Category: 1944

1944 ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch Nationals

1944 held at Cleveland, Ohio.

Champion – Lind & Pomeroy Florists, Portland, Oregon (44-8)
Runner Up – Arizona Ramblers, Phoenix, Arizona

2-time defending champ, Jax Maids lost 2 straight, to Erin Brews of Cleveland 1-0 in 14 inn. and Arizona Ramblers 1-0 in 8 inn. They had a tough time finding suitable competition, playing mostly Men’s Military Base teams, playing a limited schedule, they were 30-5 against men and 14-3 versus women teams for a total combined record of 44-8.

Nira Deputy’s single scored Dottie Moore with the winning run for Portland in the 11th inning of the final. Deputy was 3-5 in the final game.

Alyse Johnson, Lind & Pomeroy (2-0, 12 IP, hurled a 1-hit shutout and a combined 9-0 no hitter with Betty Evans, Johnson got the win as she entered in the 3rd inning. She did not give up a hit in the 12 innings she pitched).

Lind & Pomeroy went 5-0 and did not give up a run, outscoring their opponents 27-0.

Marge Wood, Erin Brews (4-2, 60 IP, 70 Ks, 3 Shutouts).

Amy Peralta May, Arizona Ramblers (5-2 hurling 59 innings, Pitched 3 shutouts, including 2 no-hitters. Gave up only 4 runs in the 59 innings she pitched.

Louise Curtis, Arizona Ramblers (1-0, pitched 6 innings to gain win, Amy Peralta came in and pitched the last inning).

  • Unofficial MVP – Betty Evans, Lind & Pomeroy (3-0, 3 shutouts, 25 IP, 42 K, 2 no-hitters), pitched a no hitter in the semis and a 1-0, 11 inn. 3-hitter in final. The 3 hits she gave up in the final game were the only hits she surrendered in the entire tournament.
  • Batting Leader – Amy Peralta May, Arizona Ramblers (11-19) – . 577

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Lind & Pomeroy Florists, Portland, OR (5-0) (Northwestern)
2. Arizona Ramblers, Phoenix, AZ (6-2) (Pacific Coast)
3. Stamford Nutmegs, Stamford, CT (3-2) (North Atlantic)
4. Erin Brews, Cleveland, OH (4-2) (Host)
5. Jeep Bars, Omaha, NE (2-2) (Western)
6. Sunday Morning Class, Toronto, ON (2-2) (East Canada)
7. Neons, Vancouver, BC (2-2) (West Canada-British Columbia)
8. Chicago Rock-olas, Chicago, IL (2-2) * (West Central)
9. Douglass Air Cargoettes, Oklahoma City, OK (1-2) (Southwestern
10. American Yarn, Mount Holly, NC (1-2) * (Southern)
11. Fink & Hine, Springfield, MO (1-2) (East Central)
12. Ambrosias, Denver, CO (1-2) (Rocky Mountain)
13. United Typewriters, Washington DC (0-2) (Central Atlantic)
14. Van’s TNT Girls, Rochester, NY (0-2) (Mid-Atlantic)
15. Jax Brewer Maids, New Orleans, LA (0-2) (Defending Champ)
16. Moose Jaw Royals, Regina, SK (0-2) (F) (West Canada)

NOTES: Northern Region did not send a team or did not hold a tournament. South Atlantic Region Disbanded in 1943 – South Atlantic States – merged with Southern Regional States.

1944 ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch Nationals

1944 held at Cleveland, Ohio.

Champion – Hammer Field Raiders, Fresno, California (58-4)
Runner Up – Zollner Pistons, Fort Wayne, Indiana (76-12)

Al Linde put on one of the greatest single performances in the history of the ASA Nationals on the mound, in the field and at the plate. He was 4-0 in 41 IP, 74 Ks, 4 shutouts, 2 no-hitters and gave up only 5 hits, he also had 2 game winning walk off hits and made a diving catch and then doubled the runner off of second to save another game. Linde was 37-1 on the season with 15 no hitters. He now has 93 no hitters in his career.

Kermit Lynch, Raiders (1-0, 11 IP, beat Briggs 6-0 on a 2-hitter) – Lynch was 21-3 on the year with 14 no hitters. Linde and Lynch combined for a total of 52 shutouts in the teams total of 58 wins. 29 of the shutouts were no hitters.

Harry Goorabian, Raiders drove Bob Nugent with the winning run in the championship with a base hit up the middle.

Zollner Pistons; Leo Luken (3-0), Stan Corgan (1-2, took the loss in the 12 inning final 1-0, while striking out 16 batters). The only 2 Pistons that got hits were Monday Cielenski and Chick Goldberg.

Warren “Fireball” Gerber (3-1 with a shutout for third place Ferguson Auditors), Diz Kirkendall was 1-1 for the Auditors with a shutout, but lost the 3-2 elimination to the Pistons.

  • MVP – Al Linde, Raiders (Pitched 12-inning 1-0 two-hitter in final w/21 Ks)
  • Defensive MVP– Tony Iacovitle, Raiders (threw out player at the plate to keep Zollner from scoring)
  • HR Leader – N/A

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Hammer Field Raiders, Fresno, CA (5-0) (Defending Champs)
2. Zollner Pistons, Fort Wayne, IN (4-2) (West Central)
3. Ferguson State Auditors, Columbus, OH (4-2) (East Central)
4. Market Inn, Salt Lake City, UT (4-2) (Rocky Mountain)
5t. Tip Top Tailors, Toronto, ON (3-2) (Canada)
5t. Monowatt, Electric, Cranston, RI (2-2) (North Atlantic)
7t. Kodak Park, Rochester, NY (2-2) (Mid-Atlantic)
7t. Delchamps, Mobile, AL (2-2) (Southern)
9t. Briggs Bombers, Detroit, MI (1-2) (Industrial Champ)
9t. Cummings Construction, Baltimore, MD (1-2) (Central Atlantic)*
9t. Martin Bombers, Omaha, NE (1-2) (Western)*
9t. Leece & Neville, Cleveland, OH (1-2) (Host)
13t. OS Stapleys, Phoenix, AZ (0-2) (Pacific Coast)
13t. Ardmore Army Air Field, Ardmore, OK (0-2) (Southwestern)
13t. Portland Merchants, Portland, OR (0-2) (Northwestern)

* won a game by forfeit

NOTES: Merced Army Air Field, San Francisco, CA (Military Service) did not show up. Northern Region did not send a team or did not hold a tournament. South Atlantic Region Disbanded in 1943. South Atlantic States merged with Southern Regional States. Puerto Rico and Mexico did not attend due to World War II transportation restrictions.