1955 BC Interior Game Reports     

1955 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley 
1955 BC Interior 
1955 Vancouver Island   

OKANAGAN MAINLINE LEAGUE

The 1955 league reverted back to a six-team circuit after Princeton’s one season entry in 1954. The only other change of any significance involved the Penticton team taking the name of the Red Sox after many seasons of being called the Athletics.

(April 24)  With new uniforms, a new name, Red Sox, and several new faces the Penticton senior ball club kicked off the season in grand style Sunday crushing the defending champion Kamloops Okonots 18 to 2 in a game which saw 27 walks. And, they did it with a five-hit attack. The Red Sox capitalized on 19 bases on balls and five Kamloops errors. Bud Russell, Lloyd Burgart and Eddie John each scored three times. Everyone in the Penticton lineup, with the exception of first baseman Doug Moore drew at least one free pass with Russell reaching base with four walks. An 11-run first inning put the game away early. Dick Getz held the Okonots to four hits while issuing eight walks. Wendell Clifton had two hits for the winners and scored a pair. Sam Drossos was credited with four runs batted in and Clifton knocked in three.

Brkich (L), Nagle (1) and Slater, Rota
Clifton (W) and S.Drossos

(April 24)   Summerland Macs pleased the home crowd scoring three in the bottom of the seventh inning to come from behind to top Vernon 10-8 Sunday.  Macs combined four singles and a walk to take a 9-8 lead then added an insurance run in the 8th. Geordie Taylor paced the winners driving in three runs with a brace of hits. Billy Eyre relieved started Don Cristante in the sixth to get credit for the victory.

G.Dye (L) and Keckalo
Cristante, Eyre (W) (6) and B.Weitzel

(April 24)   Bob Radies got the Oliver OBCs off on the right foot Sunday tossing a three-hitter to lead the locals to an 8-2 win over Kelowna Orioles. Radies fanned eight and walked a pair.  Singles by Weeks and Frank Fritz, a double by Don Coy along with a walk to McNiven and an error gave Oliver three runs in the first inning. They added three more in the second on a single by Weeks, walks to Paul Eisenhut and McNiven and two infield errors. Denny Reid, the first of three Kelowna hurlers, was saddled with the loss.

Reid (L), Hickson, Campbell and xxx
Radies (W) and xxx

(May 1)   Summerland dumped Kelowna 6-2 Sunday for their second win of the young season.

(May 1)  In a wild one at Vernon, Kamloops Okonots outlasted Vernon Canadians, 15-11 as third baseman Ron Evenson clouted a pair of two-run homers to offset a grand slam clout by Ken Kulak of Vernon.  Kulak's blast was the only hit for the Canadians in the first inning as they scored six times. Baz Nagle walked the bases full then walked two more before giving up Kulak's four-bagger. Once Nagle found the strike zone he was solid, compiling 16 strike outs. In the sixth inning Nagle fanned the side on ten pitches.

Nagle (W) and Stewart
G.Dye (L), Tasko (5) and Pohlman, Keckalo (6)

(May 1)  Bill Martino and Richie Schnider combined on a two-hitter to lead Oliver to a 5-1 triumph over Penticton. Oliver took advantage of a hit, two errors and two walks in the second inning to score four times.  Wendell Clifton yielded just three hits in taking the loss.

Clifton (L) and Drossos
Martino (W), Snyder (5) and Radies

(May 8)   Penticton Red Sox engineered a finish for the movies Sunday rallying for six runs with two out in the bottom of the ninth to nip Vernon Canadians 10-9.  After six straight singles tied the score at 9-9, the Sox got the winning marker on a passed ball.  Vernon had scored seven runs in the seventh inning to take the lead. Wendell Clifton, who knocked in the tying counter, and Bill Raptis, who scored the winner, led Penticton each with three hits. Sam Drossos belted a homer and single.  Dick Getz, who relieved starter Clifton, picked up the win.

Tasko (L), Dye (9) and Pohlman
Clifton, Getz (W) (7) and S.Drossos

(May 8)   Summerland Macs took over sole possession of first place in the Okanagan Mainline League Sunday with a 9-6 victory over Oliver OBCs.  Macs built up a 9-1 lead before giving up five runs in the ninth.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(May 8)   Kamloops Okonots crushed the Kelowna Orioles 14-1 Sunday in their home debut in the Okanagan Mainline Baseball League as Baz Nagle had a no-hitter into the ninth inning. The right-hander gave up three straight hits in the ninth before the Okonots got a double play to end the game. Buck Buchanan paced a 12-hit attack with a pair of homers. Ron Evenson also had a four master. The lone Oriole run was scored by Johnny Lingor in the 7th inning. He reached on an error and scored on a passed ball.

Nagle (W) and Slater
Hickson, Reid (2) Campbell (7) and Kielbiski

Summerland    3 - 0
Penticton     2 - 1
Oliver        2 - 1
Kamloops      2 - 1
Vernon        0 - 3
Kelowna       0 - 3

(May 15)   Kelowna Orioles broke open a tight ball game with seven runs in the sixth inning and went on to whip Vernon 11 to 5 behind a 13 hit attack. Bobby Campbell, who went the distance with a nine-hitter for the win, helped the offense with a pair of hits.  Orioles punched out seven hits in their big inning. The big hit for the Canadians was a two-run homer by Ken Kulak.

Tasko (L), Dye (2) and Pohlman
Campbell (W) and Kielbiski

(May 15)   Kamloops Okonots and Oliver OBCs split a twin bill at Oliver with the visitors taking the opener 4-2 before the home squad ran away with the second game 12-1. Baz Nagle, with a four-hitter, bested Bob Radies, who gave up five hits in the seven-inning first game. Kamloops took a 3-2 lead in the first inning and there was no more scoring until the Okonots added a singleton in the final frame.

Nagle (W) and Stewart
Radies (L) and Sibson

Bill Martino fired a three-hit gem with ten strikeouts as Oliver coasted to the win in the second game. Kamloops had all three hits in the fifth inning to score their lone marker. Richie Schnider cracked out four hits, one a double, to lead a 13-hit attack.

Nagle (L), Brkich (4) and Stewart
B.Martino (W) and Radies

(May 15)   Summerland Macs captured their fourth win in as many starts edging Penticton Red Sox 3-2 at Summerland.  Bob Cristante tossed three-hit ball for the win.  Macs got a break in the ninth as Sam Drossos, on third base, misjudged a Red Sox fly ball and had to run back and touch third before racing home where he was thrown out for the third out. Losing pitcher Wendell Clifton had two of the three hits for the Sox.

Clifton (L), Getz and S.Drossos
Cristante (W) and Egely

Summerland    4 - 0
Kamloops      3 - 2
Oliver        3 - 2
Penticton     2 - 2
Kelowna       1 - 3
Vernon        0 - 4

(May 22)    Len Fowles knocked in four runs with a homer, double and single and Buck Buchanan collected a double and two singles to pace a 14-hit attack as Kamloops Okonots crushed Penticton 12-6. Every batter in the Okonots lineup had at least one hit. Baz Nagle went the distance on the hill allowing seven hits, including a three-run homer by Sam Drossos.

Nagle (W) and Slater
Getz (L), Clifton (4) and S.Drossos

(May 22)   Summerland Macs continued their winning ways Sunday dropping Vernon Canadians 6-4 for their fifth consecutive victory. Billy Eyre pitched a four-hitter and struck out eight in posting his third win of the season. Shortstop Al Hooker collected a two-run homer and two singles.  Geordie Taylor added three safeties.

Eyre (W) and xxx
Tasko (L) and G.Dye (6) and xxx

(May 23)   Penticton Victoria Day Tournament

The home town Red Sox captured top money at the Penticton Victoria Day Tournament nipping Oliver 8-7 on Charlie Preen's single with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Oliver pushed across three runs in the 8th inning to take a 7-5 advantage going into the final inning.  With one out in their last at bat, George Drossos drew a walk for the Sox and, after Wendell Clifton flied out for the second out, Sam Drossos reached on an error at shortstop. Doug Moore loaded the sacks with his third hit of the game and Elmer Mori worked Richie Schnider for a walk to bring in the first run. Preen followed with his winning smash scoring Sam Drossos and Moore. The game featured three homers with Buddy Russell connecting for the Sox and Vanderburgh and Frank Fritz for the OBCs. Clifton was credited with the win while Snyder took the loss.

Earlier Penticton trounced Summerland 17-4 as Eddie John, normally a second baseman, took to the mound and pitched a six-hitter. The Sox scored nine runs in the third inning and coasted to the easy win.

(May 29)   Centre fielder Buddy Russell was the hero for the Penticton Red Sox Sunday as he drove in six runs with a homer, double and single in a 13-5 shellacking of the Kelowna Orioles. The Sox trailed early as the visitors scored once in each of the first, third and fourth innings and added two more in the fifth. The third inning marker was a four-bagger by Al Schaeffer. Red Sox battled back with a run in fifth and four in the fifth for a tie then took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth.  Wendell Clifton was the winning hurler besting Len Schaeffer.Al Schaeffer was the game's big hitter with four hits in five trips to the plate.

L.Schaeffer, Reid (6), L.Schaeffer and Kielbiski
Clifton (W) and Richards, Posnikoff

(May 29)   In a game played under protest, Summerland Macs ran their record to 6-0 edging Kamloops Okonots 7-6 in a rain shortened contest at Summerland. The game was delayed in the fifth and then called in the seventh after the Macs had come from behind a 6-3 deficit to scrape home a one-run lead. The second game of the scheduled double-header was postponed.  

Capitalizing on wild pitches by Baz Nagle, Macs took a one-run lead in the first inning but the Okonots roared back in the third when Nagle and Bob Saklofsky walked and Gordie Beecroft cracked a triple to plate two and Billy MacDonald singled to bring in two more. Nagle settled down to fan ten of the next 12 batters but in the sixth Geordie Taylor smacked a three-bagger and Al Hooker brought him home with a sac fly. Doug Kilburn singled and crossed home on a hit by Ollie Egely.  That made it 4-3 going into the seventh and the Okonots made it 6-3 as Billy Eyre, who had relieved Don Cristante in the third, walked three in a row and Beecroft, who had four runs batted in, knocked in a pair. Summerland rallied, helped by two walks and an error, to score four times to post the triumph.

Nagle (L) and xxx
Cristante, Eyre (W) (3) and xxx

(May 29)   Oliver OBCs sent Vernon Canadians to their sixth and seventh straight losses Sunday pushing across the winning run in the last inning to shade the visitors 3-2 in the seven-inning opener and scoring four late runs to break up another tight duel for a 6-1 win in the nightcap. Vernon errors, four in the first game and five in the second played major roles in the two contests. Jim Tasko and Bob Radies hooked up in a dandy mound battle in the opener. Tasko allowed just four hits, Radies five.  A pair of doubles combined with errors by the Canadians catcher led to the first two Oliver runs and, in the seventh, it was Tasko's error which allowed Paul Eisenhut to score the winner after he had walked and stolen second.

The nightcap also developed into a pitchers' duel with Vernon's George Dye facing off against the OBCs Bill Martino. Dye scattered eight hits but his own errors paved the way for Oliver's runs in the third and the fifth. After six innings Oliver had a 2-1 lead but a walk and another miscue pushed across an insurance marker. The home squad added three more in the 8th, one one a homer by Paul EIsenhut, to seal the victory. 

Tasko (L) and Keckalo
Radies (W) and Fritz

G.Dye (L), Hayashi (8), Tasko (9) and Pohlman, Keckalo (7)
Martino (W) and Radies

(June 5)   Kelowna Orioles stopped Summerland's winning streak at six on Sunday dropping the Macs 2-1 in a hard fought contest.  Kelowna took the lead with two runs in the fourth inning after loading the bases as Eddie Kielbiski singled, R.Wickenheiser drew a free pass and R.Ito was hit by a pitch. Winning pitcher Gary Ball worked Don Cristante for a walk for the first run and an error resulted in the second.  Summerland got its only run in the ninth when Vern Barton scored on an error. Ball got the win with a four-hitter while Cristante yielded just three in being saddled with the defeat.

Ball (W) and Kielbiski
Cristante (L) and Egely

(June 5)   Things just got worse for the Vernon Canadians. They dropped their 8th straight game Sunday, 7-1 to Kamloops Okonots and have lost pitcher Jim Tasko who has left town to take a job at Williams Lake. Last week manager Vern Dye stepped down and turned over the reins to president Ken Crandlemire and there's the possibility that second baseman Don Segur will take a job at the Coast.  The Canadians got a run in the first inning at Kamloops on a walk and two hits but then Baz Nagle pitched shutout ball the rest of the way. Okonots quickly made up ground with a three run outburst in the bottom of the first with Jack Fowles two-run homer highlighting the action. Fowles led the winners with three hits. Gordie Beecroft smacked homer in the fifth. 

Dye (L), Tasko (5) and Pohlman
Nagle (W) and Slater

(June 5)   In an exhibition test at King's Park, Penticton Red Sox topped the Fruitvale Athletics 8-2 as Dick Getz fashioned a four-hitter for the win. Sox rapped out 11 hits with Lloyd Burgart, Eddie John and Wendell Clifton each collecting a pair.

xxx and xxx
Getz (W) and xxx

(June 12)    Oliver OBCs pushed across four runs in the third inning Sunday and went on to top Summerland 6-4 to take over first place in the Okanagan-Mainline standings, a half-game up on the Macs. Oliver combined three hits, four walks and a wild throw from the outfield in their big inning.  Bill Martino picked up the pitching win fanning nine before giving way to Richie Schnider in the 8th.

Eyre (L), Cristante (4) and xxx
Martino (W), Snyder (8) and xxx

(June 12)   Penticton blew a first inning 5-0 lead but rebounded with six straight runs in the fourth through the seventh innings to top Vernon 11-8.  Red Sox took advantage of five walks and a Dick Getz double in the first frame. Vernon came storming back with five funs in the third on a walk, three hits and three errors.  However, Penticton's Bud Russell smacked a three-run homer in the fourth to put the Sox ahead to stay. Russell added a triple and single to his productive day and Wendell Clifton poked one over the left field fence in the seventh. Wally Janicki belted a circuit blow for the Canadians in the seventh.

Getz (W), Clifton (8) and Posnikoff, S.Drossos (8)
Dye (L) and Keckalo

(June 12)  The scheduled game between Kelowna Orioles and Kamloops Okonots was postponed.

Oliver        7 - 2
Summerland    6 - 2
Kamloops      4 - 3
Penticton     4 - 3
Kelowna       2 - 5
Vernon        0 - 9

(June 19)    Penticton Red Sox had a 4-0 lead but ended up losing 9-0 at Summerland Sunday as a rhubarb blew up before a packed grandstand.  With one out in the second inning, Ed John and Bud Russell on base, Red Sox coach Sam Drossos and umpire Joe Sheeley ended the game with a flurry of words and antics. Drossos had had words with Sheeley in the first inning when the umpire allowed Don Cristante to continue pitching strikes while Drossos was outside the batter's box arguing the ump's calls.  This occurred again in the second and Drossos persisted in beefing as Billy Eyre continued to pitch. Sheeley called Drossos out on a third strike as the Sox hitter was standing with his back to the pitcher and outside the box. This provoked even more heated arguments which led to the ejection of Joe Posnikoff, Lloyd Burgart and Drossos. This left the Sox with just eight players and Sheeley was forced to forfeit the game to the Macs. 

(June 19)   The hapless Vernon Canadians blew a 5-0 lead and went down to their 10th straight defeat in Sunday's fixture at Elks Stadium, an 11-inning 8-6 heart-breaker, as Kelowna pitcher Gary Ball smacked one out of the park to win his own game.  Vernon held a 6-2 lead in the ninth but Kelowna rallied with four runs, two on a Len Wickenheiser homer, to tie. In the 11th,  Pat Wilson gave up a one-out single to Cec Favell before the gopher ball to Ball. R.Ito, Johnny Lingor and Eddie Kielbiski each had three hits for the Orioles. Wally Keckalo responded with a trio for the losers.

Wilson (L), Dye (8), Wilson (10) and Keckalo
Ball (W) and Kielbiski

(June 19)     Kamloops and Oliver divided a double-header at Riverside Park Sunday with the locals taking the opener 6-5 before dropping an 8-6 decision in the second game.  Gordie Beecroft was the main man for the Okonots in the first game holding the powerful OBCs to seven hits and fanning 11 in the seven inning contest while his fifth inning homer proved to be the winning counter. Ron Evenson also had a circuit clout for Kamloops.

Radies, Snyder (4)  and Fritiz, Radies
Beecroft (W) and Slater

Short of pitching, Okonots called on teenager Jim Saklofsky in the second game but the youngster gave up a run in the first after walking the bases full and the defense fell apart in the second as Oliver combined four hits with the miscues to bring home six runs and a 7-0 lead. Jack Fowles, whose previous mound experience had been a couple of innings in a recent exhibition game, took over in the third for the Okonots and blanked Oliver for six innings while the OBCs fought back to plate six runs before Oliver added an insurance run in the ninth. Elmer Bay led the winners with three hits.

B.Martino (W), Snyder and Radies
J.Saklofsky (L), Fowles (3) and Slater

(June 26)  Penticton Red Sox hammered out 15 hits, three by Bill Raptis and a grand slam homer by Sam Drossos, to crush Kamloops Okonots 19-3. Doug Moore added a homer and single.  Raptis scored four times. The Red Sox put the game on ice early scoring 11 times in the second inning.  John Brkich belted a home run for Kamloops. Dick Getz held the Okonots to five hits in posting the win.

