1955 Game Reports

(April 27)   It's royal blue and scarlet for the Bismarck Barons.  The local baseball committee ordered the new uniforms this week.  Barons will play in the regulation white uniforms for home games and will don their greys when on the road.  Barons will be topped with royal blue and scarlet caps with the letter "B" in white.  They will wear blue socks and the uniforms will have blue and scarlet trim with scarlet cuffs.  The warm-up jackets with "Barons" emblazoned across the back.

(May)  "The familiar call, "Play Ball", will sound Thursday night at Municipal Ball Park in Minot -- the signal for another year of action for the Minot Mallards of the Man-Dak League.  Opposing team is Dickinson.

Opening night should see a record crowd in attendance.  Over 5,000 tickets have been distributed to business places, and advance sales have been reported as "brisk".

A television set and an outboard motor will be given away during the game as grand prizes, and other prizes will be awarded between innings.

The Minot State Teachers College Band will play before and during the game."

(May 26)   Both scheduled openers -- Dickinson at Minot and Bismarck at Williston -- were postponed due to rain.

(May 27)  Bill Hockenbury held Williston to seven hits as Bismarck kicked off the 1955 ManDak season with a 4-2 victory before 1,024 chilled fans at Williston.  Hockenbury had a shutout into the 9th before giving up homers to Roy Weatherly and Dewey Williams.  Bob Easterbrook, Bill Jankowski and Lloyd Gearhart each had two hits for the Barons.

Hockenbury (1-0) and Cash
Schoonover (0-1) and Williams

(May 27) - Dickinson at Minot, rained out.

(May 28)  Dickinson 5 Williston 1.

Rose (1-0) ??
Mitchell (0-1) ??

(May 29)  An crowd, estimated at 3,300, turned out Sunday as the defending champion Minot Mallards downed the Barons 6-4 in an extra-inning affair.  It was one of the largest crowds in the history of Municipal Park.  Mallards notched the winner in the bottom of the 10th when Jonas Gaines walked Joe Monteiro with the bases loaded.  Joe Massaro's sac fly brought in an insurance run. Bismarck had tied the count in the bottom of the 9th when Bill Cash, who had singled, scampered home on a bunt and a pair of errors. Don Petschow had a three-run homer for the Mallards while Bill Jankowski had a solo shot for Bismarck.

Cain (1-0) and Massaro
Gaines (0-1), Worth (10) and Cash

(May 29)  Dickinson broke up a tight contest with a four-run 4th inning and went on to trample Williston Oilers 12-3 to sweep its opening series with the Oilers. Fred Brenzel fired a six-hitter for the win. Packers had 16 hits off Dick Baxter.

Brenzel (1-0) and Johnson
Baxter (0-1) and Williams

(May 30)   Roger Higgins fired a six-hitter as Bismarck blanked Dickinson 1-0 in the home opener for the Barons.  Lloyd Gearhart scored the lone run in the second inning.  He singled, advanced on Bill Jankowski's safety and crossed the plate on a fielders' choice.

Michalec (0-1) and Johnson
Higgins (1-0) and Cash

(May 30) Minot split with Williston, winning 6-5 and losing 4-0. A record crowd of 3,810 turned out for the opener with 2,300 in the stands for the second game. Pitcher Neil Lettau scored the winner in the first game.  He singled, advanced on Ed Bowman's single and scored on Duke Bowman's scarifice fly.  Fred Parker went all the way for the Oilers.  Lettau picked up the win in relief of Bill Washburn.

Dick Schoonover tossed the shutout in the second game.  Playing manager Roy Weatherly drove in three runs with a triple and two singles.

Parker (0-1) and Williams
Washburn, Lettau (1-0) and Massaro

Schoonver (1-1) and Williams
Gibbons (0-1) and Massaro

Dickinson    2 1
Minot        2 1
Bismarck     2 1
Williston    1 4

(May 31)  Dickinson Packers moved into top spot in the ManDak standings with a 9-6 victory over Bismarck.  Packers erupted for four runs in the 4th inning on four hits and an error.  A two-run triple by Bob Goels was the big blow.  Dickinson plated another four the following inning, two scoring on a bases-loaded single by Buddy Afremow.  Packers went ahead 9-0 with a run in the 7th and then had to hold off a Baron's rally in the 8th.  Bismarck broke loose for six runs before reliever Jim Michalec could quell the uprising.  Pinch-hitter Pius Wolf tripled to knock in Bill Cash with the first run and Sam Scarpone and Lloyd Gearhart each singled in another Bill Jankowski belted a three-run homer to make it close.  Starter Bill Rose picked up the win.

Rose (2-0), Michalec (8) and Johnson
Worth (0-1), Sgro (5), Szymanski (9) and Cash

(June 1)  Bismarck Barons whipped Williston 13-2 behind the four-hit pitching of Bill Hockenbury.  The contest featured a rhubarb which resulted in the ejection and suspension of Oilers manager Roy Weatherly.  Barons jumped on Oilers' starter Walt Mitchell for a run in the first, five in the 2nd and another five in the 4th.  Manager Al Cihocki and Lloyd Gearhart each connected for a homer/  Hockenbury had a no-hitter going into the 6th inning when Dick Baxter led off with a homer.  The Oilers other run also came on a homer, by Fred Parker.

Lloyd Gearhart's double knocked in Pedro Gomez with the first run in the opening frame.  In the 2nd inning, Al Cihocki homered, with Bill Cash aboard, to lead off the uprising.  Hockenbury reached on an error and quickly scored on Art Pennington's double.  Gearhart's homer added two more runs.  The Barons batted around again in the 4th inning.  Pennington reached on an error, Gearhart and Bill Jankowski walked and a run scored on a sacrifice fly.  Then singles by Cash, Cihocki and Hockenbury accounted for four more. The final markers came in the 6th on a single by Hockenbury, a walk, sac fly and a single by Gearhart. 

Mitchell (0-2), Baxter (5) and Williams
Hockenbury (2-0) and Cash

(June 1)   Dickinson Packers rebounded from a 4-0 deficit with a nine-run outburst in the late innings and held off a Minot rally in the 9th to escape with a 9-7 win at Dickinson.  The winning pitcher, newcomer Erdwin Russell, wasn't even in the ballpark when the game began.  Russell completed an 800-mile trip by car just in time to take over mound duties in the 5th inning.  He held the Mallards scoreless until the 9th when Minot scored three times.  Packers were out-hit 14 to 7.  Don Fischer and Buddy Afremow each had two hits for the Packers.  Joe Monteiro had a double and three singles for Minot.  Don Petschow had three hits and Butch Davis bashed a homer.

Brown (0-1), Martin (7), Scarborough (8) and Massaro
Beneke, Russell (1-0) ) (7), Rose (9) and Johnson

(June 2)   An 8th inning homer by Al Cihocki gave Bismarck a 5-4 win over Williston and a sweep of their two game series.  Jonas Gaines went the distance for his first win of the season.  He allowed seven hits including a two-run homer by Dick Jok.  He walked one and fanned six.  Bismarck had just six hits but four were for extra bases.  Bill Cash slammed a homer in the 3rd inning.  Barons have hit six home runs in six games.  Fred Parker took the loss.

