BARRHEAD TOURNAMENT
(June 23-25) The Barrhead Blue Jays captured top money of $3,500 and the Labatt's Cup winning the inaugural Barrhead Tournament.
Jays pounded the Edmonton Tigers 8-2 in the final behind the five-hit pitching of Scott Hergott (left). Steve McMannon belted a pair of homers to lead the Jays who had ten hits off four Tigers' pitchers. McMannon knocked in three runs while Mike Teahen and John Osborne each drove in a pair. Barrhead scored three times in the first inning and never looked back. Gord Graves and Larry Drader had circuit shots for Edmonton. Teahen was chosen as the tourney's Most Valuable Player while teammate Dave Tilleman hit .750 to win the award for the Top Offensive Player.
xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
Hergott (W) and xxx
In Sunday's semi-final action, Barrhead Blue Jays breezed to a 12-1 victory over the Nor-Lake All-Stars as Keith Van De Keere fired a two-hitter. The only run against him came on a bases-loaded walk in the 6th. The left-hander fanned ten. Gerry Hollett and Mike Teahen each had three hits.
Van De Keere (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Edmonton Tigers won a berth in the final with an easy 11-1 victory over Stony Plain Dusters. Randy Rasmussen fired a three-hitter and had home run support from Orv Franchuk and Randy Gregg. Joe Barrett, Gregg, Gord Graves and Larry Drader each had two hits.
Rasmussen (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Saturday, the Edmonton Dusters upset Red Deer Players 9-6 as Gary Zunino crushed a three-run homer in the top of the 9th for the victory. Larry Kowalishen was the winner pitcher, Tom Neidenfuer took the loss.
Kowalishen (W) and xxx
Neidenfuer (L) and xxx
Rob Biagini held Lac La Biche to just four hits as the Nor-Lake All-Stars squeaked out a 3-2 win. Steve Wallace tossed a four-hitter in a losing cause.
Biagini (W) and xxx
Wallace (L) and xxx
Blue Jays whipped Grande Prairie All-Stars 13-1 with a 15-hit attack off two hurlers. Ray Lane coasted to the pitching win.
Lane (W) and xxx
xxx, xxx and xxx
The tourney opened Friday with a 2-0 win by the Edmonton Tigers over the Barrhead Broncos, strengthened by three members from the Swan Hills Cubs. Swan Hills pitching ace Bunky Svendsen, hurling for the Broncos, and Edmonton's Ray Brown matched seven-hitters. The score was 1-0 until the 9th when the Tigers added an insurance run.
Brown (W) and xxx
Svendsen (L) and xxx
PRINCE GEORGE TOURNAMENT
(June 24-25) After losing to Quesnel Billy Barkers in the opening game of the Prince George Tournament, Enderby romped through the field and battered Quesnel 12-2 in the final to take top money in the eight-team event. Stu Sonne rapped four of the Legionnaires 16 hits in the triumph. Brian Gibbons coasted to the mound victory. Enderby also walked away with most of the awards as Geoff Collins was selected as Best Infielder, Lorne Hawryk Best Outfielder and Peter Brooks as Best Pitcher.
In their loss, Enderby gave up 21 hits to Quesnel as the Billy Barkers won 10-7 in 10 innings.
Legionnaires turned it around against Prince George trouncing Mountain Trucking 17-1 in a game called in the fifth inning. Peter Brooks had the easy mound victory and Lorne Hawryk led the offense with a triple, double and single.
Brooks followed that with another complete game win, 8-1 over Prince George Labatt's.
Enderby went on to crush Smithers 13-1 behind Ron Carter's hurling and Jerry Reimer's three hits and Ron Carter's homer. Joe Watson, of Philadelphia Flyers hockey game, replied with a homer for Smithers.
To advance to the final, Legionnaires dumped Prince George Loggers 9-2 with Daryl Leier the winning hurler.
ENDERBY TOURNAMENT
(July 1-2) Enderby Legionnaires walked off with top money in their own tournament Sunday crushing Vernon's Coldstream Hotel 11-2 in the final. Vernon took a 1-0 lead in the first inning but with two markers in the second and three more runs in the third, Enderby put the game away early. Brian Gibbons held Vernon to eight hits in going the route for the win. Dave Weedmark took the loss. The champs were unbeaten in their four games, whipping Prince George 11-1, Quesnel 11-5 and downing Vernon 10-8 in an extra inning.
Peter Brooks was the winning hurler against Prince George while Ed Johnson, who had a double and two singles in the final, had a home run and a single against the northern BC nine.
Jeff Collins, with two doubles and two singles, paced the Legionnaires against Quesnel helping Daryl Leier to the mound victory.
Enderby overcame a 6-2 deficit to Vernon to post the extra inning win. Ron Carter got the win. Al McKee was the loser.
Vernon Coldstream had romped 13-1 over Calgary Odeons as winning pitcher Wayne Dye and battery mate Mike McAvoy cracked home runs. Dye slugged a two-run homer to help Vernon slip by Kamloops Islanders 6-5.
In other games, Quesnel defeated Kamloops 6-5, Kamloops over Prince George 10-3 and Kamloops downed Calgary 4-2.
LAKE COWICHAN CANADA DAY INVITATIONAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
(July 1-2) Paul LeBlanc fired a three-hitter as the Port Alberni Souther 68’ers blanked the Nanaimo Villas 2 to 0 in the opening game of the Lake Cowichan Canada Day Invitational baseball tournament.
In their second game of the day, the 68’ers dropped an 8 to 1 decision to the Nanaimo Harewood Sports Royals. Souther opened the scoring in their half of the first inning but fell behind when Harewood’s Jim Luck cracked Don Dunbar’s first pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run homer. The Royals came up with five more runs in the sixth to preserve the victory.
Port Alberni played one more game on the second day of the event, defeating the Lake Cowichan Lakers, the eventual tournament winners, 3 to 2 in ten innings. LeBlanc won his second complete game on successive days and was ably supported by teammate Jim Seredick who accounted for all the 68’ers scoring with a single and two homers, the last of which was the game winner. LeBlanc won the tourney’s top pitcher award while Seredick won the batting crown with a .667 average.
