1957 Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley
1957 BC Interior
1957 Vancouver Island
OKANAGAN MAINLINE BASEBALL LEAGUE
The OMBL became a seven-team entity in 1957 when Vernon, adopting a new team name, the Clippers, re-joined the loop after a one season hiatus.
Teams in the 1957 Okanagan – Mainline Baseball League
Kamloops Okonots
Kelowna Orioles
Oliver OBC’s
Penticton Red Sox
Princeton Royals
Summerland Macs
Vernon Clippers
PRE-SEASON EXHIBITION
(April 12) Ignited by the power display of centre fielder Charlie Preen and second baseman Charlie Richards, the Penticton Red Sox hammered out a convincing 8 to 5 win over the Summerland Macs in a pre-season exhibition tilt at King’s Park. Preen cracked a double and a triple in four trips and Richards socked a two-run homer. The dynamic duo had a part in all of the Penticton scoring. Preen drove in five runs and scored another while Richards’ homer accounted for the remaining pair of Red Sox counters.
Bonthoux (L), Eyre (5) and xxx
Staff (W), Saymins (7) and xxx
REGULAR SEASON
(April 14) The Kelowna Orioles struck for a pair of runs in the top of the ninth chapter, overcoming a one-run deficit, in defeating the Oliver OBC’s 4 to 3 in the opening contest of the 1957 OMBL season. Winning pitcher Bill Martino, who came to the aid of starter Bob Radies, provided the punch that won the game for the Birds, cranking out a final panel two-run four-bagger off losing flinger Gary Driessen. Martino then retired the Oliverites in order in the bottom half of the canto. In his three innings of mound work, Martino held the OBC’s hitless, walked none and fanned a pair of batters. The Orioles held a slight 5 to 4 edge in base knocks.
Radies, Martino (W) (7) and Culos
Taber, Driessen (L) (6) and Gilchrist
(April 21) Led by the double home run effort of Sam Drossos, the Penticton Red Sox began the 1957 OMBL campaign on a high note by walloping the Princeton Royals 18 to 6 in a wide-open affair played in the Similkameen Valley town. Drossos’ first clout came in the opening chapter with the bases loaded while the second tater, a solo shot, was launched in the sixth. Teammate Lloyd Burgart as well as Bruno Ceccon of the Royals also hit round-trippers. A sixth-canto eruption when the Sox broke through for seven big runs broke up a 3 – 3 tie and turned the tide in the game.
Durston (W) and xxx
Fritz (L), xxx and xxx
(April 21) The Oliver OBC’s evened their record at a win and a loss by picking up a 9 to 5 victory over the Summerland Macs. Veteran pitcher Harold Cousins earned the complete game knoll triumph for the OBC’s.
xxx (L) and xxx
Cousins (W) and xxx
(April 21) Steaming through a doubleheader against the defending champion Kamloops Okonots, the Kelowna Orioles captured both ends of the twin-bill by 7 to 3 and 7 to 4 counts. The Okies, taking advantage of Oriole starter Vic Wickenheiser’s nervousness, jumped into an early 3 to 0 lead in the opener, a margin which was quickly erased when Kelowna’s Bill Martino smashed a three-run homer. The Birds plated a singleton in the second round and then, in the third, scored their final trio of counters, two of which were driven in by Joe Kaiser. Bob Radies, in relief of Wickenheiser, picked up the hillock triumph, limiting the Okies to just two safeties.
Olson (L), Geefs (3), Duck (6) and xxx
V. Wickenheiser, Radies (W) (1) and Culos
In the second game, the Okonots led 4 to 2 until the seventh frame when the Orioles rallied to tie the score. Kelowna then moved ahead to stay in the bottom of the eighth canto when, with two out, a single by “Red” Graff drove in a pair and a Texas leaguer by Johnny Culos produced a third counter.
Gatin, Geefs (L) (8) and Stewart
L. Schaefer, Martino (W) (4) and Culos
(April 28) The newly-reorganized Vernon entry in the OMBL, the Clippers, downed the visiting Princeton Royals 5 to 0 in the opener of a twin-bill at Polson Park. The Royals rebounded for a 10 to 6 verdict over the Clips in the late encounter which took ten innings to complete. Singles by Vern Dye and Johnny Kashuba netted a pair of Vernon runs in the fourth panel of the opener. Wilf Stecyk stole home for the third Clipper counter in the fifth canto which was followed by a run-scoring double off the bat of Tommy Stecyk. A sharp single by Ray Adams drove in the final marker for the victors in the sixth. Winning flinger Doug Hay set the Royals down on four hits.
Fritz (L) and Richardson
Hay (W) and Osagawara
The finale produced 23 base blows with Vernon having a slight 12 to 11 advantage. Doug Hay, in relief duty following his complete-game triumph in the matinee tilt, weakened in the overtime session of the nightcap as the Princeton nine scored four times to gain a split. Frank Fritz had four safeties for the Bluebloods while Al Munk led the Vernonites with the baton, creaming the orb for a triad of bingles.
Fritz, Armitage (W) and Armitage, Fritz
Munk, Hay (L) (2) and Osagawara
(April 28) The Kamloops Okonots divided their home-opening double-bill with the Oliver OBC’s, grabbing the opener 4 to 1 but dropping the evening tilt 5 to 4. Len Gatin tossed a three-hitter for the Okies in the matinee event. Third baseman Al Collier drove in two runs for the winners in the opening chapter and followed that up with an RBI bingle in the third.
Cousins (L) and Gilchrist
Gatin (W) and Stewart
Oliver playing-manager Don Coy, in a pinch-hit role, singled home shortstop Bert Lightbody with the winning tally in the fifth inning of the second game. Loose defensive play by the Okonots, who held a 18 to 8 advantage in base swats, was a significant factor in their loss.
Cousins, Snyder (W) (1) and Gilchrist
Geefs (L), McDonald (9) and Field, Anderson (4)
(April 28) The invading Penticton Red Sox came and conquered the hosting Kelowna Orioles in style, romping to an impressive 8 to 0 blanking of the previously unbeaten Birds. Winning pitcher Jimmy Staff tossed a smooth, precise game for the Scarlet Stockings, ringing up ten strikeouts while yielding just three hits. The Orchard City nine climbed aboard losing pitcher Bill Radies for four first-inning runs, one being a leadoff homer by Lloyd Burgart, which proved more than enough for victory.
Staff (W) and S. Drossos
Radies (L), Martino (5) and Culos
(May 5) The hosting Summerland Macs swept a double-bill from the Vernon Clippers, edging the invaders 6 to 5 in an afternoon tilt and then lambasting the Clips 19 to 6 in the late encounter. The Clippers took a 5 to 4 lead in the seventh inning of the curtain-raiser after Tommy Stecyk tripled and scored on an infield ground out. Olie Egely plated the tying counter for the Macs in the bottom half of the round on a one-bagger by Bob Parker who later crossed the dish with the winning marker on Geordie Taylor’s timely single. Alex Kashuba had a solo dinger for the Clips in the opening frame. Parker led the Applemen with the stick, connecting for three safeties.
Hay (L) and Osagawara
Hooker (W) and Egely
The Macs pounded out 16 base blows in the second fracas to complete the sweep. A seven-run third inning put the game on ice for the Summerland nine.
Jellison (L), Munk (5), Hay (5) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(May 5) Right-hander Jim Staff scattered six Kamloops Okonots’ hits as the Penticton Red Sox won the nightcap of an OMBL twin-bill 6 to 2 after the Okies had taken a 9 to 8 decision in the opener. Gord Beecroft and Andy Huber clubbed round-trippers for Kamloops in the matinee contest while Lloyd Burgart with a brace of taters and Sam Drossos with one replied for the Red Sox. Bob Saklofsky sacrificed Beecroft home with the winning tally on a perfectly-executed squeeze play after Len Fowles had scored the tying run. Bill McDonald, the Okonots’ third pitcher, was credited with the win.
Olson, Geefs, McDonald (W) and xxx
Durston (L) and xxx
The Scarlet Hose led all the way in the late tussle, riding the crest of Staff’s solid mound effort. Penticton batters nicked losing hurler Len Gatin for 11 safeties including a four-ply clout by Charlie Preen as well as Lloyd Burgart’s third dinger of the day.
Staff (W) and xxx
Gatin (L) and xxx
(May 5) The Kelowna Orioles remained atop the OMBL standings following a double win over the Princeton Royals in the Brewery City, knocking off the Bluebloods 4 to 2 and 11 to 0. Bill Martino’s three-hit knoll performance, highlighted by nine strikeouts, propelled the Birdmen to the triumph in the early scuffle. Driving in counters for the victors with timely hits were catcher Johnny Culos, Les Schaefer and Martino. Their other Kelowna tally crossed the plate as a result of a wild pitch by losing tosser Frank Fritz.
Martino (W) and Culos
Fritz (L) and xxx
Fritz again ascended the knoll for the Royals in the sunset match but was battered around by the visitors while his teammates were being held scoreless by rookie flinger Vic Wickenheiser of the Feathered nine. Bill Martino’s first-inning two-run homer essentially the issue. Wickenheiser rang up six strikeouts in earning his first OMBL hillock decision.
V. Wickenheiser (W) and Culos
Fritz (L) and xxx
(May 12) A leadoff homer in the bottom of the eighth inning by Kamloops Okonots’ shortstop Ash Mayson broke a 3 – 3 deadlock and paved the way for a 5 to 3 Kamloops victory over the invading Vernon Clippers at Riverside Park. Winning pitcher Len Gatin of the Okies, who finished with five-hitter, had handcuffed the Clips on only one safe rap until the top of the eighth canto when Vernon catcher Johnny Kashuba nailed a two-run circuit-clout which, followed by a pair of safe bingles by losing chucker Doug Hay and Al Munk, knotted the count. Kamloops fly chaser Gord Beecroft led all swatmen with a trio of bingles.
Wilson, Hay (L) (4) and J. Kashuba
Gatin (W) and Anderson
(May 12) A three-run outburst in the opening inning was enough to carry the Kelowna Orioles to their sixth victory of the season, a 4 to 1 verdict over the hosting Summerland Macs. Key hits by Cec Favell and “Red” Graff drove in the trio of first-canto tallies for the Birdmen. A double-steal attempt in the top of the eighth panel produced the Orioles’ final tally when Macs’ backstop Olie Egely dropped the ball at the dish with Bill Martino sliding in safely. Geordie Taylor’s single in the bottom of the same round allowed Doug Weeks, who had doubled, to score Summerland’s lone run. Les Schaefer earned the mound decision over young Don Cristante of the Macs.
Cristante (L) and Egely
L. Schaefer (W) and Culos
(May 12) The Penticton Red Sox gained a 9 to 8 decision over the Oliver OBC’s in a 12-inning contest played in Oliver. The invading Sox had a five-run lead in the top-of-the-seventh frame which they blew and then fell behind briefly before knotting the count in the ninth, leading to the triple session of overtime. Trailing by a single run in what was supposed to be their final turn at bat, Penticton escaped defeat when winning pitcher Jim Staff singled in the tying tally. In the twelfth, Charlie Richards singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored the winning run when Sam Drossos belted a long single.
Durston, Staff (W) (8) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
Standings W L Pct.
Kelowna Orioles 6 1 .857
Penticton Red Sox 4 1 .800
Summerland Macs 2 2 .500
Kamloops Okonots 3 4 .429
Oliver OBC’s 2 3 .400
Vernon Clippers 1 4 .200
Princeton Royals 1 4 .200
(May 15) Unable to declare a winner after nine thrilling innings of baseball at Elks Stadium, the invading Summerland Macs and the Kelowna Orioles were forced to settle for a 9 – 9 draw as the deep, dusky skies prevented any overtime play. The Birds had a slight 11 to 10 advantage in the base hit department. Five home runs were blasted out in the high-intensity fracas with Kelowna’s “Red” Graff earning two of them. Fellow Oriole Greg Jablonski also launched a four-bagger as did Doug Weeks of the Macs. The most timely and impactful round-tripper, however, was a seventh-inning grand-slam circuit-clout by Summerland outfielder George Parker which sparked a Summerland comeback. The Feathered Tribe had an opportunity to plate the go-ahead counter in the eighth but a controversial call at the plate in a play in which Kelowna base runner Johnny Culos was declared out on OBC catcher Olie Egely’s tag was hotly disputed.
Hooker and Egely
Radies, Martino (7), L. Schaefer (8) and Culos
(May 26) The hosting Kelowna Orioles maintained their unshakeable grip on top spot in the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League by walloping the invading Princeton Royals twice, 7 to 2 and 11 to 6, before an enthusiastic crowd of ball fans at Elks Stadium. Kelowna’s Bill Martino won his fourth straight mound decision of the campaign in the lid-lifter, tossing a six-hitter along the way. The only tallies he surrendered came on a two-run homer by losing chucker Frank Fritz after “Dusty” Sidoni had doubled. The O’s lit up Fritz for 11 safeties as Joe Kaiser led the way with a four-for-four batting performance.
Fritz (L) and xxx
Martino (W) and Culos
Guided by the expertise of catcher Johnny Culos, youthful pitcher Vic Wickenheiser of the Birds was able to go the route in the finale as his mates’ big bats provided plenty of offensive support. The Royals appeared to have the upper hand in the scuffle, posting a 4 to 3 advantage until the last of the sixth when the Feathered nine broke through for six big counters, sending starter and losing flinger Al “Dusty” Sidoni to the showers. Kelowna out-hit the Bluebloods by a 14 to 9 margin.
Sidoni (L), Fritz (6) and Fairley
V. Wickenheiser (W) and Culos
(May 26) The Penticton Red Sox swept a Sunday double-bill from the hosting Kamloops nine, opening with a 7 to 5 triumph and following that up by overwhelming the Okonots 8 to 2. Red Sox playing-manager Jack Durston scattered five Okie bingles in the first tilt which saw shortstop Lloyd Burgart of the victors drive in three runs with a fourth-inning inside-the-park homer. Ash Mayson drove in a pair of Kamloops tallies with a two-run shot in the sixth. The Sox nicked losing southpaw Gord Beecroft for eight safeties in recording the victory.
Durston (W) and Posnikoff
Beecroft (L) and Field
The Red Sox made no mistake in the second match and jumped on right handed ace Len Gatin of Kamloops for five markers in the first inning. Lloyd Burgart once again powered the Penticton win, driving in an opening-frame counter then adding two more RBI’s in a three-run eighth canto when he both singled and doubled. Leading from wire-to-wire made things easy for winning tosser Jim Staff who scattered nine hits.
Staff (W) and Posnikoff
Gatin (L) and Anderson
(May 26) The invading Oliver OBC’s settled for a split in OMBL twin-bill action at Polson Park, dropping a close 6 to 5 decision to the Vernon Clippers to begin proceedings and then lambasting the hosting Clips 16 to 5 in the sunset event. The Vernon nine battled back from a 5 to 0 deficit to capture the lid-lifter. Johnny Kashuba’s bases-empty round-tripper in the bottom of the fifth inning broke a 5 – 5 tie and propelled the Clippers to victory.
Mundle, Snyder (L) (4) and xxx
Kornitsky, Hay (W) (2) and xxx
The combatants were deadlocked 4 – 4 after three innings of the follow-up match were in the books but, after that, it was a cakewalk for the OBC’s. The victors ripped into five Vernon flingers for 16 base hits. Veteran chucker Harold Cousins went the distance for the Oliverites in claiming the mound verdict. The lone four-bagger of the contest, a three-run shot, came off the bat of the Clippers’ Ray Adams.
Cousins (W) and xxx
Pollack, Wilson (L) (1), Hay, Jellison, W. Stecyk and xxx
Standings W L Pct.
Kelowna Orioles 8 1 .889
Penticton Red Sox 6 1 .857
Summerland Macs 2 2 .500
Oliver OBC’s 3 4 .429
Kamloops Okonots 3 6 .333
Vernon Clippers 2 4 .333
Princeton Royals 1 6 .143
(June 1) The Kelowna Orioles of the OMBL travelled to Brewster WA and outclassed the Winthrop WA American Legion squad, doubling their hosts 14 to 7, in an exhibition tussle. “Red” Graff, Les Schaefer and Johnny Culos all clouted home runs for the Birdmen. Schaefer also ripped the horsehide for a brace of three-baggers in addition to his tater.
Radies (W), V. Wickenheiser (5) and Culos
Shokey (L), Bates, Risley, Lloyd and xxx
(June 2) The Penticton Red Sox unleashed a barrage of 17 base blows to defeat the Vernon Clippers 11 to 2 in OBML action. Shortstop Lloyd Burgart paced the winners’ offensive thrust, slamming four safeties including a three-run homer and a double. Teammates Jim Tooley and Sam Drossos both registered three safe swats. A five-run outburst in the fifth panel sealed the triumph for the Crimson Hose.
Saymans (W), Staff (7) and S. Drossos
Hay (L) and J. Kashuba
(June 2) The Kelowna Orioles overcame a 4 to 0 first-inning deficit, coming back to defeat the homestanding Oliver OBC’s 10 to 7. The hosts also blew a 7 to 4 advantage which they held after five rounds were in the books. A six-run eighth canto, highlighted by Greg Jablonski’s two-run four-bagger, carried the Birds to victory. The Oriole outfielder also ripped a run-scoring double in the second stanza in support of winning flinger Les Schaefer.
L. Schaefer (W), Radies (8) and Culos
xxx and xxx
(June 2) The Summerland Macs swept both ends of a doubleheader with the visiting Princeton Royals, taking the opener 13 to 7 while capturing the late game 11 to 5. Playing-manager Frank Fritz of the Bluebloods toiled on the hill for 14 innings in a relief role over the course of the two tilts but both he and starter McCarthy, who absorbed the hillock defeats in each contest, were unable to overcome 17 errors by their mates. On the positive side, Fritz contributed a four-ply clout off in the nightcap.
McCarthy (L), Fritz and xxx
Hooker (W) and xxx
McCarthy (L), Fritz and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(June 5) The Kamloops Okonots of the OMBL slapped down the North Kamloops Mohawks of the Interior League 9 to 1 in an exhibition encounter at Riverside Park. Outfielder Jack Fowles went four-for-five at the platter for the winners.
Olson (W), Geefs (6), J. Fowles (9) and xxx
Kuromi (L) and xxx
(June 6) For the second evening in succession, the OMBL’s Kamloops Okonots bested an Interior League opponent in exhibition action, this time decisioning the Kamloops Jay-Rays 5 to 1. Okie starter Jack Olson took the mound verdict over Bill Geefs who was loaned to the Jay-Rays along with batterymate Art Field for the contest.
Olson (W), J. Fowles (6), Buchanan (7) and Anderson
Geefs (L), Prehara (6) and Field, Conan
(June 9) The Kelowna Orioles travelled to Summerland and toppled the Macs 7 to 4 in OMBL action. The win was the tenth of the season for the league-leading Kelowna nine which has tasted defeat only once this campaign. Bill Martino tossed a five-hitter in going the route, improving his hillock record to five wins in as many decisions. The Birdmen lit up a pair of Summerland twirlers for for 13 safeties.
Martino (W) and Culos
Eyre (L), Hooker and xxx
(June 9) The Kamloops Okonots and Oliver OBC’s split an OMBL doubleheader in Oliver. The Okies eked out a 1 to 0 win in the opener but the OBC’s rebounded to take a 7 to 1 decision in the nightcap. The Okonots’ Al Collier drove in the opening game’s lone run in the first panel as portsider Bill Geefs checked the OBC’s on five hits for the shutout knoll triumph.
Geefs (W) and xxx
Gleason (L) and xxx
Oliver’s Gord Mundle allowed only a pair of Kamloops hits in winning the late game and had a no-hitter going until the seventh frame. The OBC’s nicked losing twirler Len Gatin for nine hits and crammed all of their scoring into two innings.
Gatin (L) and xxx
Mundle (W) and xxx
(June 9) Playing in Princeton, the Princeton Royals walloped the Vernon Clippers 8 to 3 in the matinee game of an OMBL double-dip but the Clips unleashed a four-home run barrage in the late encounter to prevail by a 15 to 10 margin.
Staff (L), Hay (7) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
A pair of circuit-clouts by Alex Kashuba, as well as one dinger each for Doug Hay and Wilf Christie, powered the Vernonites to victory in the sunset event. Kashuba was red-hot at the plate, acquiring six hits in six attempts. Aside from his brace of dingers, he also collected three doubles and a one-bagger. Johnny Kashuba, his brother, ripped the horsehide for three safeties as did winning flinger Hay.
Hay (W) and xxx
G. Cousins (L), Fritz, Sidoni and xxx
(June 16) The Princeton Royals and Kamloops Okonots divided an OMBL doubleheader on the diamond of the Thompson River squad. In the first game, the Royals relied upon home runs to edge to Okonots 6 to 5. A superb mound performance by Kamloops’ chucker Len Gatin allowed the Okies to waltz to a 9 to 0 blanking of the Bluebloods in the follow-up match. Playing-manager and winning pitcher Frank Fritz’ two-run homer in the top of the opening canto staked Princeton to an early lead in the curtain-raiser. Teammate George Sarich’s grand-slam round-tripper in the third salted away the win for the Brewery Towners. Bill McDonald of Kamloops nailed a second-inning three-run homer for the vanquished nine.
K. Cousins, Fritz (W) (3) and Fairley
Olson (L) and Stewart, Anderson (7)
In the second game, Okonots’ pitcher Len Gatin rang up 18 strikeouts in earning the whitewash knoll triumph as the Royals had a meltdown defensively, committing nine fielding miscues.
G. Cousins (L), Fritz (1) and Fairley
Gatin (W) and Stewart
(June 16) Although remaining behind the Penticton Red Sox in the OMBL standings by percentage points, the Kelowna Orioles maintained a game-and-a-half in front of the idle Peach City nine when they divided a twin-bill at Elks Stadium with the invading Oliver OBC’s. Kelowna went down to a 5 to 1 defeat in the first game but came back to snatch the second encounter 8 to 3. In the opening fixture, Oliver grabbed control of the game with a four-run eruption in the sixth frame. Winning chucker Gary Driessen limited the Birds to just three hits. Absorbing the hillock defeat, his first setback of the campaign, was Bill Martino who was lit up for eight safeties by the OBC’s.
