Lacombe Tournament :
(June 27) Granum White Sox whipped Grand Centre 8-3 to win top prize in the Lacombe tournament. White Sox got four runs, three on a homer by John Vaselenak, in the first inning and coasted to the victory. Dave Gambee went the distance on the hill. The Sox won the Lacombe event in 1955 and shared top prize last year when the final was rained out.
Gambee and Koentopp
Furibondo and Demeriez
Sox made the final with an 8-3 victory over Sandpoint, Idaho. John Vaselenak provided the big blow, a grand slam homer in the 7th.
Walasko and Koentopp
Bloxom and Eilmes
Grand Centre scored three in the bottom of the 9th to shade Campion 7-6 in the other semi-final.
Babiuk, Doucette (6) and Kulka
Molyneaux, Makos (5), Furibondo (8) and Demeriez
An estimated 45-hundred fans sat in for each of the final two games with about 35-hundred taking in the opening semi-final. While rains and hail were pouring down just a few miles on all sides of Lacombe, the tournament experienced near perfect baseball weather. A windstorm blew up in the seventh inning of the final with a few drops arriving in the ninth. Minutes after the game ended, rain came down in streaks.
(June 26) Two upsets marked the opening day of the Lacombe tournament. Campion Pipeliners topped Picture Butte 3-1 and Grand Centre downed Calgary 6-2. Granum remained in the title hunt with a 7-0 win over Moose Jaw Lakers and the only American entry, Sandpoint Beavers from Idaho, shutout the Central Alberta All-Stars 3-0.
John Doucette, former hurler with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada League, stranded 12 men in going the distance for the Pipeliners. Fred MacDonald paced Campion with three hits. Hans Pung had a pair of doubles for Picture Butte.
Harrison, Motley (4) and Pung
Doucette and Kulka
Grand Centre scored three in the 2nd and coasted to their 6-2 win over Calgary. Jim Ryan led off the frame with a homer. Pete Furibondo tossed a three-hitter for the winners.
Nagle, Ikeda (7) and Abel
Furibonda and Demeriez
Don Nieland tossed a seven-hitter for Sandpoint. The Beavers got just four hits off Red Schneck. They got the only run they needed in the first inning on a walk, stolen base and a single by Nick August.
Neiland and Eilmes
Schneck and Dana, Mantle (7)
Granum also scored early to beat Moose Jaw. White Sox got three walks and a double by Gord Wesley in the opening frame to plate two runs.
Burns and Koentopp
Dane, and Hunchuk, Lyscek (5)
Loreburn : (June 28) Davidson took top money at the Loreburn Tournament beating Elbow Cranes 5-2 in the final. Moe Phillips was the winning pitcher. The club earlier blanked Lawson 2-0 in 11 innings behind the shutout hurling of Cuban Roberto Bouza.
Saskatoon Optimist : (July 1) A seven-run explosion in the 10th inning handed the Davidson Cardinals top money at the 8th annual Saskatoon Optimist Dominion Day Tournament at Cairns Field. The Cards topped Delisle 14-7 as workhorse right-hander Roberto Bouza went four innings in relief for the pitching victory, his second of the day.
In a game in which the lead bounced back and forth, Delisle jumped into an early lead with four runs in the bottom of the opening frame. Davidson came right back with five runs in the top of the second before Delisle again went in front, 6-5, with a pair in the bottom of the inning. The Cardinals knotted the count with a run in the 4th, but fell behind when Delisle scored in the 8th. In the top of the 9th, Davidson plated the tying marker on a double by Jose Rodriguez, an error and infield out.
In the extra frame, reliever Jerry Duffus - superb in Delisle's opening game win - got into trouble with successive walks. Before he managed to quiet the uprising, fanning three straight, seven runs had crossed the plate. Bouza fanned the side in the bottom of the 10th to ensure the win.
More than 4-thousand fans took in the tournament final.
Davidson reached the final with a 7-3 win over Prince Albert with Jose Tarabull's three-run homer in the 6th the key blow. Bouza went the distance for the win. Bob Slonski allowed just five hits but wildness hurt his cause.
Duffus was a hero in Delisle's 13-6 victory over Rosetown. As Delisle fell behind 3-0 in the first frame, he replaced starter Murray Coben and went the rest of the way giving up just two hits while fanning 11. Chuck Holdaway belted a homer for Rosetown.
Davidson 7 Prince Albert 3
Bouza (W) and I. Gullickson
Slonski (L), Skalicky (9) and Dutka
Delisle 13 Rosetown 5
M. Coben, Duffus (W) (1) and B. Coben
Genge (L), Holdaway (2) and Snyder
Davidson 14 Delisle 7
G. Gullickson, Philips (6), Bouza (W) (7) and I. Gullickson
Farley, M. Coben (3), Duffus (L) (9) and B. Coben
Calgary Tournament :
(July 12) Calgary received outstanding pitching from Leroy Gregory and Gerry Knutson to capture top prize of $700 in the second annual Calgary Buffalo tournament.