ESTON TOURNAMENT
(July 1-2) Unity Cardinals came home with top money from the Eston Invitational Tournament. In the first round Unity topped Moose Jaw 7-3 and then embarrassed Regina Red Sox 15-5 to advance to the final. The Cardinals clipped Saskatoon Patrick Liners 7-0 in the championship game. Jack Wilson, Shane Lindzy and Rod Gehring picked up the pitching wins for the Cards. Doug O'Brien started against Regina but needed help from Lindzy who picked up the win.
Lloyd Guenther started for the Liners in the final and took the loss.
Guenther (L), Elliot (5) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Saskatoon got a combined one-hit shutout Saturday in its first game to blank Kindersley 9-0. Terry Christman, Guenther and Ron Friess combined on the whitewash.
Christman, Guenther, Friess and xxx
xxx and xxx
The Liners won a berth in the final with a 3-2 win over the host Eston Ramblers.
Giguiere, Wek (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Eston had an easy time in its opening game, an 11-1 triumph over Saskatoon Raiders of the Long Lake League.
BIRTLE TOURNAMENT
(July 2) Gerry Falk pitched 16 consecutive innings Sunday, throwing a total of 231 pitches, as Binscarth Orioles beat Brandon Cloverleafs 9-2 in a semi-final and the powerful Riverside Canucks 8-3 in the championship game of the Birtle Sports Day. Orioles took top prize of $600. Cloverleafs and McAuley Blazers, beaten 9-7 by Riverside in the other semi-final, both received $250. After topping Brandon on a five-hitter, Falk needed 139 pitches to beat the slugging Canucks who lead the Manitoba Senior League with a team batting average of .356. He allowed nine hits and a walk. Falk had given Binscarth an early lead with a two-run homer in the second inning. Dale Gies paced the winners with three hits.
G.Falk (W) and Lang
Everard (L), R.Seafoot (7) and Gullett
Orioles erupted for five runs in the sixth inning to overcome the Canucks 8-3 in the semi-final.
G.Falk (W) and Lang
Hodgson (L), Harvey (6) and McFadyen
Riverside scored in only two innings in beating McAuley 9-7 pushing across five in the second and four in the fifth.
Roundtree (L), Zimmerman (5) and Zimmerman, Lowes (5)
Everard (W) and Gullett
Larry Falk fired a three-hitter as Binscarth trounced Hamiota 12-2 in quarter-final action. Falk and Chuck Lang belted homers for the winners.
R.Ramsey (L) and Laboissiere
L.Falk (W) and Lang
Brandon topped Grandview 5-2 behind an eight-hitter by Stan Webb.
Webb (W) and McFadyen
Deaver (L) and G.Ortynski
McAuley rallied for three runs in the final frame to top Virden 5-2 behind a seven-hitter by Wayne Larker. Ken Buchy cracked a homer for Virden.
Larker (W) and Lowes
Evans (L), Buchy
Ron Seafoot limited Neepawa to six hits in the Canucks 14-4 first-round victory.
R.Seafoot (W) and Gullett
Hansen (L), Scranton (1), Davie (5) and Buchanan
In an offensive display, Hamiota slammed 15 hits to beat Dauphin 11-9.
Ashworth, R.Ramsey (W) (4) and Laboissiere
Hargas, Modlinski (L) (6) and Rideout
Neepawa topped Angusville 5-3 as Pete Chapin was the winning hurler with a six-hitter.
Chapin (W) and Buchanan
Haley, McGehee (L) (6) and Wowk, Haley (6)
BELMONT INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
(July 9) Riverside Canucks eked out a 4-3 triumph over the defending champion McAuley Blazers to win the Second Annual Belmont International Tournament. Canucks took home top money of $700. Riverside mounted two-run rallies in the fifth and seventh to dethrone the Blazers. Catcher Bruce Gullett smashed a two-run homer in the fifth and Mark Fisher's run-scoring single keyed the seventh inning production. Ron Seafoot tossed a seven-hitter in besting Wayne Larker who yielded 14 hits. Bob Williamson, named the tourney's Most Valuable Player, rapped three hits, as did Danny Cassils.
R.Seafoot (W) and xxx
Larker (L) and xxx
Canucks reached the final with a 10-2 win over Crookson Reds of Minnesota as Todd Jensen held the Americans to four hits while Dale Hunter led the Riverside attack with a two-run homer and Williamson collected three singles. Blazers crushed New Rockfort, North Dakota, 14-2 in the opening round as Handsom Roundtree slugged a pair of home runs and Terry Lynd added another. Crookston beat New Rockford 4-2 in a playoff for third place.
ANGUSVILLE TOURNAMENT
(July 9) The host Cardinals won their own tournament rebounding from a 5-0 deficit to edge Grandview Lakers 8-7 in the final. Bob Chuchmuch belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5 and then cracked a solo shot in the eighth for what proved to be the winning run. Mark Haley, who pitched into the ninth, was credited with the win. Cards banged out 15 hits.
M.Haley (W), McGehee (9) and xxx
H.Ashworth (L) and xxx
Grandview scored five runs in the fifth inning and got five-hit pitching from Hank Ashworth to upset Binscarth 9-1 in a first round game. Larry Falk took the loss. Cards whipped Virden 12-5 in the other first round match.
UNITY TOURNAMENT
Unity catcher Gary Wilburn reaches out to receive a pitch in the Cardinals' game against the Edmonton Cardinals.
(July 15-16) Edmonton Tigers and Eston Ramblers split first place money at the Unity Tournament. Edmonton led Eston 3-0 after four innings in the championship game but a sudden rain storm forced the game to be called.
The Tigers won a finals berth with a 1-0 win over Moose Jaw and Eston advanced by edging Unity 4-3 in 11 innings.
Tyer Steinback was the winning hurler for Eston in the semi-final.
Steinback (W) and xxx
Jack Wilson (L) and xxx
In an opening round slugfest, Unity held off Edmonton Cardinals 20-13 using a 26 hit attack. Shane Lindzy, with relief from Doug O'Brien, picked up the win.
Edmonton Tigers beat Regina Red Sox and Moose Jaw got by Lac La Biche Dodgers.
