Wallace Pruden, formerly of Lashburn and now residing in Trail, B.C., has been selected for induction into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame as a player.
Pruden was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Pruden in Lashburn. Wallace was a level headed, calm and polite young man, which was carried over to the field. He played third base, but helped the team most as a pitcher. When the going got tough and he and the team were under pressure, Pruden remained cool and came through for the team.
Pruden played in Little League organized baseball and at sports days in Lashburn. The team he played for, the Lashburn Linnets, entered the provincial playoffs in 1955, but lost to Luseland.
The Linnets were successful the following year in 1956, winning the Saskatchewan Minor Baseball League Provincial Little League Championship and the C.M. Fines Trophy. This was the first provincial championship of any sport for Lashburn since May 19, 1909, when Tommy Simkins won the provincial boxing Championship.
In 1957, Pruden pitched a perfect game in the first game of the Little League Championship series, facing only 18 batters in six innings and striking out 13 of them. Only three players handled the ball - the pitcher, the catcher and the first baseman. Pruden had two put outs and two assists on two put outs by the first baseman. The fifth put out was a groundout to the first baseman. Pruden also hit a grand slam and a triple to help his own cause.
In the third game, Pruden had already been given two intentional walks. His opponents were giving him a third walk when he reached out and snagged a long single, which brought in the tying and winning runs. Provincial playoff batting averages recorded Pruden playing 12 games, with 10 homeruns, 38 runs batted in and a batting average of .645 in 31 at-bats.
The Lashburn Linnets were the 1957 Provincial Little League Champions, and for the second time received the C.M. Fines Trophy.
"Wally moved from town to town finally settling in Trail, B.C.," says Lashburn's Jim Coolidge. "He played ball well into his adult life."
