 3rd inning, two in the 4th and six in the 5th.  Clarence King and Pepper Bassett homered for the winners. Pedro Naranjo went the distance on the hill for the Greys.

Naranjo
Davis

Brandon also gave up the early lead in the semi-final, trailing 4-1 going into the 4th inning, but erupted for five runs to take the lead and coast to the win.  

Suarez
Bryant

Moose Jaw won the consolation final, 8-5 over Estevan.  The Rockets had trounced Moose Jaw 10-1 in first round action.  It proved a costly event for the Rockets.  Shortstop Clemente Varona broke his leg trying to score in the final game. Varona had belted out five hits in six trips in the tournament.

Foam Lake : (July 11)  Indian Head bounced the Beavers of North Battleford 10-3 to win top prize in the Foam Lake tourney.  Rockets scored three in the first and another four in the third to salt away the victory, their third of the day.  Toribio Leal, who relieved starter Jesse Blackman in the second inning, blanked the Beavers the rest of the way for the victory.  A crowd estimated at 13-thousand watched the final contest.

Indian Head 10 North Battleford 3
Blackman, Leal (2) and Cameron, Barnhill
Swota and Green

The Rockets trounced Sceptre 18-7 in semi-final action.  The Beavers reached the final defeating Ligon's 8-5.

Earlier in the day, Rockets shaded Eston 3-0 and Steve Wylie pitched the Beavers to an 11-2 win over Elfros.  In other games, Ligon's ousted Saskatoon 3-2 and Sceptre took a 3-1 win over Colonsay.

In first round action, Indian Head downed Watson 9-6, Ligon's shaded Wynyard 10-9, Eston beat Quill Lake 9-4, Colonsay bounced back from a 5-0 deficit to edge Yorkton 6-5, Sceptre clobbered Kamsack 15-3, Saskatoon topped Grandview 8-5 and North Battleford moved on with a 9-8 win over Dauphin.

Swift Current, which had recently tried to revamp their team, was a no-show. Elfros advanced by default.

The tournament had a hockey flavour with several prominent stars competing.  Doug and Max Bentley and Gordie Howe were in the Saskatoon lineup, Bert Olmstead with Sceptre, Max MacNab with Watson, Emile Francis with the Beavers, and Metro Prystai and Vern Pachal with Yorkton.

Brandon : (July 12)  A pair of one-hit shutouts highlighted the $1,500 Brandon invitational tournament.  Southpaw Ray Finch's ten-inning, one-hitter gave Elmwood a 1-0 win over Brandon and first prize.  Greys Pedro Naranjo had a two-hitter going into the final inning when two singles sent Bob Harvey home with the game's only run.

Finch and Swanson
Naranjo and Bassett

Elmwood gained a berth in the finals as Willie Jefferson allowed just an 8th inning single as the Giants downed Carman 3-0.  

Jefferson and Greene
Spearman and McKerlie

Brandon topped Estevan 6-3 in the other semi-final.

Bruton and Landrum
Ferro and Bassett

Carman took the consolation final 9-3 over Estevan.  

Bruton, Bryant (2) and Landrum
Jessup and McKerlie

Kamsack : (July 13)  Saskatoon 55s beat the hometown Cyclones 4-1 to take top prize of $1,200  in the Kamsack Elks tournament.  Sherman Watrous had three hits, including a triple for the winners.  A crowd of 7-thousand watched the action.

McCowan, Anderson and Jenson
Lauer and Shirley

In the semi-finals, Kamsack whipped Holar 13-2 and Saskatoon beat the California Mohawks 4-0 as Charlie Beene held the Mohawks to just one hit in seven innings of relief work. 

The major upset of the tourney was provided by Holar, a club from the farm district in the Churchbridge area.  They topped Yorkton Cardinals in the opening round then knocked out Eston Ramblers with a 5-3 win.  Another surprise was the California Mohawks 4-1 victory over Indian Head, winners of the recent Foam Lake tournament.  Other quarterfinal action had Kamsack downing Flin Flon 6-2 and the 55s beating Sceptre 8-3.

In other first round games, Eston beat Grandview, Kamsack ousted Bowsman, Flin Flon Miners dumped Pelly, Indian Head topped Dauphin, Mohawks defeated Preeceville, Sceptre advance with a win over Gilbert Plains and Saskatoon moved on as Steve Stavrianoudakis was the winner in a 14-2 triumph over Roblin.