Getz (W) and xxx
Elliott (L), Beecroft (2) and xxx

(June 26)  Bill Martino fashioned a neat four-hitter and helped at the plate with two hits to help Oliver to a 6 to 1 victory over Kelowna. OBCs collected a dozen hits, with Doug Weeks, Mickey Martino, Don Coy and Bob Radiies each with a pair.

G.Ball (L) and Kielbiski
B.Martino (W) and Radies

(June 29)   Everyone in the Penticton lineup had at least one hit as the Red Sox smoked Kelowna 13-9 Wednesday at King's Park. Centre fielder Bud Russell led the way with a three-run homer, two singles and three runs scored. Winning twirler Wendell Clifton, who fanned 15, knocked in four runs with his three safeties and shortstop Lloyd Burgart added two hits and two runs. Johnny Lingor had a two-run home run for the Orioles.

L.Schaeffer (L), Ball (2) and Kielbiski
Clifton (W) and Posnikoff

(July 3)   The largest crowd in Oliver in four seasons - close to 1,000 - turned out Sunday to watch the OBCs edge Penticton 5-4.  Oliver had opened the scoring with a pair in the third inning and Sam Drossos' two-run homer tied it for the Red Sox in the fifth.  OBCs went ahead with a pair in the sixth and a singleton in the seventh. Penticton rallied for two in the 8th and threatened in the final frame when Eddie John walked and advanced to third with just one out. However, Wendell Clifton hit into a double-play to end the game. Bill Martino went the distance on the hill for Oliver to post his 6th win without a loss.  Larry Jordan, in Penticton on holidays, hurled for the Red Sox.

Jordan (L) and xxx
Martino (W) and xxx

(July 3)   A grand slam homer by Buck Buchanan in the fifth inning helped power the Kamloops Okonots to a 13-10 triumph over the winless Vernon Canadians.  Buchanan's round-tripper came with the Okonots behind 7-2 and looking as if they might be Vernon's first victims this summer. Kamloops scored seven runs in the big inning and added another in the 6th to go ahead 10-7 but Vernon fought back to tie with three runs in their half of the sixth. A three-run 7th inning was decisive for Kamloops. Kim Elliott, in his second game since his arrival from Vancouver, went the route giving up ten hits.

Elliott (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 3)   Don Cristante, the game's hitting star, came in as a reliever to get the last two batters with the bases loaded in the ninth to save a 7-6 win for the Summerland Macs over the Kelowna Orioles. Cristante, who played centre field until his mound appearance, knocked in five runs with a pair of homers.  Doug Kilburn also had two hits for the winners while Mits Koga had a double and knocked in three runs for the Orioles.

Hooker (W), Cristante (9) and Egely
Ball (L) and Kielbiski

Oliver       10 - 3
Summerland    8 - 2  0.5
Kamloops      7 - 5  2.5
Penticton     6 - 5  3.0
Kelowna       3 - 8  6.0
Vernon        0 - 11 9.0

(July 6)   In a wild one Wednesday at King's Park, Oliver and Penticton combined for 25 runs, 25 hits, 17 errors and 21 strikeouts. The Red Sox 17-8 victory also featured a couple of huge home runs, several wild pitches and passed balls and a host of free passes.  Penticton exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. The Sox combined six hits and four Oliver errors to give them a 10-0 lead.  Bill Nicholson led the winners with four hits and three runs batted in. Sam Drossos smacked a mighty homer in the seventh which cleared the centre field fence, 375 feet away, by a good 20 feet. Frank Fritz rapped a round tripper for the OBCs. Wendell Clifton picked up his fourth win giving up seven hits and three walks. Eight Red Sox errors led to most of the damage against him.  Bill Martino, shelled from the mound in the fourth inning after giving up six runs and six hits, took his first loss of the season.

Martino (L), Snyder (4) and xxx
Clifton (W) and xxx

(July 10)   Oliver took over sole possession of first place in the OMBL Sunday downing Summerland Macs 13 to 4. OBCs now top the circuit by a full game over the Macs with Penticton and Kamloops 2 1/2 games off the pace. Bill Martino rebounded from a poor start against Penticton Wednesday to pick up his 7th win.  Bob Radies smacked a homer for the winners.

Martino (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 10)   Bill MacDonald swatted a two-run homer in the second inning and knocked in the winner with a sacrifice fly in the sixth as Kamloops Okonots shaded Kelowna Orioles 4-2 Sunday at Kelowna.  Kim Elliott surrendered seven hits and struck out seven in going the route for the win. Gary Ball allowed just five hits in taking the loss. He fanned nine.

Elliott (W) and Stewart
Ball (L) and Kielbiski

(July 10)  Vernon failed to appear for a scheduled game at Penticton. A shortage of players was blamed for the action.

Oliver       11 - 4
Summerland    8 - 3  1.0
Kamloops      8 - 5  2.0
Penticton     7 - 5  2.5
Kelowna       3 - 9  6.5
Vernon        0 - 11 9.0

(July 13)  With a pitching recruit from the prairies, Vernon Canadians snapped an 11-game losing streak Sunday nipping Kelowna Orioles 2-1 as Gordie Holderbein held the visitors to three hits. The only run against him was unearned, set up by an infield error, and Holderbein racked up seven strikeouts and did not issue a walk. Ray Pawluk and Tom Stecyk combined to provide the Vernon counters.  Stecyk walked, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Pawluk's single in the second and then, in the sixth, Stecyk singled, made second on an error and scored as Pawluk delivered his second hit.  It was Pawluk's first appearance in the lineup this summer. Len Schaeffer was the tough-luck loser allowing just eight hits.

Schaeffer (L) and Kielbiski
Holderbein (W) and W.Keckalo

(July 13)   Wendell Clifton survived 11 walks and a wild pitch Wednesday to lead Penticton to a 10-6 triumph over Summerland Macs. The right-hander tossed a three-hitter, fanned 15 and clouted two of the longest home runs seen at the the local diamond in ages. One of them was a 400 foot plus drive straight over the centre field fence in the seventh inning. He had earlier crushed a three-run homer in the Red Sox nine-run second inning. Joe Posnikoff had a two-run shot and George Drossos a three-run blast, both in the big second frame. Geordie Taylor poled a four master for the Macs with two mates aboard.

Hooker (L), Eyre (2) and xxx
Clifton (W) and xxx

(July 17)   The Okonots, playing at home at Riverside Park in Kamloops, cashed in five runs in the second inning and that proved enough as the club coasted to an 11-4 victory over Penticton Red Sox. Kim Elliott pitched shutout ball until the ninth inning when the Sox produced all four of their runs. Centre fielder Gordie Beecroft was the star for the winners as he whacked two home runs, scored three times and made several outstanding catches. Don Slater added two hits and two runs. Wendell Clifton allowed just five hits but gave up 11 free passes and walked in three runs.

Clifton (L) and S.Drossos
Elliott (W) and Slater

(July 17)   Frank Fritz smacked two homers, the second a two-run shot in the bottom of the 12th inning to give Oliver OBCs a 12-11 thriller over Kelowna.  The Orioles had come from behind a 9-3 deficit with three runs in the 8th and another three in the 9th for a 10-10 tie. After both teams were blanked for two innings, Kelowna scored in the top of the 12th and appeared headed for a big win, but Schaeffer walked Bill Martino and Fritz knocked one out of the park to delight the home crowd.

xxx, Schaeffer (L) and xxx
Radies, Martino (W) (5) and xxx

(July 17)  The Vernon Canadians could not extend their one game winning streak falling 9-2 to the Macs at Summerland. Bill Eyre held Vernon to six hits in going the distance for the win. Doug Kilburn provided the offensive highlight for the winners with a two-run homer in the second inning.

xxx and xxx
Eyre (W) and xxx

Oliver       12 - 4
Summerland    9 - 4  1.5
Kamloops      9 - 5  2.0
Penticton     8 - 6  3.0
Kelowna       3 - 11 8.0
Vernon        1 - 12 9.5

(July 24)   In an exhibition match at Oliver, the OBCs trimmed Brewster, Washington, 4-1 as mound ace Bobby Radies picked up the win in relief. Radies came into the game in the fifth inning with the Americans leading 1-0 and proceeded to hold them scoreless racking up eight strikeouts as Oliver rallied for the triumph. Frank Fritz had the big clout, a run-scoring double.

xxx and xxx
xxx, Radies (W) (5) and xxx

(July 24)  Summerland Macs and Kelowna Orioles combined to give a large crowd at Summerland's Memorial Park their best game of the season. Billy Eyre fired a two-hitter and fanned 14 as the Macs shutout the Orioles 4-0. Gary Ball was solid for the losers yielding just eight hits. The win moved the Macs to just a game back of the first place OBCs.

Ball (L) and xxx
Eyre (W) and xxx

(July 24)  Vernon forfeited to Kamloops when the Canadians could gather just six players for the trip to Kamloops for the match with the Okonots.

(July 27)  Summerland Macs won the first game of their two-game "grudge" exhibition series with Penticton taking an 8-6 decision at King's Park Wednesday. The loss ended the Red Sox eight game win streak at home. Each team featured a five-run fifth inning with the Macs tallying a pair in the 8th for the win. McNiven singled and came home on Doug Kilburn's two-bagger. Kilburn scooted home when a pitchout by Wendell Clifton slipped out of his hand. Clifton helped the Red Sox attack with a two-run double.

Cristante, Eyre (W) (6) and Egely
Posnikoff, Clifton (L) (6) and S.Drossos

Oliver       12 - 4
Summerland   10 - 4   1.0
Kamloops      9 - 5   2.0
Penticton     8 - 6   3.0
Kelowna       3 - 12  8.5
Vernon        1 - 13 10.0

(July 31)   Vernon Canadians had their biggest inning of the season, scoring ten runs in the second frame, to whip Penticton Red Sox 12-7 in OMBL action Sunday. it was just the second win of the summer for the Canadians who pounded Wendell Clifton for 15 hits.  In the wild second inning, Clifton hit the first two batters, then, with one out, the next thirteen batters he faced proceeded to pound out nine hits, interspersed with two errors and a fly ball. The bases were still loaded when the Sox got a ground out to end the nightmare.  Penticton made up some ground in the fourth inning scoring six times with Lloyd Burgart providing the highlight blow, a grand slam homer.  George Dye started for Vernon but was hit behind the ear by a Clifton pitch and knocked unconscious. He was taken to hospital but later released. Bill Roth, late of the Silver Stars, went in for Dye and pitched steady ball for the final seven innings for the win. Tommy Stecyk was the big gun for the Canadians with four hits in five trips, including a double and triple. Roth helped his cause with three hits, one a double. 

Clifton (L) and xxx
G.Dye, Roth (W) (3) and xxx

(July 31)  Pitcher Gary Ball and centre fielder Rich Wickenheiser teamed up to spark Kelowna Orioles to an 11-6 win over the Kamloops Okonots at Elks Stadium in spite of three homers by the losers. Wickenheiser had a round tripper for the Orioles and scored twice. Ball went the distance allowing nine hits including the homers by Ron Evenson, Don Slater and Buck Buchanan. Bob Saklofsky had three hits for Kamloops. Kelowna managed just six hits but worked three Kamloops hurlers for 14 free passes.

Elliott (L), Brkich, Beecroft and
Ball (W) and xxx

(July 31)   The league-leading Oliver OBCs crushed second place Summerland Macs 17 to 6 Sunday before a record crowd at Oliver. Down 6-1 after two innings, Mickey Martino launched the Oliver comeback with the longest ball ever hit in the Oliver park, clear over the scoreboard in deep centre field some 430 feet from home plate to score three runs. The OBCs were back in the driver's seat after four innings and slugged Bill Eyre off the mound in the sixth as Oliver added seven more runs.  The OBCs ended up with 21 hits.

Eyre (L), Cristante (6) and
Martino, Radies (4) and xxx

(August 3)  In one of the best played games this season at King's Park, featuring lots of fine fielding, hitting and pitching, not to mention a near free-for-all in the fourth inning, a large Penticton crowd saw Oliver move closer to clinching the pennant nipping the Red Sox 9-7. The ruckus erupted in the bottom of the fourth frame triggered by Sam Drossos' slide into second base that bowled over Oliver shortstop Paul Eisenhut and broke up a potential double play. Don Coy took off after Drossos and players from both teams sprinted into the infield. After peace was restored, Coy and Drossos were ejected.  OBCs utilized the long ball with homers by Bill Martino, Coy, Elmer Bay and winning pitcher Bob Radies. Martino for the OBCs and Bill Raptis of the Sox each had three hits.

Martino, Radies (W), Martino (9), Radies (9) and xxx
Clifton (L) and xxx

(August 7)   Oliver OBCs clinched the league pennant Sunday winning the first game of a doubleheader 7-4 while Vernon Canadians won some self-respect taking the second game in a runaway, 15 to 2.  Oliver fell behind 3-0 in the opener but rebounded with a four-run rally in the fourth to propel the OBCs to the victory. Bob Radies scattered eight hits and fanned eight in winning his sixth of the season.  George Dye had a shutout for three frames before Oliver bashed five hits good for four runs in the fourth. Ceccon's two-run homer iced it in the fifth although Alex Kashuba got one back with a round-tripper for Vernon in the fifth. Kashuba also kicked in with a three-year smash in the second game while Tom Stecyk plated two more runs with a four-ply blast in the seventh to complete the 15 to 2 rout. Kashuba, Stecyk and Wally Janicki were the big swatters for the Canadians, each banging out four hits in the twin-bill. Bill Roth used his slow stuff effectively holding the OBCs to seven hits. A little wildness cost him a shutout as two walks, a hit and an error plated the only two Oliver runs. 

Radies (W) and Fritz
G.Dye (L) and Kornitsky

B.Martino, Ceccon (3) Radies (6) and Radies, Fritz (6)
Roth (W) and Kashuba

(August 7)   Kamloops Okonots split a pair with Summerland Sunday at Riverside Park getting a major lift in the opener by the return to the squad of pitcher Len Gatin.  The rubber-armed flinger came out of retirement, had one workout and proceeded to hurl a four-hit shutout as Okonots won 9-0.  It was a different story in the second game as the Macs' Billy Eyre fired a three-hitter as Summerland turned back Kamloops 8 to 2.

Gatin fanned eight in the seven-inning contest. Buck Buchanan slammed a three-run homer for the Okonots and Don Slater added a double and two singles. Geordie Taylor was the star of the second game for Summerland clouting a pair of towering home runs and a single. Doug Kilburn also had three hits. Slater had two more hits in the nightcap.

xxx and xxx
Gatin (W) and xxx

Eyre (W) and xxx
Elliott (L), J.Saklofsky, xxx and xxx

(August 7)   Penticton Red Sox assured themselves of at least a fourth place finish by downing the scrappy Kelowna Orioles 15-12 at the Orchard City.  Eddie John, normally the second sacker for the Sox, took to the mound and pitched into the 9th inning giving up just eight hits but issuing 14 free passes. Wendell Clifton relieved in the ninth to get out of a one-out jam.  The Sox took the early lead as Bill Raptis singled in Bud Russell in the first inning but John's wildness accounted for a five-run rebound by the Orioles in bottom of the initial frame. He walked the first three batters, gave up two hits, walked another pair and his mates committed three errors. By the 8th inning Penticton had fought back to take a big 15 to 9 advantage. It was Kelowna's turn to rally and they did with three runs on two hits, three walks and an error before Clifton came in to get a fly out to centre and a strike out to end the game. Joe Posnikoff had three hits for the winners while Clifton and Lloyd Burgart each knocked in three runs.

E.John, Clifton (9) and xxx
xxx and xxx

Oliver OBCs         15  5
Summerland Macs     11  6   2.5
Kamloops Okonots    10  7   3.5
Penticton Red Sox    9  8   4.5
Kelowna Orioles      4 13   9.5
Vernon Canadians     3 13  10.0

(August 10)   Summerland Macs held off a late charge by the Penticton Red Sox to notch a 12-9 victory Wednesday to virtually assure themselves at least a tie for second place. Doug Kilburn and Geordie Taylor each had three hits and slammed homers to lead the winners at the plate. The Macs built up a 12-3 lead after eight innings to set the stage for the Sox six-run outburst in the ninth. Joe Posnikoff's three-run homer was the big blow of the big inning. Billy Eyre survived 11 walks to fan 13 and gain the win. Wendell Clifton walked nine in taking the loss. Don Cristante, who relieved Eyre also had a free pass to bring the game total to 21.

Eyre (W), Cristante and Egely
Clifton (L) and Posnikoff

(August 12)   A comedy of errors helped the Penticton Red Sox demolish the Vernon Canadians 25 to 7 Friday in a seven inning contest at King's Park. Vernon booted the ball 16 times and gave up ten free passes as the Sox unleashed a 16-hit attack in posting the lopsided victory.  Eddie John picked up his second pitching win going all the way hurling an eight-hitter with five walks and four strikeouts. Wendell Clifton, Doug Moore and John each had three hits for the Sox.  Vernon actually had the early lead with a run in the first inning. It was still close, 8-7, in the sixth before the Red Sox erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth and ten more in the seventh.

xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
John (W) and xxx

(August 14)   Summerland secured a second place finish in the Okanagan Mainline standings Sunday notching a 7-4 victory over the third place Kamloops Okonots.  Bill Eyre held the Okonots to eight hits and whiffed 13 in a route-going performance for the win. Don Cristante led a 10-hit attack for the Macs with three hits in four official appearances. Gordie Beecroft took the loss.