Driessen (W) and xxx
Martino (L) and Culos
The Orioles sewed up the finale by plating four counters in the fourth canto. Joe Kaiser and “Red” Graff both ripped two-run doubles for the Birdmen. Bob Radies checked the Oliverites on eight hits to capture the mound decision.
Mundle (L), Snyder (6) and xxx
Radies (W) and Culos
(June 16) The Summerland Macs swept an OMBL double-bill from the homestanding Vernon Clippers by scores of 10 to 9 and 7 to 2 at Polson Park. Summerland’s Al Hooker surrendered seven hits in earning the hillock victory in the first game. Consecutive two-baggers in the fourth frame by Taylor, Hooker, Don Cristante and Sandy Jomori gave the Applemen a 9 to 2 cushion which put them in front to stay. Russ Keckalo of the Clippers rapped out a base-loaded triple and a single in a losing cause.
Hooker (W) and xxx
Staff (L), McCullough (3) and xxx
Both winning tosser Don Cristante of the Macs and Vernon’s Doug Hay were in top form for the first five frames of the wrap-up contest, each yielding just one hit. The wheels came off for Hay, however, in the sixth panel and beyond as Summerland took control of the game. Olie Egely’s bases-loaded double cleared the sacks in that stanza and put the Macs in the driver’s seat.
Cristante (W) and Egely
Hay (L) and xxx
(June 23) The Kelowna Orioles had no difficulty in sweeping an exhibition double-bill from the invading Brewster WA American Legion nine, 12 to 2 and 9 to 5, at Elks Stadium. Les Schaefer went the distance on the knoll for the Orioles in the lid-lifter, striking out eight Brewster batters. Bill Martino of the victors clouted the game’s lone home run.
xxx (L) and xxx
L. Schaefer (W) and xxx
Bill Martino was locked in at the dish for Kelowna in the second contest, creaming the orb for a circuit-clout and three singles.
xxx (L) and xxx
V. Wickenheiser (W), Radies (6), Martino(8) and xxx
(June 23) The Penticton Red Sox edged a bit closer to Kelowna’s OMBL lead by capturing a 10 to 2 verdict from the hosting Vernon Clippers. The Sox lit into Vernon starter Pete Staff for five early runs, sending him for an early shower. Winning flinger Jack Durston set the Clips down on four hits. Penticton second baseman Charlie Richards was top willow wielder in the contest, connecting for four safeties including a two-bagger.
Durston (W) and xxx
Staff (L), Hay (2) and xxx
(June 23) Oliver pitcher Gary Driessen went the route in leading the invading OBC’s to an 8 to 6 conquest of the Summerland Macs. Driessen helped his own cause at the dish, launching a four-bagger.
Driessen (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 26) Smooth-throwing right-hander Jim Staff pitched and batted the Penticton Red Sox to an 11 to 1 victory over the Summerland Macs in an OMBL encounter at King’s Park in the Peach City. Aside from holding the Macs to a single run by scattering the nine hits he surrendered, Staff went three-for-three at the plate to pace the 12-hit Red Sox attack. Supplying equal ammunition to the Scarlet Hose offensive arsenal were catcher Sam Drossos and first sacker Doug Moore who both blasted a home run and single. Outfielder Doug Weeks rapped out three hits to lead the Summerland nine with the willow.
Cristante (L) Weitzel (8) and xxx
Staff (W) and S. Drossos
(June 28) Right-hander Gary Driessen scattered 12 Penticton hits and struck out seven in pitching the Oliver OBC’s to a convincing 11 to 6 manhandling of the hosting Red Sox. The loss for the Crimson Stockings was their first setback in seven games. They were able to match the OBC’s in base hit production but were unable to bunch them together to get a big inning started. At the same time, seven errors and several mental lapses added to their misery. Driessen also proved to be an impact player at the platter, blasting a pair of home runs and a single to pace the Oliver offensive attack. Third baseman Richie Schnider contributed a brace of base knocks. For the Red Sox, Lloyd Burgart was the man with the big stick, connecting for a pair of singles and a double. Catcher Sam Drossos belted two extra-base blows, a two-run homer and a double.
Driessen (W) and xxx
Durston (L), Staff (5), Durston (8) and S. Drossos
(June 30 – July 1) Kelowna Dominion Day weekend tournament
(June 30 – July 1) Kamloops Dominion Day weekend tournament
(July 5) The Kelowna Orioles proved their right to first place in the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League by edging their closest rivals, the Penticton Red Sox, 2 to 1 in the Peach City. The scuffle was an exciting mound duel involving chuckers Les Schaefer of the Feathered Tribe and Jim Staff of the Scarlet Hose. Staff allowed five hits while Schaefer limited the Sox to just four. All the scoring resulted from four-ply clouting. Schaefer staked the Birds to a 2 to 0 lead in the fifth-inning when he poled one over the fence with teammate Bud Englesby aboard. Keystone sacker Charlie Richards of Penticton lit up Schaefer for a solo round-tripper in the eighth to cut the margin in half but Kelowna escaped a potential Red Sox comeback in the bottom-of-the-ninth canto when Penticton’s Lloyd Burgart, already in scoring position, was nailed at third base on a relay from Oriole first sacker Dave Gatherum following an infield ground out. Charlie Burtch of the vanquished nine was the lone swatter in the contest to amass plural hit totals, lacing a brace of one-baggers.
L. Schaefer (W) and Culos
Staff (L) and Posnikoff
(July 7) The Kamloops Okonots parlayed 15 base hits and 12 Vernon errors into a 16 to 3 OMBL victory over the visiting Clippers. Veteran Okonot right-hander Len Gatin scattered six hits and fanned 11 in notching the hillock victory despite seven miscues afield by this mates. The Okies never trailed and failed to score in only the fifth and sixth innings. Bill McDonald, with three singles, led the Kamloops batters at the dish while catcher Johnny Kashuba, with two singles, was Vernon’s top batter.
Hay (L) and J. Kashuba
Gatin (W) and Anderson
(July 7) The slumping Penticton Red Sox absorbed their third straight defeat in OMBL play when they dropped an 11-inning, 6 to 5 verdict to the lowly Princeton Royals in the Brewery Town. Princeton hurler Frank Fritz, the loop’s current strikeout leader, added ten more batters to his bevy of strikeout victims in registering the six-hit mound win. The winning counter crossed the dish in the eleventh round when losing tosser Jack Durston, with Princeton runners stationed on both of the corner bases, committed a balk in a pickoff attempt to the initial sack.
Durston (L) and xxx
Fritz (W) and xxx
(July 12) Southpaw Jack Durston blanked the Summerland Macs on four hits in leading the Penticton Red Sox to a 7 to 0 OMBL win at King’s Park. First baseman Doug Moore, catcher Sam Drossos and shortstop Lloyd Burgart paced the nine-hit Red Sox offensive thrust, each connecting for a pair of hits. One of Moore’s hits was a towering blast that cleared the left field fence for a home run.
Hooker (L), Cristante (2) and Egely
Durston (W) and S. Drossos
(July 14) The Princeton Royals clouted three home runs in defeating the Summerland Macs 10 to 5 in an OMBL contest in the Similkameen Town. George Sarich belted two homers for the Royals and Bruno Ceccon hit a third. Al Hooker launched a brace of round-trippers for the Macs.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(July 14) The OBC’s were leading the Penticton Red Sox 4 to 1 at Oliver in the fourth inning when the weather intervened, dumping a downpour on the diamond and forcing a halt to the game.
(July 17) The Penticton Red Sox collected just seven hits but ran wild on the base paths in knocking off the Oroville WA nine in an exhibition tilt in the American town. The Red Sox stole a total of 12 bases, the chief culprits being winning chucker Jack Durston and outfielder Jim Tooley with three each. First baseman Doug Moore paced the Crimson Hose batting attack, cracking a double and one-bagger.
Durston (W), Preen, G. Drossos and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(July 21) Playing a split-venue doubleheader on the road, the Kelowna Orioles earned a split in OMBL action. The Birds suffered their third loss of the campaign in an afternoon encounter in Kamloops when the Okonots handed them a 13 to 4 thrashing. Traveling to Vernon, the Lakesiders were successful in an evening engagement, clubbing the Clippers into submission by a 13 to 5 count. The Okies combed two Oriole hurlers for 13 hits including a three-run circuit-clout by Bill McDonald and a solo four-master by Gord Beecroft. Backstop Johnny Culos of the Birds had a first-inning dinger off winning tosser Bill Geefs.
V. Wickenheiser (L), L. Schaefer (4) and Culos
Geefs (W) and Anderson
Dave Gatherum and winning chucker Bill Martino paced the Kelowna offence in the Vernon tussle, each stinging the horsehide for three safeties. Collecting two base knocks apiece were Vern Blaney of the Clips as well as Ed Kielbiski, Johnny Culos, Cece Favell and Les Schaefer of the Birds. Over the course of the two games, newcomer Gerry Barber, a former Penticton Red Sox slugger, had five hits in seven at-bats for the Orioles.
Martino (W) and Culos
Hay (L) and J. Kashuba
(July 21) The Oliver OBC’s won both ends of a highly-contested double-dip, defeating the Princeton Royals 10 to 9 and 9 to 8 at Oliver.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
The OBC’s rallied from an 8 to 1 deficit for a 12th inning win in the second game.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
(July 21) The Summerland Macs dropped into fifth place in the OMBL after absorbing a 10 to 7 loss at the hands of the second-place Penticton Red Sox. The winners had their big inning in the fourth, erasing a 3 to 1 deficit by scoring seven times to forge ahead 8 to 3. Charlie Burtch and Charlie Preen both contributed a pair of base knocks for the victorious Pentictonites.
Durston (W), Staff (5) and xxx
Flichel (L), Cristante (4) and xxx
(July 24) The lowly Vernon Clippers, cellar-dwellers in the OMBL, recorded a rare victory when the handed the top-dog Kelowna Orioles a 7 to 4 setback at Elks Stadium. The Clips out hit their hosts by a 10 to 7 margin. Portsider Doug Hay went the distance on the hill for Vernon to record the win. Shortstop Tom Stecyk belted a two-run homer for the victors, one of two safeties off his bat, while teammate Vern Dye nailed a solo four-bagger. Bill Martino, manning the outer pasture for Kelowna, launched a two-run round-tripper. Ed Kielbiski ripped a triad of bingles for the Birdmen.
Hay (W) and V. Dye
Radies (L), L. Schaefer (6) and Culos
Driessen (W) and Gilchrist
Staff (L) and S. Drossos
(July 26) Stylish Oliver right-hander Gary Driessen, who has given the Penticton baseballers trouble each time he has faced them, scattered nine hits and struck out 12 in pitching the OBC’s to a 4 to 3 decision over the Red Sox at King’s Park. Youthful starboard tosser Jim Staff of the Pentictonites, touched for only six hits, was charged with his second OMBL loss of the season. Oliver played flawless afield while the Crimson Stockings committed five costly miscues. Keystone sacker Charlie Richards put the Sox out 1 to 0 in the opening canto with a leadoff solo four-master. Oliver tied it up in the third when Richie Schnider singled home a counter. Jack Cleveland’s one-bagger, a sacrifice by Gord Mundle and Johnny Lingor’s single put the OBC’s out in front in the fifth panel. They added another pair in the sixth on two walks, a pair of base hits and an infield error. The Red Sox rallied for a pair of sixth-inning markers to cut the margin to 4 to 3 on singles by Richards, Doug Moore, Charlie Burtch and Sam Drossos but Driessen kept them off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Driessen (W) and Gilchrist
Staff (L) and S. Drossos
(July 28) 19-year old Tony DeRosa, a southpaw slinger from Trail, made his OMBL debut a successful one as he pitched the Vernon Clippers to an upset 6 to 3 victory over the pace-setting Kelowna Orioles. It was the second Vernon win over the Orioles in less than a week. Portsider DeRosa fanned seven and gave up just three hits in going the route for the winners. Offensively, the Clips were paced by a mammoth solo homer off the bat of Alex Kashuba and run-producing doubles by Ray Adams, John Kashuba and Bob Johnson. The Clippers had seven safe swats off the slants of Kelowna mound ace Bill Martino, saddling him with a rare defeat.
DeRosa (W) and Dye
Martino (L) and Culos
(July 28) The Oliver OBC’s blanked the Summerland Macs 3 to 0 to stay in the running with Kelowna and Penticton for top spot and the 1957 OMBL pennant.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(July 28) Utilizing the home run weapon, the Kamloops Okonots powered their way to a brace of OMBL victories, defeating the Princeton Royals 10 to 9 in 11 frames to begin things and then rapping the Brewery Towners 11 to 4 in the late joust. Strong man of the series was Len Gatin, the iron-armed Okonot right-hander, who went the route on the knoll in both contests. Backing Gatin’s performance in the opener were “Buck” Buchanan who nailed a fifth-inning three-run homer to put the Kamloops club ahead 9 to 5 and Gord Beecroft who had four safeties in five trips. Four Royal runs in the seventh panel tied the score and paved the way for overtime. The Okies’ Bob Anderson drove in the winning counter in the 11th, sending Al Collier across the plate.
Gatin (W) and xxx
G. Cousins, Fritz (L) (2) and xxx
Gord Beecroft paced the Okonots’ second-game victory with two home runs and a double. His initial tater was a grand-slam shot which ended the mound stint of Princeton starter Bruno Ceccon. His second four-master drove in a pair of tallies in the seventh panel. Bob Anderson added a solo homer to the Kamloops total in the eighth round. Gatin certainly helped his cause at the dish during the twin-bill, stinging the pill for six safeties in nine trips to the platter.
Gatin (W) and xxx
Ceccon (L), Fritz (2) and xxx
(August 2) Leading the Princeton Royals by a 4 to 2 count, the Penticton Red Sox had to settle for a no-decision when the lights on their home diamond blew and the game had to be called off.
(August 4) A reversal of a ninth-inning decision by the umpire allowed the Vernon Clippers to escape with a narrow 5 to 4 win over the Kelowna Orioles. It was the third time in the past ten days that the Vernon club has set down the slumping Orioles. The loss for the Birdmen, their fourth in their past five starts, relegated them to second spot in the OMBL, just mere percentage points behind the Penticton Red Sox. Youthful portsider Tony DeRosa, a recent recruit from the Trail Smoke Eaters, allowed seven hits in earning his second OMBL decision in as many starts. The Clips held an 8 to 7 advantage in base knocks. Russ Keckalo and Vern Dye had two hits apiece for the winners, a sum of swats equalled by the Birds’ Rich Wickenheiser. Alex Kashuba of the Clippers belted a two-run round-tripper while Kelowna’s Bill Martino launched a solo shot.
L. Schaefer (L), Denbow (8) and Culos
DeRosa (W) and Dye
(August 4) The visiting Summerland Macs knocked over the Kamloops Okonots in both ends of a doubleheader at Riverside Park, blanking the Okies by 4 to 0 and 2 to 0 margins. Stocky right handed flinger Morley Flichel of the Macs threw back-to-back shutout victories in sparking the Summerland nine. Three first-inning unearned runs gave the Macs all the margin they needed in the opener. Flichel allowed just three Kamloops’ hits, the same number of safeties yielded by hard-luck loser Len Gatin of the Okies.
Flichel (W) and Egely
Gatin (L) and Stewart, Anderson (6)
The Kamloops baseballers were able to nick the offerings of Flichel for five base raps in the late encounter but they were insufficient to provide victory or plate a run. Geordie Taylor nailed a two-run homer off southpaw Bill Geefs, Okonot starter and loser, in the fifth frame to clinch the second game for the Macs.
Flichel (W) and Egely
Geefs (L), Olson (9) and Anderson
(August 4) The Oliver OBC’s were awarded a default victory by OMBL officials when the Penticton Red Sox failed to show up for their scheduled encounter in Oliver. The ruling dropped Penticton into third place in the standings, moved Oliver into the runner-up spot and restored the Kelowna Orioles to the top rung.
(August 14) The Summerland Macs overcame a 4 to 0 deficit and stormed back to defeat the invading Penticton Red Sox 5 to 4 in an OMBL tilt at Summerland. Both pitchers of record, winner Morley Flichel of the Macs and losing chucker Jim Staff of the Sox, were nicked for four base hits. Penticton went out in front early, scoring a pair of runs in the opening frame when second baseman Charlie Richards singled and catcher Sam Drossos blasted a home run. They added another pair in the third on shortstop Lloyd Burgart’s single, a walk to first baseman Doug Moore and a triple by hot corner custodian Charlie Burtch. Summerland got to Staff for a single tally in the fourth on Ed Stefureak’s solo round-tripper and then added three more in the fifth to knot the count at 4 – 4. Costly errors by the Peach City nine allowed the Applemen to eventually plate an unearned counter for the comeback victory.
Staff (L) and S. Drossos
Flichel (W) and xxx
(August 18) Portsider Bill Geefs held the Kelowna Orioles to just four hits as the Kamloops Okonots took a 5 to 1 OMBL decision from the visiting Birds. The Okonots collected eight hits off loser Jack Denbow including a fifth-inning two-run homer by second baseman Bill McDonald. With the score knotted at 1 – 1 in the third inning, Kamloops’ outfielder Jack Fowles singled in what proved to be the winning marker.
Denbow (L) and Culos
Geefs (W) and Anderson
(August 18) The Vernon Clippers rallied behind the slugging of Bob Johnson and Russ Keckalo to defeat the Penticton Red Sox 9 to 7 in an OMBL fixture in the northern Okanagan city. The victory for the Clips was their fifth in a row. Johnson delivered a trio of counters in the fifth round when he drilled a four-ply clout high over the centre field fence. Keckalo delivered another trio of markers when he connected for a three-run double in the fifth canto.
Staff (L) and xxx
Hay, DeRosa (W) (7) and xxx
(August 20) Powered by the big bats of Johnny Culos and Bill Martino, the Kelowna Orioles pulled out of their recent slump by hammering the Summerland Macs 14 to 5 in an OMBL contest shortened to just 4 1/2 frames due to darkness and some stalling tactics employed by the invading Macs. Culos nailed a two-run homer for the winners while Martino delivered a three-run shot. Ed Stefureak smacked a two-run double for Summerland.
Flichel (L), Hooker (1), Stefureak (2) and Egely
L. Schaefer (W) and Culos
(August 21) With ten of their lusty output of runs crossing the dish as a result of their four-ply power surge, the Penticton Red Sox flexed their muscles in hammering out a 17 to 6 verdict over the visiting Kelowna Orioles. Using their hardwood poles to advantage, the Sox sluggers slammed the horsehide for five home runs, two coming off the bat of middle pasture fly chaser Charlie Preen. The Drossos boys, Sam and George, accounted for one each while Jim Tooley stroked the other Penticton four-bagger. The Orioles’ Les Schaefer also added a round-tripper to the circuit-clout total of the evening. Tooley also ripped a brace of one-baggers to emerge was the lone three-hit artist in the skirmish. The loss for Kelowna dropped them back into a tie with Oliver for top spot in the OMBL. Both squads have 14 wins and 8 losses. Penticton is right behind with a 12 and 8 record.
Martino (L), Denbow, Radies and Culos
Durston (W), Staff and S. Drossos
(August 21) The sizzling Vernon Clippers overcame an early 3 to 0 deficit, scoring all of their runs in the fifth inning, to knock off the visiting Kamloops Okonots 5 to 3 at Polson Park. Tony DeRosa went all the way on the hill for the Clips, punching out 10 Okies on strikeouts while yielding six safeties. A two-run circuit-clout by Bob Johnson and a three-run shot by teammate Russ Keckalo in the fateful fifth turned the tide for the Vernonites and kept their faint playoff hopes still flickering.
Gatin (L) and xxx
DeRosa (W) and xxx
(August 23) The Penticton Red Sox, aided by the nine-error performance of their opponents, annihilated the Princeton Royals 20 to 8 in an OMBL game at King’s Park. The Sox, in an almost equally generous mood, booted the ball six times but made up for their defensive lapses with a 15-hit attack. First sacker Doug Moore paced the Scarlet Stockings offensively, connecting for a pair of doubles and a single. Catcher Clare Wakshinski slammed out a brace of two-baggers, outfielder George Drossos a triple and single and third baseman Charlie Burtch a pair of one-baggers. Shortstop Danny Pinske of the Royals managed three of his team’s nine hits while first baseman Tippy Anderson accounted for a pair.
Fritz (L) and Cade
Staff (W) and Wakshinski
(August 25) With four of their regular players out of the line-up as a result of injuries, both from diamond-play and an auto accident, the Kelowna Orioles showed a lot of spunk in taking down the challenging Penticton Red Sox 9 to 2 at Elks Stadium. Big Les Schaefer went the distance on the mound for the winners, steady as a granite rock, allowing only six hits in the nine frames. Bill Martino and Johnny Culos were the big men for the Orioles with the lumber, each clouting a two-run round-tripper as Kelowna collected 11 safeties.
Durston (L), Staff (5) and S. Drossos
L. Schaefer (W) and Culos
(August 25) The Kamloops Okonots captured both ends of a double-bill with the Summerland Macs. No final scores or game details found in print. The double victory for the Okies vaulted them past the Macs into a playoff position.
(August 25) The Oliver OBC’s ended the six- game victory run of the Vernon Clippers and dashed all hope of a playoff berth for the Vernonites when they stopped the Clips 6 to 1 in the opening tussle of an OMBL double-dip in Oliver. Vernon turned on the jets in the finale to cruise to a 7 to 2 conquest of their hosts. After surrendering a top-of-the-first-inning solo homer to Vernon’s Russ Keckalo in the early skirmish, the OBC’s slammed the door on the visitors and piled up double tallies in each of the first three cantos to take control of things.
xxx (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
Left-hander Tony DeRosa of the Clippers sailed through the second encounter for the mound triumph, racking up 11 strikeouts while giving up just three hits. Vern Dye, Johnny Kashuba and Alex Kashuba all garnered a brace of safeties for the victors.