Parker (0-2) and Williams
Gaines (1-1) and Cash

(June 2)   Pinch hitter Bill "Red" Rose knocked in Buddy Afremow with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning as Dickinson scored a 5-4 win over Minot before 852 fans at Dickinson.  Packers, trailing 4-2 going into the final frame, rallied for three runs.  Bob Geels reached on an error, Ev Johnson had his 4th straight hit and Afremow laid down a bunt to load the bases.  Winning pitcher Fred Brenzel drove in two with a single to tie before Rose ended it.  Brenzel went the route for the win, his second of the season.  Neil Lettau was the loser.  Packers plated a pair of runs in the 2nd inning on Ev Johnson's homer.  He also had a double. Minot's four runs in the 3rd came on two walks and three singles.  Butch Davis led the Mallards with four hits, including a double.

Lettau (1-1) and Massaro
Brenzel (2-0) and Johnson

Dickinson    5-1
Bismarck     4-2
Minot        2-3
Williston    1-6

(June 3)   Bismarck Barons rode homers by Al Cihocki, Ray Dandridge and Lloyd Gearhart to a 7-3 win over Dickinson Packers.  Mike Lotz, making his first start, allowed just eight hits in gaining the mound victory.  Cihocki's three-run blast was his 3rd in three games.  Lotz, the Yale University medical student was in command with the exception of the 7th inning when he gave up a pair of runs.  Dandridge and catcher Bill Cash each had three hits for the Barons.  Milt Joffe had three for the Packers.

Michalec (0-2) and Johnson
Lotz (1-0) and Cash

(June 3)   Minot Mallards handed Williston its 7th loss in 8 games, 8-6.  Mallards pounded out 14 hits including a three-run homer by Joe Monteiro in the 6th inning which broke a 2-2 tie.  Trailing 8-2, the Oilers staged a rally in the bottom of the 9th.  Jack Wilson opened with a single and Dick Jok followed with a two-bagger.  Bob Betz singled and scored on Roy Weatherly's triple.  Dewey Williams' double scored Weatherly before reliever Dean Scarborough put out the fire.  Ed Bowman and Zoonie McLean led the Mallards each with three hits. 

Washburn (1-0), Scarborough (9) and Massaro
Baxter (0-2), Ed Williams (8) and Williams

(June 4)   Bismarck Barons downed Dickinson 3-2 in spite of a slick six-hitter by the Packers' Bill Rose.  Barons score a run on two hits in the 1st inning, added two more in the third and then were held to one hit the rest of the way.  Roger Higgins went the route for Bismarck allowing nine hits. Ev Johnson provided the Dickinson offense with a homer in the 9th.

Rose (2-1) and Johnson
Higgins (2-0) and Cash

(June 4)   Jack Wilson had five hits, including a homer and a double, drove in three runs and scored three to ignite the Williston offense in a 11-3 trouncing of Minot Mallards.  Oilers jumped on Minot starter Dirk Gibbons for two runs in each of the first four innings. Dick Jok, Dewey Williams and Wilson belted homers. Butch Davis had a homer for Minot and Ed Bowman and Don Corcoran each had three hits in a losing cause.

Gibbons (0-2), Scarborough (4) and Massaro
Schoonover (2-1) and Williams

(June 5)   Sugar Cain fired a seven-hit shutout as Minot downed Bismarck 6-0. It was Cain's first appearance since last Sunday when he topped the Barons in their home opener.  He missed his regular turn because of a sore shoulder.  Mallards punched out eight hits including homers by Joe Monteiro and Zoonie McLean and doubles by Butch Davis and Ed Bowman.

Worth (0-2), Sgro (2) and Cash
Cain (2-0) and Massaro

(June 6)   Bismarck announced it had sold 24-year-old left-hander Ted Szymanski to the Dickinson Packers.  The club earlier cut pitcher Ken Riedemann as it tried to reduce to the 15-0man player limit.  Szymanski had appeared in just one game for the Barons, an inning in relief.  He had started out in pro ball in 1950 in the Sooner State League and finished 11-9.  After a year in the service he pitched briefly in Texas in 1952.  He had a 7-2 record in semi-pro ball in Canada in 1953.

(June 6)   Outstanding relief work by Ed Williams led Williston Oilers to a 7-3 win over the Packers before 865 chilled fans at Dickinson.  Williams relieved in the 4th inning to stop a Dickinson rally and allowed just one hit over the last 5 1/3 innings.  Shortstop Tom McDevitt had a double and two singles for the Oilers.

Elwyn Russell (1-1), Szymanski (8), Michalec (9) and Johnson
Mitchell, E Williams (1-0) (4) and D Williams

(June 6)   Minot Mallards pounded out 17 hits to top Bismarck 12-8 in a slugfest at Minot.  The outburst included an inside-the-park homer by Zoonie McLean who also had two singles. Joe Monteiro added a pair of doubles and a single and  Dean Scarborough had a double and three singles. Ray Dandridge and Preston Gomez each had a double and two singles for Minot.  Gomez knocked in three runs including one when hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Hockenbury (2-1), Jankowski (6) and Cash
Lettau (2-1), Martin (7), Gibbons (8) and Massaro

(June 7)   Mike Lotz pitched a six-hitter with 11 strikeouts as Bismarck Barons defeated the Oilers 9-4 at Williston. Al Cihocki blasted his 4th homer of the season and added three singles to power the Barons.  He scored twice and drove in another pair.

Lotz (2-0) and Cash
Parker (0-3), Baxter (7), Mitchell (9) and Roelandt

(June 8)  Rain forced the postponement of both scheduled tilts, Bismarck at Williston, and Dickinson at Minot.

Bismarck Barons announced the acquisition of pitcher Walter McCoy who is expected to join the club within a few days.  Rocky Sgro was released to make room for McCoy.  Dickinson released pitcher Morris Shipman.

(June 9)  Bismarck at Williston, Dickinson at Minot, rain

Bismarck    7 4
Minot       5 4
Dickinson   5 4
Williston   3 8

(June 10)   Dickinson at Minot, rain

(June 11)   Bill Cash drilled a homer over the left field wall in the 9th inning to give Bismarck a 5-4 victory over Minot.  The Mallards,  trailing 4-1 going into the 8th inning, plated two runs on Don Corcoran's bases loaded single and tied at 4-4 in the 9th as Duke Bowman double to score Dean Scarborough. Zoonie McLean had a homer, double and two singles for the Mallards.  Bill Hockenbury picked up the win in relief. 

Brown, Gibbons (0-3) (8) and Massaro
Higgins, Hockenbury (3-1) (9) and Cash

(June 11)  At Williston, Dickinson downed the Oilers 7-3.  Packers broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the 6th inning.  Fred Brenzel scattered nine hits for his 3rd straight win. Playing manger Ron Bowen led the attack with three hits.  Bill Raehse, a newcomer in the Oilers' lineup, also had three safeties.  Packers had ten hits and had help from the Williston defense which made six errors. 