Beecroft (L) and xxx
Eyre (W) and xxx 

(August 14)   In an exhibition game at Oliver, the Trail Smokeaters whipped the OBCs 13-5 behind a 14-hit attack and the solid hurling and hitting of young lefty Tony DeRosa. DeRosa held the Okanagan-Mainline pennant winners to seven hits while setting down 12 by strikeouts and knocking out three safeties of his own.  Ernie Darke belted a three-run homer and a single for the winners.  Bill Martino knocked in two-runs for Oliver with his circuit clout in the sixth. There were 16 walks, ten by the two Oliver twirlers.

DeRosa (W) and Hackett
Martino (L), Snyder (3), Martino (8) and Radies

(August 15)   Penticton Red Sox were forced to forfeit their scheduled game at Kelowna when they could not field a team. Outfielder Bill Nicholson suffered a possible broken nose in practice, third sacker Bill Raptis was away at the coast and centre fielder Bud Russell was working out of town.

(August 17)   Penticton got a little revenge Wednesday evening at King's Park when they clobbered arch-rival Summerland 20-0 in an exhibition encounter.  The Red Sox demolished the Macs with an 18-hit attack, led by Lloyd Burgart who had four hits, two of them homers, and scored four times. Charlie Richards and Sam Drossos also poled round trippers. Everyone in the Sox lineup had at least one hit and one run. Wendell Clifton fired a three-hitter for the Sox before he was lifted in the seventh inning.

xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
Clifton (W), Moore (7) and S.Drossos

(August 21)  What a finish to the regular season for the Kamloops Okonots. Len Gatin, pitching in only his second game after being brought out of retirement, fired a no-hit shutout Sunday as the Okonots smothered Kelowna 17-0. Gatin rang up ten strikeouts and walked a pair in his superb outing. Kamloops pounded out 18 hits, four by Bob Saklofsky and three each by Jack Fowles, Buck Buchanan, and Gordie Beecroft.

Ball (L)L.Schaeffer and Wickenheiser, Koga, Kielbiski
Gatin (W) and Rota

Oliver OBCs         15  5
Summerland Macs     14  6  1.0
Kamloops Okonots    12  8  3.0
Penticton Red Sox   10 10  5.0
Kelowna Orioles      5 15 10.0
Vernon Canadians     4 16 11.0

PLAYOFFS
Semi-Finals

(August 28)   In a thriller at Oliver, the OBCs squeezed out a 5-4, 11-inning, victory over Kamloops in the opening game of their best-of-three semi-final series.  Shortstop Paul Eisenhut singled to right to scored Doug Weeks, who had led off with a double, to score the winning run. Kamloops had taken the early lead with a run in the first and a pair in the second. Oliver rebounded with two in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie. Okonots went ahead 4-3 with a 6th inning marker before the OBCs came back to score in the 8th. Kamloops out-hit the home club 13 to 12. Both pitchers, Bob Radies for the OBCs and Len Gatin for Kamloops went all the way. In a pre-game ceremony Radies was presented with the Most Valuable Player award.

Gatin (L) and xxx
Radies (W) and xxx

(August 28)   Summerland took an easy 8-1 decision from Penticton to take a one game lead in their semi-final set. Macs struck in the opening frame with three runs, all unearned, and went ahead 5-1 in the fourth helped by two more Penticton errors.  Summerland added another in the seventh thanks to another two of the Red Sox nine miscues. The final two runs came in the 8th as Al Hooker and Geordie Taylor had run-scoring singles. Billy Eyre held the Sox to six hits. walked six and had nine strikeouts in hurling the victory. Wendell Clifton gave up eight hits, walked six and fanned 13 in taking the loss.

Clifton (L) and xxx
Eyre (W) and xxx

(August 31)  Summerland Macs advanced to the OMBL final with Wednesday's 4-2 win over Penticton in the second game of the best-of-three series. Macs took the opener 8-1. Doug Kilburn provided the big blow, a three-run homer in the third.  Sam Drossos accounted for the Red Sox scoring with a two-run blast in the second. Billy Eyre as the winning pitcher with a six-hitter and 14 strikeouts. Wendell Clifton yielded seven hits and whiffed 12.

Eyre (W) and xxx
Clifton (L) and xxx

(September 4-5)  Kamloops Labour Day Tournament

(September 11)   Frank Fritz walloped a pair of tremendous homers and a single and Clarence "Bruno" Ceccon slammed a round-tripper and a two-run single to pace Oliver to an 18-7 triumph over Kamloops to win their semi-final series in two straight games. Fritz and Ceccon each scored four times. OBCs needed a three-run seventh to go ahead and then blasted home eight runs in the ninth to make it a runaway. The game produced 25 hits, including five circuit blows. Len Gatin, who fired two shutouts, one a no-hitter, in his two starts in the regular season didn't get through the first inning giving up two hits and four walks.  Len Fowles had three hits, one a homer, for the Okonots and Billy MacDonald also had a four bagger.

Gatin, J.Fowles (L) (1) and Slater
Martino, Radies (W) (4), Martino (9) and Radies, Fritz

(September 11)   Trail Smokeaters and Summerland Macs split a double-header Sunday, each claiming a 3-2 victory. Don Cristante was the winner in the opener while Billy Eyre suffered the loss in the second game.

(September 14)  Summerland's Geordie Taylor has been declared the batting champion of the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League in 1955 statistics released by the league. The Macs outfielder finished the season with a .424 average to top Ceccon of Oliver who hit .409.  Bill Martino of Oliver and Billy Eyre of Summerland tied for the most pitching wins, 8.

(September 18)  Before one of the largest crowds ever seen in Okanagan baseball, Summerland shocked the pennant-winning Oliver OBCs 4-2 in the opening game of the best-if-three final series.  The contest, at Oliver, drew well over 2,000 fans.  Oliver took the lead with singletons in the first and second innings. Macs fought back to tie the game in the top of the fourth inning with Doug Kilburn scoring the marker with an electrifying steal of home. Summerland added single tallies in the sixth and seventh frames.  Billy Eyre scattered five hits in going the route for the win. The crowd overflowed from the bleachers and grandstand onto the grass and all around the diamond with cars parked three deep outside the ball park fence.

Eyre (W) and xxx
Radies (L) and xxx

(September 25)  Bill Martino with his pitching and hitting sparked Oliver to a 5-4 victory at Summerland Sunday to knot the final series at a game apiece and force a third and deciding game next Sunday at Oliver.  Martino held the Macs to seven hits while slamming a towering home run over the left field fence in the sixth inning to plate the winning run. Summerland got two runners on base with just one out in the bottom of the ninth but Martino got a double play to end the game.

Martino (W) and xxx
Eyre, Cristante (L) (4) and xxx

(October 2)  There was dancing in the streets of Summerland Sunday as the Macs ended a Cinderella season with a 5-3 victory over Oliver to win the Okanagan-Mainline League championship and the CKOK Trophy by taking the final series two games to one. Again, a playoff tilt drew a record crowd, estimated at close to 4,000. 

Oliver got on the scoreboard with a run in the second with the Macs roaring back with three in the third. In the seventh, the OBCs rallied to tie the count at 3-3. Doug Weeks doubled and Billy Eyre walked the next two batters to load the bases.  Don Cristante relieved Eyre but walked in a run and Eyre returned to the mound. Richie Schnider, pinch-hitting for the OBCs was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run with no outs.  Eyre then fanned two and forced a ground out to retire the side. Macs got the winner in the 8th with Geordie Taylor coming home on an error. They added an insurance run in the ninth. Taylor and McNiven each had three hits for the winners.

Eyre (W), Cristante (7), Eyre and xxx
Martino (L) and xxx


BC INTERIOR LEAGUE

Six teams began the 1955 season as part of the Interior League, one less than the previous year. Leaving the circuit was the Kelowna Chiefs franchise from 1954. Five of the six starters completed the season with the Okanagan Bluebirds, also called the Head of the Lake Bluebirds, dropping out in June. The league featured a Japanese-Canadian team (the North Kamloops Mohawks) and an all-Native team (the Bluebirds).

(April 24)   Playing in fall-like weather, Vernon Silver Stars were out-hit 11 to 7 but managed to thump the Okanagan Bluebirds 10-3 Sunday in the Interior League opener.  Stars cashed in on seven walks and five Bluebirds' errors. The big blow of the game was catcher Alex Kashuba's towering two-run homer in the sixth. Vernon converted three walks and a fielder's choice into two runs without a hit in the first inning and never looked back. Bill Roth went the distance for the pitching win. He walked three and fanned nine.

E.Wilson (L), P.Wilson (3), Louis (7), C.Gottfriedson and Cameron
Roth (W) and Kashuba

(April 24)   North Kamloops Mohawks took advantage of reliever Paul Prehara's control problems to dump the Jay-Rays 6-1 Sunday at MacDonald Park.  After taking the lead with a run in the second inning, Mohawks loaded the bases against Steve Varanai on two hits and a walk and Prehara proceeded to walk three straight batters. Sam Aura added another run sending Joe Motokado home with a single.  Tosh Takenaka completed the scoring with a long homer in the 8th inning. Aura, who was credited with the win, was forced out of the game in the fourth inning when he injured his hand stopping a drive drive from Dennis Thune.

Varanai (L), Prehara (3) and xxx
Aura (W), Kochi (4) and xxx

(April 28)    Kamloops Jay-Rays got into the win column Thursday with an 11-6 victory over the North Kamloops Mohawks.  Paul Prehara did the hurling for the winners.  Stan Kato of the Mohawks had the game's longest hit, a three-run homer.

xxx and xxx
Prehara (W) and xxx

(May 1)   North Kamloops whipped Vernon Silver Stars 10-6 Sunday utilizing two big innings, five runs in the second and four in the seventh inning. Stan Kato and Ken Kochi combined to whiff 18 Vernon batsmen.  Dick Munk and Lorne Shockey belted homers for the losers.

Hayashi (L) and Kashuba
Kato, Kochi (W) (3) and Yamake, Kato (3)

(May 1)   The Okanagan Bluebirds upset Rutland 6-4 for their first win in 14 starts in the Interior League. Bluebirds held the Adanacs without a hit until the 8th inning as Ed and Paddy Wilson shared the hurling for the winners compiling 12 strikeouts. Rutland came to life in the 9th to score three runs, two on Senger's double. 

Gallagher (L), Duggan and xxx
E.Wilson, P.Wilson and xxx

(May 1)   Kamloops Jay-Rays took a 10-0 lead after just three innings and crushed the defending Interior League champion Revelstoke Spokes 12-2 at Riverside Park.  Paul Prehara tossed a four-hitter for the win giving up the two runs on his own error in the seventh inning. Prehara's three-run double in the third inning kicked off a seven-run outburst. Bill Lennox set the stage for the trouncing clouting a homer for the Jay-Rays in the opening frame.  He later added a two-bagger.

S.Olynyk (L), Mucha (3) and xxx
Prehara (W) and xxx

North Kamloops   2 - 0
Kamloops         1 - 1
Vernon           1 - 1
Rutland          1 - 1
Head of Lake     1 - 1
Revelstoke       0 - 2

(May 8)  North Kamloops capitalized on seven Revelstoke errors to down the Spires 9-2 Sunday for their third straight victory.  Tom Miyahara had a one-hitter going until the sixth when he gave up a pair and turned the mound duties over to reliever Ken Kochi.  The Mohawks had two big innings, a three-run third and four more in the sixth. Al Mucha took the loss. Each side had eight hits.

Miyahara (W), Kochi (6) and xxx
Mucha (L) and xxx

(May 8)  Kamloops Jay-Rays scored all six of their runs in the fourth inning and held on to beat Rutland Adanacs 6-2 behind a seven-hitter by Steve Varanai who whiffed 11 and walked a pair.  Bill Lennox, Dennis Thune and Allan Collier, the Jay-Rays 3-4-5 hitters each had two hits.  Four Rutland errors in the fourth inning were a major factor in the Jay-Rays six run frame.

Varanai (W) and Anderson
Duggan (L) and Culos

(May 8)  Vernon Silver Stars recovered from a shaky first inning and went on to pound the Okanagan Bluebirds 15-6. Catcher Alex Kashuba smacked a pair of homers and drove in five runs to lead a 13-hit attack.  Bill Roth allowed nine hits in going the distance for the pitching victory.  Bluebirds took advantage of four Vernon errors to take a 4-0 lead in the initial frame.  By the third, however, Stars had taken a 6-4 lead and cruised to the triumph.  John Jones and Steve Bessette paced the losers each with two hits. Lorne Shockey had a pair for Vernon.

B.Wilson, P.Wilson (L) (3), E.Wilson (7) and Cameron
Roth (W) and Kashuba

(May 15)   North Kamloops Mohawks continued their domination of the Interior Baseball League Sunday. The all Japanese squad dumped Rutland 14-5 for their fourth straight victory without a defeat. In relief, Ken Kochi allowed just two hits in his six innings of work for his third win of the young season. It was a 5-5 tie after six innings but the Mohawks exploded for nine runs in the seventh to post the easy win.  Stan Kato rapped three hits for the Mohawks, one of them a four-bagger. Joe Motokada also homered.

Duggan, Gallagher and xxx
Aura, Kochi (W) (3) and xxx

(May 15)  Spikes pushed across the winning run with two out in the ninth inning to edge Vernon Silver Stars 4-3 Sunday.  It was the first win of the season for last year's champions.  Billy Wishlove, rookie mound recruit from Kelowna was the hero for the Spikes. He held the Stars to four hits, struck out ten and drove in the winning run with a single.  The only damaging blow against him was a two-run homer in the fourth by Johnny Yarama.

Wishlove (W) and Holitzki
Roth (L) and Kashuba, Kornitsky

(May 15)  The Kamloops Jay-Rays came from behind with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to slip by Head of the Lake 11-10. Paul Prehara, who relieved Steve Varanai in the third, went the rest of the way for the win. Dennis Thune led the winners with three hits, including a triple and double and Ken Pratt smacked a homer and single.

E.Wilson, C.Gottfriedson (L) (5) and xxx
Varanai, Prehara (W) (3) and xxx

(May 22)   Vernon scored three runs in the first inning and kept piling it on to trounce the Okanagan Bluebirds 16 to 5. Vernon rapped 14 hits and capitalized on error Okanagan errors. It was the Stars third win over the Bluebirds.  Dick Munk led the attack with four singles.  Arnold Gatzke had three.  Joe Kornitsky scattered seven hits in his first mound appearance of the season. He whiffed 11. 

Kornitsky (W) and Kashuba
E.Wilson (L), P.Wilson and J.Jones

(May 22)   Playing at home, Revelstoke crushed Rutland 10-1 as Al Mucha and Sam Olynyk combined on a five-hitter. Adanacs actually took the lead with a run in the top of the first but didn't threaten again until the 9th when they loaded the bases.  Lloyd Duggan, taking the loss for Rutland, yielded just eight hits but two of them were triples and he walked five and hit two batters.

Duggan (L) and Culos
Mucha, Olynyk (W) (3) and Holitzki

(May 22)   Kamloops Jay-Rays handed North Kamloops their first loss of the season downing the Mohawks 6-3. The usually sure-handed Mohawks booted the ball seven times. It was a 3-3 draw after seven innings before the Jay-Rays plated one in the 8th and two more in the 9th.  Paul Prehara copped the win allowing seven hits. Ken Kochi and Tom Miyahara yielded just six for the Mohawks.

P.Prehara (W) and G.Prehara, Thune (2)
Kochi (L), Miyahara (9) and Kato

(May 29)   Sam Olynyk twirled a five-hitter Sunday to help Revelstoke down Vernon 9 to 4. He allowed just one-hit, a scratch infield single, until the sixth inning. He might have had a shutout if he had not been so generous with the free passes and Vernon had not been running the bases with abandon. Spikes pounded out 12 hits.

Olynyk (W) and Holitzki
Kornitsky (L), Roth (6) and Kashuba

(May 29)  Kamloops Jay-Rays took over first place in the Interior League Sunday downing North Kamloops 3-1 behind a three-hitter by Steve Varanai who rang up 11 strikeouts.  Ray Johnson's two-run homer in the sixth inning was the decisive blow. The Jay-Rays had just five hits off the combined efforts of Sam Aura and Tom Miyahara.

Varanai (W) and Anderson
Aura (L), Miyahara (6) and Kato

(May 29)   At Rutland, the Adanacs clobbered the Okanagan Bluebirds 16 to 2 battering three hurlers for 16 hits while the visitors made it even worse booting the ball nine times. Centre fielder Tony Senger led the attack with three hits and three runs. Third sacker H.Johnson added three hits, including a triple and double, and a pair of scores. Right fielder Gallagher had three hits and catcher Johnny Culos had two hits and three runs. Lloyd Duggan held the Bluebirds to three hits in going the distance for the pitching triumph. He fanned ten.

P.Wilson, E.Wilson, Smith and Jones
Duggan (W) and Culos

Kamloops         5 - 1
North Kamloops   4 - 2
Vernon           3 - 3
Revelstoke       3 - 3
Rutland          2 - 4
Head of Lake     1 - 5

(June 5)   After losing the first game of the season, the Kamloops Jay-Rays have won six in a row having disposed of the Vernon Silver Stars 8-4 Sunday at Vernon coming from behind a 3-0 deficit. Jay-Rays did it in thrilling fashion scoring four times in the bottom of the ninth inning.  Allan Collier paced a ten-hit attack with two long blows. Jerry Jellison had three hits for the Stars.

Kornitsky (L) and Kashuba
P.Prehara (W) and Anderson

The two hits for Collier boosted him into top spot among the Jay-Rays' hitters with a .380 average for 29 at bats. Ray Johnson is second at .353 and Bill Lennox third with a .308 mark.

