BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

April 14

1950 Barney Garrity, Saint Raphael Academy’s energetic baseball coach, welcomes back six starters and a number of reserves from last season’s Class B Division pennant-winning club that posted a 14-3 mark. The infield is comprised of hard-hitting first baseman George Lovett, Joe Joyce at second, promising sophomores Roy Guarino and George Agostini are battling for the shortstop slot and Ray Killeen is slated at third. The outfield returns rugged John Omerod, who is fast, a sure fielder and has a great arm, while John Coleman and George Marshall are the other flychasers. Big righthander Mike Keenan (8-1) is the ace of the mound crew and Ray Lajoie will share the starting assignments with Keenan, while Mike Rogers is being pressed by Chet Hanewich for the catching chores.

1960 1951 All-Blackstone Valley selection Joe Dragon returns to his alma mater, Saint Raphael Academy, and inherits from former coach Barney Garrity six regulars on a club that finished with a 10-4 record. The Saints’ infield starts Mike Campbell at first, Billy Burgess at second, Lou Passarelli at shortstop and sophomore Ronnie Ridolfi at the hot corner. Returning starters Eddie McNaught and Benny Benoit comprise two-thirds of the outfield with sophomore Phil Bizier and Bill Farley contending for the final slot. The pitching staff is strong with starters Bruce Molhan (6-0) and Charlie Giuntini along with Leo Crosby and sophomores Mike Richard and Roland Landry, while veteran Ray Ethier is behind the plate.

1970 Dominating the field events, Scituate scored a 67-46 victory over Pawtucket West in a dual outdoor track meet. The Rangers’ strength came in the distance events with Phil Chaves winning the 440, Ray Noonan the mile (5:09.3) and Bill Thornhill the two-mile (11:04.4). The only field event captured by the Westerners was the high jump taken by Al Sabella with a leap of five-feet, one-inch.