Brenzel (3-0) and Johnson
Schoonover (2-2), Baxter and Williams

(June 12)  Bismarck Barons sweep a twin bill from Minot 4-3 and 11-4.  Home runs accounted for most of scoring as Bismarck took the opener 4-3.  Al Cihocki and Bill Hockenbury homered for the Barons while Joe Monteiro and Don Petschow blasted four-baggers for the losers.  Jonas Gaines allowed eight hits with 10 strike outs and one walk in gaining the win. 

Martin (0-1), Gibbons (3) and Massaro
Gaines (2-1) and Cash

Art Pennington and Pedro Gomez led the Barons' 17-hit attack with homers as Bismarck whipped Minot 11-4 in the second game.  A six-run outburst in the 7th inning put the game on ice. Mike Lotz, a Yale University medical student, notched his third straight win.  Bill Washburn took the loss. Bill Jankowski and Al Cihocki each had three hits.  Don Corcoran had a two-run homer for the Mallards.

More than 1,200 fans attended the afternoon match at Municipal Park and more than 1,000 came out for the evening contest.

Washburn (1-1) and Massaro
Lotz (3-0) and Cash

(June 12)   Frank Roelandt doubled off the left field wall in the bottom of the 10th inning to score Jack Wilson with the winning run as Williston shaded Dickinson 5-4.  Wilson had earlier homered for the Oilers. The Oilers needed a run in the 8th and two more in the 9th to send the game into extra innings.  Dick Baxter picked up the win in relief.

Michalec, Brenzel (7), Szymanski (9) (0-1) and Johnson
Williams, Baxter (9) (1-2) and Roelandt

Bismarck    10 4
Dickinson    6 5
Minot        5 7
Williston    4 9

(June 13)   Dickinson Packers and Williston Oilers pulled off the first trade of the ManDak season.  Oilers sent Dick Jok for outfielder Bill Spaeter.

(June 13)  Williston at Minot

(June 14)  Williston at Minot

(June 18)   Walt McCoy fired a four-hit shutout in his debut for Bismarck and the Barons downed Dickinson 2-0.  McCoy fanned nine in a route-going performance.  Another newcomer, Dennis Healy, had a good start with the Barons with a first inning single and a run scored as Ray Dandridge doubled him home.  Bob Easterbrook belted a homer in the 6th inning for an insurance marker.  Jim Michalec allowed just six hits in taking the loss,

Michalec (L) and Johnson
McCoy (1-0) and Cash

(June 18)  Tom Mulcahy turned in the top pitching performance of the season for the Williston Oilers Saturday as a revamped Oiler lineup trounced Minot 12-2 before more than 11-hundred fans at Municipal Park.  The young right-hander held the Mallards to just five hits and one earned run.  He fanned five and walked just one.  The Gonzaga University product also helped out at the plate with a homer.  Former major leaguer Fred Vaughn, brought out of retirement by the Oilers, had three hits, including a pair of doubles.  Playing manager Roy Weatherly also chipped in three safeties, one of them a homer.  Weatherly, Bob Betz and Jack Wilson each drove in three runs. Betz had a homer, his first of the season.  Veteran Barney Brown was tagged with the loss.  Oilers shifted Bob Bourbeau to shortstop to accommodate newcomer Hank Robinson, just off the plane from Galveston of the Big State League, at third base.  

Brown, Lettau (6) and Massaro
Mulcahy (W) and Roelandt

(June 19)  Minot playing-manager Zoonie McLean belted three homers and a pair of singles driving in seven runs as the Mallards downed Williston 10-7 at Municipal Park.  The three homers tied a ManDak League record set my Minot catcher Joe Massaro in 1952.  Williston homers by Fred Vaughn and Dewey Williams had brought Willison into a 2-2 tie in the 4th and the Oilers held a 3-2 margin before the Mallards broke loose for six runs in the top of the 6th frame.  Bob Betz drove in three runs for the Oilers with a bases-loaded double. Warren Martin picked up the win.

Schoonover (L), Parker (8) and Williams
Martin (W), Washburn (7), Gibbons (8) and Massaro

(June 20)  Bismarck at Minot

(June 21)  Bismarck at Minot

(June 22)  Dickinson at Minot

(June 23)  Dickinson at Minot

(June 23)   Oilers broke loose for thirteen runs in the 3rd inning to trounce the Barons 21-8 at Bismarck.  The big inning included nine hits, four walks, four errors and a wild pitch.  Roy Weatherly and Hank Robinson each drove in four runs for Williston.  Robinson's hits included a homer.  Bob Betz pounded two homers and a triple for the Oilers.  Lloyd Gearhart had a homer and knocked in four for the Barons. Williston had 21 hits, four each by Weatherly and Bill Sharp, three apiece by Bob Bourbeau, Bill Raehse and Betz

Worth (L), McCoy (3), Jankowski (3), Cihocki (8) and Scarpone
Mulcahy (2-1) and Roelandt

(June 25)  Minot downed Bismarck 6-4 behind Sugar Cain.

Cain (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(June 25)  Bill Raehse's 8th inning homer gave Williston a 4-3 win over Dickinson Saturday at Municipal Park.  Roy Weatherly had earlier belted a two-run homer, his 10th of the season.  Stan Karpinski allowed thirteen hits but went the route for the win and chipped in with two hits.   Centrefielder Milt Joffe paced the Packers with three hits, including a homer and a triple.  Norm Rynard allowed just seven hits in his debut with the Packers.  The win gave the Oilers a split in the two-game series and move the club to within a game and one-half of the front-running Bismarck Barons who dropped a 6-4 decision to Minot. 

Rynard (L) and Morgan
Karpinski (W) and Roelandt

(June 26)  Bismarck Barons belted 12 hits, including homers by Lloyd Gearhart and Art Pennington, to down Dickinson 9-2.  Walt McCoy fired a six-hitter for the win and added a double at the plate.  Packers took an early 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning on Milt Joffe's double, an error, Dick Jok's single followed by a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.  Barons erased the deficit with a three-run 3rd on back to back doubles by Bob Easterbrook and Al Cihocki, a single by Ray Dandridge and safeties by Bill Jankowski and Bill Cash. 

McCoy (W) and Cash
Rose (L), Baxter (5) and Johnson

(June 26)  Outfielder Tom Gatts drove in Joe Massaro to highlighted a Minot 9th inning rally as the Mallards shaded Williston 8-7 at Minot.  Massaro paced the Mallards with three hits and three RBI.  Roy Weatherly and Bob Bourbeau belted homers for the Oilers.  It was Weatherly's league-leading 11th circuit blow.  Murray Richardson picked up the win in relief of Bill Washburn. Ed Williams took the loss.

Ed Williams (L), Schoonover (9) and Roelandt
Washburn, Richardson (W) (9) and Massaro

(June 27)  Bismarck 4 Dickinson 4, rain. 