Gregory pitched a two-hitter in the final as the Dodgers bounced Picture Butte 9-1. Harold Noble's 5th inning grand slam was the major blow.
Harrison, Motley (5), Sedoo (6) and Pung
Gregory and Abel
Dodgers reached the final with an 8-1 triumph over Kimberley as Knutson tossed a four-hitter. Marty Hurd's three-run homer in the 3rd provided enough for the victory.
Johnson, Gehringer (6) and McCarthy
Knudson and Abel, Heffel (5)
Picture Butte won a final berth with a 16-4 win over Medicine Hat. The Indians erased a 4-2 deficit with eight runs in the 7th and added six more in the 8th. Owen Goto's three-run homer keyed the Indians 7th inning explosion.
Davidson, Leonard (7) and Adams
Harrison, Lovewell (6) and Pung
(July 11) Calgary exploded for five runs in the 9th to score an 8-6 win over Granum, the defending tournament champions. The contest featured a 19-strikeout performance by Calgary's Don Kirk and six homers. Harold Noble's single to centre drove in the winning run. Calgary got circuit blows from Ken Mitchell, Dave Abel and Kirk. Larry Koentopp, Darwin Walkingshaw and Jim McDonald poked homers for the White Sox. Kirk, who recorded four strikeouts in the 9th as Abel allowed a third strike to get past him, fanned John Vaselenak five times.
Kirk and Abel
Walasko, Burns (9) and Koentopp
Picture Butte also came from well behind to notch a tournament victory, 8-7 over Vulcan. The Indians, who trailed 7-1 at one point, scored the winner in the bottom of the 9th as Hans Pung singled with the bases loaded. Marty Norman homered for the Elks.
Dailey, Houck (7)
Harrison, Motley (4)
Medicine Hat ousted Gleichen Indians 4-2 behind the pitching of Don Schwedelsky.
Schwedelsky
Koshuba
Kimberley Dynamos whipped Edmonton Outlaws 7-1.
Holliston
M Yeske
Lethbridge Rotary Tournament :
(August 10) Bob Blakeslee hurled a three-hitter to lead Sandpoint to a 5-1 win over Spokane Michielli Brothers and top prize of $1,400 in the Lethbridge Rotary Tournament. More than 35-hundred fans attended the final.
Angstrom and Chalich
Blakeslee and Heintz
Spokane edged the Lethbridge-Vulcan All-Stars 5-3 and Sandpoint beat Granum 5-2 in semi-final action. Sandpoint got a three-hitter from Socky Red for their victory and Spokane won with a three-run seventh inning.
Davidson, Walasko (6) and Koentopp
Red and Heintz
Baker and Chalich
Dailey, Weremy (8) and Scornaienchi
(August 9) Two of the four Alberta clubs advanced in opening round play at the seventh annual Lethbridge Rotary Tournament.
The Lethbridge-Vulcan All-Stars got four-hit pitching from Al Warnick and upended the Trail Smoke Eaters 11-0. Mitch Sztaba had a triple and two singles for the Stars.
Warnick and Scornaienchi
Seeman, DeRosa (1), Mahoruk (6) and Russell
Bentley MacEwen held Billings to three hits in a game called after six innings as Granum topped the Mustangs 6-2.
Bolingbroke, Mountie (4) and Bryson
MacEwen and Koentopp
Calgary Dodgers were hammered 12-2 by the Spokane Michielli Brothers. Winning pitcher Gary Barnes was also a star at the plate with a triple, double and single.
Gregory, McIntosh (6) and Noble
Barnes and Chalich
Don Nieland of Sandpoint and Orv Motley of Picture Butte put on a pitching display in the other opening match as the Americans won, 2-1. Neiland won on a four-hitter while Motley allowed just six hits in dropping the decision.
Nieland and Heintz
Motley and Pung
Medicine Hat Tournament :
(August 24) Medicine Hat Superiors won their own tournament and prize money of $1,000 with a 4-0 win over the Calgary Dodgers in the tourney final. Roy Cleland, a pickup from Vauxhall, tossed a three-hitter for the win.
Superiors made the final with a 7-1 victory over Grand Centre Braves while Calgary set down the Libby Loggers 5-4.
Pat Gillick, another pickup by the Superiors, pitched a five-hitter to dump the Braves in the semi-final.
(August 23) The Libby, Montana, Loggers ousted pre-tournament favourite Granum White Sox from further play in the Medicine Hat Rotary Tournament. Bob Blakeslee was a pitching and batting star as the Loggers scored an 8-2 victory. He held the Sox to eight hits while helping his own cause with a double and single.
The Calgary Dodgers moved into the semi-final round with an 8-0 win over Billings as Marty Hurd went 4-4 and Joe Weremy tossed a three-hitter.