Indian Head :  (July 19)  The college kids did it.  The Medicine Hat Mohawks came from behind to defeat Eston Ramblers 9-6 and take $1,200 first prize money in the Indian Head tournament.  11-thousand fans watched the finale.

Medicine Hat 9 Eston 6
Francis, Barclay (2) and Noce
Fernandez, Porter (8) and Serpa

Right-hander Curt Barclay was the hero for the Mohawks pitching a seven-hitter in the morning as Medicine Hat eliminated Estevan 3-2 then throwing eight innings in relief as the 'Hawks won the final.  Eston got an early jump on the Mohawks with three runs in the 1st inning of the final against Bud Francis.  After the Hawks replied with a pair in the top of the 4th, three Mohawk errors contributed to a pair of runs against Barclay in the bottom of the frame.  Medicine Hat pulled to within a run with two in the 7th before their four-run outburst in the 8th. They slapped out five hits, including a two-run triple by Ray White.  Al Endriss and Barclay each had a double and two singles for Medicine Hat.  Rudy Fernandez took the loss. 

Pumpsie Green had a big game against Estevan with five hits, including a pair of triples and scored the winning run.  

Barclay and Noce
Bryant and Landrum

The club got strong pitching from Bud Watkins to score an upset, 7-5 win over Regina in a semi-final.

Wooley, Coons (5), Merritt (5) and Kyle, Collins (7)
Watkins and Noce

Jackie McLeod pitched a seven-hitter to advance Eston to the final with a 14-2 win over Kamsack.  Earlier, Eston got a superb mound effort from Andy Porter to best Wilcox-Weyburn 6-3.

Davis, Alexdrian and Murray
McLeod and Serpa, Hucul

Porter and Serpa
G Shupe, A Downton and Covert

Regina had won a semi-final berth as Dave Chadwick out pitched Indian Head's Jesse Blackman and Chet Brewer in the Caps' 7-2 win.  An error, which plated two runs, cost Chadwick the shutout.

Chadwick and Kyle
Blackman, Brewer (3) and Cameron

Kamsack eliminated Swift Current 10-8 in spite of a three-run homer and triple by Swift Current's John McManus.

Callihan (L) and St. John
Cavin, Alexander and Jensen

In opening play, the Weyburn-Wilcox Combines scored a major upset with a 2-0 win over Sceptre Nixons.  Veteran Ralph Hogg allowed seven hits and struck out seven in gaining the shutout.  Rudy Garcia gave up just eight hits in a losing cause but his mates made six errors behind him. 

Lefty Jim Coleman pitched a five-hit shutout as Indian Head beat Moose Jaw 5-0. Dick Stone went the distance for the Canucks giving up nine hits and fanning ten.

Roland Miles belted out three hits -- a single, double and a triple -- to lead Regina to a 7-2 win over Dauphin Redbirds.

Estevan advanced with an 18-7 drubbing of Ligon's All-Stars.  Leroy Pettus had three hits including a double and a homer.

Swift Current edged Notre Dame 5-4 in ten innings as Johnny Mulholland tossed a seven-hitter and belted a three-run triple. 

Medicine Hat got by Lake Valley All-Stars 5-3 while Eston pounded the Edenwold-Kronau Combines 14-8.  Kamsack beat Yorkton 8-5.

The event was certified by the National Baseball Congress.  

A 16-man All-Star team was selected.

Catchers -- Lindy Serpa, Estevan; Lee Landrum, Estevan
Pitchers -- Curt Barclay, MH; Ralph Hogg, Weyburn; James Coleman, IH; Dick Stone, MJ
INF -- Tom Alston, IH; Bob Prescott, IH; Roland Miles, Regina; John Kane, MH; Willie Reed, Pumpsie Green, MH
OF -- Ray Perasso, MH; Pedro Osorio, IH; Shedrick Green, IH; Bob Hobbs, Regina

Moose Jaw 0 Indian Head 5
Stone and Harford
Coleman and Barnhill, Cameron (9)

Medicine Hat 5 Lake Valley 3
Almon and Noce
Thorseth and R Peterson

Notre Dame 4 Swift Current 5
Dombowsky and Germann
Mulholland and St. John

Yorkton 5 Kamsack 8
Rothers and Munroe
Anderson and Jensen

Estevan 18 Ligon's 7
Torgenrud, Lombard (5) and Burleson
Kelley, Broady (3) and Scott