DeRosa (W) and xxx
Taber (L), Driessen (3) and xxx
(September 1 – 2) Kamloops Labor Day weekend tournament
(September 1 – 2) Quesnel Labor Day weekend tournament
(September 4) The Penticton Red Sox climbed into a second-place tie with the Oliver OBC’s by walloping the Princeton Royals 15 to 6 as the OMBL completed the regular schedule for 1957. The Royals, mired deep in the dismal depths of the OMBL basement, looked anything but a last-place team for five innings but by the time the sixth round was over, they were running true to form as the Red Sox shoved across 11 counters to erase a 4 to 2 deficit. In spite of the lopsided score, the Bluebloods out hit the Crimson Stockings by a 15 to 13 margin as the Sox were able to snuff out potential rallies by turning three double plays. Lloyd Burgart slammed a pair of four-ply clouts for the winners. He also laced a single, his third hit of the evening, which drove in a brace of Penticton runs. Danny Pinske hammered a three-run round-tripper for the vanquished nine.
Fritz (L), K. Cousins (6), Fritz (6) and Cade
Durston (W) and xxx
Final Standings W L Pct.
Kelowna Orioles 16 8 .667
Penticton Red Sox 15 9 .792
Oliver OBC’s 15 9 .792
Kamloops Okonots 12 12 .500
Summerland Macs 10 14 .417
Vernon Clippers 10 14 .417
Princeton Royals 6 18 .333
Second-place tie-breaker
Oliver OBC’s vs Penticton Red Sox
(September 6) Jim Staff pitched a sparkling five-hitter as the Penticton Red Sox claimed second place in the OMBL by polishing off the Oliver OBC’s 10 to 4 in a sudden-death tie-breaker played in the Peach City. The Red Sox took command of the contest early, scoring three times in each of the first two innings. Sam Drossos led the eight-hit Penticton offense with a pair of singles.
Taber (L), Snyder (2) and xxx
Staff (W) and S. Drossos
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS
Oliver OBC’s vs Kelowna Orioles and
Kamloops Okonots vs Penticton Red Sox (both best-of-three series)
(September 8) It wasn’t their neatest effort of the season but the pennant-winning Kelowna Orioles prevailed 15 to 12 over the third-place Oliver OBC’s as the OMBL semi-finals got underway in the Regatta City. Scoring nine runs in the third canto, the Birds held a wide margin which they almost frittered away with a poor defensive display. The Orioles out hit the OBC’s 16 to 11 in the wide-open encounter. Top swatter in the contest was middle pasture fly chaser Elroy Jacobs of the Oliver nine who creamed the orb for a pair of circuit-clouts which produced four runs.
Cousins (L), Snyder (3) and Gilchrist
Denbow, Radies (4), L. Schaefer (W) (5) and Culos
(September 8) The second-place Penticton Red Sox erupted for eight counters in the sixth round to wipe out a seven-run Kamloops lead and go on to an eventual 10 to 8 triumph over the Okonots as both squads locked horns in the opener of their OMBL semi-final showdown. As a partisan crowd roared its approval, the Red Sox pounded three Okonot hurlers for seven hits during the uprising, including a three-run homer by Lloyd Burgart. Until the sixth, Okie right-hander Jack Olson had handcuffed the Sox while his mates rocked Penticton starting pitcher Jack Durston for four home runs in the first three innings. Jim Staff relieved Durston in the third and was credited with his second hillock triumph in three days. Third baseman Bob Saklofsky and keystone sacker Bill McDonald staked the Okonots to a 2 to 0 lead in the opening frame with solo circuit-clouts. Outfielder Gord Beecroft blasted a Durston offering over the left field fence in the second inning to make it 3 to 0 and Saklofsky socked his second homer in the fourth. At that point, 18-year old Staff assumed the knoll, dousing the fire. In his first turn at bat in the bottom of the third, Staff blasted an Olson fastball out of the park to put Penticton on the scoreboard. Kamloops got to Staff for a pair of runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to stretch their lead to 8 to 1. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, the Crimson Hose went to work. Bingles off the bats of Burgart, Sam Drossos Charlie Burtch, Doug Moore, Jim Tooley and Staff, along with a pair of walks set the stage for Burgart’s second hit of the inning, a towering four-master which pushed the Sox in front 9 to 8. Catcher Clare Wakshinski added an insurance run in the seventh, slamming out the eighth home run of the afternoon. Staff, in addition to his sharp relief effort, picked up three of Penticton’s 13 hits.
Olson, Gatin (L) (6) and xxx
Durston, Staff (W) (3) and Wakshinski
(September 15) The Kelowna Orioles hurdled past the Oliver OBC’s 2 to 1 to move into the OMBL finals. The Orioles’ Jack Denbow and Gary Driessen of the OBC’s, duking it out in a classic pitcher’s duel, both went the distance, each surrendering seven hits. Denbow whiffed ten and did not issue a walk while Driessen fanned four and gave up an equal number of base on balls. Both Kelowna markers came as a result of clever base running by Hromi Ito and Bill Martino which landed them at the hot corner as well as a resulting brace of passed balls by Oliver catcher Bill Gilchrist. Back-to-back doubles by Driessen and Elroy Jacobs produced the lone OBC counter. Kelowna’s defense was suspect and landed Denbow in hot water on three occasions but he managed to escape safely each time.
Denbow (W) and Culos
Driessen (L) and Gilchrist
(September 15) The Kamloops Okonots knotted their best-of-three semi-final series with the Penticton Red Sox, posting a narrow 4 to 3 victory. Trailing 3 to 2 as they came to bat in the bottom of the seventh frame, the Okies rode the big bat of outfielder Bob Saklofsky who produced the tying and winning markers by cranking out a timely two-run four-master which sent winning pitcher Len Gatin in ahead of him.
xxx (L) and xxx
Geefs, Gatin (W) (3) and Anderson, S. Drossos
(September 22) The Penticton Red Sox advanced to the 1957 OMBL finals by edging the defending champion Kamloops Okonots 2 to 1 in a hair-breadth tussle in the Peach City. Youthful right-hander Jim Staff pitched a magnificent game for the Sox, handing out only one hit, a seventh-inning single while whiffing nine. Rubber-armed veteran Len Gatin went the distance on the hill for the Okies, surrendering six hits in being nailed with the loss. The Red Sox scored both their runs in the second inning on RBI singles by third baseman Charlie Burtch and outfielder Jim Tooley. Kamloops cut the margin to one run in the seventh when hot corner custodian Al Collier drilled a line single to right field. Staff then retired the next ten batters in order, preserving the one-run lead. Tooley and Charlie Burtch accounted for four of the six Penticton hits, each pounding out a pair of safeties.
Gatin (L) and xxx
Staff (W) and S. Drossos
FINALS
Penticton Red Sox vs Kelowna Orioles (best-of-three series)
(September 29) Before a crowd of 2,000 jammed into Elks Stadium, the hosting Kelowna Orioles came through in the pinches to squeak by their arch-rivals, the Penticton Red Sox, 3 to 1 in the opening set-to of their best-of-three showdown for the 1957 OMBL championship. Kelowna’s veteran moundsman, Les Schaefer, did not disappoint the Regatta City faithful, firing a steady two-hitter for the mound triumph. He was ably assisted by another long-time Kelowna diamondeer, Ed Kielbiski, who stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with the score tied 1 – 1 and the bases loaded, delivering a hard single to drive in Dave Gatherum and Johnny Culos with the winning and insurance markers. Catcher Johnny Culos had driven in the first tally for the Birds in the opening panel with a timely single. A safe bunt in the seventh round by losing flinger Jim Staff, which Schaefer waited for in hopes of it rolling foul, allowed Jim Tooley to scamper home from the hot corner with the tying counter, setting the stage for Kielbiski’s heroics.
Durston, Staff (L) (5) and xxx
L. Schaeffer (W) and Culos
(October 6) The Kelowna Orioles captured the 1957 Okanagan – Mainline Baseball League championship at Penticton’s King’s Park, scoring five runs in the sixth inning to break a 6 – 6 tie and go on to an eventual 14 to 7 victory over the hosting Red Sox. By virtue of their second straight win in the best-of-three series, the Birds took possession of the CKOK Trophy. The Regatta City nine had a comfortable 13 to 7 advantage in base knocks acquired. Ed Kielbiski cuffed a two-run circuit-blast for the O’s which put them in front 2 to 1 in the second round. Middle pasture guardian Charlie Preen of the Scarlet Hose knotted the count at 2 – 2 in the third with a solo homer. The Feathered squad plated four counters in the fourth panel, highlighted by Al Schaefer’s dinger, to go ahead 6 to 2. A lone Penticton counter in the fourth plus a triad of markers in the sixth, ignited by Charlie Bartch’s round-tripper with one aboard, allowed the Sox to tie the game once more. Then the roof fell in on starter Jim Staff and the Crimson Stockings in the sixth panel when nine Kelowna batters came to the dish with five of them scoring. From then on, the Birdmen controlled things and won going away. Al Schaeffer was best at the plate for the victors spanking the apple for a triad of bingles. Charlie Preen of the vanquished nine replicated the three-hit performance.
Radies, L. Schaefer (W) (5) and xxx
Staff (L), Durston (6), Staff (9) and xxx
NORTH OKANAGAN BASEBALL LEAGUE
A whopping eleven teams were part of this 1957 senior circuit which had an 85-game schedule.
Celista Shuswatters
Chase Chiefs
Enderby Oil Kings
Falkland Broncs
Fedoruk Loggers
Kamloops Mustangs
Okanagan Bluebirds
Salmon Arm Merchants
Sicamous Eagles
Six Mile
(April 28) Newcomer Terry Patterson flipped a one-hitter at the Chase Chiefs as the Salmon Arm Merchants opened the 1957 campaign with a 12 to 4 pasting of the Indians. The right hander also rang up 13 punchouts along the way. Another surprise was provided by Al Andrews, who stepped into the catching breach and performed like a veteran. Aside from his accurate, rifle-shot throwing arm, Andrews packed a lot of punch at the plate as he laced out four hits including a double.
(April 28) Enderby Oil Kings defeated the Kamloops Mustangs.
(April 28) Six Mile 13 Falkland Broncs 10
(April 28) Celista Shuswatters 23 Squilax Cubs 11
(April 28) Sicamous Eagles 7 Fedoruk Loggers 2
(May 5) Weathering a couple of rocky innings along with sub-par pitching, the Salmon Arm Merchants survived in their 1957 home opener to prevail 14 to 9 over the Falkland Broncs. Starting Merchant chucker Terry Patterson, pitching with an injured hand, was ineffective and, although he received credit for the mound triumph, needed relief help from “Lefty” Rolin who also was shaky but nevertheless prevailed to the end.
(May 12) Trailing 11 to 5 as they came to bat for the final time, the Salmon Arm Merchants almost pulled out a hair-raising comeback against the Sicamous Eagles but fell a single run short in dropping an 11 to 10 decision. The winning tosser was Gary Forgaard who required ninth-inning hillock assistance from Arnold Nowoczin. Nailed with the setback was Merchant starter Terry Patterson who was derricked in the fourth frame in favor of Fred Spelay.
(May 12) Celista Shuswatters 18 Okanagan Bluebirds 16
(May 12) Fedoruk Loggers 11 Six Mile 1
(May 26) The Fedoruk Loggers, who play out of Chase, rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the Squilax Cubs 9 to 8 in an NOBL contest.
(June 23) The Sicamous Eagles whelped the Chase Chiefs 24 to 4 at Sicamous to record their seventh win in eight NOBL starts. The contest, stopped in the seventh inning when the Chiefs conceded, featured errorless play by the Big Birds who gave pitcher Arnold Nowoczin all the help he needed to register the run-away victory. Carl Bertholm had three hits for the winners while George Maiers laced a triple and a one-bagger.
(July 7) A wild throw to home plate by Sicamous first baseman “Bud” Rokosh in the bottom of the 11th inning allowed winning pitcher Denny Culling to touch the platter with the deciding counter as the Falkland Broncs edged the Eagles 3 to 2 in an NOBL thriller. Culling had reached the hot corner station on a leadoff triple off losing chucker Pete Nowoczin to begin the last half of the second overtime session. Nowoczin gave way to his brother Arnold at that point who retired one batter before the Broncs got the break as Culling streaked for home on an infield grounder. Hits were evenly divided, seven apiece. Culling fanned 12 while Nowoczin breezed eight. Culling provided plenty of offensive ammunition in support of his mound effort, drilling another three-bagger in addition to a double and single in a 4 for 5 performance at the dish. George Maiers was best for the Eagles with a pair of safe swats.
(July 7) Salmon Arm Merchants 8 Enderby Oil Kings 4
(July 7) Okanagan Bluebirds 14 Squilax Cubs 9
(July 7) Celista Shuswatters 17 Six Mile 8
(July 7) Fedoruk Loggers 13 Chase Chiefs 1
(July 14) The hosting Kamloops Mustangs edged the Okanagan Bluebirds 10 to 9 as Abel Saul of the Mustangs recorded the mound victory.
(July 14) The invading Chase Chiefs walloped Six Mile 7 to 1, a loss for the hosts which dropped their NOBL record to three wins against six defeats.
(July 14) With both teams spanking the horsehide for 14 base blows, the Enderby Oil Kings dropped the homestanding Squilax Cubs 6 to 4. Steve Marchand picked up the pitching win.
(July 14) The Falkland Broncs dumped the Fedoruk Loggers 5 to 2 in a scheduled NOBL contest. Dennis Culling was the victorious moundsman while George Simon absorbed the loss.
(July 21) The Salmon Arm Merchants, behind the five-hit pitching of junior Duane Weber, crushed the Celista Shuswatters 7 to 1 in the second game of a three-team double-bill after winning the opener from the Chase Chiefs 19 to 6. The Merchants were staked to a 3 to 0 first-inning lead against Celista when Fred Stinson connected for a circuit-smash with two mates aboard off losing twirler Lester Bentley. In the matinée tilt, the Salmon Arm diamondeers cracked out 19 base blows off the combined offerings of three Chief chuckers. Barry Damgaard, another call-up from the junior Clippers, posted the nine-hit hillock triumph. Ron Jacob nailed the apple for four safeties in support of Damgaard while Harry Howell clicked for three hits.
(July 21) Don McCaugherty’s single in the top of the 12th inning drove in the winning run as the Falkland Broncs disposed of the Six Mile baseballers 8 to 6. After McCaugherty’s key base knock, the Broncs added an insurance counter before their half of the third overtime session was over. Ken King for Falkland and six Mile’s Alf Bonneau pitched the full game.
(July 28) Tackling two different road opponents in a three-team twin-bill proved more than the Salmon Arm Merchants could handle. The Retailers prevailed 10 to 6 in their opening encounter against the Falkland Broncs but lost the second tilt to the Kamloops Mustangs 10 to 8. Duane Weber got credit for his second pitching victory in as many weeks as he limited the Broncs to seven hits in the early event. Weber also smashed two singles in Salmon Arm’s 12-hit offensive thrust. A three-run round-tripper by Fred Stinson in the fifth frame knocked Falkland starter and and loser Denny Culling from the bump.
Abel Saul weathered a 15-hit shelling by Salmon Arm to win the second game for the Mustangs. The victors broke a 4 – 4 tie in the sixth panel and never trailed thereafter. Junior Clipper recruit Barry Damgaard was tagged with the hillock defeat for Salmon Arm.
(July 28) The Squilax Cubs nipped the Chase Chiefs 9 to 8 in an NOBL clash in Chase.
(August 4) The homestanding Falkland Broncs took both ends of An NOBL doubleheader from the Squilax Cubs, 19 to 1 in the first game and 17 to 6 in the finale.
(August 11) The Kamloops Mustangs won a North Okanagan Baseball League game, beating the Falkland Broncs 13 to 9 despite two home runs by the Broncs’ Ken King. C. Jules homered for the Mustangs. Arnold Poelzer took the hillock verdict for Kamloops over Falkland’s Denny Culling.
(August 11) The Celista Shuswatters nosed out the visiting Enderby Oil Kings 8 to 7 in an NOBL scuffle.
(August 18) Pete Nowoczin struck out 13 batters while permitting six hits in pitching the Sicamous Eagles to a 7 to 4 NOBL victory over the Kamloops Mustangs. The Eagles chalked up 14 hits in registering the win as “Bud” Rokosh and Orval Forgaard led the way with three safeties each.
(August 18) The Falkland Broncs blew a 7 to 1 eighth-inning lead and dropped an 8 to 7 verdict to the Okanagan Bluebirds in a match which lasted 12 innings. The hosting Bluebirds overcame the Broncs’ substantial margin when losing chucker Ken King yielded three walks and two hits in the bottom of the ninth while the Falkland defense was collapsing in a heap of miscues. The Falkland defensive meltdown appeared once more in the third session of overtime when, after three errors, an unearned tally decided things in favor of the Head of the Lake club.
(August 25) The Sicamous Eagles won their second NOBL pennant in three years by smashing the Okanagan Bluebirds 15 to 7 in an afternoon fracas at Sicamous. Later, the titlists fought to a 6 – 6 draw with the Salmon Arm Merchants in a twilight battle in Salmon Arm.
(August 25) At Falkland, Denny Culling once more emerged as the winning tosser when the Broncs closed out their NOBL season by squeaking past the Enderby Oil Kings 11 to 10.
PLAYOFFS Semi-Finals (sudden-death)
(September 8) Overcoming a 7 to 0 deficit after four innings had been completed, the Celista Shuswatters exploded for 18 runs over the course of the next five frames to crush the Salmon Arm Merchants 18 to 12 in a sudden-death NOBL semi-final game. The winners weren’t fussy who they collected their 21 hits from as three Salmon Arm chuckers each tried an ill-fated hand at boxing up the North Shore baseballers. Ageless Jack Chambers, the Celista playing-manager, came to work on the bump in the sixth frame with a 9 – 9 ball game in progress and stifled the Merchants on one hit in his four innings of relief to earn the mound decision. Leading the Shuswatters with the hickory was their starting hurler Chris Dalin who stung the sphere for a triple and three singles while brother Bill accumulated a triad of bingles.
Finals (best-of-three series)
(September 15) The pennant-winning Sicamous Eagles got off to a great start in their quest for the 1957 NOBL championship when they rode the three-hit pitching of Pete Nowoczin to a 10 to 2 conquest of the Celista Shuswatters. A zipper-tight Eagle infield backed Nowoczin to the hilt and none of the Celista taps went for extra bases. The Sicamous hurler struck out seven in his polished role. Chris Dalin, the first of three Shuswatter chuckers, absorbed the loss. George Maiers laced a double and single for Sicamous while teammate “Bud” Rokosh slammed a four-ply clout.
(September 22) Slugging power and scintillating pitching breathed new life into the Celista Shuswatters as they squared the 1957 NOBL title set by edging the Sicamous Eagles 5 to 4. Ageless Jack Chambers was the big star in the resurgent Shuswatters’ victory, checking Sicamous on seven hits while whiffing 11. Bill Dalin was Celista’s offensive mail-carrier, drilling a run-scoring triple in the third and doubling across the winning run in the sixth. Brothers Arnold and Pete Nowoczin shared the pitching chores for the Eagles with the former being tagged with the hillock defeat.
(September 29) The Celista Shuswatters, behind the solid pitching of veteran playing-manager Jack Chambers, won the 1957 North Okanagan Baseball League championship by defeating the pennant-winning Sicamous Eagles 5 to 3 in one of the most highly-contested NOBL playoff jousts in years.
SHUSWAP-OKANAGAN MONOSHEE BASEBALL LEAGUE
Popularly known as the SOK’M circuit, the short-season Shuswap-Okanagan Monashee Baseball League of 1957 operated with junior-age players and encompassed four entrants.
Enderby Merchants
Lumby Loggers
Salmon Arm Clippers
Vernon Timberwolves
(May 5) Capitalizing on three walks, three errors and two strategically-timed hits in the opening frame, the Vernon Timberwolves plated five counters and went on to defeat the Salmon Arm Clippers 5 to 1 in the opening game of the 1957 Shuswap-Okanagan Monashee Baseball League. The Clippers’ first-inning meltdown handed the Timberwolves the jackpot even though they were blanked the rest of the game. Marsh Yawney went the route on the hill for the winners, pitching two-hit ball and whiffing 12. The Vernonites compiled five safeties off the slants of losing twirler Barry Damgaard.
Damgaard (L) and Affleck
Yawney (W) and Webber
(May 5) Lumby @ Enderby
(May 12) Pitching continued to hold the Indian sign on Salmon Arm’s entry in the Shuswap-Okanagan Monashee Baseball League as Norman Hower’s one-hit mound chore lifted the Lumby Loggers to a 4 to 2 victory over the Clippers. A scratch infield bingle off the bat of Duane Weber was the lone hit surrendered by Hower who out dueled Salmon Arm’s Larry Morrison and got all the run support he needed in the second inning when his mates scored three times. Catcher Bob Shulka drove in the Loggers’ fourth tally with a fourth-inning triple. Hower breezed five in his complete-game triumph.
Morrison (L) and Affleck
Hower (W) and Shulka
(May 12) The Vernon Timberwolves took the measure of defending champion Enderby, doubling the Merchants 8 to 4 in a game in which the opposing twirlers both had their heaters operating in high gear. Winning flinger Fred McMechan Jr. retired 14 batters via the strikeout route while Enderby’s Ron Samol, who absorbed the loss, rang up an even dozen punchouts. The Merchants had a slight 5 to 4 edge in base knocks but also led in booting the ball by a five to one count. Vernon batted around in the fourth panel when they counted five big runs to blow the game wide open. Two-baggers by Bob Weir and Don Main were the decisive run-scoring blows of the frame.
Samol (L) and Anchikowski
McMechan (W) and Webber
Standings W L T Pts.
Vernon Timberwolves 2 0 0 4
Lumby Loggers 2 1 0 4
Enderby Merchants 1 2 0 2
Salmon Arm Merchants 0 2 0 0
(May 26) Barry Damgaard’s three-hit chucking inspired the Salmon Arm Clippers to a 4 to 2 conquest of the Lumby Loggers. The win was the initial victory of the SOK’M campaign for the Clips who could do nothing with Lumby hurler Norman Hower in their first meeting a couple of weeks ago. This time, however, they nicked the Logger twirler for seven safeties, three of which came in the fourth panel when the Salmon Arm nine scored a three-spot. Bruce Gowan’s double, an infield hit by Allan Affleck, Duane Weber’s two-bagger, a fielder’s choice and a Lumby error produced the runs. Weber scored a fourth Clipper marker, an unearned run, after opening the sixth stanza with a single. Following an unearned tally in the third, Tommy Norris doubled in John Cuiachiski with Lumby’s second and last run in the same panel. Gowan and Weber, with two safe swats apiece, led the Clippers at the dish.