(June 27)  Zoonie McLean had three hits and knocked in four as Minot beat the visiting Williston Oilers 11-4 to sweep the two-game series.  The loss dropped the Oilers further into the league cellar, nine games off the pace.  Tom Horton, the newly acquired hurler from the Piedmont League, held the Oilers off the board until the 8th inning.  Joe Massaro drove in three for the winners with a bases-loaded double in the 5th.  Don Betzen took the loss.

Betzen (L), Parker (5) and Williams
Horton (W), Richardson (9), Gibbons (9) and Massaro

(June 27)   The president of the ManDak League, W.S. Davidson Jr., announced Roy Weatherly, Williston's playing-manager, had been fined and suspended for his ejection from Sunday's game.  Dewey Williams was named acting manager for games Monday and Tuesday at Minot and Bismarck.  

The league also announced several roster moves -- third baseman Tom Gatts from Williston to Minot,  pitcher Walt Mitchell from Williston to Dickinson, pitcher Dick Baxter from Williston to Dickinson, pitcher Tom Horton to Minot; pitcher Norman Rynard to Dickinson, and shortstop Tom Kleppe to Bismarck.  Kleppe was identified as the former mayor of Bismarck. 

(June 28)  In a contest judged one of the best in Bismarck this season, unbeaten Mike Lotz won his 6th straight as the Barons shaded Williston 4-3.  Lotz allowed just five hits in going the distance.  Tom Mulcahy went the route for the Oilers.  A 3rd inning triple by Lloyd Gearhart and a homer by Al Cihocki gave Bismarck the early lead.  They plated another pair in the 4th on Bill Jankowski's homer, and a run-scoring double by Art Pennington which scored Bill Cash.  Williston scored on a two-run homer by Dewey Williams in the 6th and a four-bagger by Bob Bourbeau leading off the 7th.

Mulcahy (2-2) and Roelandt, Williams (3)
Lotz (W) and Cash

(June 30)  

(June 30)  Unbeaten Sugar Cain handcuffed the Dickinson Packers with seven scattered hits to pitch the Minot Mallards to a 2-1 Man-Dak League win. Cain struck out 13 Packers, nine of them on called third strikes, in notching his sixth win. 

xxx and xxx
Cain (W) and xxx

(July 1)  Jim Michalec tossed a seven-hitter as Dickinson scored a 3-1 win over the Barons at Bismarck.  It was only the ninth loss in 30 games for the league-leading Barons.  Walt McCoy allowed just eight hits in a losing cause and provided the offense for Bismarck with a 3rd inning homer.

Michalec (W) and Johnson
McCoy (L) and Cash

(July 1)  A four-run 8th inning carried Minot to an 8-7 victory over Williston, handing the Oilers their fifth straight loss in the opener of a two-game series. The win evened the Mallards' season record at 15-15 and moved them within six games of Bismarck which dropped a 3-1 decision to Dickinson.  The Oilers dropped to 10-20.  Ed Bowman's two-out single drove in Butch Davis with the winning run.  Bob Bourbeau was the big stick for the Oilers with a grand slam homer.  Bob Betz and Freddie Vaughn each had three hits for Williston as did Duke Bowman for the Mallards.  Bill Washburn picked up the win.  Fred Parker was charged with the loss, his second in two nights, both by 8-7 scores.  He dropped to 1-5 on the season. 

Washburn (W), Lettau (8) and Massaro
Ed Williams, Parker (L) (8) and D Williams

(July)  Ray Dandridge of Bismarck was the top ManDak League hitter as June came to a close according to league statistician Larry Sullivan of Minot.  The former American Association star had a .425 average to shade Zoonie McLean of Minot at .422.  Williston's playing-manager Roy Weatherly was in third spot at .393.

Weatherly topped the circuit in homers, with 13, two ahead of Bismarck manager Al Cihocki.  McLean had the RBI lead with 36. Bismarck right-hander Mike Lotz and Sugar Cain of Minot tied for the lead in wins, each with six.

(July 2)  Williston scored in only three innings but came away with a 13-11 triumph over the Mallards in a slugfest at Minot.  Bill Sharp and Bob Betz each had homers and drove in three runs for the Oilers.  Roy Weatherly had four safeties.  Mallards, who scored five in the 5th and six in the 6th, got a big night from Don Corcoran who had four hits including two doubles and a homer. Joe Monteiro had a single, double and homer and Ted Edmunds a homer for Minot.  The Oilers plated seven runs in the 5th and three in the 3rd and again in the 6th.  Fred Parker picked up the win in relief.  Dirk Gibbons dropped to 0-6 in taking the loss.  Bob Betz of the Oilers made the catch of the game in the 3rd inning when he leaped high against the wall in right to haul in Corcoran's long smash.

Edmunds, Gibbons (L) (5) and Massaro
Mulcahy, Parker (W) (5) and D Williams

(July 2)   Bismarck Barons announced Lloyd Gearhart had jumped the club to play in the South Minnesota League with Rochester.  Gearhart, a regular in the Barons' outfield, set a ManDak record for homers in 1954 and was batting .322 through Thursday's game. 

(July 3)  Bismarck at Minot

(July 3)  Former Oiler Walt Mitchell pitched a four-hitter against his former teammates as Dickinson dumped Williston 14-3 Sunday.  Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st, then allowed the Packers thirteen unanswered runs.  Ron Bowen led the winners at the plate driving in seven runs with three hits including a three-run homer.  Ev Johnson and Bob Geels also had three hits each for Dickinson.  Bob Betz clubbed his 5th homer for the Oilers.

Schoonover (L), Haugstad (3) and Williams
Mitchell (W) and Johnson

(July 4)  Stan Karpinski fired a six-hitter and belted a two-run homer as Williston downed Dickinson 9-1.  The only run against the veteran right hander was unearned.  Bob Betz drove in three runs for the Oilers with two doubles and a single.  Catcher Ev Johnson paced the Packers with a pair of doubles. Bill Raehse of Williston had the only other extra base blow, a triple. 

Karpinski (W) and Roelandt
Baxter (L) and Ev Johnson

(July 5)  For the second time this season Williston Oilers put up a football-like score against Bismarck Barons. Roy Weatherly hit for the cycle -- two homers, a triple, double, and single -- and drove in five runs as the Oilers crushed the Barons 21-7.  The homers were the 14th and 15th of the season for the Oilers' playing manager. On June 23rd, Williston won 21-8.  Oilers had 22 hits -- five by Weatherly and three each by Bill Sharp, Ronnie Martin, Bob Betz and Frank Roelandt.  Betz had four RBI. Bill Raehse contributed a double and homer, Bob Bourbeau added a triple and single.  Art Pennington was the big gun for the Barons driving in four runs with two homers and a single.  Bill Cash had a triple and two singles for Bismarck. Tom Mulcahy, who relieved starter Fred Parker in the 2nd, went seven innings for the win. 

McCoy (L), Cihocki (7) and Cash
Parker, Mulcahy (3-2) (2) and Roelandt

(July 6)  Dickinson at Minot

(July 6)  Newcomer Ed Beneke pitched Bismarck to a 6-3 win over the Oilers at Williston.  Beneke allowed just eight hits, seven of them singles.  Playing manager Al Cihocki had three hits and knocked in a pair to led the Barons' offense.  Phil Haugstad, making his first start since joining the Oilers last week, was the losing pitcher. Don Lee, another recent addition, made his debut in a relief role.