EDMONTON TOURNAMENT
(July 22-23) The Barrhead Blue Jays dumped the tournament host Edmonton Tigers 10-7 Sunday night to take first prize money of $1,700 at the Edmonton Tournament. Tigers had a 4-2 lead after three innings and had knocked Jays starter Curtis Burkhead out of the game. They added a 5th run in the 4th inning off reliever Brian Hamagami. The Jays rebounded with single runs in the 4th, 5th and 6th to knot the count at 5-5. A single to left by Gary Picone scored Ken Rutan with the tying marker. Jays broke the game wide open with five runs in the 8th. Picone, named co-winner of the tournament MVP award with teammate Dale Tilleman, singled in the go-ahead run. Tilleman, who had four hits in the final, finished the tourney with ten hits in 12 at bats. Tigers, who lashed out 13 hits, left 16 men on base. Gord Graves led the team with three singles. The Tigers had won a spot in the final with a 9-4 win over Stony Plain. Jays trounced the Arizona Generals 10-0.
Burkenhead, Hamagami (W) (4) and xxx
Brown,
Gregg (8), Duran (8) and xxx
BC SENIOR BABE RUTH CHAMPIONSHIP
(July 22-24) Victoria Firefighters have won their second straight BC Senior Babe Ruth championship Monday in a thrilling 9-8 extra inning victory over the East Vancouver All-Stars.
Ed Geric was the hero at Cariboo Park with a clout to centre field in the bottom of the extra frame to score the winning run. East Vancouver had taken an early 3-0 lead but Victoria quicky rebounded on Glen Smith's three-run homer in the third. When Vancouver put two more on the scoreboard, it was Russ Mosher's two-run blast to tie.
Catcher Brad MacBride of Victoria was named the tournament's most valuable player.
The Firefighters, charged up after an earlier 5-2 loss to East Vancouver, scored a pair in the first inning of their semi-final match en route to a 9-4 victory in a chippy affair. Brad MacBride belted a two-run homer and a run-scoring double.
To get the rematch with East Vancouver, the Firefighters had to get by Trail and they did easily, 11-3 as McBride and Russ Mosher cranked out four-baggers.
Quesnel's Bud Henning Blue Jays dropped both of its games, 11-0 to Victoria and 4-3 to the Mid-Vancouver All-Stars. Trail upended the Mid-Islanders 11-3 although the Islanders drew first blood as the first two batters, Brian Branting and Steve Alexander belted homers.
LACOMBE TOURNAMENT
(July 26-27) Barrhead Blue Jays trampled Stony Plain 13-1 to win top money at the 29th annual Lacombe Tournament. It marked the third big tourney triumph for the Blue Jays having earlier captured the Barrhead and Edmonton events. Steve McMannon, chosen as tournament MVP, Mike Teahen, Gerry Hollett and Ken Rutan clouted homers for the Jays while Keith Van De Keere pitched a seven-hitter for the win. Hollett's two-run blast in the 4th inning shattered last year's record of 25 homers in the two-day event, while Rutan's 6th inning shot established a new mark at 28. McMannon had four hits. Jays pounded three Stony Plain hurlers for 14 hits.
xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
Van De Keere (W) and xxx
Barrhead downed the Arizona Generals 10-3 in semi-final action while Stony Plain made the final with a 7-6 upset of the Rapid City, South Dakota, Macy's.
Scott Hergott (left) threw a six-hitter against Arizona.
Hergott (W) and xxx
xxx and xxx
Two Alberta and two American teams advanced to the semi-finals of the Lacombe Tournament winning their opening round contests.
Barrhead erupted for seven runs in the second inning and held off a game Eston squad to post a 10-7 victory. Each team had 11 hits. Steve McMannon and Mike Teahen each had two hits and three runs batted in for the Blue Jays. McMannon, who had a homer, also scored three times. Ned Andreoni, Randy Arthur and Pete Maus had four-baggers for Eston. Maus and Arthur each contributed three hits. Ray Paiement claimed the mound victory. Steve Kaia was tagged with the loss.
Kaia (L), Heisler (2) and Sasser
Paiement (W), Hamagami (7) and Teahen
Stony Plain fell behind 2-0 to Unity Cardinals in the first inning then came roaring back with five runs in the 4th and seven in the 5th to take a 12-2 lead and the game was called because of the ten-run mercy rule. Doug Holt's two-run homer was the highlight of the five-run 4th for the Dusters. Steve Conroy was the winner.
Wilson (L), O'Brien (5), Gehring (5) and Wilburn
Conroy (W) and Holt
Terry Christman, who pitched with Lethbridge in the old Western Canada League in 1963-64 before a seven-year pro career, held Edmonton to nine hits -- three of them solo homers -- as his Arizona Generals rapped 15 hits in an 11-4 triumph over Edmonton Tigers. Don Jamerson pounded two homers and drove in five runs for the Generals. Arizona's playing manager, Marty Coil, had three hits for the winners and former major leaguer Rich Morales (left) added two hits, two runs and an RBI. Nye Akchurin had a pair of round trippers for Edmonton and Randy Gregg added another. Dolf Ness was the losing hurler.
Christman (W) and Johnson
Ness (L), Duran (4) and Drader
Rapid City Macy's used the long ball to knock Red Deer out of the tournament. Macy's had five homers in the 12-6 victory. Players had a 3-2 lead into the 5th when the American squad got homers from Brad Bennett, Steve Gelfarb and Mike Vaughn to take a 6-3 lead. Red Deer rebounded with three runs in the top of the 6th to tie. Pete Duncan started the rally with an inside-the-park homer. Terry Hendley doubled and singles from Barney Malpass, Ron Blasetti and Grant Becker produced two more runs. Rapid City came right back in their half of the 6th with three runs and added another three in the 7th to win going away as Gelfarb belted his second homer and Randy Whistle had a three-run shot. Jeff Schattinger was the winning pitcher holding the Players to one hit in 3 2/3s innings of relief.
