BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

June 18

1966 State finalist Tolman heads the Pawtucket Times an

nual All-Blackstone Valley Schoolboy Baseball Team with four selections. The battery consists of the state’s best one-two pitching punch, Doug Hartley (6-1, 0.14 ERA) and Art Pontarelli (7-0, 0.29 ERA) with fellow Tiger Dick Johnson, who has quick hands and a strong, accurate arm, behind the plate. Coach Ted McConnon’s other selection is sure-fisted shortstop Leo Estrella (.333), while Pawtucket West’s hustling John Jeannotte (.311) holds down the hot corner.

1976 Coach Ed Hogan’s Cumberland nine pounded out 14

hits, exploded for eight runs in the fifth inning, once again played flawless ball in the field and, biggest of all, rode the superb pitching of senior righty Dave Thulier as the Clippers overpowered Rogers 11-1 before an overflow crowd of about 1,000 at Tucker Field to capture the state crown. Thulier mixed up his hopping fastball with some pretty breaking pitches in allowing only four hits (only one until the ninth when the Vikings ruined his bid for a shutout), fanning eight and walking three. Steve DellaPosta and John Beauregard stroked three hits each, Thulier and Peter Hanuschak cracked two hits apiece, DellaPosta and Mike Girard each drove in two runs and Ron Colvin and Brian Bowe tallied two runs apiece for the champs.

1996 Saint Raphael Academy, winner of the Class A cham

pionship crown, placed five players on The Times All-Blackstone Valley Schoolboy Baseball First Team. The Saints’ battery featured pitcher Jim Mello, who led SRA with a 7-0 record and a 0.86 ERA, and catcher Mike Potter who batted .418 and gunned down 60% of would-be base stealers. Strong-arm shortstop Felix Ramos batted a solid .362, outfielder Brian Beech averaged .313 and covered centerfield like a blanket and fellow flychaser Steve Lemieux hit a robust .432.