Edenwold-Kronau 8 Eston 14
Broadt, Selinger and A Gottselig
McKinnon, Fernandez and Serpa

Wilcox-Weyburn 2
Sceptre 0
Hogg and Couvert
Garcia and Garay

Dauphin 2 Regina 7
Joyner and Nash
Buttgereit and Kyle

Swift Current 8 Kamsack 10
Callihan and St. John
Calvin, Alexander and Jensen

Medicine Hat 3 Estevan 2
Barclay and Noce
Bryant and Landrum

Eston 6 Wilcox-Weyburn 3
Porter and Serpa
G. Shupe, A. Downton and Covert

Regina 7 Indian Head 2
Chadwick and Kyle
Blackman, Brewer (3) and Cameron

Kamsack 2 Eston 14
Davis, Alexdrian and Murray
McLeod and Serpa, Hucul

Regina 5 Medicine Hat 7
Woolley, Coons (5), Merritt (5) and Kyle, Collins (7)
Watkins and Noce

Medicine Hat 9 Eston 6
Francis, Barclay (2) and Noce
Fernandez, Porter (8) and Serpa

Estevan : (July 25)   Estevan Maple Leafs downed Minot 6-3 to take top prize of $1,200 in a four-team tournament in Estevan.  Lefty Bryant, who pitched for Minot in 1948 and 1949, tossed a five-hitter for the win.  One of the hits was Zoonie McLean's second homer of the tournament.  Seven thousand fans jammed the ball park for the event.  

Bryant (W) and Burleson
Schaffer, Cathey and Kempf

Leafs made the final with an 11-8 win over Sceptre while the Mallards topped Brandon 6-3.  Greys beat Sceptre 8-6 in the playoff for third money as Rafe Cabrera had a homer. Lefty McKinnis and Amancio Ferro handled the mound chores for the Greys.  Johnny Mulholland and Cliff Jacobson shared the hill work for Sceptre. 

Willie Cathey held Brandon to five hits and McLean belted a homer in the Mallards win over the Greys.  

Saskatoon Exhibition : (July 29)  Sceptre scored all their runs in the last two innings to overcome a five-run deficit to beat North Battleford 12-6 in the final of the Saskatoon Exhibition tournament.  Sceptre pocketed top prize of $1,300.

Beavers won $800, while the other two teams -- Delisle Gems and Eston Ramblers each picked up $200.

Before the final, Doug Bentley of Delisle was presented with a shotgun for having the highest batting average in the round robin affair.  The hockey star hit .600 for the Gems.

Rosetown : (July 31)  Indian Head and Eston split first and second prize money in the Rosetown tourney when the final was called after six innings due to darkness.  The teams were tied 1-1.  The Rockets and the Ramblers each take home $950.  Estevan and Sceptre each collected $400.  

The Rockets edged Sceptre 2-1 in one semi-final while Eston beat Estevan 9-2. Earlier in the day, Indian Head shaded Saskatoon 6-4 in a replay of their initial contest which ended in a 5-5 draw. 

In the 5-5 contest, the 55s plated a pair in the bottom of the 9th to gain the tie.  

Morrow, Brewer (9), Leal (9)
Beene, Fowlke (9)

In earlier play, Sceptre beat Delisle 1-0, scoring the only run in the bottom of the 9th inning, and Eston scored five runs in the top of the 10th inning to down North Battleford 6-2.  

Wylie and Green
McHenry and Burnison

Eston won a semi-final berth with a 10-5 win over Plunkett.  Smoke Lutcher led the Ramblers at the plate with a triple and double. 

Herb Stevenson and Lindy Serpa
Ted Senko and McWillie

Virden : (Aug 2)   Carman Cardinals exploded for six runs in the 9th inning to beat Estevan 13-9 and take top prize money of $600 in the annual Virden tournament.  Maple Leafs had a 9-7 lead with one out in the 9th when McCullough in right field dropped a fly ball permitting the tying runs to score.  On the next play he dropped another one and the Cards capitalized for the victory.  

Brenzel and Thomas
Bruton, McHenry and Burleson

Carman made the final with an easy 17-9 win over Yorkton.

Spearman and Thomas
Rothaus and Munroe

Estevan scored two in the top of the 9th and held off a Brandon rally in the bottom of the inning to post a 7-6 win.  