Beneke (W) and Cash
Haugstad (L), Lee (8) and Roelandt

(July 7)  Dickinson at Minot

(July 8)  Dickinson at Minot

(July 9)  Former Oiler pitcher Walt Mitchell came back to haunt the Oilers.  Mitchell beat Williston for the third straight time scattering 12 hits as Dickinson won 8-3.  Catcher Dick Morgan had four hits for the Packers, Milt Joffe and Ev Johnson each chipped in with three.  Roy Weatherly belted the only homer, his 16th, to move him to within one of the ManDak record of 17 set by Lloyd Gearhart last season.

Mitchell (W) and Morgan
Ed Williams, Elkins (5) and Roelandt

(July 10)  Don Lee, the Arizona University ace in his first start for the Oilers, tossed a brilliant three-hitter as Williston dumped Dickinson Packers 11-1 at Municipal Park.  Lee gave up a run on a walk and two hits in the first frame then held the Packers to one hit the rest of the way.  He fanned eight and gave up a total of just two bases on balls. Roy Weatherly blasted his 17th and 18th homers to break the ManDak League record of 16 set last season by Lloyd Gearhart.  The Oilers' playing manager added a double and drove in five runs.  Ronnie Martin also homered for the winners. 

Brenzel (L), Baxter (4) and Johnson
Lee (W) and Roelandt

(July 11)  Williston at Minot

(July 12)  Joe Monteiro drove in the tying run and scored the winner in the bottom of the 9th inning to give Minot a 4-3 win over Williston.  Trailing 3-2, Butch Davis led off the final frame for the Mallards with a triple.  Monteiro's single knotted the count and he moved to second on a sacrifice and cross the plate on Joe Massaro's single. Ted Edmunds tossed a seven-hitter for the win.  He fanned 11. Dick Schoonover allowed just five hits in a losing cause.  Oilers' Dolph Regelsky had the lone homer in his debut with the club.

Schoonover (L) and Roelandt
Edmunds (W) and Massaro

(July 12?)   Outfielder Ray Berns and shortstop Dolph Regelsky joined Williston Oilers Monday.  Berns played for Minneapolis in 1952 and 1953.  Oilers announced the release of pitcher Phil Haugstad, first baseman Jack Wilson and shortstop Fred Vaughn.  Williston's newest starter, Preston Elkins, played with Dallas last season.  Formerly in the Yankees' organization, Elkins has played at New Orleans, Birmingham and Richmond.

(July 13)  Bismarck rode two grand slam homers to down Williston 9-5 in 13 innings.  Roger Higgins' slam in the 13th proved to be the winner.  Bob Easterbook's bases-loaded blast in the 8th tied the match at 5-5.  Preston Elkins had coasted into the 8th having allowed just two hits.   Pinch-hitter Joe Rancher singled off Elkins to lead off the Barons' 8th.  With one out, Ray Dandridge singled to send Rancher to third.  With two out, Bill Cash delivered a run-scoring single and Art Pennington walked to load the bases setting the stage for Easterbrook's homer.  In the bottom of the 13th, Cash and Pennington opened with singles.  An intentional walk to Easterbrook sent Higgins to the dish.  Higgins had entered the game in the 11th after playing-manager Al Cihocki suffered a fractured leg in trying to complete a double play.  Dandridge had three hits for the winners.  Dolph Regelsky went 3 for 5 for the Oilers, including a homer. Bob Betz, Roy Weatherly and Frank Roelandt each contributed three hits.  Walt McCoy was the winner, in relief.

Elkins, Mulcahy (L) (9) and Roelandt
Gaines, McCoy (W) (9) and Cash

(July 13)   Dickinson built up an 8-3 lead then withstood a Minot rally in the 9th to score an 8-6 win at Dickinson.  Pitcher Don Orwiler belted a homer for the winners.  Joe Monteiro had a four-bagger for Minot.

Milankovich (L) and Massaro
Orwiler (W), Brenzel (9) and Johnson

Bismarck   28 - 14
Minot      22 - 21  6 1/2
Dickinson  19 - 21  8
Williston  14 - 27  13 1/2

(July 14)  (Gibbons lost in a relief role at Dickinson)

(July 15)  First sacker Bill Raehse drove in four runs with a homer, double and single as Williston thumped Minot 16-7 at Municipal Park.  Catcher Frank Roelandt had a triple and double good for four RBI.  Bob Betz added a homer. Don Lee scattered 11 hits in going the distance for the win.  Don Corcoran had four hits for Minot and Joe Monteiro had the Mallards' only homer, his 10th 

Ahtipis (L), Edmunds (3) and Petschow
Lee (W) and Roelandt

(July 16)  Williston bounced back from a two-run deficit with five runs in their half of the first and went on to top the Mallards 7-3 Saturday.  Dick Schoonover scattered nine hits in going the distance for the win.  Dolph Regelsky's two-run double was the key blow of the Oilers' outburst.  Don Corcoran of the Mallards had the only homer.

Lettau (L), Horton (1) and Massaro
Schoonover (W) and Roelandt

(July 17)  Williston's surging Oilers took both ends of a double header at Dickinson beating the Packers 8-2 and 7-5.  Oilers received outstanding pitching with Preston Elkins, Tom Mulcahy and Don Lee holding Dickinson to just two earned runs.  Ronnie Martin was the big gun for the Oilers in the opener driving in three runs with three hits including a pair of doubles. Bill Sharp and Bob Bourbeau each had two safeties.  Elkins allowed ten hits but just two unearned runs. 

In the nightcap, Mulcahy and Lee held the Packers to seven hits.  Bill Raehse led the attack with four hits, a homer and double included.  He drove in three. 

Baxter (L) and Morgan
Elkins (W) and Hayes

Mitchell (L), Orwiler (8) and Johnson
Mulcahy (W), Lee (8) and Roelandt

The Packers were forced to shuffle their lineup to fill the gap left by the departure of infielder Bob Geels who left for Kansas City and a tryout camp of the Cleveland Indians.

(July 17)  Jonas Gaines fired a two-hit shutout Sunday as Bismarck handed Minot its fifth straight defeat, 2-0 and spoiled Sugar Cain Day at Minot..  Gaines sent Cain to his third consecutive loss after compiling six straight wins. 

Gaines (W) and Ball
Cain (L) and Massaro

Bismarck    31-15
Minot       22-25   9 1/2
Dickinson   21-24   9 1/2
Williston   18-28   13

(July 18)   Minot broke a five-game losing streak with a 7-6 win over Bismarck at Minot.  Mallards built up  a 7-0 lead after three innings then held off the charging Barons.  Stan Milankovitch was the winner with 9th inning help from Tom Horton.