Foster, Vaughn (L) (6), Gray (7), Hendley (8) and Price
Ritchey, Taylor (6), Schattinger (W) (6) and
Whistle
Lacombe Tournament - Blair Hanna slides in under the tag of Rapid City catcher Randy Whistle
but six runs the Players scored were not enough. The Advocate, Red Deer, July 27, 1978
MANITOBA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENTS FOR WESTERN CANADA INTERMEDIATE BASEBALL FINALS
Two elimination tournaments, held in Carberry and Giroux over the same weekend, were staged to determine the pair of finalists who would then battle it out in a best-of-three series to decide a Manitoba representative at the western Canada intermediate championships.
GIROUX ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT
Carman Goldeyes (Eastern Manitoba Baseball League)Interlake Baseball League All-Stars
Border Baseball League All-Stars
Giroux Athletics (host)
(July 28-30) The Carman Goldeyes, pace-setters in the Eastern Manitoba Baseball League, qualified as one of the two Manitoba teams that will battle it out to decide who will represent the province at the western Canada intermediate baseball championships to be held at Nanaimo BC over the third weekend in August.
Carman went through a four-team tournament held in Giroux without losing a game, beating the Border League All-Stars 12 to 1 and the Giroux Athletics 4 to 0 and 2 to 1 in the finals.
Giroux, the host team, opened the tourney Friday night with a 5 to 2 victory over the Interlake Baseball League All-Stars. Richard Prosky was the winning pitcher in that game.
Against Carman on Saturday, Giroux suffered from a lack of offense, collecting only four hits off winning pitcher Doug Freeth, an addition to the Goldeyes’ lineup from St. Boniface. Carman had nine safeties off the slants of losing chucker Barry Coffin. Goldeye outfielder Bill Whitehead had two hits, both doubles.
The Athletics avoided elimination in the double-knockout event with a 16 to 7 conquest of the Interlake All-Stars Sunday morning. Brian Sim had three hits for the A’s in that game as Roy Seidler annexed the pitching win.
In the final clash, Giroux outplayed Carman, acquiring nine hit to six for the Goldeyes, but the lack of timely hitting proved their downfall. Carman, on the other hand, had a clutch triple from N. Martin in the bottom-of-the-seventh inning which drove in the winning marker. Terry Buhlin was the winning heaver in this closely-contested match, fanning seven while walking none. Losing flinger Wayne Seidler punched out seven Goldeye batters and issued three free passes. Aaron Ross had three of the nine Giroux base raps.
CARBERRY ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT
(July 28-30) Although no results nor the list of entrants were discovered in print, the Eastern Manitoba Baseball League All-Stars emerged a winners of the four-team tournament held in Carberry.
WAWOTA LIONS CLUB TOURNAMENT
(July 29-30) McAuley Blazers won top money of $1,100 over the weekend at the Wawota Lions Club Baseball Tournament whipping Binscarth Orioles 10-4 in the final of the eight-team tourney. The event featured four teams from the Manitoba Senior League and four for the Saskatchewan Major League. Blazers blanked Hamiota Red Sox 9-0 in the opening round before getting by Brandon Cloverleafs 9-6 in a semi-final. Ron Zimmerman allowed 14 hits but managed to go the distance for the pitching win besting Dave Rottman, a pickup from Dauphin Redbirds.
Rottman (L), Neville (7) and xxx
Zimmerman (W) and xxx
Orioles took home $800 of the $4,700 purse downing the Saskatoon Patrick Liners 5-2 in 10 innings to reach the semi-final where they scored a 9-8, 11-inning victory over the Regina Red Sox. In other first round games Saturday, Brandon beat Moose Jaw Devons 10-2 and Regina topped the Riverside Canucks 6-1.
B. C. SENIOR “B” AMATEUR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
(August 5-7) The Victoria Senior Amateur Baseball League All-Stars won the 1978 B. C. senior baseball championship in Quesnel on Monday, defeating Nanaimo Harewood Sports Royals 19 to 8 in the final of the three-day tournament. Gary Brooke and Mike Laffin hit home runs and Rick Cook pitched the win for the Victorians. The final was an extra game forced when the Hub City crew edged previously unbeaten Victoria 13 to 12 in 19 innings earlier in the day. Victoria opened with a 5 to 1 decision over Enderby on Saturday and tripped Bulkley Valley 5 to 2 on Sunday. Bulkley Valley finished third and Prince George placed fourth in the six-team tournament. Gary Yakelashek of Nanaimo hit three home runs in the tournament and was selected the most valuable player. The Capital City crew now advances to the Western Canada championship to be held in Nanaimo starting August 22.
Nanaimo gained a shot at a semi-final game when it pounded out a 10-3 decision over Prince George. A six-run fifth inning told the tale. Steve Whittam was the winning hurler.
Rick Cook got the win for Victoria in the 5-1 win over Buckley Valley.
In what might have been the best game of the tournament, Nanaimo blanked Enderby 5-0 as Al Hill fired the shutout.
On Saturday, Jim Watson slammed a two-run homer to lift Bulkley Valley to a 5-3 decision over Nanaimo handing the pitching win to Winston Leury.
Leo Gauthier belted a homer for Enderby, but in a losing cause as Victoria took the match 5-2 collecting just four hits. Losing pitcher Jeff Bloom walked 16 batters. Terry Painter got the win.
The opening game of the event had Enderby hammer Prince George 14-0. Pete Brooks got the shutout yielding just four hits.
The host team, the Quesnel Reps, had a weekend to forget as the first team to be eliminated for the weekend tournament at Cariboo Ball Park. Quesnel lost its opener 11-6 to Bulkley Valley, last year's provincial finalists, and then blew a five-run lead in dropping an 8-7 decision to the Prince George All-Stars.
SOURIS CIVIC DAY TOURNAMENT
(August 6-7) Riverside Canucks brought their hitting shoes Sunday and Monday to Souris racking up 57 runs in three games, an average of 19 per game, in capturing top money of $550 at the Civic Day Tournament. Canucks crushed Dickinson, North Dakota 14-0 in their opening round and followed with an 18-3 victory over Virden in a semi-final. In the final, Riverside demolished Lansford, North Dakota 25-2 in a game called after just six innings. Todd Jensen tossed a three-hitter for the Canucks in the final as Bob Williamson, Mark Fisher and Cliff Seafoot each had four hits while Danny Cassils clouted a three-run homer. Lansford downed Neepawa Cubs 7-1 in the other semi-final.
