Category: 1941

1941 ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch Nationals

1941 held at Detroit, Michigan.

Champion – Higgins Midgets, Tulsa, Oklahoma (64-6)
Runner Up – Erin Brews, Cleveland, Ohio

Erin Brews, sponsored by Standard Brewing Company had pitchers Marge Wood and Mary Skorich alternate games Each hurling a shutout. In the Championship, Wood started, went 3 1/3 inning, gave up 3 hits, Mary Skorich came in after the 3rd hit and her fielders had 4 consecutive errors, which accounted for the 3 runs. She finished the last 3 2/3 inning and gave up 0 hits, but was the losing pitcher. Skorich finished 2-1 and Wood was 2-0.

Defending Champs, Arizona Ramblers were eliminated in their opening game by the Jax Brewer Maids. Sonny Berger beat Amy Peralta.

In the semifinals, Erin Brews spotted Toronto’s Sunday Morning Class team two runs early, but came back to win the game 7-2. In the other semi-final, Nina Korgan of Higgins Midgets, pitched a 9 inning 1-hitter against the Jax Maids of New Orleans and struck out 17 of the Canadians. The Jax Maids liked what they saw and signed her up for the 1942 season. Thelma Golden, Sunday Morning Class hurler, was 4-1 in the tournament with a no hitter. The other Toronto team (Simpson Girls) had star pitcher Elsie Hayward go 2-1.

Laura Pettibone, Toronto Simpson Girls had 2 home runs.

The Jax Maids pitchers of New Orleans (Sonny Berger 2-1 and Lottie Jackson 2-0), each had a shutout to lead the Maids to a 4-1 record and third place.

Nina Korgan, Higgins Midgets went 4-0, 4 shutouts, 3-0 final with 11 K and a double; 67 K, 30 IP, including a perfect game in the tournament. All total, she had a perfect game, two 1-hitters and a 3-hitter, She gave up 0 runs. In the perfect game, she struck out 20 of the 21 batters she faced. She was named Outstanding Pitcher. Ruth Mitchell won the other game for the Tulsa squad.

Olympia Savona, New Orleans Jax Maids was 7-17, .412, 6 Runs, 4 RBI, 2B, and 2 HR.

  • MVP – Nina Korgan, Higgins Midgets
  • Home Run Leader – N/A
  • Batting Leader – Olympia Savona, New Orleans Jax Maids – .412

FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

N/A

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Higgins Midgets, Tulsa, OK (5-0) (Oklahoma)
2. Erin Brews, Cleveland, OH (4-1) (Cleveland)
3. Jax Brewer Maids, New Orleans, LA (4-1) (New Orleans)
4. Sunday Morning Class, Toronto, ON (4-1) (Canada-Toronto)
5t. Darlington Dairymaids, Rumford, RI (2-1) (Rhode Island)
5t. Rock-Ola Girls, Chicago, IL (2-1) (Chicago)
7t. Simpson Girls, Toronto, ON (3-1) (Canada-Ontario)
7t. Welsh’s Coeds, Detroit, MI (2-1) (Detroit)
9t. Dieselettes, Peoria, IL (1-1) (Illinois)
9t. Provident Loan Company, Mansfield, OH (1-1) (Ohio)
9t. Fisk Safety Flights, Chicopee, MA (1-1) (Massachusetts)
9t. General Heating, Denver, CO (1-1) (Denver)
13t. Hamilton Funeral Home, Des Moines, IA (1-1) (Iowa)
13t. Eline Chevrolet, Louisville, KY (1-1) (Kentucky)
13t. Gulf State Paper, Tuscaloosa, AL (1-1) (Alabama)
13t. Richey’s Girls, Houston, TX (1-1) (Texas)
17t. Vandervoorts, Lansing, MI (1-1) (Michigan)
17t. Cuminsky’s Coeds, Watertown, WI (0-1) (Wisconsin)
17t. American Yarn, Mount Holly, NC (0-1) (North Carolina)
17t. Bridger Cafe, Bridger, MT (0-1) (Montana)
17t. John Hospidor Stars, Reading, PA (0-1) (Pennsylvania)
17t. Erie Democrats, Buffalo, NY (0-1) (Buffalo)
17t. Census Bureau Girls, Washington DC (0-1) (Washington DC)
17t. Hoosier’s AC, Indianapolis, IN (0-1) (Indiana)
25t. Meyer’s Packing Girls, Cincinnati, OH (0-1) (Cincinnati)
25t. Bud Nelson’s, Minneapolis, MN (0-1) (Minnesota)
25t. Art City, Springville, UT (0-1) (Utah)
25t. Kirksville All Stars, Kirksville, MO (0-1) (Missouri)
25t. Furniture Queens, Phoenix, AZ (0-1) (Arizona)
25t. Regal Beer, New Orleans, LA (0-1) (New Orleans)
25t. Blue Ridge Spread Co., Dalton, GA (0-1) (Georgia)
25t. R.H. Hall Girls, St. Petersburg, FL (0-1) (Florida)
33t. Miller High Life Girls, Milwaukee, WI (0-1) (Mlwaukee)
33t. Marling Chesney, Topeka, KS (0-1) (Kansas)
33t. American Beverage Co., Omaha, NE (0-1) (Nebraska)
33t. Arizona Ramblers, Phoenix, AZ (0-1) (Defending Champ)