McCoy (L), Heintzelman (3) and Ball
Milankovitch (W), Horton (9) and Massaro

(July 18)  Milt Joffe two-out single drove in Dick Morgan with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Packers a 4-3 victory over Williston.  Fred Brenzel picked up the win with 2/3s of an inning of work.  Ed Williams took the loss. Ron Bowen had three hits for Dickinson, one of them a homer.

Williams (L), Schoonover (10) and Roelandt
Orwiler, Brenzel (W) (10) and Morgan

(July 20)  (Gibbons won in relief against Dickinson as Minot won 6-5 at Dickinson

(July 20)  The Williston Board of Directors announced the appointment of Bob Hogue as manager of the Oilers.  Hogue replaced Roy Weatherly who was to stay with the club as a player. 

(July 20)  Williston Oilers rebounded from a 4-0 deficit to punch out 17 hits en route to a 13-6 victory over Bismarck.  It was the Oilers second straight win over the Barons and Williston's sixth triumph in seven games.  Shortstop Dolph Regelsky knocked in five runs with a homer and two doubles.  Bill Raehse drove in four runs with a pair of doubles.  Bill Sharp had four hits.  Bob Easterbrook had two homers for Bismarck.  Art Pennington had a homer and triple and Ray Dandridge a homer and double.   Preston Elkins, who shutout the Barons over the last four innings, was the winner. Newcomer Joe Rancher suffered the loss.

Rancher, McCoy (6) and Williams
Schoonover, Elkins (W) (6) and Roelandt

(July 21)  Bismarck at Minot

(July 21)  Williston Oilers captured their seventh win in eight starts with a 10-9 extra inning win over the Packers at Dickinson.  Dolph Regelsky and Ray Berns each had four hits and two homers with Berns' second blast the game winner.  Regelsky had seven RBI. Ron Bowen had two homers for the Packers. Don Fischer and Bowen had four hits apiece. Oilers playing manager Bob Hogue was the winner in relief. 

Mulcahy, Karpinski (7), Hogue (W) (9) and Roelandt
Michalec, Brenzel (L) (9) and Johnson

STANDINGS
Bismarck    32 - 18
Minot       24 - 26  8
Dickinson   22 - 26  9
Williston   21 - 29  11

(July 22)  Bismarck at Dickinson

(July 22)   Bill Raehse and Ray Berns, each with three hits, paced Williston to a 9-3 triumph over the Mallards at Minot.  Berns drove in three runs.  Raehse's hits include two triples.  Dolph Regelsky continued his hot streak knocking in a pair.  Ed Williams tossed an eight-hitter for the win on Neil Lettau Night at Minot. Lettau gave up five runs before giving way to Dirk Gibbons in the 2nd inning.

Williams (W) and Roelandt
Lettau (L), Gibbons (2) and Massaro

(July 23)  The hometown Mallards erupted for five runs in the 2nd inning and went on to shade Williston 8-6 to snap the Oilers' four-game winning streak. Don Ahtipis went the distance for the win and helped at the plate with two hits.  Don Lee took the loss.  Roy Weatherly belted his 19th homer for Williston.  Dolph Regelsky extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a pair of doubles, good for two RBI.  The big shortstop has hit in every game since joining the club.

Lee (L), Mulcahy (6) and Roelandt
Ahtipis (W) and Massaro

(July 24)  Bismarck Barons rallied for four runs in the 9th inning then held off an Oilers charge in the bottom of the final frame to score a 6-4 victory Sunday at Municipal Park in Williston.  Former Oiler Fred Vaughn drove in what proved to be the winner and scored an insurance run.  Bob Bourbeau clubbed a homer for Williston.  Vaughn and Art Pennington each had three hits for Bismarck.  Dolph Regelsky extended his hitting streak to 14 games with three hits.  Ken Heintzelman pitched into the 9th to pick up the victory, Dick Schoonover took the defeat.

Schoonover (L), Williams (9) and Roelandt
Heintzelman (W), Higgins (9) and Scarpone

(July 25)  Bismarck at Williston

(July 26)  A seven run 6th inning carried Williston to a 10-8 victory over Minot.  Dolph Regelsky's three-run homer was the big blast for the Oilers. It extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Winning pitcher Preston Elkins had a two-run homer and a drove in another run with a sac fly.  Butch Davis had a double and homer for Minot.

Milankovich (L), Horton (6) and Massaro
Elkins (W), Mulcahy (9) and Roelandt

(July 27)  Williston Oilers rode the arm of Ed Williams and the booming bat of Bob Betz to thump Minot 9-3 at Municipal Park.  Williams tossed a complete game 7-hitter while Betz broke out of a slump with a three-run homer and three singles to plate five runs for the Oilers.  Joe Monteiro had a four-bagger for the Mallards. Dolph Regelsky had a double to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Minot started Ted Edmunds was the victim of shoddy support as five errors led to six unearned runs. 

Edmunds (L) and Massaro
Williams (W) and Roelandt

(July 28)  Bismarck at Minot

(July 28)   Bill Raehse slugged a homer, scored twice and drove in a pair to pace Williston to a 5-3 win over the Packers at Dickinson.  Don Lee and Tom Mulcahy combined to hold the Packers to eight hits.  Mulcahy picked up the win allowing just one run in five relief innings.

Brenzel (L), Baxter (9) and Johnson
Lee, Mulcahy (4-3) (5) and Roelandt

(July 29)  (Gibbons won in relief as Minot downed Bismarck 9-8 at Minot.)

(July 31?)  Minot 5 Dickinson 2 at Dickinson, Minot 12 Dickinson 7.

(July 31)  Bernard Busse of Minot took over as manager of the Mallards.  Zoonie McLean resigned the post on Friday.  

(July 31)  Williston pounded out 17 hits, including four homers, and Preston Elkins fired a four-hitter as the Oilers whipped Bismarck 10-0.  Bill Raehse led the attack with a grand slam while Roy Weatherly's homer was his 20th and Frank Roelandt's his 1st. Dolph Regelsky ended the scoring in the 8th with his four-bagger.  Bill Sharp had four hits.  Elkins fanned eight and walked only one.

Elkins(W) and Roelandt
Furlong (L), Beneke (4) and Cash

(August 1?)   Williston's Roy Weatherly continued to pace the hitters in the ManDak League compiling a .386 average to lead Butch Davis of Minot and teammate Dolph Regelsky.  Davis was at .371 and Regelsky at .370.  Weatherly also led in homers, with 20.  Bob Easterbrook of Bismarck, second in home runs with 17, was tops in runs batted in with 61.  Sugar Cain of Minot had the best ERA, 2.66, and tied for the lead in wins, eight, with Mike Lotz of Bismarck.

(August 1)  Dickinson at Minot

(August 1)  Mike Lotz and Ken Heintzelman of Bismarck combined on a two-hitter to shutout Williston 1-0.  Don Lee allowed just five hits in a losing cause.  Barons notched the only run in the 6th inning on back-to-back doubles by Bill Hockenbury and Bill Jankowski.  Oilers pushed a runner as far a second only once, in the 9th inning, but Heintzelman got Dolph Regelsky to ground out to end the game and stop his 19-game hitting streak. Lotz, who allowed both hits, left with one out in the 6th after injuring his pitching arm. 