Cliff Seafoot the Canucks' catcher led the winners with 10 hits in 13 at bats. Second baseman Williamson, selected the tournament's Most Valuable Player, collected 12 hits in 16 at bats.
CANADIAN SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Regina-Moose Jaw Combines' Andy Logan rips a single. The catcher is Edmonton's Orville Franchuk
(August 9) The host team, the Combines of Regina-Moose Jaw, scored an easy win over Prince Edward Island in the opening game of the Canadian Senior Baseball Championship at Ross Wells Park in Moose Jaw Wednesday. Ned Andreoni was a one-man wrecking crew belting a pair of homers and a double and was named the games' MVP in the 14-4 victory. The hosts broke a scoreless tie with six runs in the third inning. Jim Baba singled and Andreoni slugged his first four-bagger. Doug Simon tripled and came home on Andy Logan's single before Rich Gergley and Ross Mahoney also had base hits and put runs on the scoreboard. PEI rebounded in the 5th as Paul Afleck, Kenny Connolly and Lorne Carmichael all singled and scored. Andreoni's two-run blast in the 6th gave the hosts an 8-3 lead and they added another in the 7th as Mahoney doubled and scored. In the 9th, Walter Bradley doubled and scored for PEI but Regina-Moose Jaw had another big inning as Baba doubled in Mahoney and Doug Senyk and scored himself before Doug Simon crushed a homer with Bill Bell aboard. Dan Andrie survived 13 hits to go the distance for the win.
Andrie (W) and Logan
McAdams (L), MacDougall (3), Afleck (5) , Rossiter (9) and MacDonald
In the opening round, BC playing manager Ossie Chavarria, a former major leaguer, smacked a three-run homer to pace the offense in an 11-6 win over Manitoba. The Burnaby Astros, the BC flag-bearers, had blown a 4-0 lead before rallying with three in the 7th and another three in the 8th for the win. Bob Bridges managed to go the distance on the hill for the winners giving up ten hits, three of them homers by Mike Labossiere, Rick McFadyen and Rod Fallis.
Hodgson, Hlady (L) (6), Falk (7), Seafoot (8) and Gullett, Lang (8)
Bridges (W) and Gurniak
Second baseman Ron Masson went five-for-five at the plate Wednesday as BC used a 16-hit attack to crush the Legionnaires of PEI 20-7 in the coast club's second game of the tournament. Les Babuin went six innings for the win. The game was called after 6 1/2 innings as one team was ahead by ten or more runs.
MacDougall (L), Rossiter (5) and MacDonald
Babuin (W), Unruh (7) and Springenatic
Alberta pounded three homers in a 10-3 beating of Quebec. Randy Gregg, Gordon Graves and Ken Baker slugged two-run homers for the Edmonton Tigers, the Alberta representatives. Tom Erasmus, the Alberta pitcher, was named the games`s MVP. He allowed ten hits and struck out ten. Yvon Garceau had the big blow for Quebec, a two-run triple in the third.
Gervais (L), Arsenault (7) and Garceau
Erasmus (W) and Franchuk
Nova Scotia scored in the bottom of the 9th to edge Newfoundland 7-6. The winners out-hit the islanders 18-10. Barry Marchand had a four-master for Nova Scotia while Garry Gulliver and Wayne Gallop had circuit shots for the losers. Mike Cogswell picked up the win in relief.
Reardon, Power (L) (7), Rumsey (9) and Cornick
King, Robbie Mann (8), Cogswell (W) (9) and Robbie Mann
Saskatchewan used a 16-hit assault to take a 9-7 win over New Brunswick. Randy Arthur had a homer for the winners, Hallett for New Brunswick.
Leggett (L), Peterson (3) and Sappler
Plummer (W), Stang (7) and Devine
New Brunswick topped Ontario 7-4 as Scott Harvey bashed a pair of homers and pitched a six-hitter for the win. Mike Carter and Steve Quigley had round trippers for the losers.
Harvey (W) and Sappler
Doe (L), Bacon (6) and Massetti
Ontario rebounded to trounced Newfoundland 12-1 pounding out 17 hits including homers by Jerry Desjardins and Pat Dumouchelle. Wayne Gallop accounted for all the Newfoundland scoring with a homer. Jim Dalton fired a five-hitter for the win.
Dalton (W) and Dumouchelle
Hudson (L), Kent (5) and Cornick
Left - Manitoba's Gerry Falk lets one fly. Right - Combines' Jim Paisley breaks up a double play as Garth Jackman leaps out of the way.
The Combines fell behind 5-0 in the first inning but rallied late to down Manitoba 9-8 at Currie Field at Regina. Rick McFadyen's grand slam homer was the highlight of the opening frame for Manitoba. But, Ned Andreoni, who had slugged two homers in the first game, bashed another two to lead the comeback. Combines trailed 8-3 after six innings but plated four in the 7th to draw to within a run. In the 9th, with two out Andreoni's second four-bagger tied the game. Doug Simon, who had earlier smacked a homer, followed with a double and Andy Logan drew an intentional walk. Rod Heisler reached on an error to load the bases. Manitoba's Gerry Falk then walked Ross Mahoney to put the Combines in front. The excitement wasn't over. In the bottom of the 9th, Randy Sawa walked the first batter and gave up a single to McFadyen. Bob Currie, the son of the man for whom the ballpark is named, came on in relief and set the Manitobans down 1-2-3 to salvage the win.
Sawa (W), Currie (9) and LoganFalk (L) and Lang
(August 10) The Windsor Chiefs, representing Ontario, took out the heavy lumber Thursday smacking four home runs in an 18-2 thrashing of Nova Scotia, represented by St. Peter's Royals. Jerry Desjardins smacked a three-run homer, one of three hits, and Pat Dumouchelle, Steve Quigley and Kevin Flynn each had a two-run blast. However, Mike Carter earned the player-of-the-game award by knocking in four runs with a four-for-five display. Rick Lindquist, a pickup from Maidstone Shamrocks, tossed a five-hitter and struck out eight.