(June 5)   Ken Kochi walked and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as North Kamloops shaded Rutland 7-6. Kochi, who had a triple and double and scored three times, also saved the game with a superb relief effort in the final frame.. He took over in the top of the ninth after the Adanacs had tied the count at 6-6 and quickly retired three in a row. Sam Aura, who threw four no-hit innings in relief of starter Tom Miyahara, was credited with the win. Joe Motokado cracked three hits for the winners. First baseman Morris had two hits and scored three times for Rutland.

Gallagher, Duggan and Culos
T.Miyahara, Aura (5), Kochi (9) and Kato

(June 8)  Two homers, one in the seventh by Keith Buchanan and the other in the eighth by Jack Fowles lifted the Kamloops Okonots of the Okanagan Mainline League to a 7-5 exhibition victory over the North Kamloops Mohawks. Each team had nine hits. Frank Rota and Fowles each had three for the winners. Tosh Takenaka, Sam Motokado and Stan Kato each had a pair for the Mohawks. Gordie Beecroft, in his first action since returning from pro ball in Lewiston, Idaho, threw five relief innings allowing just three hits.

J.Aura (L) and xxx
M.Popp, Beecroft (5) and xxx

(June 10)  In another exhibition encounter, Kamloops Okonots whipped the Kamloops Jay-Rays 9-1 as young Jim Saklofsky held the losers to four hits while the Okonots rapped a dozen including a homer by Gordie Beecroft. Jack Fowles was the hitting star with five safeties in six trips. The Jay-Rays had their chances, stranding 15 base runners. 

Saklofsky (W) and xxx
Prehara (L) and xxx

(June 12)   A grand slam homer in the first inning by Paul Holitzki and a three-run blast in the second by Len Wickenheiser provided all the power the Revelstoke Spikes would need in an 8 to 5 win over North Kamloops. Sam Olynyk had a five-hit shutout until the ninth when the Mohawks erupted for five runs and had the bases loaded with none out when Olynyk finally got three ground outs to end the game. Holitzki and Wickenheiser each had four hits for the winners. Al Mucha added three.

Olynyk (W) and xxx
T.Miyahara (L), Aura and xxx

(June 12)   Rutland Adanacs scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on two walks, two errors and a fielder's choice to edge Vernon Silver Stars 9-8.  The Stars had taken an 8-6 lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. Dick Munk, Alex Kashuba, Johnny Yarama and Dave Kineshanko led an 11-hit attack with two hits apiece. One of Munk's blows was a three-bagger. Lloyd Duggan, who started then moved to second base for three innings, returned to pitch the last three frames and picked up the win.

Gatzke (L), Kornitsky (7) and Kornitsky, Kashuba
Duggan, Sproule (4) Duggan (W) (7) and Culos

(June 12)  The Head of the Lake squad, the Okanagan Bluebirds disbanded after winning just one game over two seasons in the league. The league secretary announced that all unplayed games with the Bluebirds would be credited as wins for the opposing team as they come up in the schedule.

Kamloops         7 - 1
North Kamloops   5 - 3
Revelstoke       5 - 3
Vernon           3 - 5
Rutland          3 - 5
Head of Lake     1 - 7

(June 19)   Manager Curly Jellison shook up his Silver Stars lineup Sunday with highly satisfying results as Vernon got back on the winning track with a 9-5 win over North Kamloops Mohawks.  Jellison inserted two recruits from the defunct Okanagan Bluebirds and sent son Jerry Jellison to the mound.  Third sacker Jim Cameron, an ex-Bluebird, went four for four including a double and scored three times. And, the other newcomer, Hector Lewis, at second base, kicked in with a triple and single and crossed the plate twice. The younger Jellison pitched a solid game, settling down after giving up two runs in the first inning.  He tired in the ninth but Joe Kornitsky took over to stop a Mohawks; rally.  Johnny Yarama gave the Stars the lead for good with a two-run homer in the second inning. Stan Motokado belted a two-run circuit blow for North Kamloops in the ninth. The game was a swan song for two of Vernon's regulars. Jerry Jellison and Dick Munk leave today for jobs in Kitimat.

T.Miyahara, Kochi (7) and Kato
Jellison, Kornitsky (9) and A.Kashuba

(June 19)  Kamloops Jay-Rays lost a heartbreaker in Revelstoke Sunday losing 10-9 in ten innings after fighting back from a 9 to 2 deficit.  Jim King the first man up for the Spikes in the extra frame tripled but was picked off third base but Revelstoke got two runners on base on free passes from Paul Prehara.  An infield error resulted in the the Spikes' winning run. King led the winners with three hits and Al Mucha and Lefty Pratico clouted homers. Ray Johnson had four hits for the Jay-Rays and Bill Lennox added three.

Varanai, Prehara (L) (1) and xxx
Olynyk (W) and xxx

(June 22)  Vernon Silvers Stars handed North Kamloops a two-run advantage in the top of the first inning but quickly rebounded with a run in the first and three in the second en route to a 9-5 triumph over the Mohawks. Jerry Jellison had a steady game on the mound for the Stars through eight innings but faltered in the ninth when Jim Motokado belted a homer and the Mohawks had two runners aboard with just one out. Joe Kornitsky relieved to end the threat. Tom Miyahara took the loss. Mohawks out-hit Vernon 10 to 9.

T.Miyahara (L), Kochi (7) and xxx
Curly Jellison (W), J.Kornitsky (9) and xxx

(June 26)   Kamloops Jay-Rays maintained their hold on first place Sunday eking out a 3-2 win over Rutland Adanacs.at Riverside Park in Kamloops. Third baseman Allan Collier led the winners with four hits and came home with the winning run in the fifth inning. Paul Prehara held the Adanacs to five hits to register the win. Catcher Johnny Culos had two hits including a three-bagger.

Duggan (L) and Culos
Prehara (W) and Anderson

(June 26)   The scheduled game at Revelstoke between the Spikes and Vernon was postponed due to rain and wet grounds.  It was reported that last week's storm blew the roof off the grandstand. North Kamloops picked up a default win because of the withdrawal of the Head of the Lake,

Kamloops         8 - 2
Revelstoke       6 - 3
North Kamloops   6 - 4
Vernon           4 - 5
Rutland          4 - 6

(July 1)  Rutland Adanacs captured the $75 prize at the B.P.O.E. Sports Day at Princeton scoring four times in the ninth inning to down the hometown Royals 4-1. Tony Senger drove in the tying run while winning hurler Lloyd Duggan scored the winner on a bad throw to first base. 

Duggan (W) and xxx
Ken Hay (L) and xxx

(July 3)   With a ten-run first inning, Kamloops Jay-Rays showed no mercy Sunday in demolishing the Vernon Silver Stars 27 to 5 in a game called after seven innings.  Kamloops pounded out 20 hits and took advantage of 11 Vernon errors, 7 walks and three hit batsmen. Bill Lennox the Jay-Rays second baseman had four walks and scored six times while collecting two hits in three official trips to the plate. Allan Collier and Ray Johnson each had three hits and scored three runs. Glen Shannon had three safeties and Bob Anderson and Paul Prehara each swatted a pair. Dennis Thune and Rudy Morrelli had three scores apiece. Alex Kashuba provided the lone highlight for the Silver Stars with a fourth inning homer.

Gatzke (L), Keckalo (1), Kornitsky (3) and Kornitsky, Kashuba
Olsen (W), Prehara (4) and Anderson

(July 3)  The visiting Rutland Adanacs came away with a 5-4 victory over North Kamloops in Sunday afternoon's action at MacDonald Park. Adanacs scored a pair in the top of the ninth to break a 3-3 tie.  Mohawks got one back when Stan Kato knocked in Gordie Miyahara but couldn't manage the tying run. Clare Sproule pitched a six-hitter for the win besting Sam Aura who yielded seven hits.

Sproule (W) and xxx
Aura (L) and xxx

(July 10)  Scoring all seven of their runs in the fifth inning, Rutland downed Vernon 7-3 Sunday. Joe Kornitsky of the Silver Stars hurled shutout ball for eight innings but the big fifth was his undoing. The Adanacs managed just three hits in the outburst but a walk, wild pitch and three costly errors allowed Rutland to bat through the lineup and take a 7-0 lead. Lloyd Duggan held the Stars to five hits and compiled 14 strikeouts. Clare Sproule, a former
Silver Star, haunted his former mates with four hits, including a double.

Duggan (W) and Culos
Kornitsky (L) and Kashuba

(July 10)    Playing before a home crowd, Kamloops Jay-Rays scored six runs in the first inning and cruised to a 16-4 victory over Revelstoke to pretty well assure the Rays of the league pennant.  Kamloops rapped 14 hits, five by third baseman Allan Collier who blasted three doubles and scored four times. Bill Lennox and Dennis Thune each scored three times. Glen Shannon poked the only homer, The Spikes played sloppy defense making 10 errors, four by shortstop Lefty Pratico. Paul Prehara held the visitors to five hits in going the distance for the Jay-Rays.

Olynyk, Mucha and Holitzki
Prehara (W) and Anderson

(July 17)   Rutland Adanacs thumped Vernon Silver Stars 9-0 Sunday to gain a stranglehold on the fourth and final playoff spot. Clare Sproule fashioned a two-hitter and rang up 13 strikeouts in firing Rutland's first shutout of the season.  The Stars had some new faces in the lineup, some of them ex-Canadians. Hap Schaeffer started on the mound for the visitors but retired in the fourth for lefty George Dye who lasted until the fateful 8th when Rutland exploded for six runs. Hackler and Morris each had two-run singles in the big inning.

Schaeffer (L), G.Dye (4), xxx and xxx
Sproule (W) and xxx

(July 17)  North Kamloops Mohawks regained second place in the league standings with a 7-3 win over Revelstoke as Joe Motokado twirled a five-hitter and had a shutout until the eighth when the Spikes finally got on the scoreboard. Sam Aura relieved in the 8th but Motokado was back on the hill in the 9th to finish the contest. Ken Kochi and Sam Motokado had two hits apiece for the winners. J.Olynyk had a pair for Revelstoke.

Motokado (W), Aura (8), Motokado (9) and xxx
Mercurio (L), Mucha (4) and xxx

(July 24)   14-year-old Waverly Conan singled to lead off the 10th inning and scored the winning run on Bob Anderson's double as Kamloops Jay-Rays shaded Vernon Silver Stars 8-7.  Kamloops coach Charlie Vernon used the occasion to field some of his juniors and bench players.  14-year-old Jim Freathy was on second, Conan in left field, Pete Duck in right and Walt Witt in centre field.  Jim Pratt and Jackie Olson handled the last four innings on the mound after Steve Varanai started. Allan Collier led the offense with a pair of two-baggers and  Bill Lennox scored three times. Hector Lewis led the Stars with two doubles and a single.

Varanai (W), J.Pratt, J.Olson and xxx
Roth (L) and xxx

(July 24)  Rutland Adanacs nosed past Revelstoke into third spot in the league standings Sunday after downing the visiting Spikes 6-2 at the Elks Stadium.  Adanacs had a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning. Phil Harding accounted for Revelstoke's offense with a two-run double in the seventh.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 31)  An eight-run explosion in the second inning carried North Kamloops to a 14-8 victory over Vernon Sunday in a free-swinging contest at MacDonald Park.  Mohawk pitcher Joe Motokado aided his own cause as he thumped out four hits in five at bats.  Stan Kato added three singles while Sam Motokado and Ken Kochi each had a pair. Wally Keckalo had three hits and Arnold Gatzke two for the Silver Stars.

J.Motokado (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

The Stars, an all-junior aggregation with the exception of third baseman Jim Cameron and second sacker Hector Lewis, mid-season additions from the defunct Okanagan Bluebirds, will now concentrate on the BC junior championship.

(July 31)  Third sacker Allan Collier continued to excel for the Kamloops Jay-Rays smacking a two-run homer and three singles to lead the pennant winners to an 8-3 triumph over Rutland Adanacs. Shortstop Rudy Morrelli added a pair of two-baggers. Bob Morris was best for Rutland with a double and single. Losing hurler Clare Sproule swatted a homer in the 8th inning. Rutland out-hit the Jay-Rays 11 to 8.

Sproule (L) and Culos
Prehara, Varanai (4), Olson (8) and Anderson

Vernon defaulted its final game to Revelstoke.

Kamloops        13 - 2
North Kamloops  10 - 5
Revelstoke       9 - 6
Rutland          8 - 7
Vernon           4 - 11

PLAYOFFS
Semi-finals

(August 7)  In the opening game of the semi-finals, Kamloops Jay-Rays, the pennant winners, downed Rutland Adanacs 9 to 3 behind the steady hurling of Paul Prehara who surrendered seven hits and fanned ten. One of the hits was a homer by shortstop A.Mende. Lloyd Duggan, the Rutland starter, had control troubles walking eight and hitting four batters. Jimmy Pratt of Kamloops, with a pair of safeties, was the only batter with more than one hit.

Prehara (W) and Anderson
Duggan (L), Sproule (7) and Culos

(August 7)  At MacDonald Park, the North Kamloops Mohawks delighted a home crowd crushing Revelstoke Spikes 23-6 in the first game of their best-of-three series. Revelstoke actually took the lead with a run in the first and three more in the top of the third. Then the roof caved in as the Mohawks walked and hit and scored nine times to take a 9-4 lead. There was no stopping the Mohawks as they added two in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and eight in the eighth.  Ken Kochi, Akira Kato and Joe Motokado led the hit parade each with three. One of Kochi's was a three-run homer. Tosh Takenaka and Joe Yamake had two hits apiece in the Mohawks' 17-hit offensive.

S.Olynyk (L), Mucha and xxx
S.Aura, J.Motokado (W) (2) and

(August 14)  With a 3-1 victory in the second game of a playoff double-header, Kamloops Jay-Rays won the best-of-three series with Rutland and gained a berth in the league final.  After the Adanacs had loaded the bases in both the first and second innings, but scored just one run, Kamloops had Paul Prehara relieve Jackie Olson and the veteran blanked the Adanacs on one-hit over the last seven innings. Adanacs led 1-0 going into the last of the 6th when the Jay-Rays, with two out, got a base runner on an Rutland error. Two hard drives against the wall by Dennis Thune and Glen Shannon drove in the tying and winning runs. Shannon got a second hit in the 8th to drive Allan Collier home with an insurance marker.  It was a tough luck loss for chucker Lloyd Duggan who allowed just four hits.

Duggan (L) and Culos
Olson, Prehara (W) (3) and Anderson, G.Prehara

Rutland had forced the deciding game by defeating Kamloops 4-2 in the first game. Clare Sproule held the Jay-Rays to six hits, three of them in the first inning, and helped the attack with a double and single.

Sproule (W) and Culos
Olson, Varanai (L) (5), Prehara (6) and Anderson

(August 14)   North Kamloops Mohawks fell apart in the field, making seven errors, to hand Revelstoke Spikes a 7-5 victory to tie the semi-final series at a game apiece. Three errors and three hits in the first inning gave Spikes a 4-0 lead and Revelstoke was never headed.  Mohawks whittled the lead down to 4-3 after four innings but Jim King, who had three hits, led off another rally which resulted in two runs to put the Spikes ahead 6-3. Al Mucha went five innings for the win.

Mucha, S.Olynyk (6) and xxx
T.Miyahara (L), Joe Motokado (1) and xxx

(August 21)  In a Hollywood ending, North Kamloops, trailing 13-7 after seven innings, tied the game in the ninth and scored in the bottom of the tenth to edge Revelstoke 14-13 to win the semi-final series two games to one. The wild affair produced 28 hits and ten errors. Sam Motokado was a hero for the Mohawks sending a single between short and second to score Tosh Takenaka with the winning marker. Takenaka had reached with a single and advanced when Joe Yamake reached first on an infield error. 

North Kamloops had the early lead with two runs in the first inning, but the Spikes quickly rebounded with four in the second and another in the top of the third to lead 5-2. Mohawks plated three in the third to tie at 5-5. Revelstoke charged into the lead with four runs in the fourth and two in each of the sixth and seventh innings. The Mohawks got singletons in the fifth and sixth to leave the count a 13-7 after seven innings. The Mohawks comeback in the bottom of the eighth was sparked by Joe Yamake who was hit by a pitch and proceed to steal second. He went to third on an error and surprised the Spikes with a steal of home.  Reliever Sam Olynyk then walked two batters and Art Yuen punched a single to score Sam Motokado and Gordie Miyahara singled to bring in Ken Kochi. It was now 13-10. With the bases loaded, Olynyk walked two more and it was 13-12 with none out. But the Spikes got three in a row to get out of the jam. In the ninth, two more free passes from Olynyk opened the door for the tying run and the Mohawks still had runners second and third. The Spikes, however, got three in a row, the last by strikeout to send the game to the extra inning. The Mohawks rang up eight steals in the game, include three steals of home.

xxx, Olynyk (L) and xxx
Kochi, Motokado, Aura (W) (4) and xxx

Finals

(August 28)  Paul Prehara recovered from a shaky first inning and fashioned a three-hitter Sunday to lead Kamloops Jay-Rays to a 4-2 victory over North Kamloops in the first game of the best-of-three final series. The veteran hurler gave up two hits and two runs in the opening frame. He got out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam to allow just one more hit the rest of the way. Jay-Rays got on the scoreboard with a run in the second and tied the count in the sixth when Allan Collier came home on a bunt by Bob Anderson. They got the winner in the seventh and added an insurance run in the 8th when Anderson singled in Dennis Thune.