Lee (L) and Roelandt
Lotz (W), Heintzelman (6) and Cash

(August 1)  Dickinson Packers scored three in the 8th inning on Milt Joffe's double, two errors, three steals and a balk to edge the Mallards 7-6 at Minot.  Bill Rose picked up the win in relief.  Mallards had four new players in the lineup to make the August first deadline -- pitchers Rabbit Cartledge and Mel Duncan and catchers Willie Patterson and Dewey Williams. 

Edmunds, Cartledge (3), Duncan (L) (6) and Williams
Michalec, Orwiler (7), Rose (W) (8) and Morgan

(August 3)  It was a fitting finish on Roy Weatherly Night in Williston.  Ronnie Martin poked a two-out single in the bottom of the 9th inning to score Weatherly with the winning run as the Oilers edged Dickinson Packers 7-6.  Weatherly had two hits following a pre-game ceremony honouring the veteran outfielder.  Dolph Regelsky and Ray Berns pounded homers for the Oilers while Don Fischer replied for the Packers.

Orwiler, Brenzel (9), Orwiler (9) and Baxter
Schoonover and Roelandt

(August 3)  Minot at Bismarck, Postponed, Rain

(August 4)  Bill Raehse belted a pair of homers to lead Williston to a 6-4, 10-inning victory over the Mallards at Minot.  Bill Sharp also had a homer for the winners while Dolph Regelsky knocked in a run with a booming triple.  Tom Mulcahy picked up the win with a brilliant relief effort which included fanning the side in the bottom of the 10th. Oilers scored the winning runs on an error and Bob Betz's single.

Ed Williams, Mulcahy (6-4) (8) and Roelandt
Cartledge (0-1) and Williams

(August 6)  Williston at Bismarck

(August 7)  Minot at Williston

(August 8)  Minot at Williston

(August 9)  Zoonie McLean, Don Corcoran and Mel Duncan led a 15 hit attack as the Mallards dumped Bismarck 10-4 at Minot.  McLean had three doubles and a single.  Corcoran and Duncan each had a homer and two singles.  Corcoran drove in four with McLean and Duke Bowman each sending three runs home. Dirk Gibbons, in his first start since June 21st, allowed 12 hits and six walks but went the distance for the win.

Furlong (0-2), Beneke (8) and Cash
Gibbons (3-7) and Williams

(August 9)   Tom Mulcahy fired a six-hit shutout and provided enough offense for the win with a two-run homer as Williston trounced the Packers 11-0 at Dickinson. Mulcahy, the Oilers' ace reliever, went the distance in a starting role allowing no extra base hits while fanning five and walking two.  Ray Berns and Frank Roelandt each had four hits for Williston.  Roy Weatherly belted a homer, his 21st.

Mulcahy (7-4) and Roelandt
Brenzel (5-8), Orwiler (5) and Johnson

(August 10)  (Gibbons won in a starting role, 10-4 over Bismarck at Minot)

(August 11)  Dickinson at Minot

(August 11)  Preston Elkins moved to 6-0 with a four-hitter as Williston dumped Bismarck 11-2 at Municipal Park.  Bill Raehse clubbed his 14th homer with two out in the first inning and the Oilers were on the way to their 8th consecutive victory. 

Hockenbury (L) and Cash
Elkins (W) and Roelandt

(August 13)  Williston at Minot

(August 14)  Preston Elkins tossed a five-hit shutout to lead Williston to a 5-0 win over Bismarck.

Elkins (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx

(August 16)  Don Lee fired a five-hit shutout as Williston whipped Minot 7-0 to move a game and a half up on the Mallards in the battled for second place behind the pennant-winning Bismarck Barons.  Dolph Regelsky, Bill Raehse and Ray Berns provided the hitting -- Regelsky drove in four runs with a homer and a sacrifice fly, Raehse had four hits and knocked in a pair while Berns went three-for-four. Lee faced only 18 batters over the first six innings, helped by a pair of double plays. The string ended in the 7th frame when Duke Bowman walked after fouling off 14 pitches and reached second on a single by Dewey Williams.  Lee fanned seven and walked two.  The largest crowd of the season, 1, 576, took in the tilt at Municipal Park.

Edmunds (L) and Williams
Lee (W) and Roelandt

(August 17)  Milt Joffe drove in the winner with two outs in the 10th inning to give Dickinson a 5-4 win over Williston.  It was the second time in three days Joffe provided the Packers an extra-inning victory and the fifth time this season.

Bill Raehse's two-run homer in the 1st gave the Oilers the early lead. Dickinson tied the score in the 3rd on a hit batsman,  pitcher Jack Dean's triple and Don Petschow's single.  Bill Sharp's triple in the 5th drove in a pair for Williston.  In the Packers' 6th, Joffe knocked in Ev Johnson, who had tripled, then scored on Buddy Afremow's double to knot the count at 4-4.  Dean went the distance, allowing nine hits, to pick up his first win of the season.  Tom Mulcahy also went the route in a losing cause. 

Mulcahy (L) and Roelandt
Dean (W) and Ev Johnson

STANDINGS
Bismarck   44-28
Williston  37-36  7.5
Minot      37-37  8.0
Dickinson  28-43 15.5

(August 17)  Minot 11 Bismarck 7 at Minot.

(August 18)  Williston Oilers begin a three-day home stand against the pennant winning Bismarck Barons.  Friday and Saturday the Oilers host the Dickinson Packers. Only five games remain on the regular season slate for the Oilers.  On Sunday, the Oilers play at Minot and return home Monday for a makeup contest with Bismarck. Preston Elkins, with a 7-0 mark, is scheduled to take to the hill for the Oilers tonight.

A win tonight would get the Oilers back on the winning track after a 5-4 setback to Dickinson on Wednesday. 

Oilers had won the 2nd game of a twin-bill Sunday as Preston Elkins tossed a five-hitter in the 5-0 victory.  Tuesday, Don Lee fired a five-hiter in a 7-0 triumph.

Wednesday's loss to Dickinson coupled with Minot's decisive win over Bismarck narrowed the gap between Williston and Minot to only half a game.

(August 18)  Bismarck 5 Williston 4

(August 18)  Minot 8 Dickinson 7

(August 19)  Bismarck 9 Minot 5

(August 19)   Williston erupted for four runs in the opening frame against newcomer Gail Burnhart and went on to a 7-1 win over Dickinson.  The key blows were back-to-back doubles by Bill Raehse and Dolph Regelsky and a triple by Bob Betz. Ed Williams tossed a seven-hitter for the win.  Milt Joffe accounted for all the Packers' scoring with a homer.

Burnhart (L) and Johnson
Williams (W) and Roelandt

(August 20)  Dickinson at Williston, Minot at Bismarck (Cain in relief?)