Hower (L) and Shulka
Damgaard (W) and Affleck
(May 26) The Vernon Timberwolves continued their winning ways when they travelled to Enderby and set down last season’s SOK’M champs 7 to 2. Marsh Yawney struck out 16 in tossing the six-hit win. The Wolves raked ten safeties off the slants of losing chucker Ron Samol who whiffed nine.
Yawney (W) and Webber
Samol (L) and Anchikowski
(May 29) Enderby and Salmon Arm settled nothing as the two combatants battled to a 7 – 7 tie in a game which was called after nine innings were in the books. Duane Weber went the distance on the bump for the hosting Clippers. He struck out 13 and gave up six hits. The duo of Ernie Welch and Ron Samol shared pitching duties for the invading Merchants and, between them, also yielded six safeties. The lone swatter in the contest to accumulate plural hit totals was Steele of the Enderby balltossers who drilled a four-bagger and a double.
E. Welch, Samol (3) and Anchikowski
Weber and Affleck
(June 2) The Salmon Arm Clippers assured themselves of a second-place finish in the Shuswap-Okanagan Monashee Baseball circuit by thumping Enderby 7 to 2. Duane Weber, strongman on the Clippers’ mound corps, ran his strikeout total to 27 in the last two games as he whiffed 14. Jerry Staff, a 15-year old, made an effective pitching start for the Merchants but ran into trouble in the sixth chapter when he was given the hook in favor of Ron Samol. A three-bagger by Dennis Okada and Fred Gowan’s single were the key hits in Salmon Arm’s four-run uprising in the sixth. Both squads nicked the orb for five safeties over the course of the skirmish.
Weber (W) and Affleck
Staff (L), Samol (6) and Anchikowski
(June 2) The Vernon Timberwolves wrapped up the 1957 pennant by smashing the Lumby Loggers 16 to 2.
(June 6) An exciting windup to the regular season provided plenty of entertainment for Salmon Arm fans when they witnessed their hometown Clippers coming from behind to score a 5 to 4 victory over the pennant-winning Vernon Timberwolves. Young Barry Damgaard pitched brilliantly in tight spots and beat the Timberwolves on seven hits while fanning 14. For the first six innings, he and Vernon starter, Fred McMechan, were locked in a scoreless duel but McMechan was shelled in the seventh and Marshall Yawney, the eventual loser, came in hurriedly in an attempt to quell the uprising. Damgaard outlasted both although the pair of Timberwolves’ hurlers combined for 18 strikeouts. With the count knotted at 3 – 3 entering the ninth, Vernon plated an unearned counter to move ahead 4 to 3. The Clippers responded with one out in their half of the panel, also with an unearned tally, to deadlock things once again. Following a second Clipper out, along came Dennis Okada who stepped into the batters’ box and laced his second well-timed single of the game to drive home the deciding marker.
McMechan, Yawney (L) (7) and Webber
Damgaard (W) and Affleck
Final Standings W L T Pts.
Vernon Timberwolves 5 1 0 10
Salmon Arm Merchants 3 2 1 7
Lumby Loggers 2 4 0 4
Enderby Merchants 1 4 1 3
PLAYOFFS
SEMI-FINALS (sudden death) Third @ First, Fourth @ Second
(June 16) The Salmon Arm Merchants entered the Shuswap-Okanagan Monashee Baseball League finals when they nudged the Enderby Merchants 4 to 3 in a sudden-death semi-final tilt. Trailing 3 to 2 as they came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Clippers won in dramatic fashion. Barry Damgaard drew a one-out walk and eventually moved around to plate the tying run following clean-up hitter Bruce Gowan’s hit through the left side of the infield. Gowan then pilfered the keystone sack and came all the way around to score the winner on a wild throw by the Enderby catcher. Duane Weber pitched the complete game for Salmon Arm and rang up 18 strikeouts. In hits, however, Weber was touched for seven base raps, a more generous yield than that of Enderby’s Ron Samol who surrendered but four bingles while whiffing 14.
Samol (L) and xxx
Weber (W) and Affleck
(June 16) The Vernon Timberwolves carbon-copied Salmon Arm’s victory by eliminating Lumby 4 to 3 in the other sudden-death semi-final.
FINALS (best-of-three series)
(June 23) Staging a two-run rally on their home lot in the bottom-of-the-ninth inning, the Vernon Timberwolves escaped with a 6 to 5 decision over the Salmon Arm Clippers in the initial game of the 1957 SOK’M finals. The hosts had a slight 7 to 6 edge in base knocks. Duane Weber, coming to the aid of Clipper starting pitcher Barry Damgaard, suffered the mound defeat after tossing five scoreless innings of solid relief. He issued a leadoff base on balls to Vernon’s Dick Anderson to begin the final frame. Jellison then hit into a potential double play but the Clips only succeeded in picking off Anderson at second base. Marsh Yawney eventually drove in Jellison with the equalizer, delivering a one-base blow and Gary Strother became the Timberwolves’ hero as he came up with another single which plated Yawney.
Damgaard, Weber (L) (3) and Affleck
Yawney, McMechan (W) (6) and Webber
(June 30) Untamed by the efforts of the Salmon Arm Clippers, the Vernon Timberwolves took possession of the Shuswap Okanagan Monashee Baseball League championship by dumping the hometown Clips 7 to 3, sweeping the best-of-three series in straight games. After falling behind 1 to 0 in the third inning when Salmon Arm’s Barry Damgaard tripled and was waved home on an interference call, the Timberwolves bared their teeth and came away with a 2 to 1 lead in the fifth, the ingredients being a walk, an infield error and Dave Nash’s single. Grouping singles in the seventh canto for Vernon’s third tally were Marshall Yawney, Wayne Webber and Dick Anderson. Run number four for the Wolves was produced in the eighth frame when Gary Strother singled and later crossed the platter on a fielder’s choice. The Clippers threatened tie things in their half of the same stanza and were able to narrow the count to 4 to 3 on a run-scoring double by Al Affleck and Don MacPherson’s infield hit which allowed Affleck to score. In the top of the ninth, however, the Vernonites put the game on ice on the strength of a base on balls, consecutive singles by Strother and Ray Scoffins, followed by Don Main’s bases-loaded two-bagger.
McMechan (W), Yawney (8) and Webber
Weber (L), Damgaard (7) and Affleck
BC INTERIOR LEAGUE
Although losing the 1956 team representing Vernon, the 1957 Interior Baseball League of B. C. actually increased from five to six franchises. Following a one year absence, the Revelstoke Spikes re-entered the circuit and were joined by a second entry from the small town of Merritt, the Nicolaks (sometimes referred to as the Grand Nickolaks), formerly of the Fraser Valley League.
Teams in the 1957 Interior Baseball League
Kamloops Jay-Rays
Merritt
Merritt Nicolaks
North Kamloops Mohawks
Revelstoke Spikes
Rutland Adanacs
(May 5) The fleet-footed North Kamloops Mohawks ran the bases as if they owned them, stealing home on three occasions, as they downed the Kamloops Jay-Rays 10 to 6 in the Interior Baseball League opener for both squads at Riverside Park. Four Jay-Ray hurlers scattered only five hits, but 18 walks, three errors and some fine base-running saw the North Kamloops club manufacture the win. Gordie Miyahara and Joe Yamake stole home in the first inning to give the Mohawks a 2 to 0 lead which they boosted to 3 to 0 in the third. The Jay-Rays got back in the ball game in their half of the third when Gerry Kernaghan creamed a Sam Aura pitch over the left field wall with teammates Gord Kusomoto and Bill Lennox aboard. The Mohawks exploded for five counters in the seventh to take control of the contest. They added another pair in the eighth, the last of which was the theft of home by Dave Kuromi. The Jay-Rays rallied for three runs in the ninth as Kernaghan drove in a brace of markers with his second base knock of the fracas but it was a case of too little, too late.
Aura, Varanai (W) (5) and Kato
Candido, P. Prehara (L) (2), Schollen (7), Owen (9) and Harrison, G. Prehara (8)
(May 5) The Rutland Adanacs captured their opening outing in the 1957 Interior League campaign when they doubled the hosting Revelstoke Spikes 18 to 9. The Ads led all the way as the Spikes appeared to show the rust of having been absent from the circuit for a full season. Both teams swung the bat well with Rutland collecting 21 safeties to 11 for the Mainliners. Shortstop Akio Mende blasted a three-run homer for the winners. Revelstoke swatters spanked the sphere for a triad of taters, all with the bases empty, the round-trippers coming off the bats of Jim Olynik, Harding and Albert Mucha.
Gallagher (W), Stewart (8) and Holitzki
Mucha (L), Romanchuk (7), S. Olynik (7) and Chisholm
(May 5) Merritt Nicolaks 9 Merritt 1
(May 12) Rain wiped out the Interior League contest at North Kamloops in the fourth inning at which time the visiting Revelstoke Spikes held a 4 to 3 lead over the hosting Mohawks.
(May 12) The Rutland Adanacs pounded their way to a second straight Interior Baseball League victory, lacing the Merritt Nicolaks 17 to 4 at Elks Stadium. The Ads’ Ed Gallagher chalked up his second straight mound verdict although retiring from his hillock chores in the eighth with a huge cushion. Slugging home runs for the winners were Hodgson who belted a three-run shot in the second canto as well as Len Wickenheiser who launched a grand-slam round-tripper in the same inning. Yasunaga had the visitors’ longest blow, a bases-loaded triple.
Abe (L), Suzuki and xxx
Gallagher (W), Koga (8) and xxx
(May 12) Merritt scored five runs in the eighth inning to take an 8 to 7 decision from the Kamloops Jay-Rays in an Interior Baseball League fixture played in Merritt. Winning pitcher Noble gave up eight safeties, including home runs to Kamloops’ Gerry Kernaghan and Bruce Harrison. Jay-Rays’ Al Dawson went the distance, allowing seven safeties.
Dawson (L) and xxx
Noble (W) and xxx
(May 19) No games scheduled
(May 26) The North Kamloops Mohawks parlayed five of their 12 base blows into home runs as they scalped the invading Rutland Adanacs 15 to 10 at McDonald Park. The previously unbeaten Ads actually had a slight 13 to 12 advantage in base swats but eight walks and two more hit batsmen put ten more Mohawks on base, making their bevy of four-baggers pay off with bigger dividends. Rutland went into a short-lived 4 to 0 lead in the third inning but the North Kamloops nine went to work thereafter, unleashing their display of power which put them in the lead for good. Cranking out four-ply taters for the winners were John Ross and Dave Kuromi with two-run shots, Tosh Takenaka with a three-run dinger as well as Joe Yamake and Joe Motokado with solo blasts. A three-run triple by Paul Holitzki was Rutland’s most productive blow.
Stewart (L), Duggan (5) and xxx
Kochi (W), S. Motokado (7) and Kato
(May 26) At Merritt, the Kamloops Jay-Rays crushed the hosting Nicolaks 13 to 2 behind the eight-hit pitching of Paul Prehara. The Jay-Rays took the lead in the second frame and put the game on ice with a five-run outburst in the sixth chapter which included a home run by Gord Kusomoto.
P. Prehara (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 2) Pitcher Albert Mucha limited the Kamloops Jay-Rays to three hits as well as driving in the tying and winning runs as he led the Revelstoke Spikes to a 3 to 2 decision over the Kamloops club in an Interior Baseball League fixture at McDonald Park. The Spikes, who trailed from the early stages of the match until Mucha’s clutch eighth-inning base blow, garnered ten hits off the slants of losing twirler Al Dawson. The Jay-Rays opened the scoring when Jim Thompson singled home John Glowacki and added a second tally after Mucha issued a bases-loaded walk to Dale Cassell which forced in Gord Kusomoto. Revelstoke narrowed the gap to a lone counter in the second stanza on back-to-back two-baggers by Ron Chisholm and Gord Bwernychuk. There was no further scoring until the eighth panel when walks to Bwernychuk and Graham Bennison followed a single to Chisholm. Up to the plate stepped Mucha with the sacks full and he promptly rapped a hard single to drive in the two lead runners while Bennison was thrown out going into third on the same play. Chisholm, with two doubles and two singles, led the baton swingers.
Mucha (W) and xxx
Dawson (L) and xxx
(June 2) The Merritt Nicolaks combed three North Kamloops pitchers for nine hits which, combined with seven walks and three errors, was more than sufficient for an 8 to 3 victory over the Mohawks in an Interior League tussle in Merritt. The Nicolaks overcame a three-run deficit midway through the skirmish to draw even with the North Kamloops nine. They added three more in the seventh and an additional two in the eighth to win going away. Winning chucker Jack Abe struck out 13 while limiting the visitors to three safeties, two of which, a triple and a single, were garnered by Stan Kato. R. Smith, with a double and two singles, was the leading Nicolak batter.
Isobe, Varanai (5), Joe Motokado (L) (6) and xxx
Abe (W) and xxx
(June 2) The hosting Rutland Adanacs and the Merritt nine divided an Interior League twin-bill at Elks Stadium which saw the team from over the mountains cop the matinee joust 3 to 1 while the Ads retaliated for a convincing 9 to 4 triumph in the sunset event. Winning tosser Ken Noble was brilliant for the Nicola Valley squad in the lid-lifter, limiting the Rutland swatters to a just a lone hit. Losing flinger Lloyd Duggan also pitched well, surrendering but three safeties but lacked the defensive support given his mound opponent.
Noble (W) and xxx
Duggan (L) and xxx
The Adanacs came back with a vengeance in the finale, sending starting flinger Jimmy Irving to the showers in the eighth. Unfortunately for the winners, they lost the services of starting pitcher Ed Gallagher who suffered a possible cracked bone in the forearm when hit by a comebacker in the second inning. Reliever and winner Hugh Stewart rang up nine Merritt strikeouts while allowing just four hits in the eight innings that he toiled.
Irving (L), Noble (8) and xxx
Gallagher, Stewart (W) (2) and xxx
(June 9) The North Kamloops Mohawks collected 13 hits and nine walks off two Merritt pitchers on their way to a 17 to 3 shellacking of the hosting Nicola Valley nine. Six of the Mohawk tallies crossed the dish in the fourth canto. Joe Motokado, on the hillock for North Kamloops, scattered six hits and fanned seven in taking the mound decision. His batterymate, catcher Stan Kato, drove in six runs with a triple, double and single.
Joe Motokado (W) and Kato
Noble (L), Irving (8) and xxx
(June 9) The Rutland Adanacs spotted the visiting Revelstoke Spikes five runs in the top of the first inning but never panicked and ultimately triumphed by a 13 to 6 score at Elks Stadium. Winning chucker Hugh Stewart took over from Adanac starter Ed Gallagher, obviously still suffering from an elbow injury, in the first inning after Gallagher had been unable to record a single out. Facing the large hole which his predecessor had dug, Stewart held the Spikes to just three hits and one lone run the rest of the way. The Ads got three runs back in their half of the opening chapter and were able to knot the count at 6 – 6 in the fifth on Lloyd Duggan’s three-run double. From that point, it appeared that the Revelstoke team began to wilt as the homesters continued to press, scoring seven more over their final three turns at bat in cruising to victory. The only home run of the contest, a three-run shot, was hit in the opening panel by Revelstoke’s King.
Opra (L), S. Olynik (7) and Chisholm
Gallagher, Stewart (W) (1) and Koga
(June 9) Kamloops Jay-Rays vs Merritt Nicolaks – postponed – wet grounds
Standings W L Pct.
North Kamloops Mohawks 3 1 .750
Rutland Adanacs 4 2 .667
Merritt 3 3 .500
Merritt Nicolaks 2 2 .500
Kamloops Jay-Rays 1 3 .250
Revelstoke Spikes 1 3 .250
(June 16) A shaky start by the Rutland Adanacs cost them the ball game as they went down to the hosting Nicolaks 8 to 6 in a loosely-played Interior League clash in Merritt. Despite outhitting the Nics 11 to 8, the Ads were never able to overcome their poor start. Dave Besse, Nicolak first baseman, had an outstanding day with the willow, clubbing the orb for four bingles, including a two-run dinger in the opening inning.
Duggan (L) and xxx
Abe (W) and xxx
(June 19) The North Kamloops Mohawks climbed on starting pitcher Al Dawson for seven runs in the first inning and went on to cull a half-dozen more off two relievers en route to a 13 to 6 pasting of the Kamloops Jay-Rays at Riverside Park. Joe Motokado’s two-run four-bagger highlighted the Mohawks’ impressive opening-inning barrage.
Dawson (L), Owen (2), Schollen (5) and Harrison
Yaranai (W), Joe Motokado (4) and Kato
(June 23) A pair of Interior Baseball League clashes at Kamloops’ Riverside Park saw the visiting Rutland Adanacs fall 8 to 5 to the Kamloops Jay-Rays to begin things while the North Kamloops Mohawks posted a 6 to 4 victory over the Merritt club in the second fixture of the afternoon. The Adanacs outhit the Jay-Rays 11 to 5 but failed to capitalize on their hits in the matinee tilt. The Kamloops nine overcame an early 3 to 1 deficit to snatch the victory from the Rutlanders. A bases-loaded double by catcher Art Field followed by Larry Berg’s RBI single in the second round moved the hosts in front to stay. Winning pitcher Al Dawson whiffed ten in going the route for the Jay-Rays. Field paced the Kamloops’ nine at the dish with two doubles in three appearances.
Stewart (L), Gallagher (4) and xxx
Dawson (W) and Field
The Mohawks came from behind a 2 to 0 disadvantage with three runs in the sixth and another trio in the seventh and then held off a two-run ninth-inning Merritt surge to escape with the win in the late skirmish. North Kamloops’ outfielder Ed Fuoco drove in in the tying runs in the sixth with a two-run single and added a another RBI in the seventh, sending home Tosh Takenaka with his third one-bagger in four at-bats. Fly chaser Jim Holmes belted a solo circuit-blast for the Nicola Valley nine.
Noble (L) and xxx
Minamide, Kuromi (W) (5), Joe Motokado (9) and Kato
(June 30 - July 1) Kamloops Dominion Day Tournament
(June 30 - July 01) Kelowna Dominion Day Tournament
(July 7) With both squads in a dogfight for a playoff spot, the invading Kamloops Jay-Rays and the Rutland Adanacs duked it out in a ten-inning thriller that saw the Jay-Rays maintain their post-season hopes by emerging with a 9 to 8 victory. The Kamloops nine trailed 8 to 7 as they came to bat in the top of the ninth. Manager Mel Ottem, in a pinch-hitting role, drilled a double to drive in Glen Shannon with the tying marker. In the bottom of the ninth, Rutland loaded the bases with one retired when Ottem, who had take over catching duties, changed pitchers temporarily, replacing starter “Bud” Schollen with Gord Kusomoto, the latter chucker bailing the Jay-Rays out of the jam without any damage. In the top of the overtime session, a walk followed by Cliff Pachal’s double plated a go-ahead tally for Kamloops. Pachal then scored what proved to be the winning counter when he touched home on a successful squeeze play. In the last of the tenth, the Adanacs gained one run, Lloyd Duggan scoring on a hit by Akio Mende. At this point, Ottem brought Schollen back to the mound after which a force out and a ground out ended the struggle. Loser Hugh Stewart fanned 14 but wildness was his undoing as he issued 11 bases on balls.
Schollen, Kusomoto (W)(9), Schollen (10) and xxx, Ottem (9)
Stewart (L), Mits Koga (10) and xxx
(July 7) Storming back after falling behind 6 to 0, the North Kamloops Mohawks battled the visiting Merritt Nicolaks to a 6 – 6, nine-inning tie in an Interior League fixture that was called without overtime because of a Sunday curfew. The Nikolacs jumped on North Kamloops’ starter Dave Kuromi for four runs and reliever Joe Motokado for a fifth counter to grab a 5 to 0 first-inning lead. Stan Kato, the Mohawks’ veteran catcher, took over hillock chores in the third, allowing a sixth Merritt run on an RBI single by Dave Besse. Kato slammed the door thereafter, allowing only two hits in the last six frames. The Mohawks clouted Nicolak tosser Jack Abe for five hits in the bottom of the third to bring the score to 6 to 4 as Motokado singled in two runs and Tommy Miyahara one. An infield error allowed another Mohawk tally. Jim Tateishi’s single in the sixth drove in Gordie Miyahara with the Hawks’ fifth tally. Kuromi then redeemed himself in the seventh, following his disastrous opening-canto toeing of the rubber, with a single that drove in Kato to knot the score. The North Kamloops nine enjoyed a wide 15 to 5 margin in base hits acquired.
Abe and Ohata
Kuromi, Joe Motokado (1), Kato (3) and Kato, Creech (3)
(July 7) Merritt 2 Revelstoke Spikes 0
(July 14) The North Kamloops Mohawks took an Interior Baseball League game by default at Revelstoke when the Spikes were unable to field a full club.
(July 14) The Kamloops Jay-Rays split a three-team Interior Baseball League double-bill at Merritt, dropping the opener to Merritt 9 to 4 and taking the second game 16 to 5 from the Merritt Grand Nicolaks. Each club picked up seven base hits in the opener but Merritt took advantage of six Kamloops’ errors to gain the margin of victory. Jim Irving was the winning pitcher.
Schollen (L), Owen (5) and xxx
Irving (W) and xxx
Paul Prehara was credited with the second-game mound decision, a relatively-easy one which saw his teammates comb a pair of Nicolak chuckers for 15 hits.
P. Prehara (W), King (5) and xxx
Abe (L), Moffatt (5) and xxx
(July 21) The North Kamloops Mohawks virtually grabbed the 1957 Interior Baseball League pennant by virtue of a 9 to 6 conquest of the Rutland Adanacs. The Mohawks have a rained-out encounter with Revelstoke to make up plus a tie-game replay against the Merritt Nicolaks but, since the cellar-dwelling Spikes appear to be reluctant to travel to North Kamloops, the Mohawks have, for all intents and purposes, sewn up the pennant. A six-run outburst in the sixth chapter broke a 2 – 2 tie and sent the Mohawks to victory. Winning pitcher Sam Aura, who surrendered seven hits in going the route, aided his own cause with a brace of singles which accounted for a pair of RBI’s.
