A bond with Wiffle ball
Scituate friendship unites
SCITUATE — In 2009, Cole Pasqualucci was bedridden at Boston Children’s Hospital, fearful of what lay ahead of him.
Bruins star center Patrice Bergeron then walked in. In that moment, Pasqualucci’s worries vanished; his pain melted away.
Nearly a decade later, another local hero is standing alongside Pasqualucci. This time, it’s someone with whom he’s very familiar: NHL prospect and Scituate native Jamie Murray.
Today, the former Babson College goalie will host the ninth Cure For Cole Wiffle Ball Tournament for Pasqualucci.
“I’ve known Cole pretty much his whole life,” Murray said. “He’s lived down the street from me. As he got to be closer to being old enough to play Wiffle ball and roller hockey, stuff like that around the neighborhood, I started to realize how great of a kid he was. We just grew pretty close. We’re definitely very compatible personalities. He’s just a fun kid to be around, in general, so we’ve grown up to be very close friends.”
Pasqualucci was 6 years old when he woke up with a swollen face. It worsened. Following tests, doctors diagnosed Pasqualucci with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a rare disease that often leads to kidney failure. Doctors told Pasqualucci he needed a kidney transplant. At the age of 9, he and his family found a donor, and he had surgery.
But just six months later, Pasqualucci’s new kidney failed, and it was back to square one.
“As I got older, I appreciated what was happening, the things he was going through,” Murray said. “You just realize that you take things for granted, general health. It’s such a rare disease for him to get stuck with that. It’s a shame but I’m sure it’s something he’s grown from. And it’s something that shapes his personality. The kid’s a fighter.”
Murray became the starting goalie for Scituate High as a sophomore, leading the Sailors to three straight tournament runs with trips to the state final in 2008 and 2010.
But the Herald All-Scholastic had only one thing on his mind then — helping his longtime friend and neighbor.
“In 2008 or 2009, I played in a Wiffle ball tournament,” Murray said. “It was the biggest Wiffle ball tournament in the United States. When we played, there were about 80 teams. It was awesome. I was playing with a couple of friends that I sold on the idea, and we had a blast. Wiffle ball for me growing up, for whatever reason, was my passion. I loved baseball, but there was nothing I love more than Wiffle ball.”
In the summer of 2010, the first Cure For Cole tournament took place at Cudworth Field in Scituate with 22 teams. So many residents showed up to play that some were turned away.
In 2011, Murray doubled the number of teams. It still wasn’t enough.
“The second year (Murray) had so many people signed up, that he decided we needed a bigger field,” Pasqualucci said. “So that’s when he brought the tournament and fundraiser to Central Field. And I think this year we are capped out at 64 teams. It’s pretty cool to see a small fundraiser get this big, with so many people coming every year.”
Over the past eight tournaments, Murray has raised nearly $50,000 for the Nephcure Foundation, an organization dedicated toward focal segmental glomerulosclerosis research.
During his junior year in net for Babson, Murray started to notice NHL scouts appearing more and more at the Skating Center. He played another season at Babson, capping his career by winning the 2016 Sid Watson Award, while also being named USCHO Div. 3 Player of the Year.
That same year, Murray realized his childhood dream when the San Jose Sharks signed him to an entry-level contract.
And for Pasqualucci, the constant trips to the hospital have slowed. Now 21, he owns a landscaping company, and after being given a second chance, he is ready to take on anything that comes his way.
A bond with Murray that started in a Scituate cul-desac with a Wiffle ball and bat has never been stronger. The big difference is that this time there will be a few more friends joining.
“No matter what’s going on, Jamie always makes the time to answer a phone call, call me,” Pasqualucci said. “When he went off to college, it was kind of weird because I didn’t see him as much, and it was sad, but he always made it a point to contact me. And still to this day, we keep in contact. I’ll talk to him probably every week.
“Whenever I have a surgery, he’s always one of the first people to come visit me as long as he’s home.”