(August 21)   Don Lee fired a five-hitter for his 5th victory as the Oilers dumped the Mallards 6-2 at Minot.  Dean Scarborough and Zoonie McLean accounted for the Minot runs with homers.  Sunday was Zoonie McLean Day at Minot.  Lee walked just two and had nine strikeouts.  Catcher Frank Roelandt had a homer and two runs batted in for the winners.  

Lee (W) and Roelandt
Cartledge (L) and Williams

(August 22)   Williston Oilers grabbed a 9-2 lead then withstood a late Minot rally to edge the Mallards 9-8 in the final game of the regular season.  Oilers pounded out 16 hits, three each by Bill Raehse, Roy Weatherly and Ronnie Martin.   Ray Berns had a homer.

Schoonover, Mulcahy (7) and Hayes
Beneke (L) and Cash

(August 24)  A 4th inning homer by right fielder Bob Betz was the difference as Williston shaded Minot 1-0 in the opening game of a best-of-seven playoff series.  On a 2-2 count, Betz smashed the ball over the right field fence for the only run.  Preston Elkins fired a three-hitter and walked two, but faced just 28 batters.  The slim righthander took advantage of two double plays while another two runners were cut down trying to steal.  In the tightest pitching duel all season, the Mallards' Sugar Cain allowed just five hits.  

Cain (L) and Williams
Elkins (W) and Roelandt

(August 24)  In his farewell appearance, Fred Brenzel pitched and batted Dickinson to a 6-2 victory over Bismarck in the opening game of their semi-final series. Brenzel tossed a five-hitter while leading the Packers' 11-hit attack with a double and two singles.  He's set to leave today to resume his coaching job in Illinois. Ron Bowen, Dick Morgan and Buddy Afremow, with doubles, had the only other extra-base hits in the game played in a brisk wind blowing in from centre field.

Higgins (L), Beneke (7), Gaines (8) and Cash
Brenzel (W) and Johnson

(August 25)  Ron Bowen and Dick Morgan socked homers as Dickinson scored its second straight playoff win over the pennant-winning Bismarck Barons 4-3.  Bill Rose, with 9th inning relief help from Jim Michalec, picked up the win.  Bill Hockenbury homered for the Barons who came back from a 4-0 deficit with a run in the 8th and a pair in the 9th. 

Fitzgerald (L), Heintzelman (1) and Cash
Rose (W), Michalec (9) and Johnson.  

(August 25)  Before a record crowd of 2,102 at Williston the Minot Mallards exploded for six runs in the 9th for a 12-6 win over the Oilers to knot the playoff series at a game apiece.  Zoonie McLean's one-out double started the Minot uprising.  Catcher Dewey Williams, who had driven in two runs to tie the match at 6-6 in the 7th, singled to right to plate McLean with what proved to be the winning marker.  A triple by Charlie Frey and a double by Ted Edmunds were the key hits as the Mallards added five insurance runs. Willie Patterson, for Minot, and the Oilers' Roy Weatherly had the only homers. Edmunds was the winner, Tom Mulcahy took the loss.

Cartledge, Edmunds (W) (8) and D Williams
Williams, Mulcahy (L) (7) , Karpinski (9) and Roelandt

(August 26)  Williston at Minot

(August 27)  Minot took a 3-1 lead in their semi-final series with a 6-5 victory over Williston.  Mallards scored a pair in the initial frame on run-scoring singles by George Wopinek and Zoonie McLean.  Mel Duncan drove in a run in the second and Minot plated three more in the 3rd -- Wopinek scored on Dewey William's single and Ed Bowman drove in Williams and Charlie Frey.  Bill Raehse was the offensive story for the Oilers with a pair of two-run homers.  Roy Weatherly drove in the final Williston tally with a single in the 5th.  Reliever Ted Edmunds pick up the win. Oilers' Tom Mulcahy was brilliant in relief retiring 13 straight batters before allowing an 8th inning single and setting down three more.  

Schoonover (L), Williams (2), Mulcahy (3) and Roelandt
Duncan, Horton (3), Edmunds (W) (7) and Williams

(August 28)   In an incredible comeback before 2,689 screaming fans, Williston Oilers, down 3-1 in the playoff series, and on the short end of a 9-2 score, exploded for two runs in the 6th and twelve in the 7th to trounce Minot 16-9 in the season's most thrilling action at Municipal Park.  

Down 9-2 in the 6th, Bob Betz got the Oilers rolling with a two-run homer.  That set the stage for the Oilers biggest inning of the season.  Tom McDevitt led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout.   Bill Raehse's liner past first sacker Willie Patterson scored McDevitt.  After Dolph Regelsky's double plated Raehse to make the score 9-6, Minot brought in Sugar Cain to pitch to Roy Weatherly.  The league's batting champion greeted Cain with a single to right to score Regelsky and Ray Berns followed with a blast over the right centrefield wall to tie the count at 9-9. 

Oilers then loaded the bases with two out on a single by Betz, Bob Hogue's double and a walk to McDevitt. Ronnie Martin's single scored a pair and a double by Raehse drove in two more.  It gave the Oilers a 13-9 margin.  Three more doubles followed -- by Regelsky, Weatherly and Berns -- and the Oilers brought their total to 16 runs.  

Minot opened the scoring with four runs in the 3rd. The outburst featured homers by Zoonie McLean and Patterson.  Regelesky's homer in the bottom of the 3rd put the Oilers on the board before the Mallards scored four more in the 4th.  After Williston added a single tally in the 4th, Ted Edmunds' homer gave Minot its 9th run.

Bob Hogue was credited with the win.  Sugar Cain, who gave up seven runs in just 1/3 of an inning, took the loss.

Cartledge, Edmunds (5), Cain (L) (7) , Milankovich (7), Duncan (8) and Williams
Elkins, Schoonover (5), Hogue (W) (6), Lee (8) and Roelandt

(August 30)  Dirk Gibbons tossed a five-hitter and fanned eleven as Minot topped Dickinson 3-1 in the opening game of the ManDak League's final series.  Duke Bowman had three singles and drove in a pair for the Mallards and Zoonie McLean added a double and a single.  It was Gibbons' seventh consecutive win after opening the season with seven straight losses. Dickinson had breezed into the final downing  Bismarck four games to one in semi-final action. 

Gibbons (W) and D Williams
Michalec (L) and Johnson

(Sept 1)  Mel Duncan's 8th inning homer gave Minot a 4-3 win over Dickinson and a 2-0 game lead in the final series.  George Wopnik blasted a two-run homer for the Mallards in the 5th inning.  Ted Edmunds picked up the win in relief.

Horton, Edmunds (W) and Williams
Orwiler (L) and Johnson

(Sept 2)  Sugar Cain pitched a batted Minot to a 7-6 win over Dickinson and a commanding 3-0 game lead in the ManDak final.  Cain's 9th inning homer gave the Mallards the come from behind victory.

Cain (W) and D Williams
xxx and xxx

(Sept 3)  Minot Mallards won the ManDak title for the fourth consecutive season downing Dickinson 11-6 to sweep the best-of-seven final in four games.  Willie Patterson, Charley Frey and Duke Bowman all clouted homers for the Mallards.

Gibbons (W) and D Williams
xxx and xxx