Woolley, Bruton (9) and Landrum
Ferro, Naranjo (1) and Bassett, Rodriguez

Greys whipped Yorkton 9-1 in a five inning contest to grab third place money.

Ferro and Rodriguez
McIvor and Munroe

Tisdale : (Aug 3)  Chet Brewer tossed a four-hit shutout to lead Indian Head Rockets to first prize money of $800 in the Tisdale Lions Club baseball tournament.  Rockets beat North Battleford 6-0 in the final before a crowd of 3-thousand fans.

To reach the final, Indian Head defeated Delisle 7-0 and the Beavers ousted the Saskatoon 55s 9-3.

Brewer allowed only one player to get as far as third and faced just 31 batters.  He struck out nine.  The Rockets had nine hits of Pete Polus with Bob Prescott leading the way with two doubles and a single.  Tom Alston had a pair of doubles.

Brewer
Polus

In the semi-finals, Andy Swota held the 55s to four hits -- two of them homers, by Sherman Watrous and Bob Herron and a triple by Roy Taylor. Pete Polus drove in five runs for the Beavers with a triple and two singles.

Swota
Hannah, Arnold, Stavrianoudakis

John Coleman tossed a three-hitter and got home run support from Bob Prescott as the Rockets beat Delisle in the semi-finals.  

Coleman
Fowlkes, Courtoreille

Edmonton :  Medicine Hat and Eston shared the top prize money as rain forced the cancellation of the prairie's biggest tournament, the $7,300 Edmonton event sponsored by Red Nixon. 

The Mohawks had a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning of the title game (August 07) when the rains came. Medicine Hat's Brick Swegle agreed to replay the contest the following day but there was no change in the weather. (The two teams returned to Edmonton Labour Day weekend for an exhibition series, but that too was washed out.)  The big blows for the Mohawks were doubles by Johnny Kane and Willie Reed in the 2nd and a homer by Fred Bartels, his second of the tournament, in the 3rd. Larry Bolger held the Ramblers to just three hits. 

Bolger and Noce
Fernandez, McKinnon (3) and Serpa

(August 07) Medicine Hat reached the final of the $7,300 Edmonton tournament taking a 6-0 lead over Regina and holding on for a 6-5 win. The Eston Ramblers advanced by defeated the Edmonton Aces 8-6. 

Medicine Hat 6 Regina 5
Watkins, Barclay (6) and Noce
Merritt, Chadwick (7) and Turner

Belmont appeared to be headed for the final after taking a 6-3 lead over Eston with a five-run 6th inning.  However, the Ramblers plated three in their half of the inning and added another trio in the 7th.  McDermid had homered for the Aces in the first. 

Edmonton (Belmont) 6 Eston 8
Martin, Malik (7) and Pearson
Stevenson, McKinnon (6), Fernandez (6) and Serpa

(August 06)  The Aces won a semi-final berth in the Edmonton tournament with a 4-3, 10 inning, victory over the Central Alberta All-Stars. Gordie Pearson's single knocked in the winning run.  Regina Caps moved into the semi-final round with a 4-3, 10 inning, win over the Edmonton Oilers. Dave Chadwick went the distance for the pitching victory.  Pee Wee Collins walked in the 10th and came around to score the winner. 

Regina 4 Edmonton Oilers 3 (10) 
Chadwick and Turner
Seaman, Lowe (5) and Warwick

Curt Barclay, reported to have turned down a $35,000 bonus to turn pro, stopped Indian Head on six hits.  Larry Bolger saved the match with the bases loaded and two out in the 9th as he speared a towering drive for the final out.  Fred Bartels blasted a homer in the 6th. 

Indian Head 3 Medicine Hat 6
Morrow, Blackman (8) and Cameron
Barclay and Noce

It was a family affair as Jimmy Shields, the playing-manager of the Ramblers, guided his club to a win over Uncle Fergie Shields' Sceptre nine.  Nixons pounded Jackie McLeod for four runs in the first two innings but the New York Rangers forward yielded just three hits the rest of the way.  Ramblers won in the 10th on a walk to McLeod, a sacrifice, Art Ramsay's double, and Grant Locke's single to left.  Del St. John had two doubles and a single for Sceptre. 

Eston 6 Sceptre 4 (10)
McLeod and Serpa
Price and Garay

Belmont shaded the Central Alberta All-Stars 4-3  Lefty Ray Malik picked up the win in relief of Dutch Lakeman.  Ray Kinasewich scored the winning run after singling and advancing on a single, walk and an infield out.  Pete Kruger had a homer for the All-Stars. 