Aura (L) and xxx
Prehara (W) and Anderson

(September 4-5)  Quesnel Tournament

Port Moody whipped Quesnel Clippers 9-2 to take top money of $500 at the Quesnel Labour Day Tournament. Hefty Jerry Payne held the locals to nine hits in going the distance for the win. The visitors opened with a pair of runs in the first inning and put the game on ice with four runs in the fifth on just two hits and three costly Clipper errors. Yauger, borrowed from the Yankees for the tourney, started and took the loss for Quesnel.

Payne (W) and xxx
Yauger (L), Wyatt (5) and xxx

Port Moody Hotels collected the Quesnel Jewellers' Trophy presented by Harvey Copeland. The pitching award for the best individual performance went to Sid Delano of Willow River who lost in one of the top games of the tourney. Top batting honours went to Johnny Kuzak of the Clippers who got five hits in nine trips to the plate, two of them doubles against Port Moody. Jack Younger was awarded the Mule Train wrist watch for the first homer of the event.

In a playoff for third money, Dawson Creek edged the Prince George Athletics 5-4 in a seven inning contest. Both teams scored twice in the first and finished their scoring in the fifth. Ken Larsen, on the hill for the Athletics, fell apart in the fifth giving up two hits and three walks before he was relieved by Makechuk who promptly walked in two runs. Down 5-2, pitcher Fred Kapphahn pinch-hit for the Athletics and smashed a triple and scored as Cruickshank followed with a homer.

Larsen (L), Makechuck and xxx
xxx and xxx

Port Moody made the final by notching a thrilling 2-1, 11 inning, victory over Prince George Athletics. Lefty Pat Collins of Port Moody and Fred Kapphahn hooked up in the sweetest pitching duel seen locally in many seasons.  Collins allowed just two hits, one of them a homer by Barry McDowell that tied the scored in the fifth. He racked up 14 strikeouts and walked four.  Kapphahn gave up a homer to the first batter he faced but quickly settled down to keep the coast crew handcuffed until the 11th yielding just a hit in the sixth and another in the ninth. In the 11th, he walked Denny Parker who was sacrificed to second by Irv Follack. Then, with one out, Jack Urquart singled to centre to plate the winner.

Collins (W) and xxx
Kapphahn (L) and xxx

Clippers crushed Dawson Creek Canucks 17-5 to win a berth in the final. They took an early 8-3 lead and coasted to the easy triumph. The game was called after six innings.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

Port Moody hammered Sam Aura from the hill with a five-run barrage in the first inning and went on to a 12-5 win over the North Kamloops Mohawks. One of the first inning hits was a homer by Jack Younger, who won a wrist watch for connecting for the first four-bagger of the tournament. Johnny Koppa went the route for the winners giving up six hits.

Koppa (W) and xxx
Aura (L), Varanai (1), S.Motokado (7) and xxx

Jack Heaton pitched Dawson Creek to a 3-2 victory over the Willow River Red Sox. He gave up six hits but kept the Sox off the scoreboard for seven innings after they scored both their runs in the second frame.  Three successive hits, one a double by Frank Bencher, accounted for the Willow River runs. Dawson Creek had opened the scoring in the top of the second and evened the count in the fourth when Tipton was hit by a pitch and came around to score on Garigan's long single. The deciding run in the eighth was unearned. Catcher Mike Makarenko was safe on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice and raced home on Ken Wood's sharp single to centre. It was a tough loss for southpaw Sid Delano who fired five-hit ball and twice got around to third base but was stranded both times.

Heaton (W) and M.Makarenko
Delano (L) and xxx

Prince George Athletics struck early against the Lumbermen in Sunday's second game. They took a 5-1 lead in the second inning and built it up to 9-1 in the 8th before the Lumbermen came to life with three markers. Albert Johnston started for the Lumbermen and had control troubles and was replaced by Jerry Dodge in the seventh.  While he allowed just five hits, he walked five and those coupled with three costly errors paved the way for eight of the Athletics' runs. Lumbermen began hitting Terres in the 8th and scored three times. In the ninth, Terres gave up a double to Al Harris and walked a pair but Don Young relieved to put out the fire.

A.Johnston (L), Dodge (7) and xxx
Terres (W), D.Young (9) and xxx

Quesnel Clippers whipped Rutland Adanacs 12-3 in the opening round of the Quesnel Labour Day Tournament. It was a tight contest for seven frames with the Clippers leading 3-2 but Quesnel broke the game wide open with four runs in the seventh on five errors, one hit and a walk and added five more runs in the eighth as the Adanacs booted the ball four more times. Clare Sproule allowed just six hits in taking the loss. The mound winner Oscar Festerling yielded eight hits.

Festerling (W) and Swain, Wyatt
Sproule (L) and Culos

(September 11)   it was all over in the first inning as North Kamloops scored a pair in the opening frame on three hits and three errors and went on to a 7-1 decision over the Jay-Rays to tie the final series at a game apiece. Mohawks pasted Paul Prehara for 11 hits including a homer by winning pitch Joe Motokado, triples by Ken Kochi and Yamada and two-baggers by Sam Motokado and Tosh Takenaka.  Mohawks had a shutout until the ninth when the Jay-Rays plated their lone run.

Prehara (L) and xxx
J.Motokado (W) and xxx

(September 18)  The Mohawks of North Kamloops had just two hits but scored single runs in the 8th and 9th to walk away with a thrilling 4-3 victory to capture the BC Interior League title for 1955. They got the winner with a hair-raising steal of home plate. The hero was young Gordie Miyahara who singled between short and second and proceeded to steal second, third and home.  Jay-Rays struck first in the bottom of the fifth when Dennis Thune reached on an infield error and scampered home on a hit by Jim Pratt. Another error allowed Bob Anderson to score to give Kamloops a 2-0 lead. Mohawks scored in the fourth when Sam Motokado, who walked four times, charged home from third when Jay-Rays catcher Anderson tried to throw out Joe Yamake in a steal of second. Kamloops regained a two-run advantage in the sixth when Sam Motokado booted the ball with Rudy Morelli at third. Joe Motokado loaded the bases in the 6th but manage to escape with allowing just the one counter. Paul Prehara loaded the bags for the Mohawks with two walks and a wild pitch in the 6th and then walked a third to plate Art Yuen. In the 8th the Mohawks drew even when Joe Motokado got the first hit off Prehara and came home when Prehara threw wildly to first. Prehara allowed just five hits in taking the loss but gave up ten free passes. Motokado shut down the Jay-Rays in the bottom of the ninth and North Kamloops had the championship.

J.Motokado (W) and S.Kato
Prehara (L) and Anderson, xxx


WEST KOOTENAY / ARROW LAKES / SLOCAN

(May 15)  In the season opener at Dewis Memorial Park in Silverton, the home town New Denver-Silverton nine kicked off with a victory, 10-3 over Nakusp before one of the largest crowds in recent years.  Young Ken Gordon racked up 14 strikeouts in going the distance for the winners. Shortstop Barry Morrison knocked in four runs with a pair of doubles to lead the winners. Right fielder Pat Harding went two for two and Bud Leask scored three times.

L.DeRosa (L) , B.Patterson (6) and Hempseed
K.Gordon (W) and Hayashi

(May 23)   At New Denver's 60th anniversary sports day, the New Denver-Silverton nine captured the baseball tournament taking both games from Creston, 7-0 and 12-4.  Tommy Pearson, the big fireballing right-hander, fashioned a three-hit shutout with 14 strike outs in the seven inning opening game. In the second, Pearson came to the rescue of starter Ken Gordon to stop a 6th inning rally by Creston and shut the door the rest of the way as the home club stepped up the attack to win 12-4. Smooth fielding shortstop Barry Morrison was the hitting star of the day for the winners.

R.Norberg (L), Dale Embree and xxx
Pearson (W) and xxx

Embree (L) and xxx
K.Gordon, Pearson (6) and xxx

(May 29)   Nakusp crushed Kaslo 11-2 behind the stellar hurling of Louis DeRosa who yielded just seven hits and rang up seven strikeouts. One of the hits was a solo homer by Sonny Norberg in the 8th inning. The game was tight until the sixth inning when Nakusp broke through with five singles to score five runs and go ahead 7-1.

L.DeRosa (W) and xxx
S.Norberg (L), Shimizu (6) and xxx

(May 29)   New Denver-Silverton blew a 7-3 lead against Nelson Outlaws but rebounded in the tenth inning to notch an 8-7 victory. Nobby Hayashi lashed out a double to score Barry Morrison with the winner in the error-filled game. Outlaws banged out four hits in the ninth and, combined with three errors, scored four times to tie the match at 7-7. Both pitchers ran up big strikeout totals. Ken Gordon fanned 15 in gaining his third straight win while Stan Grill collected 12 strikeouts. 

Grill (L) and xxx
Gordon (W) and xxx

(May 31)  The New Denver-Silverton club edged the Nelson Outlaws 8-7 in ten innings at Silverton"s Memorial Park Tuesday. Nelson rallied with four runs in the ninth inning on four hits and three errors to even the score at 7-7. In the last of the extra frame, Nobby Hayashi smacked a double scoring Barry Morrison with the winning run. Ken Gordon fanned 15 in posting the win while Stan Grill whiffed a dozen in taking the loss.

Grill (L) and xxx
Gordon (W) and xxx

(June 3)  Nelson Maple Leafs captured the opener of the West Kootenay Baseball League Friday as Les Hufty fired a three-hit shutout and contributed three singles in the 8-0 victory over Fruitvale All-Stars.  Denny Kavanagh added two singles and a double to the Leafs' 14-hit attack. Leafs combined an error, a walk and singles by Kavanagh, Loren Bay, Jim Todd and Keith Harmston for four runs in the second inning and they cruised to the win.

Bridge (L), Duncan (2) and Russell
L.Hufty (W) and Isakson

(June 5)   Playing coach Ken White's squeeze bunt scored Tom Marshall from third with the winning run in the 10th inning Sunday night as Nelson Outlaws nipped Nelson Maple Leafs 11-10 in a thriller at the Civic Recreation Grounds.  In an afternoon game, the Silverton-New Denver team went on a hitting spree to dump the Outlaws 15-8.

The Outlaws rallied with four runs in the 8th inning on an error, walk, passed ball, Blackie Fabbro's single and a two-bagger by Jim McNabb. They added two more in the 9th, highlighted by Rich Wassick's triple, to tie after falling behind 10-4. In the 10th, Marshall worked Les Hufty for a walk, went to second on a passed ball and to third on McNabb's single. White laid down a perfect bunt down the first base line to win the game. 

W.Keller, L.Hufty (L) (3) and xxx
R.Brown, W.Storgaard, S.Grill (W) and xxx

The Outlaws blew a 5-0 lead in dropping the afternoon contest. They scored five times in the first inning on two walks, singles by Ron Brown, Rich Wassick and Earl Lobb and doubles by George Benwell and Al Bender. The Slocan nine hit the scoreboard with a pair in the second inning. Nobby Hayashi led off with a homer and a second run came home on an error and singles by Mike Todd and Wayne Morrison.  In the fourth inning the visitors added five runs on a walk and singles by Todd and Nobby Hayashi, doubles by Bill Harcus and Bud Leask and a three-bagger by pitcher Ken Gordon. New Denver-Silverton poured it on with three more runs in the sixth aided by an error as Gordon had a single and Brian Morrison and Nobby Hayashi doubled. The Outlaws replied with a singleton in the 8th on a walk, sacrifice and Brown's one-bagger.  A porous defense allowed the Slocan club to score five times in the ninth on just two hits, Brian Morrison's single and Gordon's double. Nelson wrapped up the scoring with two in the final frame as Tom Marshall drove in Ed Isakson and Stan Donaldson with a triple.  Hayashi led the winners with a homer, double and single while winning pitcher Gordon had a triple, double and single.

Gordon (W) and xxx
Grill, Storgaard, Brown and xxx

(June 5)   Nakusp motored to Kaslo Sunday and defeated the home squad 5-3, coming from behind for the win. Kaslo held a 3-1 lead until the eighth when Nakusp slammed three doubles to plate three runs to go ahead 4-3. In the 9th, Fred Johnson scored on a hit by Mark Slater to finish the scoring. Buster Patterson went the route for the pitching win allowing just five hits and two walks while fanning nine. Sonny Norberg gave up 16 hits in taking the loss.

Patterson (W) and xxx
S.Norberg (L) and xxx

(June 7)   Fruitvale Athletics shaded Trail Cubs 6-5 in a 12-inning affair Tuesday. An error by the Cubs allowed Jack Duncan to scamper home with the winning run.

(June 12)  Nelson Maple Leafs and Trail Smoke Eaters divided a double-header at the Civic Recreation Grounds Sunday.  Smokies slugged 20 hits in the seven inning second game to whip the Leafs 18-6 after Nelson had squeezed out a 10-9 win in the opener. Busher McIntyre, the Trail leadoff man, had a big day with seven hits, including a perfect five for five in the second game. Ray Hamilton had six hits and Louis Corrado added five, including a homer.

Harold Jones' grand slam homer in the seventh inning was the big blow in the second game as Trail scored seven times in the inning and coasted to the victory.  Corrado had a two-run shot for Trail.

Truswell, Ferguson (W) (4) and Corrado
Hufty (L), Keller (4), Severyn (7) and Larsen

Ernie Gare singled to right field to score Jim Todd from second base in the bottom of the ninth inning of the first game to give Nelson the 10-9 triumph.  Marshall Severyn's homer in the fifth for Nelson and Julie Bilesky's four bagger in the eighth for Trail highlighted the see-saw contest. Severyn picked up the win in relief.

Lavorato (L) and Corrado
Hufty, Severyn (W) (4) and Larsen

(June 12)  Playing at Nakusp Sunday, the Nelson Outlaws had one big nine-run inning en route to a 15 to 6 victory over the home squad.  Ed Isakson led the winners with four hits while Tom Marshall scored four times. Ed Desrochers belted a pair of triples for Nakusp. Lefty Stan Grill went the route for the win.

Grill (W) and xxx
xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx

(June 16)   Fruitvale Athletics clobbered the Trail Cubs 13-4 in senior ball in Fruitvale Thursday. Cubs opened the scoring with their four counters in the first inning but were blanked the rest of the way as Eric Bodin settled in for the A's. Bodin also chipped in with three safeties.

Price, Lavorato, Ferguson and xxx
Bodin (W) and xxx

(June 19)  Nelson Maple Leafs and Fruitvale split a pair of high-scoring games Sunday afternoon. The Leafs took the opener 9-1 behind the five-hit pitching of Les Hufty while the All-Stars roared back to clobber the Leafs 15-2 in the second as Tony DeRosa fired a four-hitter for Fruitvale. 

Keith Harmston led Nelson in their win bashing out four hits and Jack Scoles and Frank Hufty each had three. Hufty's triple in the 7th was the game's longest blow. Bob Seaman took the mound defeat.

Hufty (W) and xxx
B.Seaman (L) and xxx

Leafs took a two-run lead in the second game scoring a pair in the second inning. But Fruitvale responded with six runs in their half of the frame and added four more in the third and coasted to the easy victory. Clark paced the winners smacking a triple, double and single. Frank Hufty knocked a pair of doubles for Nelson.

Hufty, Todd (2) and xxx
DeRosa (W) and xxx

(June 19)   Nelson Outlaws took the first game of a double-header with Nakusp 6-2 Sunday but were out-gunned in the second dropping a 19-9 count to their northern neighbours.  Nakusp took the lead in the opener with two runs in the first inning but that's all they would get as Ron Brown led the Outlaws' comeback with three hits. Tom Marshall and Ron Nash each scored a pair of runs. Wayne Highland had two hits for Nakusp.

B.Patteson (L) and xxx
Grill (W) and xxx

In the evening game, Brian Hempseed and Jackie James led a 21-hit Nakusp assault on five Nelson hurlers as Hempseed smacked a homer, triple and single and James slammed three doubles. Barin Yoshida added four singletons. Louis DeRosa, who fanned 11 in his route-going performance, scored four times. Jimmy McNabb was best for Nelson with two triples and a single.

DeRosa (W) and xxx
J.McNabb, Storgaard, Waters, Brown, Grill and xxx

(June 21)   Fruitvale Athletics chalked up their fourth straight senior league victory over Trail Cubs Tuesday with an 8-7 triumph, holding off a ninth inning rally by the Cubs. A's scored three runs in the top of the 7th inning to take a 6-3 lead. Bill Jablonski's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh brought Trail to within a run but that's as close as they would get. The Athletics added two in the 8th and stopped the Cubs in the ninth after Trail had scored twice.

xxx and xxx
Truswell, S.Price (6), Mohoruk (7) and xxx

(June 26)   Nelson Maple Leafs topped first-place Fruitvale 6-3 at the Civic Recreation Grounds Sunday as Les Hufty for the Leafs and Eric Bodin for the A's each surrendered eight hits.  Nelson took the lead with three runs in the third as Loren Bay led off with a double, Len Bay followed with a walk and successive singles by Dunc Kennedy and Les Hufty produced two runs and Elmer Bay singled for the third. They added three more in the 7th when they garnered four hits, all singles. Wally Russell provided the highlight for Fruitvale with a two-run homer in the 8th. Russell also had a pair of singles. Les Hufty struck out five and walked one in taking the mound decision while Bodin whiffed ten and issued two free passes.

Bodin (L) and xxx
L.Hufty (W) and xxx

(June 26)   Nakusp embarrassed the home squad Sunday when they trounced the New Denver-Silverton nine 12-2 at Silverton. Thanks to five walks in the opening inning, Nakusp scored five times and cruised to the easy win. Louis DeRosa fired a five-hitter and whiffed ten for the winners. Shig Kiyono belted a homer and double to lead a 12-hit attack against three hurlers.