Aura (W) and Kato, Creech
Mits Koga (L), Gallagher (6), Stewart (9) and Holitzki, Morio Koga
(July 21) The Kamloops Jays–Rays assured themselves of a playoff berth by chalking up a 10 to 0 victory over the homestanding Revelstoke Spikes. Al Dawson scattered five hits in earning the whitewash win as his Jay-Ray teammates played flawlessly behind him.
Dawson (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(July 21) The Merritt Nicolaks captured second-spot in the Interior League by downing Merritt, their Nicola Valley counterparts, 11 to 5.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
Final Standings W L Pct.
North Kamloops Mohawks 7 1 .875
Merritt Nicolaks 6 3 .667
Merritt 5 5 .500
Kamloops Jay-Rays 5 5 .500
Rutland Adanacs 4 6 .400
Revelstoke Spikes 1 8 .111
PLAYOFFS / SEMI-FINALS
Kamloops Jay-Rays vs North Kamloops Mohawks (best-of-three series)
(July 28) The Kamloops Jay-Rays took a one-game advantage in their best-of-three semi-finals, downing the pennant-winning North Kamloops Mohawks 5 to 2 at Riverside Park. The Jay-Rays overcame a two-run deficit with singletons in the fifth and sixth innings and Tom King drove in what proved to be the winning run on a fielder’s choice in the seventh. Stan Kato had provided the Mohawks with a 2 to 0 lead by belting the ball off the right field fence in the fifth to score Jim Motokado and Gordie Miyahara. The Kamloops nine sewed things up with a pair of insurance counters in the eighth.
Joe Motokado (L), Kato (8) and Kato, Creech (8)
P. Prehara, Dawson (W) (5) and Harrison
(August 6) With both clubs performing well defensively in spite of intermittent rain, the North Kamloops Mohawks evened their best-of-three Interior Baseball League semi-finals with the Kamloops Jay-Rays when they set the Kamloops club down 7 to 5 at Riverside Park. Joe Motokado picked up the knoll triumph in relief of Mohawk starter Sam Aura who was derricked in the fourth round. Motokado gave up only two hits while fanning seven in the 5 2/3 innings he worked. Tosh Takenaka singled in two runs and Stan Kato and Dave Kuromi one each to get the ‘Hawks off to a four-run lead in the first inning. The Jay-Rays got two back in the second when Bruce Harrison drove in a single counter and a bases-loaded walk to Gord Tansley plated another. In the fourth, Kamloops knotted the count when starting pitcher “Bud” Schollen singled home Gerry Kernaghan and Cliff Pachal’s ground-out allowed Harrison to ramble home from the hot corner with the fourth Jay-Ray tally. North Kamloops broke the draw in the bottom of the same frame when Jim Tateishi doubled in two counters. They picked up a single run in the fifth and held the Jay-Rays to a lone tally in the seventh which ended the scoring.
Schollen, Dawson (L) (5) and xxx
Aura, Joe Motokado (W) (4) and Kato
(August 11) The Kamloops Jay-Rays trounced the North Kamloops Mohawks 12 to 4 to advance to the finals of the Interior Baseball League. The Kamloops’ swatters hammered three Mohawk twirlers for 14 base-hits which, aided by six North Kamloops errors, was more than enough to grab the decision. A first-inning single by Jay-Ray lead-off hitter John Glowacki followed by a pair of doubles, combined with two Mohawk fielding miscues, launched Kamloops into a 4 to 0 lead and set the tone for the remainder of the scuffle. Al Dawson, Jay-Ray righthander, doled out six hits and whiffed five in chalking up the win. He faced just 19 North Kamloops batters after the third inning, leaving only one stranded runner.
Dawson (W) and xxx
Aura (L), Joe Motokodo (2), Kato (7) and Kato, xxx (7)
(Presumably, a second best-of-three semi-final series pitting the two Nicola Valley entries (Merritt & the Merritt Nicolaks) against each other took place. However, nothing in print was found to indicate any game results/scores. Upon completion of the Kamloops-North Kamloops semi-final series, the Kamloops Sentinel announced that the Nicolaks would be the Jay-Rays’ opponent for the 1957 Interior Baseball League championship.)
FINALS
Merritt Nicolaks vs Kamloops Jay-Rays (best-of-three series)
(August 18) John Glowacki singled in Bruce Harrison, who had led off with a double, with the winning run in the 11th inning as the Kamloops Jay-Rays took the first game of the Interior Baseball League finals, edging the Merritt Grand Nicolaks 6 to 5 at Merritt. Tom King, the third of three Jay-Ray mound artists, hurled a masterful 5 2/3 innings of relief to earn the knoll decision. During his stint in toeing the rubber, King allowed just two hits and did not issue a single base on balls. He fanned six batters in that time and retired the side in the bottom of the 11th with three consecutive whiffs. It was a tough loss for Nicolak pitcher Jack Abe who went the entire 11-inning route, surrendering eight bingles while ringing up five strikeouts. F. Sterling drove in a pair of markers for the vanquished nine while teammates Mickey Ohata and M. Yasunaga batted in one each.
Tasko, P. Prehara (4), King (W) (6) and xxx
Abe (L) and xxx
(August 25) The Merritt Grand Nicolaks tied the Interior Baseball League finals at a game apiece when they downed the Kamloops Jay-Rays 6 to 2 in the second game of the best-of-three championship series. Three runs in the third inning were all the Nics needed to wrap up the victory, offsetting single tallies plated by the Jay-Rays in the first and second cantos. Dave Besse singled in two of those third frame counters after Eddy Mountain had crossed the dish with the initial Merritt marker on Mickey Ohata’s bunt. Jack Abe went the distance on the knoll for the Nicola Valley nine, scattering six hits, walking two and fanning seven.
Abe (W) and xxx
Dawson (L), King (8) and xxx
(September 1-2) Kamloops Labour Day Tournament
(September 8) The Kamloops Jay-Rays are the 1957 holders of the Bob Chalmers Memorial trophy after capturing the third and final game of the Interior Baseball League finals 7 to 4 over the hosting Merritt Grand Nicolaks. The Jay-Rays got to losing tosser Jack Abe for 13 base knocks while the Nics were only able to nick a brace of Kamloops’ flingers for three bingles. Gordon Tansley drove in the first Jay-Ray run in the second inning when he tripled home Bruce Harrison. Kamloops erupted for a quartet of markers in the fourth panel with Gerry Kernaghan’s three-bagger being an impact blow. Starter “Bud” Schollen received credit for the hillock triumph although he tired and needed relief help from Al Dawson.
Schollen (W), Dawson (7) and xxx
Abe (L) and xxx
WEST KOOTENAY SENIOR BASEBALL OVERVIEW
Out of the scrap heap of entries from the dismantled Washington – B.C. League (which included five Washington state teams plus the Nelson Outlaws) and Border Baseball League of 1956 (encompassing four West Kootenay clubs and a lone Washington state franchise from Colville) emerged a 1957 circuit known as the International Border Baseball League which contained but one British Columbia squad, the Nelson Outlaws. The other Lakeside City aggregation of a season previous, the Nelson Maple Leafs, ceased operations in 1957 as many of their former players joined the Outlaws.
The 1957 International Border Baseball League was a loosely-operated circuit which embraced four Washington state diamond crews in addition to the Outlaws. Much of the roster of the Northport WA team was made up of playing personnel from the British Columbia community of Rossland. The five combatants played a limited schedule which allowed the Nelsonites to also engage in exhibition encounters on weekends when faced with no league commitment. The 760th Air Force Squadron Radarts of Colville WA nosed out the Nelson nine for the 1957 league pennant. No playoffs took place and, following their final league skirmish, the Outlaws embarked upon a few more exhibition tussles.
Senior-level baseballers from Trail and Rossland remained leagueless in 1957, participating in exhibition and tournament play. The Trail Smoke Eaters went on to face the Nelson Outlaws in a best-of-three series for the 1957 senior championship of the West Kootenays.
1957 International Border Baseball League
760th U.S.A.F. Squadron Radarts
Chewelah WA
Colville WA
Nelson Outlaws
Northport WA
WEST KOOTENAY SENIOR BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
The independent and leagueless Trail Smoke Eaters and the Nelson Outlaws, second-place finishers in the International Border Baseball League, duked it out in a best-of-three weekend series for the 1957 senior baseball championship of the West Kootenays. All games between the two combatants were played at Nelson’s Civic Recreation Grounds. The Smokies held the upper hand in their three previous meetings throughout the summer and the defending champion Lakesiders, the 1956 club composed of both Outlaws and members of the now-defunct Nelson Maple Leafs, entered the fray with revenge on their mind, aching from the accumulated effect of their triad of exhibition game defeats suffered at the hands of the Trailites.
(September 7) Nelson’s Les Hufty, though giving up eight hits and pitching with runners aboard in six innings, was in command for most of the way in the first game of the West Kootenay senior championship round, a contest in which the Outlaws won convincingly by a 10 to 3 count over the invading Smoke Eaters from Trail. Hufty’s roughest inning was the second when Bill Jablonski of the Smokies tagged a two-run homer to give Trail a temporary lead. Three Nelson bingles, including a double by Bernie Monteleone, evened the game at 2 – 2 in the third. The Law Breakers stretched it to 5 to 2 in the fourth and fifth. Leo Petty then tripled and scored to make it 6 to 3 in the sixth and a four-run seventh, started by “Lefty” Gould’s three-bagger, settled matters in the eighth after the Smelter City gang had plated a single tally in the top of the frame.
Ferguson (L), A. Bilesky (8) and Hackett
L. Hufty (W) amd Hoffman
(September 8) Facing elimination following their first-game defeat, the Trail Smoke Eaters rode the superb 18-inning mound effort of Bob Seaman and stormed back by belting the Nelson Outlaws 11 to 6 and 12 to 5 to take the best-of-three series two games to one and capture the 1957 West Kootenay senior baseball crown. The Smoke Eaters chased Nelson starter Walt Avis from the mound with a five-run second inning in the Sunday opener, the second game of the triage. The lanky Outlaw righthander was wild as a March hare, issuing five bases on balls in his two-inning stint although being touched for just one hit, a triple by Bill Jablonski. Hugh “Pinoke” McIntyre’s double highlighted a three-run Trail fourth. In the eighth, the Silver City nine scored another trio when Nelson reliever ”Lefty” Gould’s control also went astray as he walked three in succession and surrendered two singles. Bernie Monteleone doubled home Nelson’s first run in the second inning. The Outlaws narrowed the gap to 5 to 3 with two in the third, Loren Bay doubling home the first counter. After a single run in the fourth, the Bandits went scoreless until a ninth-inning rally netted a pair of markers.
Seaman (W) and A. Bilesky
Avis (L), Gould (3) and Hoffman
Trail took a 4 to 0 lead in the nightcap after 3 1/2 innings of play but the Law Breakers tied the game and went ahead 5 to 4 with three tallies in the fourth and two in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Austin “Bo” Gillis and Loren Bay. The Nelson bats fell silent after that as they collected only one hit during the remainder of the contest. On top of that, their defensive play had a meltdown and the Trailites gleefully jumped in and put the game out of reach with three in the seventh on two errors, two walks and “Sonny” Hackett’s double, plus five more runs in the ninth round on three singles and a trio of Nelson miscues.
Seaman (W) and Hackett
Grill, Olson (L) (6), Petty (9) and Nash, Holmes (6), Hoffman (8)
WEST KOOTENAY GAME REPORTS FEATURING THE INDEPENDENT TRAIL & ROSSLAND SENIOR BASEBALL TEAMS
(May 12) The Trail Smoke Eaters split a weekend exhibition doubleheader with the Spokane area-based Fairchild Air Base baseball team. The Smokies dropped the opener 4 to 3 then retaliated with an 11 to 1 thumping of their hosts in the follow-up encounter.
Seaman (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
DeRosa (W), Ferguson and xxx
xxx (L), xxx and xxx
(May 16) The Trail Smoke Eaters opened their home exhibition schedule with a neat 6 to 3 victory over the visiting Fairchild Air Base Flyers. Fairchild grabbed an early lead with three counters in the third round. A double by losing tosser Warman, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Legotte and Guenther’s single produced the trio of Flyer tallies. Trail took the lead in the fifth as four safe blows, coupled with a brace of miscues by the Airmen, brought in five markers. A single by Archie McKinnon drove in the Smokies’ final counter later in the contest.
Warman (L) and xxx
Ferguson, Seaman (W) (4), DeRosa (7) and Milne, Hackett (4), Russell (7)
(May 26) The Rossland Senior Capilanos, playing their first game of the 1957 season, went down to an 8 to 6 exhibition game defeat at the hands of the Northport WA squad of the International Border Baseball League. Both teams clipped the orb for 11 safeties. Catcher Bill Weilep led the Washingtonians at the platter, slamming a home run and a single. Winning chucker Pilcher helped his cause by cuffing the apple for a triple and one-bagger. Hot corner guardian Ron Fabbro topped the Golden City willow wielders, garnering a two-bagger and a single.
Bourchier, Ling (5), Dougan (L) (8) and Ferguson
Pilcher (W) and Bill Weilep
(May 30) The Trail Smoke Eaters walloped the Colville WA Air Base nine 22 to 6 in an exhibition senior baseball game at Butler Park. Tony DeRosa recorded 14 strikeouts while yielding nine hits in cruising to the hillock victory. After falling in arrears by five tallies early in the fracas, the Smokies responded with a huge second frame when they plated ten runs on seven hits, the big blow being a double by Bill Jablonski. Hugh “Pinoke” McIntyre was tops with the baton for the Trailites, stinging the pill for four safeties, one of which was a home run.
Montgomery (L) and xxx
DeRosa (W) and xxx
(July 6) The Nelson Outlaws of the International Border Baseball League, backed by the standout relief pitching of Blair Olson, rallied from behind an early 5 to 0 deficit to edge the Rossland Capilanos 9 to 8 in an exhibition skirmish played in the Golden City. Coming to the aid of starter Walt Avis in the second canto after the lanky Nelson righthander pulled a muscle, Olson allowed the Caps only three hits the rest of the way. Starting Rossland chucker, Pete Bourchier, was also sidelined early after hurting his arm.
Avis, Olson (W) (2) and xxx
Bourchier, Chorney (L) (5), Laatsch (9) and Ferguson, Milne (6)
(July 7) The invading KREM – TV diamondeers from Spokane WA fought to a nine-inning 4 – 4 draw with the Trail Smoke Eaters in senior exhibition baseball action at Butler Park. Bob Seaman went the distance on the bump for the Silver City nine, punching out nine while issuing six free passes. James, the lone Spokane moundsman, fanned seven and walked three. The visitors struck early, grabbing a 2 to 0 lead in the initial canto. The Smokies narrowed the margin to 2 to 1 in the second round when George Guimont/Guilmont tripled to score Bill Jablonski. A third-inning double by KREM’s Downing drove in a third Spokane counter and, in the fifth, Cottington of the visitors upped the score to 4 to 1 with a run-scoring single. Trail evened the count in the bottom of the same panel following doubles by Jimmy Bilesky and Hal Jones and a neat single by “Busher” McIntyre. In addition to his game-tying one-bagger, McIntyre also ripped an additional brace of singles to go along with a triple.
James and xxx
Seaman and xxx
(July 13) A sixth-inning meltdown by the hosting Rossland Capilanos allowed the Colville Air Base club to plate a quartet of tallies en route to a 6 to 4 triumph over the Caps. Rossland outhit the Fly Boys by a 9 to 6 margin but infield errors at crucial times led to their downfall. Hizer of Colville had just two strikeouts but earned the mound decision over Irv Lavorato who whiffed nine. Catcher Chuck Milne and outfielder Pete Bourchier had two hits apiece for the Caps with one of Milne’s swats going for a triple. Fly chaser Hlavey led the Americans at the plate, stroking a double and a one-bagger.
Hizer (W) and Kane
Lavorato (L) and Milne
(July 19) Racking up 13 runs in the first three frames, the Rossland Senior Capilanos soared to a 15 to 9 conquest of the Colville WA Air Base Radarts at Colville’s spanking new baseball facility. Al Laatsch copped the mound victory, whiffing eleven along the way. Don Shorting and Dave Flanagan led Rossland’s 13-hit offensive barrage with three safe swats each. Outfielder Ken Hitch belted a solo homer for the Radarts.
Laatsch (W) and Driscoll
Savage (L), Hizer (3) and xxx
(July 20) The Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Libby MT 8 to 3 in the opening game of a weekend exhibition baseball series. Bob Seaman went the route on the knoll for the Smokies, yielding ten safeties in copping the win. The loss went to Bowling, the first of three Libby chuckers. Seaman was a force with the baton as well as on the hill. He helped his own cause considerably by slugging a three-run double as well as a single. Teammate Wally Russell contributed a triad of one-baggers.
Bowling (L), Wimitt, Overby and xxx
Seaman (W) and xxx
(July 21) The Libby MT nine fell to the Trail Smoke Eaters 8 to 5 in the windup game of a two-contest set at Butler Park. Tony DeRosa took the mound for Trail and allowed Libby only six hits in recording the victory. Tied 5 – 5 entering the bottom of the eighth canto, the Smokies scored three times, the winning counter crossing the plate on a sacrifice by Jim Bilesky. J. “Busher” McIntyre was a one-man offensive wrecking crew for the Silver City nine as he ripped out five safe blows, two doubles and three singles.
Magmakon (L), Bowling (8) and xxx
DeRosa (W) and xxx
(July 24) A late-inning collapse by the Rossland Capilanos allowed the Trail Smoke Eaters to overcome a 5 to 4 deficit and march on to a convincing 13 to 5 triumph over the hosting Caps. Both starters, Jack Ferguson of the invading Trailites and Rossland’s Al Laatsch, went the distance. George Lechuk homered for the Smelter City nine while Hal Jones hammered a triple and single, an output replicated by keystone sacker Lou Campana of the Rosslanders.
Ferguson (W) and Johnson
Laatsch (L) and Ferguson
(July 31) Trail skipper Andy Bilesky’s potent gang of Smoke Eaters handed the Rossland Capilano baseball nine an 8 to 3 loss at Butler Park in an exhibition encounter. Both winning chucker George Lechuk and vanquished hurler Irv “Lefty” Lavorato were nicked for eight base knocks but the Cap heaver allowed two homers and a pair of triples while Lechuk yielded but one extra-base rap, a double by Pete Bourchier. Fly chaser J. “Busher” McIntyre and second baseman Bill Jablonski both launched four-baggers for the winners while teammates Hal Jones and Bill Johnson crushed the horsehide for triples. Rossland catcher Jim Driscoll had a pair of clean singles, both of which drove in counters.
Lavorato (L) and Driscoll
Lechuk (W) and Russell
(August 1) The Trail Smoke Eaters slapped a 12 to 5 victory in the face of the Nelson Outlaws of the International Border Baseball League in an exhibition clash at Butler Park. The Smokies took a one run lead in the second inning following Harold Jones’ inside-the-park round-tripper and then pulled away with a five-run outburst in the third canto. Consecutive singles by “Busher” McIntyre, Leo Mailey, “Pinoke” McIntyre and Jones, his second safety of the scuffle, along with one-baggers by Wally Russell and pinch-hitter Sonny Hackett, later in the frame, accounted for the quintet of tallies. Russell and pinch-hitter Bill Johnson singled in the fifth and Mailey doubled to give the Smokies two more runs and cinch the already foregone conclusion. Jones finished the skirmish with a dinger and a brace of one-baggers to top the hit parade. Loren Bay drove in three of the Outlaws’ markers with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth.
Olson (L) and xxx
Seaman (W), Mohoruk (4), DeRosa (7) and xxx
(August 9) Playing in the opening round of the seventh annual Lethbridge Rotary Tournament, the Trail Smoke Eaters were eliminated after being bounced 11 to 0 by the Lethbridge-Vulcan All-stars. Winning pitcher Al Warnick stymied the Smokies on four hits. Mitch Sztaba had a triple and two singles for the Stars.
Warnick (W) and Scornaienchi
Seaman (L), DeRosa (1), Mohoruk (6) and Russell
(September 7-8) West Kootenay senior baseball championship series
INTERNATIONAL BORDER BASEBALL LEAGUE GAME REPORTS (involving Nelson Outlaws)
PRE-SEASON
(May 5) The Nelson Outlaws, handicapped by a lack of practice time, dropped an exhibition doubleheader to the hosting Colville WA Eagles. A four-run Colville fourth inning was the big difference in the 9 to 4 conquest of the visitors in the opener. The Outlaws played better in the finale before succumbing to the Feathered Tribe by a 4 to 3 margin.
Avis (L), L. Hufty (5) and Hoffman
xxx (W) and xxx
Grill (L) and Stewart
xxx (W) and xxx
(May 12) The Inchelium WA baseballers, a team composed of primarily native Indian players, edged the invading Nelson Outlaws 4 to 3 in the matinee tilt of an exhibition twin-bill. The second contest ended in a 3 – 3 tie.
Gould (L) and xxx
xxx (W) and xxx
Olson, Storgaard (4), L. Hufty (6) and xxx
xxx and xxx
(May 20) New Denver Victoria Day tournament
REGULAR SEASON (including exhibition and tournament games)
(May 26) A single counter in the top of the ninth inning allowed the visiting Colville WA Eagles to squeeze out a narrow 3 to 2 decision over the Nelson Outlaws as the IBBL opened the 1957 campaign with a double-dip in the Lakeside City. The Outlaws rebounded with an impressive 11 to 4 verdict in the wrap-up encounter. A double by Colville first baseman Bob McLaughlin followed by a two-base clout by pinch-hitter Jack Lee provided the winning run for the Eagles in the opener. Karl White struck out five in earning the mound win over Les Hufty.