* indicates the team won a game by forfeit.

NOTES

The tournament was single elimination. Don’s Diamondettes, Fargo, ND and the South Carolina champion did not show up.

1941 ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch Nationals

1941 held in Detroit, Michigan.

Champion – Bendix Brakes, South Bend, Indiana (61-22)
Runner Up – Romanco’s, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Stan Corgan came in the last inning to get the final 3 outs to preserve the championship victory. Big Ike Bierwagen also pitched a 9-inning no-hitter and teamed with Len Murray to win a tough 12 inning game over Pontiac, Michigan. Stan Corgan came in and pitched the last inning of the championship game to preserve the shutout).

Vince Piotrowski was 2-3 in the final with a double, home run and 4 RBI. Big Stan Corgan was also 3-0 for Bendix. In the semi-finals, Ed Kizelevich of Phelps Dodge of Elizabeth, NJ twirled a no hitter against the Romancos but lost the game 1-0. The other semifinal saw Bendix Brakes beat Briggs (Ed Figelski took the loss and finished the tournament with a 3-1 record) of Detroit 7-2 behind Stan Corgan’s pitching and Vince Piotrowski’s 3 hits. Piotrowski had 5 hits and 4 RBI in the final 2 games.

Russ DuBarry, Romanco’s went 5-1, 4 shutouts, pitched 61 consecutive innings. He won 5 straight games, giving up just 1 run and hurling 4 shutouts until the finals. Bendix jumped all over DuBarry and in the 4th, Howard Sama came in relief and the powerful Bendix bats kept hitting, as they had 14 hits and 9 runs total in the game.

Bendix ended the season with 38 straight wins. The continued the streak in 1942, getting up to a record of 46 straight wins.

Romanco is short for Rosemary Manufacturing Company.

  • MVP – Ike “Bonecrusher” Bierwagen, Bendix (3-0 record; he hurled the final championship game and went 6 innings giving up no runs and 4 hits with 8 Ks. He also had a double)
  • Outstanding Pitcher – Russ DuBarry, Romanco’s (5-1, 4 shutouts, pitched 61 consecutive innings)
  • HR Leader – N/A