L.DeRosa (W) and xxx
Erickson (L), xxx, Gordon (2) and xxx

(July 3)   Nelson Maple Leafs eked out a 7-6 win in the opener of a twin-bill against Davenport, Washington, but were trashed in the second game as the Americans pounded out a 14-2 triumph.

Davenport rallied in the top of the ninth to score a run on three hits to tie the opening match at 6-6. In the bottom of the frame, Jack Scoles doubled and scored the winner when Frank Hufty, who had homered over the centre field fence in the fifth, punched out a single. Bob McNabb was the hitting star for the Leafs with two homers in successive trips to the plate in the fifth and sixth innings. His first one tied the score at 1-1 after Jack Buck had led off the first inning with a four-bagger for the Davenport crew. Schuh, who had three hits, also poked a circuit shot for the visitors. Les Hufty went the distance on the hill for Nelson racking up nine strike outs. He walked two.

Gearhart (L) and xxx
Hufty (W) and xxx

In the second game, Davenport jumped on three Nelson hurlers for 12 hits to rout the Canadians 14-2. The Leafs were blanked until the ninth when they scored both their markers. Guhlke and Downing combined on a three hitter for the visitors while Underwood led the offense with three hits and Schuh added two more.

Guhlke (W), Downing (7) and xxx
Severyn (L), L.Hufty (6), Todd (7) and xxx

(July 3)  Nelson Outlaws journeyed to Colville, Washington, over the weekend and split a two-game set winning the first game 6-4 but dropping the second, 4-1.  Outlaws rapped out 14 hits and took advantage of five walks against Hal Davis in the first game.  Tom Marshall reached base four times, all on free passes. Al Bender had four hits and Ron Nash added three. Win Storgaard picked up the win in relief of Stan Grill.

Grill, Storgaard (W) (3) and xxx
H.Davis (L) and xxx

Fine defense saved Colville in the second game as a brilliant play at shortstop got the club out of a bases-loaded situation.  Ben Haxie kept the Outlaws off balance going all the way for the pitching win helped by Bayley and Hal Davis who each had two safeties. Haxie fanned seven. Ed Isakson belted a pair of doubles for Nelson. Johnny Misuraca started for Nelson but switched to second base after suffering a twisted ankle.

Misuraca (L), Grill (5) and xxx
Haxie (W) and xxx

(July 10)   Nakusp and Rossland divided a double-header in the Arrow Lakes community.  Rossland took the opener 4-0 behind Irv Lavorato who whiffed 14 in tossing the shutout besting Louis DeRosa for the home squad.

Lavorato (W) and Price
DeRosa () and Hempseed

Buster Patterson pitched Nakusp to a 3-1 victory in the second game as Wayne Highland, Otto Yanagisawa and Barin Yoshida scored the runs. Albert Bertoia plated the only counter for Rossland.

McLelland (L), LaFace (6) and Price
Patterson (W) and Hempseed

(July 12)  The Maple Leafs hammered the Outlaws 17-7 Tuesday in the battle of Nelson at the Civic Recreation Grounds. Leafs scored four runs in the first inning to set the stage for the easy victory. Leafs collected 12 hits and ten walks off Norberg. Loren Bay led the winners with three hits including a triple and double. Les Hufty had a double and two singles. Hufty, the winning pitcher, gave up just two hits and fanned eight before handing over the mound chores to Marshall Severyn in the 8th inning.

Norberg (L) and xxx
Hufty (W), Severyn (8) and xxx

(July 12)   Fruitvale Athletics overcame a four-run, first inning deficit and went on to crush Trail Cubs 12-5. Both pitchers were unusually wild. Stu Price on the mound for the Cubs walked 16 and yielded 12 hits before being relieved by Jack Ferguson in the ninth. Bob Seaman, on the hill for Fruitvale, gave up just five hits and fanned 17, but issued 11 free passes to bring the game total to 27. Gryschuk reached base five times, on two hits and three walks, for the Athletics. Ernie Darke had a hit and three walks. Busher McIntyre was a lone bright spot for the Cubs with three hits.

Seaman (W) and xxx
Price (L), Ferguson (9) and xxx

(July 13)   At Metaline Falls, Washington, Wednesday night, Nelson Outlaws emerged with an 8-2 victory. Al Bender started for the Outlaws and went five innings giving up four hits before turning to Ed Isakson for the last two frames. Isakson fanned five. Jack Purkett went the route for Metaline Falls allowing eight hits.

Bender (W), Isakson (6) and xxx
Purkett (L) and xxx

(July 16)   Young Tony DeRosa silenced the Nelson Maple Leafs heavy artillery Saturday holding the home club to just two hits as Fruitvale notched a 2-1 victory.  The left-hander twirled no-hit ball for seven and one-third innings before Les Hufty touched him for a single. Bob McNabb got the other safety, a long triple in the ninth.  The game featured a brawl between McNabb and Fruitvale catcher Wally Russell in the ninth inning with both players rolling around home plate until teammates managed to drag them away.  McNabb, trying for home after Ernie Gare's bunt, was tagged out by Russell and landed hard on the ground. McNabb jumped up fighting and the battle was on. DeRosa struck out seven Leafs and walked a pair. Jimmy Todd for Nelson allowed nine hits, walked two and fanned two.

DeRosa (W) and Russell
Todd (L) and xxx

(July 17)   Playing at Sandpoint, Idaho, the Kellogg Stars took both games from the Nelson Outlaws 4-2 and 5-4.

Grill (L) and Nash
Gettinger (W) and Hoffman

Storgaard (L) and Nash
Fulton (W) and Hoffman

(July 17)  In the first game of a three-team tournament at Nakusp, the home squad clobbered Kaslo 17-3 putting the game away early with three runs in the first inning and seven more in the second. Louis DeRosa fanned 12 in going the route for the win.

xxx, xxx, xxx and L.Turner
L.DeRosa (W) and Hempseed

New Denver-Silverton scored three runs in the tenth inning and held off a Nakusp rally in the bottom of the extra inning Sunday to post an 8-6 victory over the local nine in the second game of the tournament. Sonny Norberg was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Bill HarcusKen Gordon slammed a triple and double to spark the winners' attack.  Fred Johnson belted a homer for Nakusp. Lou DeRosa, the losing hurler, smacked a triple and double. Buster Patterson struck out 13 in going eight innings for Nakusp.

Harcus, S.Norberg (W) (8) and xxx
Patterson, L.DeRosa (9) and xxx

(July 17)    Trail, which officially changed its team name from Cubs to Smoke Eaters, came up with its first league win of the season Sunday scoring all its runs in the 8th inning in downing Fruitvale 7-2 in the first game of a double-header. Junior star Dick Mohoruk held the Athletics to six hits in posting the pitching win. After being blanked for seven innings and trailing 2-0, Mohoruk started the rally by drawing a free pass. Busher McIntyre reached on an error and Hal Jones loaded the bases with another walk.  A fly ball scored the first run and Martin smacked a homer to plate three and Louis Corrado followed with another four-bagger and the rout was on. 

Mohoruk (W) and xxx
Bodin (L), B.Seaman and xxx

Fruitvale rebounded to take the second game 8-5 riding a four-run sixth inning to the victory.

xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx

(July 19)    Stan Grill , with a pair of two-run triples, paced Nelson Outlaws to their victory over Metaline Falls, Washington, Tuesday at the Civic Recreation Grounds.  Wendy Keller started for Nelson and held the visitors scoreless for four innings. Win Storgaard relieved and finished the game. Harley Allan led the Washington squad with a three-run homer.

xxx and xxx
Keller, Storgaard (5) and xxx

(July 24)    The Sunday double-bill at Nelson often seemed like an intra-squad game as the Outlaws fortified the Priest River, Idaho, club after the Americans arrived short five of its regulars including its entire pitching staff. Several of the players were forced to fight forest fires in their district.  The Idaho nine won the first game 5-4 while the Outlaws came back to take the second 7-3. Wendy Keller suited up for the visitors and tossed a five-hitter with ten strike outs and five walks against his mates in the opener. Stan Grill took the loss in spite of yielding just three hits and fanning 15.  In the second game, Ed Isakson and Denny Kraft did the pitching chores for the winners while Win Storgaard went the distance for Priest River. Jim McNabb of the Outlaws provided the offensive highlight with a late homer off his usual teammate Storgaard.

Keller (W) and xxx
Grill (L) and xxx

Storgaard (L) and xxx
Isakson, Kraft and xxx

(July 24)    In a wild one at Kaslo, the home team, trailing 13-11, scored 11 runs in the last two innings to trounce New Denver-Silverton 22-13. 

L.Kynock, R.O'Grady and B.Leask
D.Shimizu, R.Norberg and Bowker

(July 31)   The Fruitvale All-Stars racked up their fourth straight win over the Nelson Maple Leafs Sunday sweeping both games of a double-header at the Recreation Grounds. The All-Stars clobbered the Leafs 16-5 in the first encounter and came from behind to win the second 4-1.

George Lechuk broke open the first game belting a grand slam homer over the left field wall in the third inning to give Fruitvale a 6-0 lead.  Lechuk led the winners with three hits.  The lone bright spots for Nelson were the hitting of Len Bay who had four straight hits and the running of brother Loren Bay who thrilled the fans with a steal of home. The visitors took an 11-1 lead after five against against Marshall Severyn, who has pitching with a blister on his finger. However, seven Leaf errors were costly for the losers. All-Stars collected 13 hits to ten for the Leafs. Tony DeRosa fanned nine and walked three in picking up the mound triumph.

DeRosa (W) and xxx
Severyn (L), L.Hufty (6) and xxx

Wally Russell's seventh inning single knocked in the winning run as Fruitvale took the second game 4-1.  Trailing 1-0 after Lee Hyssop doubled in the third to give Leafs the lead, Fruitvale rallied in the seventh. Hugh McIntyre doubled and Leo Mailey reached on an error. Jim Bilesky's one-bagger tied the score and Russell followed with his single. Eric Bodin went the route with a nine-hitter for the win.

Bodin (W) and xxx
Todd (L) and xxx

(July 31)   The Nakusp baseballers put on a hitting and pitching show Sunday as they demolished New Denver-Silverton 23 to 2 at Silverton.  The visitors sprayed hits all over the diamond collecting 23 safeties and 14 free passes. Barin Yoshida scored five times for the winners and Fred Johnson, Otto Yanagisawa, Albert Yano and Brian Hempseed each scored three times.  Louis DeRosa fired a three-hitter for Nakusp holding the home team scoreless until the 8th when Bill Harcus knocked in Lenny Erickson and William Harcus scored on a sac fly.

L.DeRosa (W) and Hempseed
Harcus (L), R.Kynock (3), K.Gordon and B.Leask

(August 2)   Jack Duncan fired a four-hitter as Fruitvale Athletics edged Trail 4-3. Bill Johnson's two-run single in the seventh inning proved to be the winning blow scoring Hugh McIntyre who had singled and Jerry Penner, safe on an error.  Trail scored a pair in the bottom of the seventh as Jack Ferguson drove in Reno Zanier, who had doubled and Stu Price, on with a single, but the Smoke Eaters fell just short.

Duncan (W) and xxx
Ferguson (L) and xxx

(August 8)  Fruitvale continued their winning ways against Trail Friday crushing the Smoke Eaters 11-1 behind the solid hurling of Bob Seaman, who walked in the only Trail run when he issued four free passes in the 8th inning. Dick Getz started on the hill for the Smokies and held the Athletics to one run through the first five innings in his first turn on the mound. He tired in the sixth and was battered around in the 6th and 7th before Jack Ferguson relieved.

Getz (L), Ferguson (8) and xxx
B.Seaman (W) and xxx

(August 7)    Nelson Outlaws proved good hosts off the field as they treated the Kellogg, Idaho, squad to a tour of the city and a boat ride on Kootenay Lake Sunday, but on the field the Outlaws took both ends of a double-header, both by one run, 8-7 and 5-4. In the first game, Nelson blew a 7-1 lead as Kellogg pepppered the fences with some long ball hitting to even matters in the 8th. In the final frame, Sam Seminoff played the starring role as he rifled a double into centre field to score Ken White with the winning run.  Al Dawson, in Nelson on holidays from Victoria, started for the winners working six innings giving up four hits and four runs. Wendy Keller finished and received credit for the win.  The Outlaws had just six hits but their base running and timely hitting were good enough for the victory.

xxx and xxx
Dawson, Keller (W) (7) and xxx

Denny Kraft stole home in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Nelson the second game 5-4. Kraft doubled to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to third by Ron Nash. Kellogg got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth with two runs and the Outlaws responded with three in their half of the third.  After Kellogg drew even in the seventh, Nelson captured the lead in the 8th when Stan Grill blasted a single scoring Jim McNabb. The never-say-die Kellogg nine swept back into a tie in the ninth when Taylor scored.  With two men on base and only one out, Nelson manager Nash, elected to pull starter Win Storgaard in favour of Ron Brown. After walking the first batter to face him, Brown forced Crook to fly out but the long blow allowed Taylor to scamper home.

Gettinger (L) and xxx
Storgaard, Brown (W) (9) and xxx

(August 7)   Trail Smoke Eaters motored to Nakusp for a twin-bill and came away with two high-scoring victories, 13-1 and 11-10.  Smokies erupted for seven runs in the first inning of the opener and won with ease. Eric Bodin fired a two-hitter for the win racking up 12 strikeouts in seven innings of play. He walked two. Louis DeRosa allowed 11 hits, fanned four and walked five.

Bodin (W) and xxx
DeRosa (L) and Hempseed, N.Hayashi (2)

Nakusp rallied for ten runs in the last three innings but fell just short as Trail posted the 11-10 victory. Nakusp had a chance to tie in the ninth with two on and two out but Bodin, in relief, got a strikeout to end the game. Jack Ferguson started for the Smokies giving way to Harold Jones in the 8th and Bodin in the 9th. Buster Patterson went all the way for the Arrow Lakes club giving up 12 hits. He whiffed seven and walked just one.

Ferguson (W), Jones (8), Bodin (9) and xxx
Patterson (L) and xxx

(August 8)    Manager Frank Hufty Sr. of the Nelson Maple Leafs says the team will travel to Kimberley August 27 and 28 to play for the Kootenay baseball crown.  Word from Kimberley suggests that Trail, Fruitvale, Nelson and Kimberley would play a series in the mining city for the championship.  Mr. Hufty said it is expected that no imports would be allowed.

(August 12)   Les Hufty chucked a neat three-hitter at the Trail CYO Giants Friday as the Nelson Maple Leafs notched an easy 8-1, seven inning, victory.  Hufty fanned nine and walked a pair.  Leafs jumped on Jack Ferguson for 11 hits included a homer by Marshall Severyn and a triple by Frank Hufty who also had a pair of singles. Trail got its lone run in the sixth inning when Bill Jablonski walked and Steve Price and McCabe followed with singles.

Ferguson (L), B.McIntyre and xxx
L.Hufty (W) and xxx

(August 14)   Fruitvale All-Stars registered their fifth straight win over Nelson Maple Leafs downing the home club 14-8 at the Civic Recreation Grounds.  The All-Stars were never in serious trouble hitting Les Hufty for nine safeties and taking advantage of 11 Nelson errors. The game featured one of the longest home runs this year as Hufty unloaded the ball into right field. When Vern Seaman finally retrieved the horsehide it was at the stands of the fastball diamond.  Frank Hufty smacked two triples for Nelson and Al Larsen of the Leafs and Jack Duncan of the All-Stars hit for three bases. 

J.Duncan (W), McKay (8) and xxx
L.Hufty (L) and xxx

(August 14)   Nelson Outlaws returned from across the border with wins from two clubs from Sunday's double-header defeating Colville Air Force 6-4 and Clayton Rockets 6-1.  Outlaws rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the first game to tie 4-4 going into the final frame and pushed across two runs in the last inning for the victory. Al Dawson hurled a four-hitter for Nelson while Shore took the loss giving up seven hits, two each to Dawson and Ron Brown.

Dawson (W) and xxx
Shore (L) and xxx

Wendy Keller pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning of the second game to emerge with a 6-1 triumph. Sam Seminoff led the attack with three hits and Ed Isakson punched out a brace of two baggers.

Keller (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(August 18)   Pushing across two runs in the sixth inning, Nelson Outlaws got by Colville Air Base 2-1 Thursday to record their seventh straight victory.  The game was scoreless through five innings before 760 Squadron broke the ice with a run in the top of the sixth. An error and a double by Fournier produced the tally.  Outlaws responded in the bottom of the frame as John Cone drew a walk and, with two down, Stan Donaldson reached on an error and George Benwell delivered a single to plate both markers. Benwell and Ron Nash each had two hits for Nelson.

Shore, Vaughan, Tegtmier and xxx
Storgaard, Dawson (6) and xxx

(August 21)   Nelson Outlaws split a twin bill with Colville Sunday at the Civic Recreation Grounds winning the opener 10-9 for their 8th consecutive win then dropping the nightcap 6-5.  Centre fielder Tommy Marshall climaxed an 11-hit attack in the first game with a single in the ninth to score Wendy Keller, who opened the frame with a walk, with the winning counter. Keller, on the mound for the Outlaws, gave up only four hits but six walks kept him in trouble. He rang up 18 strikeouts.  Colville took the lead with five runs in the first inning with Nelson taking the lead in the sixth. Joe Scherette belted a homer to tie 9-9 in the 8th setting the stage for Marshall's game winner.

Scherette (L) and xxx
Keller (W) and xxx

In the second game, Colville notched the winner in the final frame on a single and two errors.  The Outlaws plated three runs in the first inning as the first four men to face Hal Davis reached base safety. Colville came back with one in their half and one in the second. After Nelson added two runs in the third the visitors pecked away to tie, highlighted by a towering homer by Virgil Hawkins in the fourth.  Davis was the winning hurler with a seven-hitter and eight strikeouts and no walks. Stan Grill took the loss giving up nine hits.

