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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-09-08, Page 22PAGE B--GDDERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1977 5 Labor The ninth annual Labor Day Fastball Tournament in Qoderich enjoyed a banner year this year shattering several records, some im- pressive and some not so RTS ay tourney a impressive, during its, three day tenure. The thrd' day event which features nonstop fastball'action 12 hours a day across the. long weekend was wrapped up Monday night when "A" champion Petroliaa Finnegan's Hotel •dumped "B" champion Wingham in the tourney grand cham- pionship game. That game established the The' grandchampionship trophy for the Goderich Labor Day Weekend Fastball Tour- nament was presented to Petrolia Finnegan's Hotel for the second year In a row. Petrolia beat "B" division winners Wingham 3 - 1 to capture -top spot In the tourney. Here tour- nament chairman Gerry Durst presents the trdphy to Doug Peters and Bill McNally. (staff photo) builders drop "B" tournament semi Fisher Custom Builders drew a large crowd to their Monday morning game against Wingham in Labor • Day Fastball tournament action but dropped a 2-0 • decision and missed a berth in the tournament 'B" division championship game. The Builders were the only hope Goderich fans had or seeing a home team in the final. Fisher won their opener over Zurich 4-3 in extra in- nings and edged Lieury 5-4 to go into the semi-final. The tournament executive, and the Builders, were sur- prised at the large turnout for the nine o'clock game but the effort paid off for the fans who witnessed some good hall being played despite the disappointing loss. Wingham grabbed an early lead in the game when pitcher • Ed Daer jumped on a Fred Pellow pitch for a solo homerun in the second inning. The run stood as the game's only score until the sixth when Grant Coltes added the insurance marker. Coltes used an error to third baseman Doug Fisher to get on ;base and moved to third when Daer singled. Bob Pegg was hit by a pitch to load the bags and Wayne Coltes chipped a single to score the run. Fisher made• up far the error by snapping off a double when he fielded John Stewart's hit and tagged Daer and got Pegg on the force at third to end the inning. The Builders got a runner to third twice eluding the game but couldn't bring him in. In the fourth Jack MacKinnon , hit a shot to centre that Pete Snow misplayed sending MacKinnon to third. Gerry •Durst . fanned trying to.. sacrifice him in and Tim McLean grounded out to end the inning. The Builder's big chance came in the sixth. inning when they loaded the bases with one away, Denis LeBrun led off with, a'single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and stood there as Jim Bell and MacKinnon drew walks. Durst tried again to sacrifice a run over but popped up to first add McLean flew out and the Builders had to settle for none. In their second game of the tourney Bell delivered a game winning sacrifice that boosted the Builders to a 5-4 decision over Lieury. Fred Pellow started off the Fisher fifth with a triple and Bell sacrificed to hring him over with what turned out to he the winningrun. The Builders opened a three run' ruff yin the first when Doug Fisher drew a walk, stole second and scored 15 s 3 ache /hawk gab ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR MEMORY The Little CALCULATOR with a Big Memory • Floating Decimal • Reg. 515.95 RADIO SHACK GODERICH Mb HAMILTON ST. WALKERTON Thaek Rath. That* on an error on Bell's hit, MacKinnon doubled Bell over then stole third and scored on a sacrifice by Durst. Bell scorad the fourth run in the third when he used an error to get on and carne Over on Den the game scaring twice in the first and twicelin the sixth. Tim McLean was the hero of the first Builder game when he stole home in the first extra inning to score the winning run. Tied at three the Builders started the eighth with McLean gettieg aboard (man error. He stole second, moved to third on MacKin- non's ground out and beat the catcher to the plate after the backstop had dropped a pitch. John Hoy was responsible for the first three Builder runs when' he smacked a three run harmer in the second. MacKinnon started the inning with a double and Durst drew a walk before Hoy delivered his shot. E F good time first of several records set during the weekend. The win Petrolia was their second grand championship in ..as many years marking -the first time a club has repeated the feat in the Goderich tourney. Last