Lindquist (W) and Massetti
Marchand (L), Dugot (2), MacDonald (5), Wendler (6) and Rob Mann
Ross Lynd fired an eight-hit shutout as the Regina-Moose Jaw Combines blanked Alberta 5-0. Second baseman Jim Paisley, who put the Combines ahead with a two-run homer in the 2nd, ended Alberta's only threat when he turned a soft liner into an unassisted double-play in the 8th inning. Andy Logan also had a two-run homer and Jerry Zrymiak scored on a wild pitch. Ray Brown was the losing hurler.
Brown (L), Hamagami (8) and Franchuk
Lynd (W) and Logan
BC won its morning game with ease trouncing Quebec 12-4 behind a pair of home runs by Russ McKee and single shots by Wayne Rogers and Dale Ramsey.
Janzen (W), Bjarnason (6) and Springenatic
Adam (L), LaSalle (4) and Garceau, Belanger (6)
Doug McPhail, the MVP of the 1977 event while playing for Team Manitoba, led the assault against his former mates Thursday as Alberta rapped 15 hits to crush Manitoba 13-4 at Wawota. McPhail, voted game MVP, smashed a homer, double and single for the Edmonton nine. Keith Van De Keere scattered eight hits in going the route for the win.
Everard (L), Ramsey (3), Seafoot (5) and Gullett
Van De Keere (W) and Teahen
BC and the Regina-Moose Jaw Combines will complete their game today after their contest was suspended after eight innings last night with the prairie squad up 5-4. Catcher Andy Logan unloaded a two-run homer in the first inning to give Combines the lead. But Ossie Chavarria got BC on the board in the 3rd knocking in a run with a single. Combines added three in the 5th on Ned Andreoni's run-scoring single and a pair of BC errors. The coast crew rebounded with a pair in the 8th as Chavarria drove in two more runs with a single.
Heisler, Currie (8) and Logan
Unruh, Johnson (5) and Gurniak
Quebec won its first game as Bernard Ethier six-hit Prince Edward Island for a 6-4 victory. Yvon Alarie and Rene Martel had circuit blows for the winners and Parker MacDonald and Mike Puiia replied for PEI.
Lawlor (L) and Campbell
Ethier (W) and M. Garceau
New Brunswick squeezed by Nova Scotia 18-15 in a slugfest which featured 37 hits, including seven home runs. New Brunswick scored five runs in the 7th to secure the win. Brian Cox and Scott Harvey each belted a pair of four-baggers and Dale Peterson added a solo shot. Richard Mann and Rob Mann had homers for the losers.
L. Dugot, Cogswell (3), Wendland (5), King (L) and MacRae, Rob Mann (5)
Harding, Jeffrey (2), White (4), LePage (W) (6) and Sappier
Saskatchewan put their contest with Newfoundland on ice early with a seven run outburst in the first inning highlighted by a grand slam homer by catcher Brad Devine. From there, Ken Haanen fired a six-hitter in going all the way for the 11-2 victory.
Byrd (L), Kent (1) and Cornick
Haanen (W) and Devine
(August 11) The Regina-Moose Jaw Combines defeated BC 7-6 to finish first in the A Pool with a 4-1 record. The Combines dropped a 3-1 decision to Quebec earlier in the day. Alberta also finished 4-1 in the A Pool while Saskatchewan and Ontario moved into the semi-finals each with 3-1 records in the B Pool.
In the completion of the suspended game with BC, the Combines prevailed in ten innings after BC had tied the score in the bottom of the 9th on Ron Masson's triple and Dale Ramsey's single. BC reliever Ken Bjarnason had his first two pitches of the 10th inning turned into long home runs by Rich Gergley and Ross Mahoney. Down 7-5, BC's Wayne Martin clouted a homer before Dan Andrie retired the side for the win. BC left 18 runners on base.
Heisler, Currie (8), Andrie (W) (9) and Logan
Unruh, Johnson (5), Bjarnason (L) (9) and Gurniak
Regina-Moose Jaw ended the round-robin with a loss to Quebec as 18-year-old Gaetan Arsenault held the Combines to just three hits. Quebec had eight hits including circuit clouts by Rene Martel and Jacques Lincourt.
Arsenault (W) and Y.Garceau
Wanner (L), Hengen (4) and Logan, Bell (4)
Saskatchewan took advantage of 13 bases on balls to dump Nova Scotia 16-5 but then lost to Ontario 9-5.
Elliot, Stang (W) and Devine
Rob Mann (L), Cogswell (6), Jeffrey (7), Rob Mann (7) and MacRae
McMillan (L), Kemp (4) and Morrice, Devine (6)
Dunn (W) and Massetti
New Brunswick handed Newfoundland its fourth straight loss, 4-3. Brian Cox had a homer for the winners, Mike Biust replied for Newfoundland.
Harding (W), Harvey (9) and Sappier
Heinz (L) and Cornick
Alberta claimed the other A Pool berth by knocking out pre-tournament favourite British Columbia with a 15-8 decision. An eight-run 2nd inning by Alberta put BC on its heels. Randy Gregg (right) started the onslaught with the first of two tape-measure home runs. Doug McPhail (left) capped it off with a grand-slam. It was a thrilling moment for McPhail who was released from hospital ten days ago and is still not fully recovered from a bout of encephalitis.
Dean (L), Babuin (2), Bridges (4) and Springenatic
Henley (W), Hamagami (7) and Teahen
The Edmonton Tigers shaded PEI 4-3 behind Randy Gregg's three-hitter. The Alberta medical student fanned ten in the seven inning contest.
Gregg (W) and Franchuk
Lawlor (L) and Campbell
Manitoba won its only two games of the tournament Friday, topping Prince Edward Island 8-4 and Quebec 8-3.
MacAdam (L), MacDougall (5), Rossiter (8) and Campbell
Neville (W) and Lang
(August 12) Randy Gregg, with three home runs, a single and two walks, powered Alberta to a berth in the Canadian Senior Baseball Championship final Saturday with an 11-7 win over Ontario. Gregg, who smacked a pair of four-baggers Friday, started off early with a two-run homer in the first inning. He had another two-run circuit clout in the 5th and a single shot in the 9th. Each team had 16 hits in the offensive show and combined for eight home runs. Doug McPhail hit the game's second pitch for a homer in the first frame. Gordie Graves and Orv Franchuk also smacked homers for the winners. Pat Dumouchelle and Ris Massetti replied for Ontario. Harold Johnson pitched into the 8th for Alberta to gain credit for the win.