Davis (W) and xxx
Grill (L) and xxx

(August 23)  With Tony DeRosa firing one-hit ball and Billy Johnson slamming a grand slam homer Fruitvale embarrassed the Trail Smoke Eaters at home Tuesday with a 14-0 pasting.  Johnson started the Fruitvale outburst in the fifth with a single then put a cap on it when he cleared the bases with a tremendous poke off Irv Lavorato.  Fruitvale scored nine times in the big inning. DeRosa, up from the junior ranks, whiffed nine and walked only two. However, he twice hit Busher McIntyre. Vern Seaman rapped a double and single and drove in a pair and Stets Gryschuk, Gerry Penner and Wally Russell all had two hits.  Fruitvale has compiled an impressive 31 and 6 record for the summer.

DeRosa (W) and xxx
Ferguson (L), Lavorato (5), Latch (5) and xxx

(August 28)   Tiny Nakusp gave Nelson Outlaws a double beating Sunday upsetting the visitors 8-5 in the first game then demolishing the southern squad 22-5 in the second. Fred Johnson scored three times to lead the winners who received strong hurling by Buster Patterson

Grill (L) and Nash
Patterson (W) and Hempseed

Nakusp erupted for a total of 15 runs in the 6th and 7th innings and went on to crush Nelson in the second game. Otto Yanagisawa scored five times for the winners while winning hurler Louis DeRosa had four runs and Zanier and Brian Hempseed each crossed the plate three times.

xxx and xxx
DeRosa (W) and Hempseed

(September 3)   Nakusp baseballers motored to the Arrow Park Fall Fair Saturday where they defeated Edgewood 8-1 in the seven inning contest. Louis DeRosa fired a one-hitter for the winners. The game was scoreless until the third when Brian Hempseed smashed a homer with Shig Kiyono on base. Nakusp added three runs in the fifth on four hits and a pair of free passes. A triple by DeRosa and singles by Jackie James and Buster Patterson led to three more runs in the 6th. The hosts got their only run in the 7th on an error.  Nakusp drew 11 hits and seven walks off Edgewood's Hugo Klein. DeRosa issued three free passes and hit a batter while fanning 12.

DeRosa (W) and Hempseed
H.Klein (L) and xxx

(September 6)   In an abbreviated contest at Butler Park Tuesday, Trail Smoke Eaters pummeled three Nelson Outlaws' hurlers for seven hits and 14 runs while Trail playing manager Jack Ferguson was giving up a meagre three hits as the Smokies posted a 14-1 triumph.  The game was called after 5 1/2 innings. Hal Jones led the winners with two doubles and a single driving in two runs and scoring three.

White, Kraft (4), Kennedy and xxx
Ferguson (W) and xxx

(September 11)   Trail split a weekend series with Summerland of the Okanagan Mainline League. Macs took the opener 3-2 behind stellar pitching by Don Cristante. Tony DeRosa took the loss. Trail won the second game 6-5 as Jack Ferguson tossed a five-hitter for the Kootenay squad.

DeRosa (L) and xxx
Cristante (W) and xxx

Ferguson (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx


BC CENTRAL INTERIOR LEAGUE (PRINCE GEORGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE)

(Game coverage of 1955 CIBL games in the major area newspaper, the Prince George Citizen, reverted to the level of a few summers previous when sparseness and insufficiency were the norms. Numerous games went unreported and, in several of those which did show up in print, very little information other than scores was reported.)

(May 23)  The Willow River Red Sox captured the 1955 Elks Victoria Victoria Day tournament, winning both their games in the four-team event. The Sox had no difficulty in eliminating the Prince George Athletics 7 to 1 in the tourney opener. The other semi-final saw the Prince George Canadas defeat the USAF Yankees 15 to 3. The Scarlet Stockings then disposed of the Canadas  8 to 5 in the tournament final.

(June 6)  The USAF Yankees were the victims of a humiliating drubbing by the Prince George Athletics in a game that was never fully completed as several of the USAF players were ejected. The A’s took advantage of the situation and had a huge 28 to 4 lead when the game was awarded to them.

(June 6)  The Canadas, Prince George’s other entry in the CIBL, travelled to Willow River where the Red Sox posted an 8 to 2 win.

(June 8)  Fans at the Civic Centre diamond in Prince George were treated to a well-played brand of baseball as the eager and youthful Prince George Athletics nipped the Willow River Red Sox 3 to 2. Fred Kapphahn of the A’s and Sid Delano of the Sox locked horns in a tight pitching joust in which both registered nine strikeouts. Trailing 2 to 1 as they came to bat in the bottom of the fifth frame, the Athletics manufactured the tying run on a base on balls and a single by infielder Johnny Berdusco. With Berdusco roosting on second base, Kapphahn came to the plate and singled to drive home the lead run. Both pitchers took command for the balance of the game with Kapphahn striking out the last three batters to face him.

Delano (L) and W. McDermid
Kapphahn (W) and Stettner

Standings after game of June 8
                            W    L    Pct.
Prince George Athletics     4    1   .800
Willow River Red Sox        3    1   .750
Quesnel Lumbermen           3    1   .750
USAF Yankees                1    3   .250
Prince George Canadas       1    4   .200
Quesnel Clippers            0    2   .000

(June 12)  At Willow River, the USAF Yankees extended the Red Sox to the final out of the first game of their twin-bill before succumbing 3 to 2. The Sox came back slugging in the second encounter to register a 16 to 8 triumph over the luckless USAF nine.

(June 12)  Prince George Canadas invaded Quesnel where they divided a doubleheader with the Clippers. The score in both games was 8 to 7 with the visitors being extended to eleven innings before capturing the second contest.

(June 12)  The free-wheeling Prince George Athletics swept both of their double-dip games from the Quesnel Lumbermen, taking the matinee tussle by a healthy 14 to 3 count and then squeaking by with a ten-inning, 10 to 9 nail-biter in the finale. The A’s had little trouble in their first game with the Lumbermen after scoring four times in the second inning. They added three more in each of the fifth, seventh and eighth frames as they launched a 14-hit attack against losing pitcher Al Johnson. Meanwhile southpaw Ray Makanchuk of the A’s rationed the Quesnelites to just two hits in the first six innings then weakened as the visitors strung together a series of base raps to score three in the seventh and one in the final stanza. Hugh Bare collected three of the hits surrendered by Makanchuk who wound up with ten strikeouts during his route-going performance. 

Johnson (L) and Delbuccio
Makanchuk (W) and Stettner

The Athletics thought they had the late encounter all wrapped up as they entered the ninth inning with a robust 9 to 3 advantage. Starter Ken Larsen faltered, however, and before reliever Fred Kapphahn could quell the uprising, Quesnel had scored six runs to tie the score. A double by Jimmy Briggs and Barry McDowell’s single won the game for the Prince George nine in the bottom of the tenth canto. Al Slack went the distance for the losers.

Larsen, Kapphahn (W) (9) and Cruickshank, Stettner
Slack (L) and Delbuccio

(June 13)  With nightmarish performances from both pitching staffs, the Prince George Athletics took a firmer grip on the top rung of the CIBL with an ugly 18 to 11 win over the Willow River Red Sox. Prince George starting hurler Fred Therres had five innings of solid chucking as his mates were garnering a dozen runs. Therres weakened considerably in the sixth, however, and his successors, Ron Sauer as well as Jamie Gray, were less than spectacular in the final three innings. Loser Ernie Chartrand and relievers Sid Delano and Andy Kuchurian of the Red Stockings were also roughed up badly by the visitors. Outfielder Ed Chorney of the A’s hammered a circuit-clout and two-bagger. 

Therres (W), Sauer (6), Gray and xxx
Chartrand (L), Delano, Kuchurian and xxx

(June 19)  The Quesnel Clippers gained ground in the CIBL by winning a pair of games from the USAF Yankees. Playing on the Civic Centre diamond, Tommy Byrne of the Clippers hurled the first shutout of the season as Quesnel disposed of the Yanks 16 to 0 in the opener. The second game was a bit closer but the Clips still ran away with things, disposing of the USAF squad by a 10 to 3 count. Oscar Festerling was the winning pitcher.

(June 19)  At Quesnel, the Lumbermen had little trouble with the Willow River Red Sox in the first of two, slamming the Crimson Hose 15 to 4. The Willow River gang came back to take the twilight fixture 9 to 4.

Standings after games of June 19
                             W     L      Pct.
Prince George Athletics      8     1     .888
Willow River Red Sox         6     3     .667
Quesnel Lumbermen            4     4     .500
Quesnel Clippers             3     3     .500
Prince George Canadas        2     6     .250
USAF Yankees                 1     7     .125

(June 20)  Willow River’s Mike Church tossed a no-hitter against the cellar-dwelling USAF Yankees as the Red Sox prevailed 11 to 0.

(June 22)  The league-leading Prince George Athletics extended their current winning streak by defeating their cross-town rivals, the Prince George Canadas, 9 to 7. The A’s took the lead in their first turn at bat and led all the way. The Canadas were persistent, however, and kept whittling away at whatever margin the Athletics had established. Both teams wound up with eight base knocks. Browell, the A’s new third baseman, had a triple and double in five trips to the plate while teammate Barry McDowell had a double and single in as many attempts..

Kapphahn (W) and Stettner
Glazier (L), Makarenko (4) and Doyle

(June 24)  The Willow River Red Sox hammered out 18 hits in running roughshod over the Prince George Canadas by a hefty 16 to 1 margin. Winning pitcher Sid Delano doled out five hits, struck out 12 and walked two. The Sox plated 12 of their 18 runs during the course of the final three innings of the game, sending losing chucker Don Young to the showers in the seventh frame and continuing the battering against reliever Dave Wall in the eighth and ninth stanzas. 

Delano (W) and W. McDermid
Young (L), Wall (7) and Doyle

(July 1)  Rain caught up with the abbreviated Prince George Dominion Day tournament when the final game was called off after three innings. The Willow River Red Sox were leading the Prince George Athletics 4 to 0 when a heavy downpour sent spectators and players scurrying for cover. Preliminary games in the tournament went according to script with the Athletics humbling the USAF Yankees 16 to 5 and the Red Sox blanking the Prince George Canadas 15 to 0.

(July 3)  USAF Yankees  8  vs  Prince George Canadas  7  (game 1)
              USAF Yankees  2  vs  Prince George Canadas  2  (game 2)

              Prince George Athletics  9  vs  Willow River Red Sox  5  (game 1)
              Prince George Athletics 15  vs  Willow River Red Sox 12 (game 2)

              Quesnel Clippers  7  vs Quesnel Lumbermen  3  (game 1)
              Quesnel Clippers 12 vs Quesnel Lumbermen  7  (game 2)

(July 8)  The Prince George Athletics pounded out a 16 to 1 win over the hapless USAF Yankees. Fred Therres took the complete game pitching win for the A’s.

(July 9)  The Willow River Red Sox blasted the Prince George Athletics 13 to 2 in the replay of the July 1 tournament final which was rained out. Winning pitcher Sid Delano and teammate Andy Kuchurian had home runs for the Sox.

(July 10)  In winning a pair of games from the Quesnel Lumbermen by scores of 8 to 2 and 11 to 5, the Willow River Red Sox replaced the Lumbermen in second spot in the CIBL.

(July 11)  The Prince George Canadas took advantage of several USAF fielding miscues to dump the Yankees 11 to 9.

(July 13)  The Willow River Red Sox continued their drive to overtake the front-running Prince George Athletics in the CIBL when they coasted to an easy 19 to 1 win over the USAF Yankees. Willie McDermid and Stafford hit four-baggers for the Milltown squad.

(July 15)  In an all-Prince George battle, the Athletics stooped the Canadas 11 to 7.

(July 17)  The third-place Quesnel Lumbermen and the top-dog Prince George Athletics split a doubleheader played in Quesnel, the A’s losing the opener 7 to 3 and winning the nightcap 10 to 1.

(July 17)  The Quesnel Clippers solidly entrenched themselves in second place in the CIBL when, playing in Prince George, they hung a double defeat on the hosting Canadas, the scores being 16 to 10 and 15 to 5.

Standings after games of July 17
                             W     L    Pct.
Prince George Athletics     15     2    .883
Quesnel Clippers             8     3    .727
Willow River Red Sox        11     6    .674
Quesnel Lumbermen            5    10    .333
Prince George Canadas        4    11    .266
USAF Yankees                 2    12    .143

(July 18)  The Prince George Canadas forfeited their game against the Willow River Red Sox when the Canucks were unable to field a complete team.

(July 20)  The Prince George Athletics clobbered two Yankee hurlers and capitalized on defensive lapses by the Americans to take an easy 19 to 5 win over the USAF aggregation. Ron Sauer was the winning pitcher.

(July 20)  The Willow River Red Sox hosted the Prince George Canadas and hung a 10 to 3 setback on the visitors.

(July 22)  With a come-from-behind 8 to 4 victory over the front-running Prince George Athletics, the Willow River Red Sox continued their upward surge in the CIBL. The Prince George team held a 4 to 1 lead in the seventh inning and appeared headed toward victory but the Sox tied things with three counters in that frame, the last of which saw a runner score all the way from second base on a passed ball. Willow River then grabbed the lead and the win on Dave Wall’s towering three-run four-bagger in the eighth canto.

Therres, Gray (L) (7), Larsen (8) and Stettner
M. Church (W) and xxx

(July 24)  The Quesnel Clippers and Prince George Athletics split a doubleheader at Quesnel, the home-town Clips winning the first game 3 to 2 before bowing to the A’s 9 to 6 in the nightcap. The Clips scored what proved to be the winning marker in the fifth frame of the opener when, with the score knotted at 2 – 2, a Quesnel player was allowed to scoot all the way home on an overthrow to first base. The game was protested on this play as per the prevailing ground rule. Ed Chorney had an opening-inning circuit-clout for the A’s.

Kapphahn (L) and xxx
Festerling (W) and xxx

In the second game, Ed Chorney of the Athletics ripped his second homer of the day and missed out on his third when he was credited with a single after failing to touch second base while in his home run trot, circling the sacks.

Larsen (W) and xxx
Bryan (L) and xxx

(July 25)  In another battle of Prince George, the Athletics continued their dominance over the Canadas, defeating their intra-city cousins 6 to 2. Jamie Gray took the mound decision over Don Young. Johnny Berdusco homered for the winners.

Young (L) and xxx
Gray (W) and xxx

(July 31)  Eric Ryall hurled the Prince George Canadas to 6 to 1 triumph over the Quesnel Lumbermen in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. The second contest was rained out.

Comish (L) and xxx
Ryall (W) and xxx

(July 31)  At Quesnel, the cellar-dwelling USAF Yankees split a pair of games with the hosting Clippers. The Yanks, with Yaeger on the mound, defeated the Clips 4 to 1 in the matinee set-to. In the second game, the Clippers prevailed 7 to 0 in a five-inning encounter that was halted by rain. Quesnel’s Oscar Fetterling tossed a one-hit shutout in the abbreviated match.

Standings after games of July 31
                             W     L     Pct.
Prince George Athletics     17     4    .810
Willow River Red Sox        14     5    .737
Quesnel Clippers            10     5    .667
Quesnel Lumbermen            5    11    .313
Prince George Canadas        5    14    .263
USAF Yankees                 3    14    .176

(August 4)  The Willow River Red Sox trounced the floundering USAF Yankees 13 to 0 as pitcher Mike Church picked up his seventh win of the season against two losses.

(August 5)  The Prince George Canadas threw a scare into their city cousins, the Prince George Athletics, before bowing to the A’s 7 to 6. The Canucks had the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth inning when the final putout was made.

(August 7)   Behind Fred Kapphahn’s steady pitching, the Prince George Athletics defeated the Quesnel Clippers 8 to 5 in a game that was interrupted twice by rain.

Fetterling (L) and xxx
Kapphahn (W) and xxx

(August 7)  In a battle of tail-enders, the Prince George Canadas and USAF Yankees divided a twin-bill. Don Young belted a round-tripper as the Canucks won the lid-lifter 4 to 2. The Yanks came back to grab the second game 6 to 3. 

(August 8)  The Prince George Canadas defeated the USAF Yankees 8 to 3. Range and Don Young divided pitching duties for the winners while Calhoun went the distance for the American squad.

(August 10)  The Willow River Red Sox continued their winning ways, downing the Prince George Canadas 9 to 3.

(August 10)  After holding the league-leading Prince George Athletics to two hits through eight innings, the roof fell in on USAF Yankees’ hurler “Rube Wyatt as the A’s solved his slants for six big counters to walk away with an 8 to 1 triumph. Entering the fateful ninth frame, the Yanks trailed only 2 to 1 and appeared to have a legitimate shot at upsetting Prince George but such was not to be the case. After the Athletics’ batting uprising, they closed the game with a neatly executed Berdusco to Backman to Ross double play. Winning flinger Fred Kapphahn allowed only three hits, struck out 13 and walked one batter. Wyatt had ten strikeouts, gave up eight hits and issued one free pass. Rosenthal had a booming home run for the Americans.

Kapphahn (W) and xxx
Wyatt (L) and xxx  

Standings after games of August 10
                             W     L     Pct.
Prince George Athletics     20     4     .833
Willow River Red Sox        16     5     .782
Quesnel Clippers            10     6     .625
Quesnel Lumbermen            5    11     .318
Prince George Canadas        7    17     .291
USAF Yankees                 4    18     .182

(August 11)  The Prince George Athletics experienced little difficulty in throttling the USAF Yankees 13 to 1. Jamie Gray went the distance  to earn the mound win.