British Columbia  (August 8)  Trail Smoke Eaters won the BC title with a 7-2 win over the Spokane George Builders in the final of the BC Championship Tournament.  Trail lefty Irwin Lavoroto tossed a five-hitter and fanned 14.

Trail 7 Spokane 2
Lavoroto and Field
Bloomquist and Viro

The Smoke Eaters reached the final with a 3-1 win over Troy with Joe Jankola on the hill.  Oliver Elks and Troy (Montana) tied for third, Fruitvale Beavers, Rossland Cubs, Nelson Peerlers,  and Tekos (Washington) Smokers tied for fifth. 

Medicine Hat : (August 19) : The hometown Mohawks beat Regina Caps 6-1 in the final of the $2,000 Medicine Hat tournament.  Bud Watkins held the Caps to five hits in going the distance.  Pumpsie Green had three of the Mohawks' ten hits.  Medicine Hat reached the final beating Moose Jaw Canucks 10-0.  Caps won their semi-final, 3-1 over Sceptre in a replay of Saturday's game which ended in a 3-3 tie. Carl Coons was the winner.  Moose Jaw won third prize money by defeating Sceptre 4-1 on three-hit pitching by Johnny Mulholland.  The Canucks beat Sceptre's ace, Hal Price.  Alex Palica had two hits and drove in a pair for Moose Jaw. 

Medicine Hat 6 Regina 1
Watkins and Green
Galloway and McDaniels

Moose Jaw 4 Sceptre 1
Mulholland and Harford
Price and Garay

"The tournament final was loaded with fielding gems.  Both shortstops, Rip Collins of Caps and Johnny Kane of Mohawks, pulled off more than one sensational save. However, it was up to Ray Perasso, the Tribe's centrefielder, to make the outstanding catch of the tourney.  With Pee Wee Collins resting on third by virtue of a walk and wild pitch Bob Maren hit a long line-drive into left-centre field that had "triple" marked on it.  Perasso, who was away with the crack of the bat, never seemed to have a chance of stopping the ball but at the last split-second made a tremendous dive for it.  His gloved hand caught the pill inches off the ground and as Perasso was rolling over and over, Collins came in to score the Caps' lone run. (Medicine Hat News, August 20, 1951)

(August 18)  Curt Barclay, Mohawks' tournament "iron man" keep his record unblemished as the Hawks swamped Moose Jaw 10-0 in the opening game of the "Hat's second baseball tournament of the year.   Barclay held the Canucks to three singles. Medicine Hat managed just six hits off Wayne Brock but took advantage of seven Moose Jaw errors.  Franny Oneto had two of the hits, one a bases-loaded single in the 6th inning. 

Brock and Harford
Barclay and Noce

"For our money Pete Beiden is the smartest coach in the Western league ... 17-year-old Pumpsie Green, the best third sacker in the league, had one hit in three trips to the plate and scored three Mohawk runs.  Green is steadily improving and is tabbed for the big leagues."  (Medicine Hat News, August 18, 1951)
  

National Baseball Congress Playoff Tournaments :

Saskatchewan :  (August 15) The Indian Head Rockets walloped Dauphin 11-1 and 23-1 to win the Saskatchewan semi-pro championship at the tournament in Indian Head.  Rockets took the two-game total-run final 34-2. 

Toribio Leal, with ninth inning relief from Chet Brewer, held Dauphin to just five hits in the opener.  Brewer set down the only three men he faced.  Brewer tossed a three-hitter in the second contest as the Rockets pounded out 24 hits.  Lester Witherspoon was the star at the plate with five hits -- a homer, two doubles and a pair of singles. 

Dauphin 1 Indian Head 11
Joyner and Stempak
Leal, Brewer (9) and Cameron

Indian Head 23 Dauphin 1
Brewer and Barnhill
Stevenson and Nash

Dauphin had advanced to the final with a 5-3 win over the Saskatoon 55s. Frank Watkins had a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Jim Shirley beat out a single.  Watkins went the distance allowing four hits.  Redbirds scored four of their five runs on Saskatoon errors.

Dauphin 5 Saskatoon 3
Watkins and Stempak
Arnold, Stavrianoudakis (2), Beene (6), Hannah (9) and Shirley.