White (W) and xxx
L. Hufty (L) and xxx
Nelson portsider “Lefty” Gould tossed a seven-hitter in the late fracas and was the beneficiary of some solid offensive production by his mates. He also helped himself at the dish, walking in the third round, doubling in the fourth and singling home two runs in the fifth. Teammate Austin “Bo” Gillis ripped a brace of three-baggers while Don Hoffman chipped in with a double and single.
Davis (L), Hoxie (5) and xxx
Gould (W) and xxx
(June 2) Chewelah WA diamond pastimers and the visiting Nelson Outlaws split an IBBL doubleheader in the Washington town. The Outlaws captured the lid-lifter 5 to 1 before dropping the nightcap 3 to 2. Stan Grill of the Outlaws spun a nifty four-hitter in the opening tilt to earn the knoll triumph. His mates bagged eight safeties as Loren Bay and Al McDonald led the pack with a brace each.
Grill (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
Both pitchers of record surrendered just four hits in the second game. Three of Chewelah’s base raps came in the second canto when they collected their second and third runs.
L. Hufty (L) and xxx
Bundy (W) and xxx
(June 8) The Nelson Outlaws dropped both ends of a hard-fought exhibition doubleheader to the hosting Kimberley Hobos of the East Kootenay Baseball League, losing the opener 2 to 1 and the late skirmish 5 to 3. The combatants displayed outstanding baseball in both tilts. The Hobos plated singletons in both the seventh and eighth panels to erase a 1 to 0 deficit in capturing the matinee affair. Vic/Wilf Smith took the mound decision from Walt Avis whose lack of control cost the Outlaws the verdict.
Avis (L) and xxx
Smith (W) and xxx
Fine defensive play by his mates helped Kimberley chucker Al Fisher to register the hillock win in the sunset event.
Gould (L) and xxx
Fisher (W) and xxx
(June 15) Errors and bases on balls were rampant as the Kimberley Hobos of the East Kootenay Baseball League scored five runs in the 10th inning to slam the homestanding Nelson Outlaws 16 to 11 in the opening game of the second leg of a home-and-home exhibition double-bill. Chucker “Lefty” Gould hurled a masterful three-hitter for the Nelsonites in the nightcap as the Outlaws prevailed 7 to 0. The Hobos bounced back from an 11 to 5 deficit in registering the matinee game triumph to saddle lefthanded reliever Gould with the overtime defeat.
xxx, xxx, xxx (W) and xxx
Avis, Brown (8), Gould (L) (8) and Hoffman
Gambling that Gould still had enough in the tank to hurl the late encounter following the first-game fielding collapse by his mates, Nelson manager Ron Nash made a number of defensive replacements and sent the portsider back to the bump to start proceedings. The Hobos lit him up for a trio of first-inning one-baggers but failed to score and, after that brief outburst, were held hitless the rest of the way as the southpaw fanned nine while walking five in tossing the whitewash win.
Ronquist (L), Blakely (4) and xxx
Gould (W) and Holmes
(June 16) The Nelson Outlaws whipped the Northport WA nine 10 to 8 in the opener of an International Border Baseball League doubleheader in the American centre but the Northport aggregation, bolstered by six players from Rossland BC, bounced back in the nightcap to register a 4 to 0 triumph, their initial league conquest.
The Outlaws climbed aboard the slants of loser Bob Weilep for 16 base knocks in the lid-lifter, four by third baseman Elmer Bay. Chunky backstop Don Hoffman blasted a long homer for the Lakesiders in the seventh panel with nobody on base. The Northport nine got to complete game winner Stan Grill for 11 bingles.
Grill (W) and Hoffman
Bob Weilep (L) and xxx
Veteran southpaw Irv Lavorato, one of the Rossland recruits, flung a nifty two-hitter and fanned ten in the owl encounter to register the shutout knoll victory on behalf of the Washingtonians. Bob Weilep cranked a solo home run for Northport.
Olson (L) and xxx
Lavorato (W) and xxx
(June 29) Backed by the standout relief pitching of Blair Olson, the Nelson Outlaws rallied from behind an early 5 to 0 Rossland lead as the Lakesiders came back to edge the Capilanos 9 to 8 in an exhibition tilt played in the Golden City. Olson came to the aid of starting flinger Walt Avis after the lanky righthander had pulled a muscle while delivering a pitch in the second inning. A diminutive southpaw, Olson, allowed the Caps only three hits the rest of the way. Frank Hufty’s two-run single in the top of the ninth inning erased an 8 to 7 deficit and lifted the Outlaws to the victory.
Avis, Olson (W) (2) and xxx
xxx, xxx (L) and xxx
(June 30) Hammering the horsehide for 20 base blows, the hosting Nelson Outlaws crushed the Inchelium WA Indians 22 to 1 in a one-sided exhibition scuffle. Stan Grill went the route on the bump for the Nelsonites, giving up eight safeties.
Zaigg (L), Smith (5) and xxx
Grill (W) and xxx
(July 1) The invading 760th U.S.A.F. Radarts from Colville WA and the Nelson Outlaws divided a Dominion Day International Border Baseball League double-bill in the Lakeside City, the hosts taking the matinee clash 5 to 1 and the Washington Airmen the late event by a 10 to 9 count. Nelson chucker “Lefty” Gould went the distance on the hillock for the win in the opener, giving up only four hits and striking out eight Air Force batters.
Norris (L) and xxx
Gould (W) and xxx
A five-run sixth inning made the difference for the first-place Radarts in their second-game conquest. Frank Hlavay of the Airmen belted a home run in the second frame.
Woods (W) and xxx
Storgaard (L), Olson (6), L. Hufty (6) and xxx
(July 13) Loren Bay’s third hit of the game, a two-run homer in the seventh round, provided the ammunition to propel the Nelson Outlaws to an 8 to 6 conquest of the visiting Fairchild Air Force Base nine in the first game of an exhibition weekend series. Bay also lit the horsehide up for a triple and single prior to blasting his decisive four-bagger. Les Hufty, with 11 strikeouts, took the mound decision as the Americans clipped his offerings for 11 well scattered safeties.
xxx (L) and xxx
L. Hufty (W) and xxx
(July 14) The Fairchild Air Force Base baseballers withstood a late charge by the Nelson Outlaws to escape with an 11 to 10 verdict in the second game of their weekend set with the hosting Lakesiders. A scheduled third game was washed out. The Bandits had the bases loaded with no one out in the final canto as their last-ditch rally fell just short after plating five counters to draw within one of the lead.
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and Hoffman
(July 21) Nattily attired in new uniforms, the elegant-appearing Nelson Outlaws made not only a fashion statement but also an impressive display of baseball superiority as they thumped the invading Chewelah WA diamond pastimers twice, 18 to 2 and 17 to 1, in International Border League doubleheader action at the Civic Recreation Grounds. Winning flinger Les Hufty gave up just two hits and fanned nine in the matinee encounter.
Burgess (L), xxx and xxx
L. Hufty (W) and xxx
Lanky Walt Avis of the Outlaws surrendered only three Chewelah hits in the nightcap while his mates were busy poling out 17 bingles, including four by Austin “Bo” Gillis and two each by Stan Grill, Don Holmes and Avis.
xxx (L), xxx and xxx
Avis (W) and Holmes
(July 25) The leagueless Trail Smoke Eaters broke up a close exhibition fracas with the hosting Nelson Outlaws of the International Border circuit when they erupted for four counters in the ninth canto to double the Lakesiders 12 to 6. Two errors, a walk, a brace of singles and Bill Johnson’s two-bagger gave the Smelter Towners their big ninth-inning splurge. Johnson also had a sixth-frame RBI single. The Smokies had a 16 to 11 advantage in base hits.
Guimont, Seaman (W) and xxx
Gould (L), L. Hufty (5) and xxx
(July 28) Needing a double victory to leapfrog into first place, the runner-up Nelson Outlaws fell short of their objective and remained a game-and-a-half behind the top-dog 760th U.S.A.F. Squadron Radarts of Colville WA after dividing a crucial International Border League doubleheader in the Lakeside City. The Bandits lost a heartbreaking 1 to 0 squeaker to begin play at the Civic Recreation Grounds then bounced back to cop the finale by an 8 to 5 count.
The only run of the first game was plated in the top of the eighth panel when winning pitcher Frank Hlavay singled, advanced to second base on a passed ball, took third on a hit by infielder Dupuis and was safe at the dish when Nelson shortstop Loren Bay’s relay throw, which appeared to be in time to nab the Colville baserunner, inadvertently struck him just before he hit the dust in slide mode. The Outlaws made a valiant attempt to even the count when, in the ninth Bay smacked a one-bagger, was sacrificed to the keystone sack, swiped third but was left in limbo following a one-out double play which ended the game. Hlavay fanned seven and limited the Bandits to three singles, two coming off the bat of Bay while righthander Les Hufty, dinged with the loss, allowed seven bingles.
Hlavay (W) and xxx
L. Hufty (L) and xxx
Walt Avis pitched and batted the Outlaws to victory in the second tilt which saw Nelson’s Leo Petty blast a first-inning solo homer. Both Avis and losing twirler Henser of the Airmen yielded seven base knocks in the wind-up skirmish. Avis had the nod in strikeouts with nine as opposed to just two for Henser. The Lakesiders made their big offensive push in the fourth round when they tallied six times. Avis delivered a bases-clearing triple to highlight the rally. Austin “Bo” Gillis, with two singles, was the only Nelsonite to get more than one hit.
Henser (L) and xxx
Avis (W) and xxx
(August 4) The Nelson Outlaws copped both ends of an International Border League doubleheader with the Northport WA baseball aggregation at the Civic Recreation Grounds, blanking the Washingtonians 11 to 0 to begin the afternoon proceedings and then following up with a 9 to 5 pasting in the sunset event. Behind Les Hufty’s four-hit hurling, the Outlaws breezed to the opening game whitewash, scoring three runs in both the first and second innings to consolidate the one-sided conquest. Nelson collected ten hits, three by Austin “Bo” Gillis and two each by Leo Petty and Ron Nash. Losing chucker Bob Weilep, plagued by a porous defense, and teammate Chuck Milne split the four Northport safeties, each bagging a brace.
Bob Weilep (L) and xxx
L. Hufty (W) and xxx
As in the opener, the Bandits jumped into a first-inning lead which they never relinquished. Winning pitcher Walt Avis, tough in the clutch and backed by solid defensive play, effectively scattered 12 Northport bingles while ringing up nine whiffs. His mates made the best of the seven base blows which they acquired. Top swatter in the contest was Pete Bourchier of the visitors who clipped the horsehide for a double and two singles. Teammates Irv Lavorato and Ken Walker both laced a pair of one-baggers.
xxx (L) and xxx
Avis (W) and xxx
POST-REGULAR SEASON
(August 11) The Nelson Outlaws, second-place finishers in the International Border circuit, emerged as double winners, 4 to 1 and 8 to 7, after 19 innings of hard-fought exhibition doubleheader baseball at Nakusp. Les Hufty, Nelson righthander, threw a three-hitter in the seven-inning opener to capture the knoll decision. He also picked up the mound verdict in the second encounter, in relief of Outlaw starter Walt Avis, while batting in the winning run with a twelfth-inning triple. Lou DeRosa opposed Hufty on the hill in the matinee tussle, surrendering seven hits, fanning eight and issuing five walks. Hufty, aided by top fielding plays, whiffed three and did not walk a batter. Hufty, teammate Leo Petty, as well as Nakusp’s Dave Urban each stroked a pair of safe swats.
L. Hufty (W) and xxx
DeRosa (L) and Hayashi
The Outlaws’ superior bench strength helped determine the outcome of the extended late tussle. Nakusp playing-manager Otto Yanagisawa’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth knotted the count at 7 – 7. Both teams failed to score in the ninth and it took three sessions of overtime before Hufty settled the issue, crashing a three-bagger to drive in Bernie Monteleone, who had reached base on an error, with the winner. Monteleone and Don Holmes of the Nelsonites as well as Jack James and losing pitcher Buster Patterson of Nakusp, each collected two hits.
Avis, L. Hufty (W) (10) and Hoffman
Patterson (L) and Hayashi
(August 18) The Nelson Outlaws of the International Border Baseball League unleashed a powerful 28-hit attack Sunday afternoon to swamp Nakusp 17-3 and 14-1 in an exhibition twin-bill played at the Civic Recreation Grounds. The hosting Bandits put the opening game on ice early, breaking out in the third inning with a three-run, inside-the-park homer by Frank Hufty and a two-run shot over the left field fence by Loren Bay. Nelson added seven runs in the fifth inning, aided by three walks dished out by Nakusp starter Buster Patterson. Nelson’s “Lefty” Gould held Nakusp to nine hits in going the route for the win.
Patterson (L), Kraft (5), Patterson (6) and Hayashi
Gould (W) and Nash
Nakusp took the lead with a run in the top of the first inning of the second game but the advantage was short lived. Nelson proceeded to pound out 17 hits, one a homer by Bernie Monteleone, to crush the visitors. Blair Olson pitched shutout ball after the first frame, allowing just seven hits overall. Ken White had two doubles and three singles on the day to pace the winners. Loren Bay and Leo Petty each had four hits for the Lakesiders while Austin “Bo” Gillis and Monteleone had three apiece. Dave Urban was best for Nakusp with four hits and Denny Kraft, a former Outlaw, had three.
DeRosa (L) and Hayashi
Olson (W) and Holmes
(August 24) Veteran righthanded pitcher Les Hufty rang up 15 strikeouts in tossing a three-hitter as the Nelson Outlaws were victorious 4 to 1 over the visiting Deer Park WA nine in exhibition action at the Civic Recreation Grounds. Bernie Monteleone slammed a long home run off losing chucker Larry Pember in the second frame which moved the Outlaws into a lead they never relinquished. A double by Leo Petty, a three-bagger by Loren Bay and Ken’ White’s sacrifice fly produced two more Nelson counters in the fourth canto. Petty’s double and singles by Frank Hufty and Bay counted the final run in the eighth.
Pember (L) and xxx
L. Hufty (W) and xxx
(August 25) Superb hurling and stellar defensive play were instrumental in 1 to 0 and 6 to 3 victories by the Nelson Outlaws over the New Denver All-Stars in an exhibition double-dip hosted by the Lakeside City nine. Youthful southpaw Blair Olson of the Law Breakers whiffed seven and fired a one-hitter in the opener of the twin-bill. His command was a bit off as he issued three bases on balls and hit a pair of New Denver batters but catcher Don Holmes guided the portsider well by calling a near perfect game. A seventh-inning single by second baseman Lou DeRosa of the visitors was quickly nullified when the following batter grounded into a double play. Loren Bay’s double in the opening round drove in the game’s lone counter. Bay had another two-bagger later in the contest while teammate Ken White ripped a double and single off losing flinger Ken Gordon.
Gordon (L) and xxx
Olson (W) and Holmes
The Nelson squad had only five hits in the evening tussle but, combined with some costly New Denver errors, made the best of their opportunities. The losers collected 14 hits, 12 off the slants of winning hurler Stan Grill who showed his best form when in a jam. Dave Urban cracked three safeties for the Stars while teammate Ken Gordon ripped a triple and single.
DeRosa (L), Storgaard and xxx
Grill (W), Avis (8) and xxx
(September 7-8) West Kootenay senior baseball championship series
(September 15) The Nelson Outlaws, with only an 11-player roster, won both ends of a doubleheader from the Creston Cruisers of the East Kootenay Baseball League, 7 to 6 and 7 to 4, at Creston. By virtue of their twin win, the Outlaws brought home the Creston Valley trophy, won by Creston in 1956. The curtain raiser wasn’t decided until the ninth inning. The Outlaws plated their seventh run in the top of the frame to take a two-run lead but the Cruisers cut the margin to 7 – 6 and had the tying run on base when winning reliever Les Hufty bore down to strike out the last two Creston batters. Leo Petty paced Nelson at the dish with two singles and a double. Don Hoffman followed with a three-bagger and single while Frank Hufty and Al McDonald contributed two singles each. Albert Roemer had two hits for the hosting Cruisers.
Grill, L. Hufty (W) (6) and Nash
M. Folkman, Roemer (7), Mesenchuk (L) (9) and L. Folkman
Nelson southpaw Blair Olson tossed a five-hitter in the seven-inning second game in which the Outlaws scored four in the first inning, one a theft of home by Ken White, only to have Creston tie the game 4 – 4 with a quartet of runs in the fourth which featured a home run by Albert Roemer and a triple by Page. The Law Breakers notched the winning run in the fifth panel when Leo Petty, who again had three hits, doubled home Frank Hufty. Two insurance counters in the seventh sealed the deal. Besides Petty’s fine production at the platter for the winners, teammate Don Hoffman was also a key offensive contributor, bagging a brace of safeties.
Olson (W) and Holmes
Wayling (L) and L. Folkman
WEST KOOTENAY JUNIOR LEAGUE
Final League Standings W L Pct.
Rossland Capilanos 13 2 .867
Fruitvale A’s 12 4 .750
Trail CYO Giants 9 7 .563
Fruitvale Beavers 3 12 .200
East Trail Mainliners 2 14 .125
Playoff Final
(September 3) The Rossland Junior Capilanos clipped the Fruitvale A’s 8 to 5 to capture the West Kootenay Junior baseball championship for the first time in their seven-season history.
Denis (L), McIntyre, Magee and McIntyre, King
xxx (W) and Vaness
ARROW LAKES / SLOCAN
(May 20) New Denver Victoria Day tournament
(June 9) Buster Patterson and Louis DeRosa combined to no-hit Edgewood Seniors Sunday at Nakusp. Don Bouvette saved the day for the hurling duo when he charged in from right field to make a sensational shoe string catch on Bateman's drive. Nakusp battered three Edgewood pitchers for 14 hits with Lino Zanier, Fred Desrochers, Patterson and Dave Urban each with a pair. it was Nakusp's first no-hitter since 1951. After the game, a meeting was held and Otto Yanagisawa was again appointed manager and coach, Arden Gran, secretary, and Fred Desrochers, captain.
xxx, xxx, xxx and xxx
Patterson, DeRosa and xxx
(June 16) It was a scoreless tie for four innings but then Nakusp brought out the heavy lumber and went on a hitting spree to demolish the Burton All-Stars 16-0 Sunday. Buster Patterson was a star both on the mound and at the plate. The big right-hander fired four innings of shutout ball in relief while smacking a bases-loaded homer for the longest blow of the day. Louis DeRosa blanked the visitors for the first five innings. Noel Wilson scored four runs for the winners.
Johnson (L), J.Robazza and xxx
DeRosa (W), Patterson (6) and xxx
(June 26) Hosting Kaslo edged a visiting team from Nakusp 8 to 7.
Gunn (L) and Balstead
Command (W) and Shutto
(August 11) The Nelson Outlaws, second-place finishers in the International Border circuit, emerged as double winners, 4 to 1 and 8 to 7, after 19 innings of hard-fought exhibition doubleheader baseball at Nakusp. Les Hufty, Nelson righthander, threw a three-hitter in the seven-inning opener to capture the knoll decision. He also picked up the mound verdict in the second encounter, in relief of Outlaw starter Walt Avis, while batting in the winning run with a twelfth-inning triple.
Lou DeRosa opposed Hufty on the hill in the matinee tussle, surrendering seven hits, fanning eight and issuing five walks. Hufty, aided by top fielding plays, whiffed three and did not walk a batter. Hufty, teammate Leo Petty, as well as Nakusp’s Dave Urban each stroked a pair of safe swats.
L. Hufty (W) and xxx
DeRosa (L) and Hayashi
The Outlaws’ superior bench strength helped determine the outcome of the extended late tussle. Nakusp playing-manager Otto Yanagisawa’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth knotted the count at 7 – 7. Both teams failed to score in the ninth and it took three sessions of overtime before Hufty settled the issue, crashing a three-bagger to drive in Bernie Monteleone, who had reached base on an error, with the winner. Monteleone and Don Holmes of the Nelsonites as well as Jack James and losing pitcher Buster Patterson of Nakusp, each collected two hits.
Avis, L. Hufty (W) (10) and Hoffman
Patterson (L) and Hayashi
(August 18) Nelson Outlaws unleashed a powerful 28-hit attack Sunday afternoon to swamp Nakusp 17-3 and 14-1. Outlaws put the opening game on ice early breaking out in the third inning with a three-run, inside-the-park homer by Frank Hufty and a two-run shot over the left field fence by Loren Bay. Nelson added seven runs in the fifth inning, helped by three walks by Nakusp starter Buster Patterson. Lefty Gould held Nakusp to nine hits in going the route for the win.
Patterson (L), Kraft (5), Patterson (6) and Hayashi
Gould (W) and Nash
Nakusp took the lead with a run in the top of the first inning of the second game but the advantage was short lived. Nelson proceeded to pound out 17 hits, one a homer by Bernie Monteleone, to crush the visitors 14-1. Blair Olson pitched shutout ball after the first frame allowing just seven hits overall. Ken White had two doubles and three singles on the day to pace the winners. Loren Bay and Leo Petty each had four hits, Bo Gillis and Monteleone had three apiece. Dave Urban was best for Nakusp with four hits and Denny Kraft, a former Outlaw, had three.
DeRosa (L) and Hayashi
Olson (W) and Holmes
(August 25) Superb hurling and stellar defensive play were instrumental in 1 to 0 and 6 to 3 victories by the Nelson Outlaws of the International Border loop over the New Denver All-Stars in an exhibition double-dip hosted by the Lakeside City nine. Youthful southpaw Blair Olson of the Lakesiders whiffed seven and fired a one-hitter in the opener of the twin-bill. His command was a bit off as he issued three bases on balls and hit a pair of New Denver batters but catcher Don Holmes guided the portsider well by calling a near perfect game. The All-Stars only safety, a seventh-inning single by second baseman Lou DeRosa was quickly nullified when the following batter grounded into a double play. Loren Bay’s double in the opening round drove in the game’s lone counter. Bay had another two-bagger later in the contest while teammate Ken White ripped a double and single off losing flinger Ken Gordon.
Gordon (L) and xxx
Olson (W) and Holmes
The Nelson squad had only five hits in the evening tussle but, combined with some costly New Denver errors, made the best of their opportunities. The losers collected 14 hits, 12 off the slants of winning hurler Stan Grill who showed his best form when in a jam. Dave Urban cracked three safeties for the Stars while teammate Ken Gordon ripped a triple and single.
