The Happy’s Source for Sports Islanders are Senior Baseball (57 years plus) Canadian champions. The Canadians were held in Medicine Hat, AB from July 29 to Aug 1.
Happy’s beat Team Saskatchewan 16-2 in their first game. The Islanders’ pitching duo of Kevin Dobbelsteyn and Richard Murphy were strong, combing for 5IP, 1R with 5Ks. At the plate the Islanders were led by Tim McDonald (3B, 2BB, 2R) and Ron Carter (3-3, 2R).
Team Alberta was up next for the Islanders. The Islanders’ pitchers were once again the highlight of the game as Dean King, Irwin Koziol and Ray Vandermark combined for 7IP with only one run scored against. Les Norman and McDonald each provided an RBI that turned out to be enough for Happy’s to prevail 2-1.
Nova Scotia was up next for the 2-0 Happy’s Islanders. Dave Odamura went 3-3 and Les Norman went 2-3 at the dish and pitchers Fuzz Parker and Murphy shut down the Nova Scotia offence for a final score of 11-1. Happy’s rolled into the semifinals undefeated at 3-0.
In the semi, the top-seeded Islanders faced the bottom seed Team Saskatchewan.
The Islanders’ offence was hot from the get go. Don Smawley and Vandermark led the way, both going 2-2 at the plate. Scotty Murray and McDonald chipped in, combining for five runs scored.
Pitchers Dobbelsteyn, King and Vandermark cruised through the game, allowing only three runs in an 11-3 victory.
In the finals the Islanders went up against Team Nova Scotia, who had just knocked off heavily favoured Alberta in the semis.
Team Nova Scotia’s bats were on fire coming into the finals but the Islanders’ starting pitcher Parker (3IP, 0Runs) was able to suppress their offence. Islanders’ King and Vandermark were the middle inning relief and McDonald (1IP, 0RS, 1SV) came in for the seventh inning to mop up the game with a save.
On offence, starting pitcher Parker helped himself out, going 2-2 with two runs scored while Carter and Murray both had strong games at the plate to lead the Happy’s Source for Sports Islanders to the Canadian championship by a score of 5-3.