Medicine Hat Superiors downed St. Regis War Chiefs 2-1 while Grand Centre sidelined Picture Butte 6-4.
(August 29) Spokane Tournament : In the opening game of the Pacific Northwest semi-pro tournament, The Dalles of Oregon erupted for six runs in the first inning and coasted to a 15-3 win over Ritzville. Second sacker Davidson and third baseman Sallee each drove in three runs with a pair of hits.
Schoessler (L), Grams (1) and Danekas
Olson (W) and Fandrey
The host club, the Spokane Orioles, crushed the Pasco-Kennewick Merchants 12-0 as lefty Ted Falk fired a one-hitter in a six-inning contest. He had a perfect game through five innings and ended with eight strike outs. In the first inning Falk retired the side on three pitches. Rich Carlo, who had an inside-the-park homer, drove in four runs. Catcher Bill Heath went three-for-four.
McDougal (L), Harter (1), Nelson (5) and Wyrick
Falk (W) and Heath
(August 30) Willie Walasko tossed a four hit shutout as Granum topped St. Regis Montana 12-0 in the Spokane Invitational Tournament. Walasko had a no-hitter through five innings. White Sox exploded for nine runs in the 9th to break open what had been a close contest. Bill Fennessey, on a home run tear, belted another for the Sox and added a double. Bobby Lee drove in three runs with a triple and two singles.
Walasko (W) and Koentopp
Fornall (L) and Bennett
Sandpoint Packers trounced Everett 13-1 in six innings behind the three-hit pitching of Don Nieland who struck out 14 batters. The Idaho club took a 6-0 lead through the first five innings and salted away the victory with seven runs in the 6th. Cal Humphries allowed the Packers only seven hits but handed out 12 bases on balls before being relieved in the 6th. Frank Barnes drove in four runs with a pair of hits.
Nieland (W) and Eilmes
Humphries (L), Friend (6) and Atkinson
Bellingham Bells, two-time state champions, wasted little time in knocking Yakima out of the tournament. The Bells sent 18 men to the plate in the first inning, scoring 13 of them en route to a 15-1 triumph. Bellingham had just two hits in the big inning but Yakima hurlers allowed nine walks and hit two batters.
Randall (W), Hansen (4) and Anderson, Martin (4)
Dexter (L) Zickle (1), Dabiquist (1) and Day
(August 31) Spokane Orioles advanced to the quarter-final round of the Pacific Northwest International tournament by trouncing Granum 10-0 in a game ended after six innings. Tilbert Neal fired a four-hitter for the shutout.
Neal (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Bellingham was declared forfeit winner over Granum in a consolation round game. With Bellingham leading 8-7 in the 5th inning, the umpires handed the contest to the Bells because of what they termed "abusive language from the field and the Granum bench."
xxx and xxx
xxx and xxx
Spokane reached the final undefeated by routing Sandpoint 21-2 Sunday after shaded The Dalles 3-1 and whipping Granum 10-0 Saturday. Bellingham came through the losers' bracket having lost 12-8 to Sandpoint on Saturday but later gaining the 8-7 decision over Granum. The Bells nipped The Dalles 7-6 in 11 innings Sunday and then rallied to down Sandpoint 4-2.
Bill Heath had a homer and two singles, drove in three runs and score three to lead an 18-hit Spokane attack in the 21-2 thumping of Sandpoint. The game was called after six innings. Hendry allowed just four hits in recording the win.
Hendry (W) and Holding
Johnson (L), Bloxom (2), Richardson ((6) and Eilmes
Catcher Anderson and shortstop Hobbs each had three hits in the Bellingham win over The Dalles. Earl Silverthorne went the distance for the win.
Silverthorne (W) and Anderson
Aronson, E. Urness (L) (9) and Fandrey
Bells scored a pair in the top of the 9th for the win over Sandpoint. Hanson and Rounds combined on a six-hitter for Bellingham.
Hanson, Rounds (W) (8) and Anderson
G. Barnes (L) and Eilmes
(September 2) Spokane Orioles won their own Pacific Northwest Tournament Monday downing the Bellingham Bells 5-2 in the final at Ferris Field. Winning pitcher Ray Washburn doubled home Spokane's first two runs in the 6th. The Orioles sewed up the contest with a three-run 8th. Rich Carlo knocked in the winning run with a single.
Earl Silverthorne scored both runs for the Bells. He doubled in the 4th inning and scored on Jerry Reimer's single and in the 6th he reached on an error, advanced on a walk and scored on another error. Silverthorne was named the most valuable player of the tournament as he held down centre field for the Bells, hit over .400 and was the winning pitcher in Bellingham's 7-6 win over The Dalles. Bill Heath of Spokane was the leading hitter with seven hits in eleven official times at bat. He also drew 10 bases on balls.
Randall (L) and Anderson
Washburn (W) and Holding