DeRosa (L), Storgaard and xxx
Grill (W), Avis (8) and xxx
EAST KOOTENAY BASEBALL
EAST KOOTENAY SENIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE
A second team from Kimberley, the Sorenson Hobos, joined the Dynamos as part of the 1957 East Kootenay seniors circuit. The new entry was composed of players who formed the nucleus of the 1956 junior club that went by the same name.
Cranbrook Lumbermen
Creston Cruisers
Fernie Falcons
Kimberley Dynamos
Kimberley Sorensen’s Hobos
Michel-Natal Red Sox
(June 5) The Fernie Falcons defeated the Michel-Natal Red Sox 2 to 0 in a regularly scheduled East Kootenay Baseball League contest played in Fernie. Hurler Bill Cole of the Falcons tossed a four-hitter in winning his second consecutive shutout victory. Pete Caufield singled to drive in Glen DeGeorgio with the initial Fernie run in the fifth inning. Mike Turyk plated an insurance marker in the eighth when he scored all the way from first base after Jack Marasco’s single to the middle pasture went through the legs of the Red Sox’ centre-fielder.
xxx (L) and xxx
Cole (W) and xxx
(June 8) The hosting Kimberley Hobos captured both end of a hard-fought exhibition doubleheader from the Nelson Outlaws of the International Border Baseball League, edging the Lakesiders 2 to 1 in the opener and taking the late skirmish by a 5 to 3 count. The combatants displayed outstanding baseball in both tilts. The Hobos plated singletons in both the seventh and eighth panels to erase a 1 to 0 deficit in capturing the matinee affair. Vic/Wilf Smith took the mound decision from Walt Avis whose lack of control cost the Outlaws the verdict.
Avis (L) and xxx
Smith (W) and xxx
Fine defensive play by his mates helped Kimberley chucker Al Fisher to register the hillock win in the sunset event.
Gould (L) and xxx
Fisher (W) and xxx
(June 15) Errors and bases on balls were rampant as the Kimberley Hobos scored five runs in the 10th inning to slam the homestanding Nelson Outlaws of the International Border Baseball League 16 to 11 in the opening game of the second leg of a home-and-home exhibition double-bill. Chucker “Lefty” Gould hurled a masterful three-hitter for the Nelsonites in the nightcap as the Outlaws prevailed 7 to 0. The Hobos bounced back from an 11 to 5 deficit in registering the matinee game triumph to saddle lefthanded reliever Gould with the overtime defeat.
xxx, xxx, xxx (W) and xxx
Avis, Brown (8), Gould (L) (8) and Hoffman
Gambling that Gould still had enough in the tank to hurl the late encounter following the first-game fielding collapse by his mates, Nelson manager Ron Nash made a number of defensive replacements and sent the portsider back to the bump to start proceedings. The Hobos lit him up for a trio of first-inning one-baggers but failed to score and, after that brief outburst, were held hitless the rest of the way as the southpaw fanned nine while walking five in tossing the whitewash win.
Ronquist (L), Blakely (4) and xxx
Gould (W) and Holmes
(June 16) The hosting Creston Cruisers took over second place in the East Kootenay Baseball League with a pair of decisive shutout victories, 7 to 0 and 11 to 0, over a tired band of Kimberley Hobos. Creston has now won four games while losing two. Creston scored five times in the first inning of both contests. Melvin Folkman went the distance on the hill for the Cruisers in the opener, stymying the Hobos on five hits while whiffing 12. Denny Fawcett and Gerald Mesenchuk smashed four-baggers for the victorious nine.
Blayney (L), Johnson (1) and K. Kuntz
M. Folkman (W) and L. Folkman
John Drysdale of the hosts won the mound decision in the nightcap, striking out eight while limiting the Kimberley invaders to three safeties. Albert Roemer collected five safeties for the Cruisers during the twin-bill while teammate Bill McCormick creamed the orb for four safe blows.
McLean (L), Blayney (1) and K. Kuntz
Drysdale (W) and L. Folkman
(June 23) In East Kootenay Senior Baseball League action at Coronation Park over the weekend, the Kimberley Hobos swept a doubleheader from the visiting Michel-Natal Red Sox by scores of 12 to 5 and 7 to 2
(June 23) The Fernie Falcons took both ends of an EKBL double-bill from the invading Kimberley Hobos, downing the Bums by scores of 6 to 2 and 2 to 1. The wins allowed the Fernie nine to consolidate their hold on third place in the circuit. Wilf Ashmore of the Falcons pitched a masterful four-hitter against the Kimberley Clan in the afternoon affair. He was in control throughout, giving up but two walks and striking out seven.
xxx (L) and xxx
Ashmore (W) and xxx
In the evening tussle, Ashmore’s pitching stablemate, Bill Cole, also held the visiting Tramps to four safeties, all singles. The Falcons plated the winning marker in the fourth panel when Ashmore singled, advanced to second base on an infield out, moved to third on a single by Bill Cole and scored when Pete Caufield reached first on an error.
xxx (L) and xxx
Cole (W) and xxx
(June 26) The Fernie Falcons spotted the Michel-Natal Red Sox eight runs in the first two innings then fought back for a 12 – 12 tie in an East Kootenay Baseball League fracas that was curtailed after nine frames because of darkness. The game was a slugfest in which 31 hits were accrued, 16 by the Falcons.
Tappay, Chala, Bosetti and xxx
Ingram, Ashmore and xxx
(June 30) Behind the hurling of Bill Cole, the Fernie Falcons handily defeated the hosting Natal-Michel Red Sox 10 to 4. In a second game, an exhibition affair, the Falcons also won, 12-11.
Cole (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
(June 30) The visiting Fernie Falcons claimed half the spoils when they visited Kimberley to battle the Dynamos in an EKSBL double-dip at Coronation Park. After losing the matinee tussle 7 to one, the Coal Miners responded with a 7 to 1 triumph in the nightcap. 32 hits were scattered to all corners of the ball park in the afternoon tilt and one smash left the confines of the playing field with the Generators’ Les Lilley on the propelling end. It was anybody’s game until the seventh spasm when the Dynies erupted for their five-run margin. Jack Holliston, who had taken over mound chores from Lilley in the sixth, slammed the door on the Falcons the rest of the way to earn the victory. Bill Cole and Wilf Ashmore toiled on the bump for the Hawks.
Fernie’s Ashmore and Harvey Nash of the hosts locked horns in the late tussle with a last-inning defensive meltdown by the Dynies allowing the visitors to run across a five-spot to seal the deal and secure a split. Portsider Ashmore allowed the Dynamos just three scattered hits in annexing the verdict.
(July 7) The shorthanded Kimberly Dynamos, with a free weekend from EKSBL play, travelled to Golden for an exhibition doubleheader. Eric Bodin, back in action after a month’s layoff due to scalded feet, marked his return by pitching a 7 to 5 victory in the opener. Golden came back to take the second skirmish 10 to 4.
(July 9) The batting punch from within the Kimberley Dynamos’ lineup was missing as they dropped a 7 to 5 verdict to the invading Cranbrook Lumbermen. It was close all the way with the visitors breaking a 5 – 5 tie by plating their two winning counters in the top-of-the-ninth chapter. Wally Tymchyna hurled the route-going victory while the loser was Eric Bodin, who ascended the bump in the seventh stanza to put out a fire after Kimberley pitcher Mike Jantze, making his first hurling start of the campaign, tired and was yanked. The Lumbermen had a decided 10 to 5 edge in base hits but five errors on their part kept the hosts in the game. First baseman Andy Drobot led the winners with the willow, stroking three safeties.
Tymchyna (W) and Somoya
Jantze, Bodin (7) and McCarthy
The Hobos struck for a dozen base blows in the opener in support of winning hurler Mel Johnson who entered the tussle in the second stanza in relief of Ron Brown. Eddie Johnson, besides playing an outstanding game at shortstop, connected for three hits as did teammates Vern Kuntz and Jim Ratcliffe. Catcher Merv Ronquist delivered a brace of bingles, including a double. The visitors used three tossers with starter Ken Tappay taking the loss. Michel hitters accumulated five base knocks including three-baggers by Vince Bosetti, Scodallero and Red Quarin.
Tappay (L), Chala, Serefini and xxx
Brown, M. Johnson (W) (2) and Roquist
Backed by the steady defensive play of his infielders, Bob Fisher turned in a complete-game performance on the hillock for Kimberley in the windup encounter. Fisher gave just four safeties and one free pass. Sadlish and Red Quarin handled the pitching chores for the Crows Nest Crew, being tapped for six hits. Ed Johnson, continuing his hot hand with the lumber for the winners, knocked out a double and a single.
Sadlish (L), Querin and xxx
Fisher (W) and Ratcliffe
(July 7) Creston Cruisers moved into second place in the East Kootenay Baseball League with a sweep of a doubleheader at Fernie. Cruisers trounced the Falcons 11-0 in the opener and escaped with a 2-1 victory in the second game. Fernie dropped to third place in the standings behind the Cruisers and the league-leading Kimberley Dynamos. Melvin Folkman scattered six hits in pitching the shutout as his teammates rapped out 16 hits against Wilf Ashmore. The second game featured a pitching duel between John Drysdale and Bill Cole. Drysdale allowed just five hits and fanned 14, Cole allowed seven hits with five strikeouts. Neither pitcher issued a walk. Dave Shunter and Drysdale drove in the Creston counters in the fifth panel while Patsy Caravetta’s pinch-hit one-bagger plated the lone Fernie tally in the seventh.
(July 12) It took six regular-season attempts but the Kimberley Hobos finally disposed of their inter-city rivals, the Kimberley Dynamos, by a score of 6 to 2. The Hobos came out of the gate with fire in their eyes and pounced on Dynamo starter Derrel Dixon for five tallies in the opening canto. Three base hits, two walks and an error were parlayed into the five-spot. Dixon was given the hook in favor of Bob Cox and the Dynamo portsider didn’t surrender a run in the six stanzas that he toiled on the bump. Harvey Nash replaced Cox in the eighth episode and was charged with the sixth and final Hobos’ run. Winning slabster Ron Brown went all the way. John Kosiancic, who had a bad day at shortstop for the Hobos, redeemed himself offensively by stroking a pair of hits. Teammate Jim Putsey matched that output. Les Lilley, Elmer Garinger and “Buzz” Mellor each had two safe swats for the losers.
Brown (W) and Ratcliffe
Dixon (L), Cox (1), Nash (8) and McCarthy
(July 14) Emerging with a split of their twin-ill in the Apple Centre with the Creston Cruisers, the Kimberley Dynamos maintained their position atop the EKSBL standings. The Dynies dropped a tough 4 to 2 decision to the Valley Crew in the opener as Eric Bodin was tagged with the heaving defeat.
The Kimberley nine captured the second event 6 to 2 behind the hurling of Elmer Garinger who went eight innings before turning the ball over to Les Lilley.
(July 16) Elgin Smith pitched the Hobos to a narrow 2 to 1 conquest of the Dynamos in an exciting all-Kimberley joust at Coronation Park. Smith gave up just three hits and one walk while whiffing ten in this pitching duel against hard-luck loser Eric Bodin who was touched for five safeties while walking four and fanning six. The Dynies scored first, an unearned counter in the sixth stanza, when Smith overthrew first base on a routine ground ball, allowing “Red” Matthews who had been stationed on the keystone sack after doubling, to romp all the way home. The Tramps plated their pair of tallies in the seventh. Ken Kuntz scored the equalizer after singling, swiping second, moving to third on an out and sprinting home on a wild pitch. Jim Putsey kept things alive with a solid single and raced around with the deciding tally on Ron “Slicker” Brown’s RBI-double.
Smith (W) and K. Kuntz
Bodin (L) and McCarthy
(July 18) The Dynamos clobbered their cross-town Kimberley rivals, the Hobos, 14 to 2 at Coronation Park in what was probably the only poor game between the arch-rivals this season. The Dynies climbed all over five Hobo tossers for 14 base blows. Eric Bodin cruised to the easy knoll triumph. Every batter in the Generators’ lineup got into the hitting act with “Red” Matthews and Chuck McCarthy clipping the horsehide with the most authority. Bob Fisher, the first of the Hobo quintet on the hillock, was stung with the defeat.
(July 21) Two excellent ball games were played at Coronation Park where the invading Creston Cruisers and the Kimberley Dynamos each won a game and lost one in doubleheader action. The Dynies won the first game 3 to 0 as righthander Eric Bodin came up with an outstanding performance on the mound, allowing but four hits, while his mates played flawlessly afield. The Generators raked southpaw John Drysdale for nine hits as Les Lilley gathered three hits and both Elmer Garinger and Charlie McCarthy a pair.
Young Mel Folkman, on the Creston hill for the wrap-up event, copped the complete-game knoll decision as the Cruisers prevailed 3 to 2 on a ninth-inning solo homer by Danny Fawcett. Bodin, returning to the hill as a fifth-inning reliever for starter Les Lilley, was the victim of Fawcett’s game-winning blast. Bobby Cox drove in the Kimberley markers with a two-run single in the opening canto.
(July 25) The Kimberley Dynamos edged their city cousins, the Kimberley Hobos, 1 to 0 in a well-played encounter at Coronation Park. Eric Bodin scattered five hits in going the distance for the shutout win. Righthander Mel Johnson, who ascended the knoll in relief of Hobo starter Ron “Slicker” Brown after only 1-1/3 innings of play, was the hard-luck loser. The Dynamos plated the only counter in the fracas in the fifth frame when they got to Johnson for three of the four hits he surrendered.
Bodin (W) and McCarthy
Brown, M. Johnson (L) (2) and K. Kuntz
(July 31) The league-leading Kimberley Dynamos travelled to Natal and split a regularly-scheduled East Kootenay Baseball League double-dip with the hosting Michel-Natal Red Sox, dropping the first game 6 to 5 in 12 innings before rebounding for a 3 to 2 triumph in the finale. In the opener, Ben Serefini drove home the winning counter for the Crimson Hose in the third overtime session. Ken Tappay got credit for the mound victory after coming to the relief of starter Peter Reghenos. Eric Bodin, the tough-luck loser in the opening scuffle, evened his record for the day with the complete-game triumph in the second skirmish.
Garinger, Nash, Bodin (L) and xxx
Reghenos, Tappay (W) and xxx
The Dynamos took a 3 to 0 lead after their first turn at bat in the wrap-up tussle and hung on for the win as the Sox battled back to close the gap to one run.
Bodin (W) and xxx
Alan Chala, Vince Bosetti and xxx
(August 2-3-4) Kimberley annual baseball tournament
(August 8) With five games remaining in the regular schedule, Kimberley Dynamos have clinched at least a tie for the top spot in the East Kootenay standings. Creston Cruisers are faced with winning their last two games with Kimberley Hobos to force a tie.
Kimberley Dynamoes 13 7
Creston Cruisers 11 7
Cranbrook Lumbermen 10 8
Kimberley Hobos 10 8
Fernie Falcons 8 11
Michel Red Sox 3 14
(August 11) In their closing doubleheader of the regular schedule, the youthful Kimberley Hobos took two victories from the visiting Creston Cruisers by scores of 11 to 1 and 5 to 2. The double victory vaulted the Hobos into second place in the final standings.
In the opener, fourth-inning reliever Mel Johnson, after coming to the aid of starting heaver Dave Blayney in the fourth frame with the bases-loaded and two outs, rang up a strikeout to end the inning. 17-year old righthander Johnson then proceeded to blank the Cruisers on one hit for the remainder of the game, while his teammates were piling on the runs, to earn the pitching victory. Ed Johnson, with four singles led the Hobos offensively. Creston starting heaver Mel Folkman was tagged with the loss.
M. Folkman (L), Jones (8) and L. Folkman
Blayney, M. Johnson (W) (4) and Ratcliffe
Tom McLean was skipper Dave McLay’s choice to start on the knoll for the Kimberley diamond troopers in the seven-inning nightcap. A streak of wildness in the opening canto, followed by Len Folkman’s two-run double, put Creston in front and brought on Elgin Smith to relieve. Smith not only put out the fire but stymied the Cruisers on one safety the rest of the way. The Hobos knotted the count in their half of the panel on run-scoring doubles by Ron Brown and Bob Person. The Kimberley aggregation went ahead to stay in the third when Art King crossed the dish on Pearson’s perfect squeeze bunt. Later in the contest, the Hobos put the game on ice when Art King, with his third safe swat of the clash, tripled home Smith and Mel Johnson. Absorbing the mound setback was Creston’s veteran slabster Davis.
Davis (L) and L. Folkman
McLean, Smith (W) (1) and Ratcliffe
(August 14) In their closing doubleheader of regular-season play, the hosting Kimberley Sorensen Hobos snatched two victories from the visiting Creston Cruisers at Coronation Park. Mel Johnson and Elgin Smith both turned in superb relief pitching performances as the ever-improving Sorensen squad annexed 11 to 1 and 5 to 2 wins to take over second place in the final standings.
In the opener, fourth-inning reliever Johnson, after coming to the aid of starting heaver Dave Blayney in the fourth frame with the bases-loaded and two outs, rang up a strikeout to end the inning. 17-year old righthander Johnson then proceeded to blank the Cruisers on one hit for the remainder of the game, while his teammates were piling on the runs, to earn the pitching victory. Ed Johnson, with four singles led the Hobos offensively. Creston starting heaver Mel Folkman was tagged with the loss.
M. Folkman (L), Jones (8) and L. Folkman
Blayney, M. Johnson (W) (4) and Ratcliffe
Tom McLean was skipper Dave McLay’s choice to start on the knoll for the Kimberley diamond troopers in the seven-inning nightcap. A streak of wildness in the opening canto, followed by Len Folkman’s two-run double, put Creston in front and brought on Elgin Smith to relieve. Smith not only put out the fire but stymied the Cruisers on one safety the rest of the way. The Hobos knotted the count in their half of the panel on run-scoring doubles by Ron Brown and Bob Person. The Kimberley aggregation went ahead to stay in the third when Art King crossed the dish on Pearson’s perfect squeeze bunt. Later in the contest, the Hobos put the game on ice when Art King, with his third safe swat of the clash, tripled home Smith and Mel Johnson. Absorbing the mound setback was Creston’s veteran slabster Davis.
Davis (L) and L. Folkman
McLean, Smith (W) (1) and Ratcliffe
(August 14) The Kimberley Dynamos clinched first place in the EKSBL and the 1957 regular-season pennant when they dumped the Cranbrook Lumbermen 9 to 3 in the last game of league play. The Dynies finished with a record of 13 wins against seven losses. The Generators, behind the stellar four-hit mound performance of Eric Bodin, picked up 12 hits off the combined offerings of loser Vern Doll and Wally Tymchyna. Bodin rang up seven punchouts and issued one free pass but was lit up for a eighth-episode solo dinger by “Bim” Brehm
FINAL STANDINGS W L T Pts.