Johnson (W), Erasmus (8) and Franchuk
Doe (L), Bacon (1), Dalton (3) and Massetti
Dale Tilleman congratulates Randy Gregg on his second homer.
(August 12) The Regina-Moose Jaw Combines downed Saskatchewan 5-2 Saturday to advance to the Canadian Senior Championship final. A four-run 2nd inning for the Combines proved decisive. Jim Baba knocked in two of those runs with a single. Ned Andreoni drove in another. Brad Devine's two-run blast over the centre field fence accounted for all the Saskatchewan scoring. Randy Sawa pitched a six-hitter for the win. He did it after taking a line drive off his arm in the 3rd inning. The drive off the bat of Bob Brown flew to second basemen Jim Paisley who caught it before it touched the ground and threw to second to double up Randy Munch.
Yonkman (L) and Devine
Sawa (W) and Logan
(August 13) The Edmonton Tigers whipped the host team from Regina-Moose Jaw 9-2 Sunday to capture the Canadian Senior Baseball Championship for Alberta.
The Tigers were led by lefty Keith Van De Keere (left) who pitched a six-hitter and struck out 13 and centre fielder Randy Gregg (right) who pounded a pair of homers, his 7th and 8th of the tournament, and knocked in six runs. Gregg, who compiled a .450 average, was named the Most Valuable Player of the event. Tigers put the game away early with a five run outburst, highlighted by Gregg's three-run homer, in the third inning. Gregg brought home another three runs with a four-bagger in the 6th. Both Combines' runs came on circuit blows, one by Jim Paisley in the 5th and one by Andy Logan in the 6th.
Heisler (L), Lynd (4), Currie (4) and Logan
Van De Keere (W) and Teahen
Victorious Alberta players converge on the mound to congratulate winning pitcher
Keith Van De Keere who fanned 13 in hurling the Edmonton Tigers to the Canadian
Senior Championship.
Ontario took the bronze medal downing Saskatchewan 11-9 in the consolation final. Ontario twice rebounded from two-run deficits to prevail as Ris Massetti drove in six runs with a grand slam homer and double. Scott Mallender also homered for Ontario and Bryan Adams had a long ball for Saskatchewan. Rich Lindquist picked up the win in relief of Gary Weese. Wayne Plummer took the loss.
Plummer (L), Yonkman (7) and Devine
Weese, Lindquist (W) (7) and Dumouchelle
ALBERTA SENIOR “B”/INTERMEDIATE “A” BASEBALL FINALS TOURNAMENT
Calgary Royals
Camrose Cubs
Cold Lake Cardinals
Edmonton Cardinals
(August 12-13) Rain delayed the completion of the Alberta intermediate baseball championship until next weekend but it didn’t upset the Edmonton Cardinals of the Sunburst League. The defending western Canada champions captured the winners’ bracket of the four-team, double-knockout event at Renfrew Park by shading the Camrose Cubs 4 to 3 in 11 innings. Pat Gartner scored the tying run in the bottom-of-the-tenth inning and then blooped a single into shallow right field to plate Ernie Hee from second base with the winning run in the 11th. Edmonton jumped into an early 2 – 0 lead when Vic Frey laced a two-run single in the opening inning but Camrose, also a member of the Sunburst circuit, retaliated with one run in the third inning and another in the ninth to tie the game. The Cubs then ran across a singleton in the top-of-the-first overtime round of play to put the pressure on the Cards. Tim Huff, in relief of starter Bill Berry, was the winning pitcher while Ron Wilson was tagged with the loss.
In first-round games, Len Kondro’s two-run homer highlighted a seven-run second stanza as the Cardinals trounced their namesakes from Cold Lake 10 to 3 while Dennis Lindstrand belted two doubles and a triple and Ken Lychak tossed a no-hitter as the Cubs blanked the Calgary Royals 2 to 0. Lychak missed out on a perfect game by walking two batters. Calgary later eliminated Cold Lake 7 to 6 with a five-run rally in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning.
(August 19) After seeing play halted in the provincial intermediate baseball finals for the second consecutive weekend, the Alberta Baseball Association stepped in and switched the venue of the concluding game from Edmonton to Calgary. But even the delay of a week and a change in location didn’t upset the defending champion Edmonton Cardinals who defeated the Camrose Cubs 4 to 1 in the deciding match behind Jan Anderson and Tim Huff who fashioned a four-hitter between them. Laurie Andrews knocked in the winning runs against losing chucker Ken Lychak with a timely single.
WESTERN CANADA SENIOR B/INTERMEDIATE A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
This three-day tournament, staged in its entirety at Serauxman Stadium in Nanaimo B.C., was billed in the Nanaimo press as the senior “B” championship of western Canada while it was alternately referred to as the intermediate “A” championship within the print media of the ultimate winners from Manitoba.
TEAMS
Eastern Manitoba League All-Stars
Edmonton Cardinals (Alberta)
Mid-Island Baseball League All-Stars (host)
North Battleford Beavers (Saskatchewan)
Victoria Senior Amateur League All-Stars
(August 25-27) The Eastern Manitoba All-Stars easily defeated British Columbia 10 to 3 in their second Sunday meeting to win the western Canada senior B (or intermediate A) baseball championships held in Nanaimo BC. The Manitobans, selected from the eight-team EMBL with Winnipeg as its hub, finished the five-team, double-knockout tournament with three wins and a loss. The Victoria Senior League All-Stars, carrying the torch for B. C., had a 2 – 2 record.
The EMBL All-Stars, in arrears 3 – 0 after one inning of play of their first game on Saturday, came from behind to defeat the Edmonton Cardinals of Alberta’s Sunburst League 4 to 3 in a ten-inning thriller with reliever Carl Watson of the Portage la Prairie Cougars getting the pitching win over the Cards’ tenth-inning reliever Tim Huff. Brian Coates of the Carman Goldeyes had a pair of RBI’s for the winners, one of which produced the winning counter.