Six teams had qualified for the first annual Saskatchewan Championship Baseball Tournament sponsored by the National Baseball Congress -- Indian Head Rockets, Estevan Maple Leafs, Eston Ramblers, Saskatoon 55s, Regina Caps and Dauphin Red Birds.

(August 08)  Indian Head moved into the final after taking a total-run series from Estevan 16-10. Rockets had fallen behind 10-2 after the first game.  Eston was to have played in the grouping with the Rockets and the Maple Leafs but had stayed in Edmonton hoping to complete the final game of the rich Edmonton tournament.  Gordie Howe paced the Saskatoon attack against Regina with a homer, triple and double.  The 55s had Max Bentley at second base, Doug Bentley in centre, Jim Shirley behind the plate, Sherman Watrous in right field and Bev Bentley and Howe in the lineup.

Estevan 10 Indian Head 2
McHenry and Landrum
Blackman, Leal (5) and Barnhill

Indian Head 14 Estevan 0
Leal, Coleman (7) and Cameron
Jenkins, Bryant (2) and Landrum

The Regina Caps' stall tactics cast a pall over the opening day of the Saskatchewan championship tournament. Trailing Saskatoon 11-4,  some members of the Regina club began to stall in hopes darkness would force the game to be called before the minimum 4 1/2 innings had been played.  The strategy failed as the game went to six frames with the the 55's taking a 15-4 victory.

Regina 4 Saskatoon 15
Vogt, Chadwick (3), Merritt (4), Coons (4) and Turner
Porter, Arnold (1) and Shirley

Dauphin ?? Regina ??

Alberta : (August 29)  The Sceptre (Saskatchewan) Nixons captured the Alberta title in what turned out to be a best-of-three series with Medicine Hat. Rain forced the scheduled best-of-five series to be shortened.  

Sceptre took the deciding game 3-2 after the teams had split a double-header, Mohawks won the first game 8-5 and Nixons captured the nightcap, 6-4.  

Barry Robertshaw, an addition to the Sceptre club from the Edmonton Oilers, singled in Ken Nelson with what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning. Hal Price held the Mohawks to six hits and fanned eight.  Bud Francis and Larry Bolger handled the mound chores for Medicine Hat.

Mohawks' Curt Barclay scattered nine hits to take the win in the first game of the twin-bill.  Medicine Hat took advantage of four Sceptre errors.  Rudy Garcia , a former Mohawk, allowed just six hits in taking the loss.  Cliff Jacobson pitched and batted the Nixons to the win in the second game. Jacobson allowed just five hits.  Bud Watkins was the loser.

Nixons qualified for the final by winning the Medicine Hat tournament and the Mohawks won a berth by taking top spot in the Lacombe tournament.

Western Canada : (September 06)  Pitcher Hal Price again was a key as Sceptre Nixons captured the Western Canada semi-professional baseball championship.  Just a day after he pitched a complete-game three-hitter, Price held Indian Head to seven hits and survived a ninth inning rally as Sceptre scored a 7-5 victory.  With the win Sceptre was also crowned as the Canadian champions by the National Baseball Congress.

Price held the Rockets to four hits over eight innings as the Nixons held a 7-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.  Indian Head pushed across three markers and had the bases loaded with one out when Price got Les Witherspoon and Tom Alston to ground out to end the game. Nixon centrefielder Gene Jacobs was the star at the plate with three hits.  In five games, Jacobs had 12 hits in 21 at bats.

Sceptre 7 Indian Head 5
Price and Garay
Brewer and Landrum

(September 05) : Sceptre and Indian Head split the first two games of the best-of-three final for the Western Canada semi-professional championship.  Sceptre bounced back from a 19-7 beating to defeat Indian Head 7-1 in the second game of the double-header. Hal Price held the Rockets to just three hits in the Sceptre victory. 

Indian Head 19 Sceptre 7
Morrow, Blackman (9) and Landrum
Courtoreille, Jacobson (7) and Garay

Sceptre 7 Indian Head 1  
Price and Garay
Blackman, Leal (4) and Landrum

Sceptre scored 13 runs in the first inning on nine walks, two hits and five errors and went on to trample the Trail Smoke Eaters 20-5 in opening action.  Indian Head Rockets plated four runs in the 4th inning against Sammy Fowlkes and held on to edge Saskatoon 55s 7-6. The 55s had the bases loaded in the 8th but failed to score. 

Earlier, Sceptre beat Saskatoon 5-0, and Indian Head shutout Trail 8-0.