Kimberley Dynamos 13 7 0 26
Kimberley Hobos 12 8 0 24
Cranbrook Lumbermen 11 9 0 22
Creston Cruisers 11 9 0 22
Fernie Falcons 8 11 1 17
Michel Red Sox 5 14 1 11
(August 17 - 18) Windermere tournament
PLAYOFFS Bodin and McCarthy (August 28) The Dynamos took the lead in their EKSBL series with the Hobos by winning the second bout of the all-Kimberley finals 6 to 1. It was a close game for the first seven spasms with the Dynamos holding a 2 – 1 advantage. After Hobo starting heaver Mel Johnson was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom-of-the-seventh stanza, his three successors, Dave Blayney, Elgin Smith and Ron Brown, let the game get away in the eighth episode when the Dynamos racked up a four-spot to seal the deal. Winning twirler Eric Bodin hurled a four-hitter and rang up eleven punchouts. Bodin (W) and xxx (September 1 – 2) Fernie Labor Day weekend tournament (September 4) Behind the fine six-hit pitching performance of rookie righthander Mel Johnson, the Kimberley Hobos emerged as winners of the deciding game in the 1957 EKSBL finals by a score of 8 to 3. Johnson started strong, wavered a bit in the middle innings but finished in stellar fashion, facing only 13 batters in the final four frames. With Les Lilley unable to pitch as per a pulled muscle in his flipper and ace slab artist Eric Bodin unavailable to start as per his assignment just 24 hours previous, infielder Elmer Garinger was seconded to the hill for the Dynamos. Garinger simply couldn’t find the strike zone and issued seven walks before he was derricked in the second stanza with the sacks full and no one out. Bodin, without the benefit of a warm-up session, was called in cold to douse the emerging fire but after singles by Art King and Elgin Smith, four markers were across the platter and the Generators never fully recovered. After getting by nicely for the following three rounds, Bodin was nicked for three more counters in the seventh and a singleton in the eighth to put a bow on it. Eddie Johnson had three hits, including a double, to lead the ten-hit attack presented by the new champions. Allan Patterson had a double and single while Kenny Kuntz stroked a brace of one-base hits. Lilley topped the vanquished nine with the lumber with two base blows, one of them a rousing double. Garinger (L), Bodin (2) and McCarthy (September 14-15) All-Kootenay senior baseball championship series Kimberley Sorenson Hobos are the Kootenay Senior Baseball champions. After dropping the first game of the Kootenay finals 3-1 to the Trail Smoke Eaters on Saturday, Kimberley roared back to win 8-5 and 10-3 on Sunday to take the best-of-three series. With the bleachers bulging for the deciding game of the final, Hobos made it look easy with a 10-3 victory. Ike Bodin, a pickup from the Kimberley Dynamoes, limited Trail to seven hits. Hobos grabbed an early five run lead and added three in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Hobos pounded out 12 hits with Art King leading the way with three. Ferguson (L), Bilesky, Seaman and Johnson Trail had taken the series opener 3-1 with playing manager Andy Bilesky tossing a four-hitter for the winners. He fanned seven and walked two. The Smoke Eaters, who had just six hits, took advantage of wildness by Hobos starter Elgin Smith who walked nine. Two of the Trail runs came on steals of home. Catcher Ken Kuntz had three hits for the losers., Bilesky (W) and Johnson In the second game, Kimberley fell behind 4-0 in the first inning but quickly regrouped with three in the second and one in the third to tie. Trail, which out-hit Kimberley 10 to 5, nudged ahead in the fourth but Mel Johnson, who relieved starter Eric Bodin in the fifth, blanked Trail for the rest of the game and the East Kootenay nine rebounded for the victory. They took the lead with a pair in the fifth and added two insurance runs in the eighth to win 8-5. Hobos managed just five hits, but were gifted the win as the Smoke Eaters allowed nine free passes and committed eight errors. (May 26) The Quesnel Clippers clobbered the Prince George Canadas 22 to 9 and 16 to 0 in a one-sided twin-bill played in the Fraser River town. It was like batting practice for the hosting Clippers in the first three innings of the early game in which they ran up tallies of three, seven and five runs, leaving the Canadas dizzy from the way Quesnel runners were circling the bases. Morrison (L), Powell (4) and xxx Pitcher Tommy Bryan of the Clips struck out 17 and had a no-hitter going until the ninth of the late encounter. Ryall (L), Morrison (5) and xxx (May 26) The Willow River Red Sox prevailed 4 to 0 over the Quesnel Lumbermen in a rain-shortened, five-inning opener of a scheduled doubleheader. The second encounter was washed out. Willie McDermid slugged a two-run homer for the winners. Slack (L) and xxx (May 29) The Prince George Athletics hammered their intra-city rivals, the Prince George Canadas 17 to 0 in a contest terminated after six innings because of darkness. Winning pitcher Fred Kapphahn fired a two-hitter and struck out ten. Outfielder Gordie Cruickshank led the A’s offensively with two singles and a double. Kapphahn (W) and xxx (June 2) The defending champion Willow River Red Sox were given a rude welcome by the hosting Prince George Athletics who inflicted the Sox with a double defeat by scores of 4 to 0 and 7 to 4. Fred Therres blanked the Willow River nine on eight hits in the opener. Only two Red Sox’ baserunners got as far as third base where they were left stranded. xxx (L) and xxx Larry Jensen and Bill Ross smashed home runs for the winners in the second contest while Bob Coulling nailed a two-run shot for the Crimson Hose. Fred Kapphahn gave up seven hits while fanning eight in taking the mound decision. xxx (L) and xxx (June 2) The Quesnel Clippers remained atop the Prince George & District circuit by dropping the Quesnel Lumbermen twice by counts of 3 to 2 and 2 to 0. The Lumbermen drew first blood in the opener when a fourth-inning single by Grassley drove in a pair for a 2 to 0 lead. The Clippers won the game in the top of the fifth, scoring their three counters on an RBI single by Gary Tuttle followed by a two-run one-bagger by Oscar Festerling. Rodonets (W) and xxx In the nightcap, starting and winning pitcher Andy Lay of the Clips worked the initial eight innings, surrendering just three hits. Reliever Paul McInnis preserved the shutout with a one-hit effort in the ninth. Losing flinger George Dye gave up single counters in the fourth and fifth cantos before retiring from the hill in favor of Gene Slack. Lay (W), McInnis (9) and xxx (June 5) The homestanding Red Sox of Willow River evened their record at two wins and two losses after knocking off the winless Prince George Canadas 7 to 2. Winning pitcher Andy Kuchurian limited the visiting Prince George nine to just two safeties, a double and single both garnered by outfielder Punt. Larsen (L) and xxx (June 9) The Willow River Red Sox failed in their attempt to clip the wings of the high-flying Quesnel Clippers. The Clips bounced the defending champions 6 to 1 and 13 to 5 to stretch their league record to six wins without a defeat. Clipper chucker Tommy Bryan registered 12 strikeouts in going the distance for the matinee contest victory. He lost his shutout bid in the ninth inning when Bob Coulling singled in Willie McDermid from third base. M. Church (L) and McDermid The Clippers overcame an early Willow River lead to grab the finale and make it a sweep. Irv Follack and Norm Gronskei had two-baggers for the winners while Ted Church and Willie McDermid of the Red Sox reciprocated. Bruder (L), Kuchurian (5) and McDermid (June 9) The invading Quesnel Lumbermen captured their first two wins of the season, trampling the hapless Prince George Canadas 13 to 1 and 14 to 5. In the opener, the Woodmen rapped out 16 hits as Johnny Kuzak and Bill Crutchley hammered round-trippers in support of winning chucker Paul McInnis who was nicked for seven blows including a circuit clout by playing-manager Chuck Gabrielle of the Canadas. McInnis (W) and xxx The fumble-fingered Canadas committed 11 errors in the nightcap. Fred Kazakoff nailed a four-bagger in a losing cause. Dye (W) and xxx Standings W L Pct. (June 16) The doormat Prince George Canadas gave the hosting Quesnel Lumbermen a scare before succumbing to the Woodmen 7 to 6 in a ten-inning opener of a double-bill. The Canadas reverted to form in the late contest, a 25 to 0 fiasco in which they committed 15 errors. Bob Boyd’s single in the overtime session drove in Bill Crutchley with the winning tally for Quesnel in the lid-lifter. Larsen (L) and xxx The Lumbermen creamed four Prince George tossers for 15 safeties in the one-sided nightcap. Portsider George Dye earned the knoll triumph before retiring from the hill after six frames. Both Dye and reliever Paul McInnis were nicked for a lone safety. Cunningham (L), Larsen (1), Ryall (5), Lereaux (7) and xxx (June 18) The Prince George Athletics took a neat 10 to 4 decision from the Okanagan-Mainline League’s Oliver OBC’s in the first part of an exhibition twin-bill but were humiliated 25 to 1 by the Oliverites in the final joust. Cousins (L) and Mundle Prince George had only three safeties in the late contest off winning chucker Gary Driessen and reliever Richie Schnider, including a solo four-bagger by Bill Ross in the sixth round. Lloyd Burgart, a pickup from the Penticton Red Sox, poled three tremendous home runs for the OBC’s. Therres (L), Backman (3), Sauer (4), Jensen (6) and Cruikshank, Stettner (3) (June 20) The Quesnel Lumbermen dropped a 5 to 2 decision to the touring Oliver OBC’s of the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League in a hard-fought exhibition tussle in Quesnel. Veteran Harold Cousins took the mound verdict over another long-time baseballer, portsider George Dye of the Lumbermen. Both hurlers yielded six hits as Cousins chalked up six strikeouts to five for Dye. Cousins (W) and xxx (June 27) Struggling to maintain some semblance of its original schedule, the rain-plague Prince George & District loop now has 9 make-up games facing the five entries. The defending champion Willow River Red Sox and the Prince George Athletics have been hit the hardest by Jupiter Pluvius, each club having five rain-outs. The undefeated Quesnel Clippers and the winless Prince George Canadas both have three games to make up while the Quesnel Lumbermen have two. (June 30 - July 1) The Quesnel Clippers captured $200 top prize money in the Kamloops Dominion Day weekend tournament when they handed the Kamloops Okonots of the Okanagan-Mainline Baseball League a stinging 8 to 1 defeat in the tourney final. The Okonots had defeated the Kamloops Jay-Rays of the Interior Baseball League 5 to 2 to enter the finals while the Clippers eked out a narrow 3 to 2 triumph against the North Kamloops Mohawks in the other semi-final match. Gary Tuttle’s timely single in the seventh inning drove in Don Gale with the winning counter against North Kamloops after catcher Stan Kato of the Mohawks had tied the game with a sixth-inning solo homer. Lay, Bryan (W) (6) and xxx A brace of booming back-to-back solo homers in the fifth panel broke up the finale. With the Okonots leading 1 to 0 at the time, losing pitcher Len Gatin served up dingers to Gene Plamondon and Gary Tuttle which launched the Clips on to victory. /Rodonets, Bryan (W) (3) and xxx (July 3) Despite an increased show of enthusiasm on the diamond, the Prince George Canadas went down to their ninth consecutive defeat in the Prince George & District loop when they suffered a 7 to 3 setback at the hands of their Spruce City rivals, the Prince George Athletics. The undefeated A’s doubled the output of the Canadas with the willow, outswatting them 6 to 3. Regular catcher Andy Stettner took a turn on the hill for the victors and came through in fine style. Larsen (L) and Legard (July 5) The Prince George Athletics dumped the Willow River Red Sox 8 to 4 on the home turf of the defending champions. xxx (W) and xxx (July 7) Errors were the deciding factor in both halves of a double-bill in Quesnel with the visiting Willow River Red Sox getting the benefit in a 10 to 6 afternoon win while the Quesnel Lumbermen cashed in to the tune of 7 to 3 in the evening event. The Woodmen committed seven miscues in the opening tilt, leaving losing chucker George Dye out to dry. Both Dye and winning flinger Ted Church were clipped for 12 safeties. T. Church (W) and McDermid In the nightcap, it was just the reverse as the Red Sox booted the ball on nine occasions. Kuchurian (L) and McDermid (July 7) The Prince George Athletics streaked to the top of the Prince George & District Baseball League, moving a half-game ahead of the idle Quesnel Clippers, on the strength of a doubleheader victory over the cellar-dwelling Prince George Canadas. The A’s edged the Canadas 7 to 3 to begin the proceedings then crushed their cross-town rivals 28 to 3 in the sunset tilt. Marty Blackburn and Fred Kapphahn teamed up to hurl the first game triumph. Frank Bencher paced the Athletics at the dish, punishing the pill for three safeties. /Larsen (L) and xxx In the follow-up fracas, the Athletics’ Frank Bencher had five more hits, including a triple and double, to bring his daily output of safe swats to eight. Teammates Gord Cruickshank and Jim Briggs both ripped the horsehide for four bingles while winning chucker Andy Stettner ripped a home run. Playing-manager Chuck Gabrielle paced the vanquished nine with the baton, collecting a triad of base knocks. xxx (L), xxx, xxx and xxx Standings W L Pct. (July 10) Mike Church pitched a no-hit, no-run game in leading the hosting Willow River Red Sox to a 6 to 0 blanking of the futile Prince George Canadas. All of Willow River’s runs came as a result of two-run homers. Willie McDermid clubbed two taters while George Congrave blasted one dinger. Larsen (L) and xxx (July 14) A clash of the unbeaten saw the invading Quesnel Clippers emerge with a double dose of sweet victories as they conquered the Prince George Athletics with a convincing 7 to 0 whitewash to begin proceedings then just managed to eke out a come-from-behind 10 to 9 win in their second meeting of the day. Throughout the course of the double-dip, the Quesnel sluggers banged out a total of seven homers while the A’s managed three, all in the final skirmish. A brilliant one-hit pitching performance by Tommy Bryan of the Clips was the highlight of the matinee fracas. Only losing pitcher Fred Kapphahn, with a single, was able to dent his armour. Frank Stevenson nailed a three-run round-tripper in the fifth to salt away the early contest for the visitors. Two more four-ply clouts in the sixth and seventh by Gary Tuttle and Kadi Koyama, completed the rout. Bryan (W) and xxx The Athletics had a one-run cushion going into the ninth inning of the second joust but managed to fritter it away. An overthrow to first base put Gene Plamondon on safely and Gary Tuttle followed with a two-run dinger to wrap things up for the Clips. Oscar Festerling and Norm Gronskei had previously homered for the victors while Gord Cruickshank, with a brace, and Andy Stettner, with one, had launched circuit-clouts for the vanquished nine. Tom Bryan earned his second knoll triumph of the day in a relief role. Rodonets, Festerling (3), Bryan (W) (5) and xxx (July 14) There is one less team in the Prince George & District Baseball League after the Prince George Canada Hotel contingent dropped out of the scramble. The Canadas, doormats in the loop all season, were to have played a doubleheader in Willow Creek against the Red Sox on this date but were unable to meet their commitment . Both games went to the Willow River nine by default. (July 21) The league-leading Quesnel Clippers were bounced from the ranks of the undefeated when the Willow River Red Sox poured it on to upset the Clips 13 to 6 if the first game of doubleheader action. In the second game, the Clippers showed their displeasure by battering Willow River to the tune of 11 to 5. xxx (L) and xxx xxx (W) and xxx (July 21) The Prince George Athletics and the Quesnel Lumbermen split a PG & D twin-bill on the diamond of the Rivertowners. The Woodslingers captured the opening tilt 6 to 2 while the A’s rebounded for a 6 to 1 triumph in the late match. A rare triple play, initiated by Prince George’s Fred Kazakoff, highlighted the matinee scuffle. Kapphahn (L) and xxx The Athletics led all the way in the sunset tussle as winning chucker Ken Larsen, who moved over to the A’s after the Canadas folded, tossed a no-hitter and was robbed of a shutout in the bottom of the ninth when a wild throw allowed the Quesnel baseballers to plate a single counter. Larsen (W) and xxx (July 28) The front-running Quesnel Clippers maintained their winning ways, taking both ends of a doubleheader from the slumping Prince George Athletics by scores of 5 to 2 and 9 to 7. The twin victories wrapped up the 1957 league pennant for the Clips. Ace moundsman Tommy Bryan of the Clippers limited the Athletics to four scattered hits and fanned 11 during the afternoon contest. The win boosted Bryan’s league pitching record to 6 – 0. Teammate Gene Plamondon had the game’s longest blow, a two-run triple in the eighth panel. Larsen (L), Kapphahn (4) and xxx A nine-run explosion in the second round sewed up Quesnel’s late-game triumph. A thunderstorm curtailed proceedings in the bottom of the eighth. Larsen (L), Kapphahn (2) and xxx (July 31) The top-dog Quesnel Clippers padded their hefty lead in the PG & D circuit with a 9 to 5 humbling of their city brethren, the Quesnel Lumbermen. Portsider Lorne Rodenets went all the way on the hill for the Clips, allowing nine hits. Gary Tuttle stroked a mammoth four-bagger for the victors in the sixth round. Dye (L), McInnis (5) and Del Bucchia, xxx (2) (July 31) The Willow River Red Sox are beginning to show signs of their championship form of a season previous. The Riverites moved past the Prince George Athletics into the runner-up spot in the PG & D circuit after edging past the A’s 6 to 5. xxx (L) and xxx (August 4) The visiting Quesnel Lumbermen, aided by a successful protest of a previous contest against their city-rivals, the Clippers, moved past the Prince George Athletics into third place in the Prince George & District League standings with a 7 to 2 win over the rapidly-falling A’s. The Woodslingers took control of the contest in the seventh when, with the score tied 2 – 2, Bill Crutchley unloaded a bases-loaded double which scored a brace of tallies. Four one-baggers in the eighth produced three more counters and the game was clinched. Southpaw George Dye went the distance in registering the knoll victory. Dye (W) and Del Bucchia Standings * W L Pct. * standings adjusted to reflect record of defunct Prince George Canada at the time of their dissolution as well as forfeiture of remaining scheduled games (August 11) Rain washed out the remaining games in the PG & D regular schedule, including the replay of a protested game between the two Quesnel entries. Semi--final playoffs will pit the Clippers and the Lumbermen in one bracket while the Willow River Red Sox will oppose the Prince George Athletics in the other. PLAYOFFS (August 18) The Quesnel Clippers moved into the finals of the Prince George & District Baseball League when they downed their city cousins, the Quesnel Lumbermen, in two straight games. The doubleheader victories were fought with intensity and the Clips prevailed in both by only an eyelash, winning the opener 6 to 5 and capturing the nightcap by a 1 to 0 score. The Lumbermen held the lead for 7 1/2 innings of the first tussle before succumbing in the eighth when the winning counter was plated on an unusual brace of two-base errors that saw winning pitcher Oscar Festerling’s ground ball to third base being booted not only by hot corner guardian Johnny Kuzak but also by left fielder Bob Boyd as Festerling gleefully circled the sacks. The Woodmen then muffed a ninth-inning suicide squeeze in which Leo Del Bucchia was dead-on-arrival at the dish when a successful pitchout was executed. Dye, Johnston (L) (7) and Del Bucchia The nightcap was a picture-book affair with young Paul McInnis of the Lumbermen facing off on the knoll against the veteran Oscar Festerling, who returned as the starter after completing the matinee joust as a fireman. Both chuckers were sharp, each yielding just four hits. Irv Follack’s home run in the fourth stanza, a blast that was catchable, evaded fly chaser Jerry Glassford, who lost sight of the ball momentarily in the sun as the horsehide bounded off the top of the fence rail for a dinger and the game-winning tally. Festerling (W) and xxx (August 18) The defending champion Willow River Red Sox will meet the Quesnel Clippers in the best-three-out-of-five PG & D finals after disposing of the Prince George Athletics in straight games by scores of 5 to 1 and 7 to 2. xxx (L) and xxx xxx (W) and xxx FINALS (best-of-five series) (August 25) The hosting Quesnel Clippers took a stranglehold on their best-of-five final series with the Willow River Red Sox after a narrow 4 to 3 win in the opening contest of a double-dip and a 7 to 2 second-game triumph. M. Church (L) and McDermid The Clippers struck early in the nightcap, capitalizing on the first-inning wildness of losing flinger Ernie Chartrand for three quick runs. The homesters added another run in the fourth to stretch their lead to 4 – 0 before Mike Church of the Crimson Hose smashed a solo circuit-jack. But the run did little more than break the ice for the Willow River squad as Quesnel got the counter right back in their half of the canto when Gil Dagneau singled home a fifth marker. Frank Stevenson’s run-scoring three-bagger and Ken Bachman’s sacrifice fly completed the Clippers’ scoring in the seventh while Willow River’s Joe Brown belted in the game’s final tally with a double. Winning chucker Tom Bryan limited the Sox to three hits but had some control issues, giving up four walks. Chartrand (L) and McDermid (September 1 – 2) Quesnel Labor Day weekend tournament (September 8) The season ended unceremoniously when the Willow River Red Sox informed the league that they were forfeiting the third game and the series to the Quesnel Clippers. No reason was given for the default but it is believed a shortage of pitching depth, compounded by a sore arm plaguing Red Sox’ mound ace Mike Church, had a bearing on the decision.
FINALS
(August 27) Cross-town rivals from Kimberley squared off in the opening game of the EKSBL finals at Coronation Park but no winner emerged as the pennant-winning Dynamos and the runner-up Hobos battled to a 5 – 5 deadlock. Darkness prevented any rounds of overtime. Each team gathered nine base raps but the Dynamos outfumbled the Hobos, committing all six errors in the contest. The Dynamos started strong, jumping into an early 4 – 0 lead but their city cousins chipped away at the deficit and finally reached parity in the top-of-the-ninth. Eric Bodin went the distance for the regular-season pennant winners, ringing up nine punchouts and walking two, while the Hobos used a pair of chuckers, Elgin Smith who tossed the first six stanzas and Mel Johnson who finished up. The duo combined for eleven whiffs and three free passes. Mike Jantze stroked three hits for the Dynamos while Smith, with a double and single, topped the Hobos at the platter.
Smith, Johnson (7) and K. Kuntz
M. Johnson (L), Blayney (8), Smith (8), Brown (8) and xxx
M. Johnson (W) and K. KuntzEAST-WEST KOOTENAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Bodin (W) and Kuntz
Smith (L) and Kuntz
Seaman (L), Bilesky and Johnson
Bodin, Johnson (5) and Kuntz
PRINCE GEORGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE
Rodonets (W), Festerling (6) and xxx
Bryan (W), Caine (9) and xxx
Bruder (W) and xxx
Morrison (L), Powell (4) and xxx
Therres (W) and xxx
Kapphahn (W) and xxx
Slack (L) and xxx
Dye (L), Slack (5) and xxx
Kuchurian (W) and xxx
Bryan (W) and xxx
Caine, Lay (W) (1) and xxx
Morrison (L), Ryall (4), Kennedy (4), Larsen (7) and Legard
Larsen (L) Lereaux (9) and xxx
Quesnel Clippers 6 0 1.000
Prince George Athletics 3 0 1.000
Quesnel Lumbermen 2 3 .400
Willow River Red Sox 2 4 .333
Prince George Canadas 0 6 .000
McInnis, Dye (W) (7) and Del Bucchia
Dye (W), McInnis (7) and xxx
The A’s roughed up 45-year old Harold Cousins for 17 base blows in the matinee tussle. Gordie Cruickshank launched a two-run homer, a triple and a single in support of winning chucker Fred Kapphahn’s 11-hit mound effort.
Kapphahn (W) and Stettner
Driessen (W), Snyder (6) and Gilchrist
Dye (L) and xxx
Motokado (L) and Kato
Gatin (L), Geefs (7) and xxx
Stettner (W) and Cruikshank
xxx (L) and xxx
Dye (L) and xxx
McInnis (w) and xxx
Blackburn (W), Kapphahn and xxx
Stettner (W) and xxx
Prince George Athletics 7 0 1.000
Quesnel Clippers 6 0 1.000
Quesnel Lumbermen 5 4 .556
Willow River Red Sox 3 6 .333
Prince George Canadas 0 11 .000
M. Church (W) and McDermid
Kapphahn (L), Backman (6) and xxx
Blackburn (L), Kapphahn (L) (1) and xxx
Mike Church was the winning pitcher in the opener.
M. Church (W) and McDermid
xxx (L) and xxx
Dye (W) and xxx
Dye (L), Johnston (2) and xxx
Bryan (W) and xxx
Festerling (W), Lay (4) and xxx
Rodenets (W) and Noble
xxx (W) and xxx
Kapphahn (L) and xxx
Quesnel Clippers 14 1 .933
Willow River Red Sox 11 7 .611
Quenel Lumbermen 7 5 .583
Prince George Athletics 9 8 .529
SEMI-FINALS (best-of-three series)
Bryan, Festerling (W) (7) and xxx
McInnis (L) and Del Bucchia
xxx (W) and xxx
xxx (L) and xxx
After the Redlegs had taken a 1 to 0 lead in the top of the third stanza of the opening battle, the Clips mounted a comeback in the bottom of that frame and went ahead 2 to 1 on key run-scoring hits by Frank Stevenson and Ken Bachman. They got to losing tosser Mike Church for another pair of tallies in the sixth on RBI bingles by Irv Follack and Kadi Koyama. Willow River made it close in the eighth, plating a two-spot, but Quesnel reliever Tommy Bryan dodged a few bullets to preserve the win for Oscar Festerling.
Festerling (W), Bryan (8) and xxx
Bryan (W) and xxx