(August 11)  Wet grounds forced cancellation of the scheduled game between the Clippers and Lumbermen in Quesnel.

(August 12)  The rampaging Red Sox from Willow River held on for a 6 to 5 win over the first-place Prince George Athletics. The Sox held a 6 to 0 lead up to the fifth inning when the A’s plated all of their runs. The game featured injuries to three players, two others banished from the game and prolonged disputes with the umpires. Mike Church was credited with the hurling triumph.

Therres (L) and Stettner
M. Church (W), Delano and xxx

(August 13)  Recovering for their narrow defeat of the night previous, the Prince George Athletics rebounded to trip their nearest pursuers, the Willow River Red Sox, 2 to 1 in a thriller which was terminated after seven frames because of darkness. With the score tied 1 – 1 in the bottom of the sixth, A’s catcher Andy Stettner doubled and was driven home with the winning maker on a timely single by second sacker Fred Therres.

Delano (L) and xxx
Larsen (W) and Stettner

(August 14)  The Quesnel Lumbermen clinched the fourth and final playoff spot in the CIBL by sweeping two games from the USAF Yankees. The Lumbermen pounded loser “Rube” Wyatt for 12 hits in the lopsided 13 to 3 first-game victory. Al Slack picked up the win, tossing a four-hitter.

Slack (W) and xxx
Wyatt (L) and xxx

Final score of the twilight game was 15 to 5. George Dodge got credit for the pitching win while Yaeger of the Yanks was saddled with the loss.

Dodge (W) and xxx
Yaeger (L) and xxx  

(August 14)  With a record of 22 wins and  five losses, the idle Prince George Athletics were declared as pennant-winners in the 1955 CIBL as the second-place Willow River Red Sox broke even with the Clippers in a doubleheader at Quesnel. The Sox won the opener 6 to 3 and then dropped a free-hitting nightcap 11 to 10. 

(August 15)  The regular CIBL season came to an end, albeit somewhat earlier than anticipated because of the persistent rainfalls, with the Athletics drubbing the Canadas 13 to 0 in an all-Prince George joust. Fred Kapphahn pitched a three-hit shutout for the pennant-winners.

Final Standings
                              W     L    Pct.
Prince George Athletics      23     5   .821
Willow River Red Sox         18     7   .720
Quesnel Clippers             10     7   .588
Quesnel Lumbermen             7    10   .412
Prince George Canadas         7    18   .240
USAF Yankees                  4    22   .162

Playoff pairings – first-place Prince George Athletics meet the third-place Quesnel Clippers and the runner-up Willow River Red Sox take on the fourth-spot Quesnel Lumbermen.

PLAYOFFS
Semi-finals (best-of-three series)

(August 21)  The Quesnel Clippers upset the Prince George Athletics twice by scores of 14 to 8 and 8 to 2 to knock the pennant-winners out of contention for the playoff championship. The youthful A’s, who led the league for the vast majority of the season, went down in rather aimless fashion to the Clippers who got hits when they were needed.

The Clips pounded three Prince George pitchers for 13 base blows in the early game. Winning chucker Oscar Festerling had a three-hitter going until the ninth when the A’s made a last-ditch effort to get back in the game and lit him up for three runs on four hits including a four-bagger by Billy Ross. Losing pitcher Fred Kapphahn also had a home run. Festerling recorded 11 strikeouts.

Festerling (W) and Swain
Kapphahn (L), Gray (4), Makanchuk (9) and Stettner

Both teams collected seven hits in the late encounter but losing pitcher Ken Larsen’s old nemesis, wildness, was a big factor in the Clippers’ win. Although striking out ten, the gangling right-hander walked six and hit another batter. Tommy Bryan, the Quesnel hurler, struck out eight and issued only one walk.

Bryan (W) and Swain
Larsen (L) and Stettner, Cruikshank

(August 21)  The Red Sox swept a playoff doubleheader from the Quesnel Lumbermen at Willow River by scores of 4 to 2 and 7 to 5, thereby advancing to the league finals against the Quesnel Clippers.

(August 25)  Garry Tuttle, Quesnel Clippers second baseman led the CIBL in batting during the 1955 campaign, slamming the horsehide at a mighty .463 clip. Most effective pitcher in the league was Fred Kapphahn of the Prince George Athletics who ended the season with a record of nine wins and one loss. Willie McDermid, Willow River’s peppery backstop, hit six home runs to again lead in that department.
Top Ten Batters
                                                AB    H     Aver.
Garry Tuttle (Quesnel Clippers)                 54    25   .463
Ed Chorney (Prince George Athletics)           104    45   .433
Hugh Bare (Quesnel Lumbermen)                   52    22   .423
Otto Munk (Quesnel Lumbermen)                   57    23   .404
Willie McDermid (Willow River Red Sox)          99    40   .404
Johnny Berdusco (Prince George Athletics)      110    42   .382
Don Young (Prince George Canadas)               65    24   .369
Andy Stettner (Prince George Athletics)         80    29   .363
Phil Punt (Quesnel Lumbermen)                   72    26   .361
Ken McDermid (Willow River Red Sox)             81    29   .358

Finals (best-of-five series)

(August 28)  Runs and errors were a dime a dozen as the Quesnel Clippers and Willow River Red Sox divided a doubleheader opening the best of five series for the CIBL title. Playing at Willow River, the Clippers had an easy 17 to 8 win in the opening game while the Red Stockings responded to take the second encounter 10 to 5. Oscar Festerling earned the hill decision over Mike Church in the matinee match. Both chuckers went the route and each surrendered eleven base hits. The Sox held an 8 to 6 lead as they took the field for the eighth inning but they went to pieces in grand style as Church began to weaken and the Clippers plated four counters. The situation became even worse for the disorganized Riverites in the nightmarish ninth as the Quesnel nine struck for an additional seven runs. George Oliver had a brace of two-baggers for the winners.

Festerling (W) and Swain
Church (L) and Kuchurian

In the nightcap, Willow River left-hander Sid Delano doled out five hits while his teammates were battering a trio of Clipper pitchers for eleven safeties. Dave Wall smashed a bases-empty homer in the third to help the Milltown squad remain on even terms with the Clips. He also singled in the opening frame. Teammate Kortzman delivered a pair of doubles for the Sox and Delano helped his own cause by singling twice.

Bryan (L), Caine (7), Friesen and Swain
Delano (W) and Kuchurian 

(September 4-5)  Port Moody won the $500 first prize at the Quesnel Labour Day weekend tournament, defeating the Quesnel Clippers in the final. The Clips earned $300 for their performance. Taking third prize of $200 was the team from Dawson Creek.

(September 11)  Playing at Quesnel, the Willow River Red Sox dropped a 9 to 8 decision to the Clippers in the third game of a tight playoff series but then came back to take the fourth game 4 to 3 and force a fifth and deciding game. Willow River’s Willie McDermid had a huge day offensively in the twin-bill, collecting nine hits in ten appearances at the plate, including three home runs and a triple. Both teams used three hurlers in the first game which saw the Sox blow a 7 to 0 second-inning lead as the Clippers scored clusters of three runs in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings. Garry Tuttle’s single in the eighth frame drove in winning pitcher Tommy Bryan with the winning run. Irv Follack and Johnny Kusak had two hits apiece for the winners.

Church, Chartrand (6), Delano (L) (8) and W. McDermid
Friesen, Festerling (1), Bryan (W) (3) and Bryan, Swain (3)

The second game was shortened to eight innings because of a 45 minute delay caused by a heavy rainstorm while the Clippers were batting in the fifth. Winning flinger Sid Delano of the Sox and his mound opponent, Oscar Festerling were both nicked for seven hits. Johnny Kusak and Irv Follack homered in the first inning to give Quesnel a 2 to 0 lead. Kusak plated the Clippers’ third run when, after hammering a three-bagger in the third, he scampered home after an infield pop fly was muffed. Willie McDermid accounted for Willow River’s first three runs, the initial two coming on a two-run circuit blast and the third on a solo four-bagger. Andy Kuchurian’s double drove in Dave Wall with the winning run for the Redlegs in the fifth.

Delano (W) and xxx
Festerling (L) and xxx

(September 18)  In the fifth and deciding game of the CIBL finals, the Willow River Red Sox sent a record crowd of home-town fans away happy by defeating the Quesnel Clippers 6 to 3 behind the seven-hit pitching of portsider Sid Delano. The Milltown southpaw was in great form, striking out eight batters. He didn’t issue any base on balls or allow a Quesnel runner to reach third base after the third inning when the Clippers scored all their runs. A two-run homer by Johnny Kusak, the Clippers’ starry shortstop, and an RBI hit by Don Gale staked the Clips to a 3 to 0 lead in the third frame. The Red Sox responded with a pair of counters in their half of the stanza and took a 4 to 3 lead in the sixth on singles by Willie McDermid, Kortzman and Andy Kuchurian coupled with a costly Quesnel error. The Red Stockings cushioned their lead by adding another pair of tallies in the seventh. Delano responded by whiffing four batters in the final two cantos. 

Bryan (L), Festerling (7) and Swain
Delano (W) and W. McDermid


EAST KOOTENAY SENIOR BASEBALL

WESTERN INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

Bonner’s Ferry ID
Creston
Kimberley Dynamos
Libby MT
Troy MT Air Base

(June 11) Kimberley Dynamos kicked off play in the new Western International League Saturday dropping a close decision to Bonner's Ferry on a steal of home by Jim Sanman in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning. Eric Bodin was the tough-luck loser fanning 19 in the defeat while yielding just five hits, including a home run to Bob Hoagland. The Dynies collected 11 hits off winning heaver Bill Gerhart but stranded 12 baserunners. “Red” Matthews paced Kimberley at the plate with three hits followed by Elmer Garinger who laced a pair. Sanman and Hoagland both stroked two safeties for Bonners.

(June 12) In their second road game of the weekend, the Kimberley Dynamos rebounded from a tough Saturday night setback to cream the hosting Creston aggregation on Sunday afternoon 10 to 2 behind the five-hit pitching of lefthander Pete Boisvert. Losing twirler Dale Embree was lit up for 14 base blows by the visiting Mining Towners including a three-run homer by Elmer Garinger. Jim Ratcliffe and Tony Brummet both picked up three hits for the winners while Andy Port, Less Lilley and the Garinger brothers added two apiece. Veteran outfielder Harry Ostendorf singled twice for the Valley Towners.

(June 18-19)   In the Western International League, Libby, Montana, took both games of a weekend series at Kimberley 14-3 and 9-3.  In Saturday's encounter, played in a drizzling rain, the Dynamos got the first two batters of the game before the roof caved it and they found themselves behind 11-0.  Libby notched four runs in the first inning and seven more in the second. Lee Gehring led the Libby assault with four hits while Les Lilley collected a pair of doubles for the Dynamos. Kaiser went the distance for the pitching win.

Kaiser (W) and xxx
Boisvert (L), Blayney and xxx

Libby took advantage of seven Kimberley errors and eight hits to down the hosts 9-3 in Sunday's action. Lefty Marshall handled the mound work for the winners going all the way for the win while Lykins helped the attack with a homer and single. 

Marshall (W) and xxx
E.Garinger (L), Dixon (9) and xxx

(June 23)  Kimberley portsider Pete Boisvert was in excellent form at Coronation Park, rationing the Troy MT Air Base to three scattered hits while his Dynamo teammates were driving out 11 base blows, as the Mining Towners dumped the Fly Boys 13 to 0. Les Lilley and Cecil Garinger both went yard for the Dynies, slamming long-gone dingers. 

(June 25-26)  Beginning a weekend road trip, the Kimberley Dynamos were taken into camp for the third straight time by the Libby MT baseballers who captured a convincing 10 to 3 win over the east Kootenay visitors on Saturday evening. Dave Blayney, Derrel Dixon and Les Lilley split mound chores for the Dynamos with Blayney taking the loss. Dixon was the best of the trio, hurling four scoreless frames. Libby outhit the Generators by a 10 to 7 margin. Pete Boisvert, playing first base, knocked a double and single for the Mining Towners.

Kimberley came charging back on Sunday afternoon to annex a 7 to 3 conquest of Troy MT Air Base in a fixture that was limited to seven stanzas because of rain. Derrel Dixon copped the pitching win. Bob Pearson, Tony Brummet and Les Lilley had two its apiece for the Dynamos.

(July 1)  Windermere Tournament 

(July 3)   Kimberley Dynamos split an exhibition double-header with Fruitvale taking the afternoon game 6-3 while losing 5-4 in the nightcap.  Pete Boisvert won the opener with a five-hit pitching effort. He walked five.

Boisvert (W) and Brummet
Seaman (L), T. DeRosa (4) and Russell

Fruitvale rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to down the Dynamos 5-4 in the second game. Wally Russell's homer highlighted the comeback.  Eric Bodin, who relieved Jack Duncan in the fifth inning, held Kimberley off the scoreboard for the win. Dynamos, led by Cecil Garinger, Les Lilley and Tony Brummet with two hits apiece, collected ten hits while Fruitvale managed just seven off the three Kimberley hurlers.

Lilley, Dixon (8), E.Garinger (9) and Brummet
Duncan, Bodin (W) (5) and Russell

(July 23-24)    The Kimberley Dynamos scored wins in both games of a weekend doubleheader, defeating the Cranbrook All-Stars in a Saturday exhibition game then topping Creston 10 to 5 in a Sunday league tilt. Young Derrel Dixon gave up a homer to “Bim” Brehm of Cranbrook in the opening inning of the Saturday affair but then came back and clouted one of his own in the fifth inning to plate the tying and winning runs. Jim Crusata allowed just four hits in a losing cause, including a triple by "Red" Mathews and Dixon's four-bagger. The game was called after five innings.

Crusata (L), Bailey (5) and xxx
Dixon (W) and xxx

In the Sunday game, Dynamos erased a 3-1 deficit with an eight-run outburst in the third to win, 10-5. Cec Garinger's towering four-master highlighted the big inning. Pete Boisvert settled down after a shaky start to hurl steady ball.

Bateman (L) and xxx
Boisvert (W) and xxx

PLAYOFF
SUDDEN-DEATH FINAL

(August 21)  The Libby MT Tigers defeated the Kimberley Dynamos 3 to 2 in a sudden-death final game for the 1955 Western International League championship in the Montana town. The visiting Dynies had numerous opportunities to come out on top but failed to hit when they had runners on the basepaths. Overall, they stranded 18 baserunners. Kimberley collected 11 hits while Libby gathered seven off losing twirler Eric Bodin who was back pitching for his hometown squad after spending most of the season in Trail where he suited up for the Fruitvale Athletics while he was serving part of his apprenticeship at the Cominco smelter. The Montanans bunched four of their hits in the third inning to score all their runs. The Dynamos kayoed starting Libby pitcher Bob Lee from the knoll in the fourth frame with “Lefty” Marshall completing the fixture. Lee Gehring had a brace of hits for the Tigers while Elmer Garinger tripled and singled for the British Columbians.

(August 27-28)   Kimberley Dynamos claimed the Kootenay baseball championship Sunday beating Nelson Maple Leafs 17-8 in the final of a four team tournament at Coronation Park in Kimberley.  Les Lilley was the winning pitcher with relief from Derrel Dixon.

Lilley (W), Dixon and xxx
Todd, L.Hufty, B.McNabb, J.Postnikoff and xxx

Trail won the consolation final 11-7 over Fruitvale as Tony DeRosa and Bob Seaman handled the hurling for the winners.

On opening day, Nelson beat Fruitvale 3-0 as Eric Bodin tossed a five-hut shutout and Kimberley, behind the solid pitching of Pete Boisvert topped Trail and Stu Price 5-3. The teams divided $1,500 in prize money.


EAST KOOTENAY JUNIOR BASEBALL

( ) The Kimberley Junior Hobos visited Fernie and came away with a 7 to 5 victory over their hosts. Reliever Derrel Dixon, who came to the aid of starting slabster Am Corrado, picked up the knoll victory.

(August 13) Edgewater Baseball Tournament


CROW'S NEST PASS

(July 10)   Playing a return game at the Natal park, Natal-Michel Red Sox demolished Eureka, Montana, 12-2. Earlier, playing across the border, the Red Sox topped Eureka 9-7. And, in a game played previously at Fernie, the Sox dumped the Fernie Falcons 7-1.

(July 24)    Playing a return exhibition game at Natal, the Fernie Falcons handed the home club its first loss of the season as they scored a 6-2 win behind the steady hurling of Wilf Ashmore.  Buchanan sparked the visitors blasting a first inning home run to begin the scoring. The Red Sox got their only runs in the fourth inning on a two-run double by Ben Serafini.  Poor defensive play hurt Natal-Michel as Whalley Krall pitched one of his better games.

W.Ashmore (W) and xxx
W.Krall (L) and xxx

(August 7)   The Coleman Ravens, a junior team from Alberta, came from behind to down Natal-Michel Red Sox 8-5 in an exhibition title at the Natal park.  Coleman tied the count at 3-3 in the fifth and then notched four in the seventh for the win.  Walter Tymchni of the Ravens collected 15 strikeouts while allowing but seven hits over the full nine innings.  Tymchni was also a force at the plate with three hits, including a three-run homer.  Zembiak added four bingles.  Red Sox slammed a pair of homers, by Dino DePaoli and Whalley Krall.

Tymchni (W) and xxx
W.Krall, R.Serafini, Scott and xxx 

(August 28)   Fernie Falcons dumped the Coleman Ravens 12-0 at Fernie.