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Bendix Brakes, South Bend, IN (6-0) (Indiana)
2. Romanco’s, Roanoke Rapids, NC (5-1) (North Carolina)
3t. Briggs Beautyware, Detroit, MI (4-1) (Detroit)
3t. Phelps Dodge, Elizabeth, NJ (3-1) (New Jersey)
5t. Pontiac Big Six, Pontiac, MI (3-1) (Michigan)
5t. Goetz Brewers, St. Joseph, MO (3-1) (Missouri) *
5t. Daws Drugs, Rochester, NY (3-1) (Rochester)
5t. O.S. Stapleys, Phoenix, AZ (3-1) (Arizona)
9t. Kozey Alley AA, Cleveland, OH (2-1) (Cleveland) *
9t. Caterpillar Diesels, Peoria, IL (2-1) (Illinois)
9t. Metz Brewing Company, Omaha, NE (2-1) (Nebraska)
9t. Brooks Sports Shop, Denver, CO (2-1) (Denver)
9t. Dates Laundry, Buffalo, NY (2-1) (Buffalo)
9t. Voight’s Sikorsky, Stratford, CT (2-1) (Connecticut) *
9t. Deep Rock Oilers, Tulsa, OK (2-1) (Oklahoma)
9t. Senate Beer Team, Washington DC (2-1) (Washington DC)
17t. Tip Top Tailors, Toronto, ON (1-1) (Canada-Toronto)
17t. Victory Club, Pittsburgh, PA (1-1) (Pittsburgh)
17t. Western Printers, Racine, WI (0-1) (Wisconsin)
17t. Kodak Park, Rochester, NY (1-1) (Defending Champ)
17t. Stockman’s, Great Falls, MT (0-1) (Montana)
17t. Berger Merchants, Kansas City, KS (1-1) (Kansas) *
17t. Voit Sports Equipment, Los Angeles, CA (1-1) (Los Angeles)
17t. Mountain Fuel, Salt Lake City, UT (1-1) (Utah)
17t. International Nickel, Huntington, WV (1-1) (West Virginia)
17t. Modern Sponging, Philadelphia, PA (1-1) (Philadelphia)
17t. Lindy’s, Cranston, RI (1-1) (Rhode Island)
17t. Merrill-Usher, Worcester, MA (1-1) (Massachusetts)
17t. Worthen Bankers, Little Rock, AR (0-1) (Arkansas)
17t. Katson’s, Albuquerque, NM (1-1) (New Mexico)
17t. Montford Merchants, Spartanburg, SC (1-1) (South Carolina)
17t. Buckeye Pulps, Memphis, TN (1-1) (Tennessee)
33t. Coca-Cola, Cincinnati, OH (0-1) (Cincinnati)
33t. Iowa Packing, Des Moines, IA (0-1) (Iowa)
33t. Greenbaum Tannery, Milwaukee, WI (0-1) (Milwaukee)
33t. Chicago Match, Corp., Chicago, IL (0-1) (Chicago)
33t. Paige Dairy, Toledo, OH (0-1) (Ohio)
33t. Golden West Flour, Longmont, CO (0-1) (Colorado)
33t. Thompson’s Terriers, Cheyenne, WY (0-1) (Wyoming)
33t. Peerless Pumps, Fresno, CA (0-1) (California)
33t. White Elephants, Vancouver, WA (0-1) (Washington)
33t. Belridge Oil, San Joaquin, CA (0-1) (San Francisco)
33t. Don ‘Q’ Rums, Ponce, Puerto Rico (0-1) (Puerto Rico)
33t. Koonz Creamery, Baltimore, MD (0-1) (Maryland)
33t. DuPont’s, Richmond, VA (0-1) (Virginia)
33t. Shankweilers AC, Allentown, PA (0-1) (Pennsylvania)
33t. Dispatchers Club, Boston, MA (0-1) (Boston)
33t. Strong Hardware, Burlington, VT (0-1) (Vermont)
33t. Grumman Yankees, Bethpage, NY (0-1) (New York)
33t. Rieck & Fleece, St. Petersburg, FL (0-1) (Florida)
33t. City Service, Shreveport, LA (0-1) (Louisiana)
33t. National Gypsum Gold Bond, Mobile, AL (0-1) (Alabama)
33t. Ken-Macs, Louisville, KY (0-1) (Kentucky)
33t. Litoloff Insurance, New Orleans, LA (0-1) (New Orleans)
33t. Texas Unemployment Comp. Co., Austin, TX (0-1) (Texas)
33t. Eastern Air Lines, Atlanta, GA (0-1) (Georgia)

* Won a game by forfeit.

NOTES

St. Paul Park, St. Paul, MN, Fargo Merchants, Fargo, ND, Terratine, Bangor, ME, and Ted’s Corner, Sioux Falls, SD did not show.