year Petrolia beat French Dry Cleaners to take the top award. This year more people came to the ball park than ever before in the nine year history of the tournament. Tournament chairman for 1977 Gerry Durst said Monday night that the gate had taken in $2,700 which translates to 2,700 people paying to see the action. Considering the people that slipped by: the executive's security to catch the action free, plus- the players and managers who received free passes, an _estimated 4,000 people may tiave been to the park at one time or another during the weekend. This year was the first year three parachutists ;dropped into the ball park and delayed a 15 inning scoreless game. The game was held up for several minutes when the three who were competitors at the Labor Day parachute jump at Sky Harbor, drifted on to the diamond trying to promote sky diving. One jumper atterripting to demonstrate accuracy tried desperately to tag up at second but missed the bag by inches. The acTion was restored and Stratford Lange Brothers Tree Service managed a 1-0 win over Sarnia in -the 15 inning of their pitcher Gary Hdlioff gave up just two hits in the shutout The ball players and fans were as thirsty as ever this year and Durst said a con- servative estimate of the net proceeds from the bar operated by the tournament should put between $3',000 and $4,000 into the tourney cof- fers. The tournament executive was able to put the e,xcellent returns on the past two years to good use making the final installment on the Goderich Industrial Softball League's share of the cost of new lights for the park. The league picked up $5,000 towards the cost of the lights and were to pay back the money 'across three years. This year they gave the town the rempining $1,500 on that debit and wiped the slate clean a year early. Each year the tourney is staged the calibre of ball goes up another notch. This year a team from Bloomingdale entered competition for the • first time and offered fans a glimpse of what nine talented players can do for the game. Bloomingdale apparently plays in an oetlaw league, near Kitchener where anything goes and play the game with enthusiasm and skill that is a pleasure to watch. Favored to go the distance in the -A" division Bloomingdale lost the championship game 6-3 to Petrone Finnegan's. Slow pitch was introducee this year as an added at- traction to the tourney and eight teams went after $150 in prize money, The. Goderich Coyotes managed a berth in the slow pitch final Monday evening but were hammered by the Winthrop Warribrs 16-4 and had to 'settle for second spot. With the tournament en - and with more prize money being offered every year better ball, clubs are beinz drawn to Goderich, This year almost $3,000 was given away in prize money and that coupled with the knowledge that the Goderich event,is a sure fire good time, the 1978 version promises to be the biggest and best yet. Wayne Parizeau, pitcher for Petrolia Finnegan's Hotel, was sele Labor Day Fastball Tournament most valuable player Monday night and pre a trophy and watch by Doug Fisher. Parizeau batted an even .500 across Its tournament games annd belted two game winning home runs. He also dispia sportsmanship and strong competitive spirit throughout the tourney. (staff-pheto Convoy nips McGee McGee Pontiacs dropped their first game in the Labor Day Fast ball tournament and had to- watch the rest of the action from the stands. The Pontiacs were nipped by 2-1 by Conroy-Aespite a four hit effort by Ken Daer. Half the Conroy hits came in the fourth inning when they - scored both their runs. Mark Daoust led off the inning with a walk and moved around on a single by Tom Smith. Third baseman Paul Kelly was • charged with an error on Jim Brooks' hit and Daoust scored and Brian Dundas singled to score the' winner with two men on and only one out. Deer managed to get Dennis Fisher to pop up to the pat - cher and Al Ballantyne to strike out to get out of trouble, and still give his club a shot at a come back. The Pontiacs did mount a rally but left the winning run at second in the seventh in- ning. Bill Gallow cut the lead in half in the s' double0 and used score. In the -- Dennis Willia and went to sec man Fielder's was called sut terference and derhurgh flew out Daoust gave up the Fontiacs but st on his way to the Daer gave up foe struck•out five. giuncocitt ma I mai et ea Si et OF THE WEEK Due to the outstanding response to this "Special of the Week" it will be featured for one mare week. 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