BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES September 1

1960 Pawtucket’s Chet Nichols, who dressed for the first

time after being called up from Vancouver, hurled the final two innings as the Boston Red Sox dropped a 5-1 decision to the Washington Senators at Fenway Park. The local twirler was immense in his first of two innings pitched striking out two batters and walking one. However, Nichols had trouble in the ninth giving up three singles, issuing one free pass and allowing the last Senators’ run while fanning one. 1970 Cumberland’s John LaRose, who will not be 19 until

next month, spun a four-hitter, whiffed six and walked five in his Class AA debut hurling the Pawtucket Red Sox to a 5-0 whitewash over the Manchester Yankees in an Eastern Division League tilt at McCoy Stadium before a crowd of 1,817, many of them LaRose’s neighbors and friends. “I was a little nervous in the first inning,” admitted LaRose, “but after that I was all right. I had a lot of confidence tonight because I knew I had good stuff. I think this is the best game I’ve pitched all summer.”

1980 Led by freshman Lisa Marsh in the first singles slot

– and with only two seniors on the whole team – coach Jane Bodnar’s Cumberland girls’ tennis team bounced Wheeler School around, 7-0, in Division A West play, losing not a single set amongst them. Marsh (6-0, 6-4), Jackie Leroy (6-0, 6-2), Charlene Delsesto (6-0, 6-1) and Pam Smith (6-4, 6-4) were victorious in their singles matches. In doubles play, Martha Lynch-Lisa Rinaldi (6-4, 6-1), Sue Majeski-Mary Fay (6-2, 6-2) and Linda Smith-Beth Lucci (6-0, 6-1) swept their matches.