In their second outing, Manitoba came back from a 5 – 3 deficit to edge B.C.’s Victoria aggregation 6 to 5 to capture the winner’s bracket of the tourney. Brock McConachy of the St. Boniface Native Sons drove in the tying run and tallied the deciding tally on an RBI-single by Sundown Hawks’ catcher Kim Bjornson in the seventh stanza. Relievers once again were the pitchers of record with Manitoba’s Don Maskiw of St. Boniface copping the verdict over Terry Painter of Victoria’s Farmer Construction.
The only loss for the eastern Manitoba nine came in game three when they faced the Victoria squad for a second time. The Islanders rallied from a 9 to 5 deficit in their final turn at bat to score five runs for a 10 to 9 triumph, forcing the tie-breaker. Both the tying and winning tallies crossed the dish on wild pitches by losing chucker Gord Selinger of the Carman Goldeyes. The lone hit garnered by the winning Victorians during their last-inning heroics was a crucial two-run single by flychaser Gary Brooke, a member of the Capital City’s Gorge Hotel diamond pastimers.
In their rubber match with the Victoria All-Star contingent, the Manitobans used a strong offensive attack and sharp pitching by winner Wayne Seidler of the Giroux Athletics to take control early and put the finishing touches on the tournament. The game was called in the bottom-of-the-sixth inning due to darkness. St. Boniface’s Barry Wiebe was the top Manitoba batter in the championship game, collecting two hits, scoring a run and knocking in three tallies. Designated hitter Randy Price of Victoria’s Capital Radiators knocked in a pair of runs in a losing cause. Farmer Construction’s Wayne Krimmer, kayoed from the knoll after just 1-1/3 innings, was tagged with the loss.
The only encounter played on Friday, the first day of the three-day event, saw the Edmonton Cardinals get past the hosting Mid-Island League All-Stars of Vancouver Island 6 to 4 as Wayne Biggs drilled a two-run single off loser Al Hill of Nanaimo’s Harewood Sports Royals to drive in the winning and insurance counters. Tim Huff, in relief of Cardinal starter Bill Berry, secured the win.
On Saturday, the second day of the competition, B. C. stopped Saskatchewan, represented by the North Battleford Beavers, 12 to 8. Second-inning reliever Rick Babcock of Victoria’s Greaves Movers got the win while Mike Reynolds was tagged with the loss.
The host Mid-Islanders then sidelined the Wheat Province entry from the tourney with a 10 to 3 drubbing as Port Alberni Souther 68’ers chucker Paul LeBlanc spun a six-hitter. He was ably assisted by Nanaimo’s Jim Luck who swung a potent bat, driving in four runs with a four-ply clout and a one-bagger. Starter Jim Korte of the Beavers was nicked with the setback.
Sunday’s pre-showdown pair of games involving the two finalists, featured a pair of elimination tussles. The Edmonton Cardinals ousted the Mid-Island All-Stars 4 to 2 before dropping by the wayside themselves when they were clipped 4 to 1 by Victoria.
Jan Anderson hurled a four-hitter for the Cardinals in their win over the Islanders. Nanaimo’s Dan Rogers suffered the defeat.
In the loser’ bracket final, the Victorians got off to a quick start against the Albertans, scoring a trey in the opening panel, and never looked back. Rick Shenton of the Gorge Hoteliers fashioned a two-hitter to cop the win while Anderson, in his second decision of the afternoon, was saddled with the loss. Gary Brooke, Shenton’s clubmate with the Hotelmen during the regular season, led all hitters with three safeties.
Individual trophies were awarded to two of the Manitoba players involved in the tournament. John Hindle of St. Boniface was voted the M.V.P., spanking the sphere at a .533 clip in the four games that he played. Carl Watson of the Portage la Prairie Cougars received the best pitcher award.
GRAND FORKS CREDIT UNION LABOR DAY WEEKEND TOURNAMENT
TEAMS
Division 1 – Colville, Grand Forks, Lewiston, Republic, Spokane
Division 2 – Lewis-Clark, Northwest Mets, Seattle, Surrey, Trail
All-Stars of the Grand Forks Tournament (won by the Lewiston Truckers).
Back (L-R) - Doug Blume DH (Lewiston), Dave Blume 1B (Lewiston), Kevin Mathews RHP (Lewiston), Brian Unruh LHP (Surrey), Mike Gibson C (Lewiston), Kevin Oliver 2B (Grand Forks).
Front - Mark Pingree SS (Lewiston), Jody Gatz RF (Lewiston), Don Papesedero 3B (Seattle), Dennis Morris LF (Seattle), Mike Rennie CF (Seattle)
(August 31–September 4) The Lewiston Truckers cracked three home runs Monday to upset the defending champion Seattle Screw Products 6-2 in the final of the Grand Forks Tournament.
Lewiston took home $1,200 in prize money and the Credit Union trophy.
Seattle had won the event the previous two years. Surrey edged Republic 7-4 in the consolation final. The local nine, the Grand Forks Slag Dusters had a disappointing tournament with one win and two losses.
The Trail entry got a tie and two losses putting on a tremendous showing for a team put together one day before the first game. Trail baseball icon Lou DeRosa received a call on Thursday from one of the tournament organizers asking if he could put together a team as Burnaby had withdrawn. The team's first game would be Friday.
They battled Lewis Clarke State College of Lewiston to a 5-5 draw. Gerry Hollett belted a homer in the bottom of the seventh for the tie. He had earlier poked a single and a double. Trail then lost a heart breaker, 1-0 to Surrey as winning pitcher Brian Unruh singled in the lone run in the third inning. Rick Patterson, from the Slocan, was the hard-luck loser. Seattle downed Trail 4-2 to move into the tournament final.
ENDERBY LABOR DAY WEEKEND TOURNAMENT
(September 2 – 4) Vancouver Puccinis won the $600 first-prize in the Enderby Labor Day tournament over the weekend, defeating the Vancouver Pharoahs, who collected $400 as runners-up, 7 to 3 in the tourney final. Third place went to the Enderby Legionnaires. The Moricetown Cubs, Calgary Odeons and Quesnel Billy Barkers also participated in the event.