BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES

April 13

1950 Central Falls baseball coach Omer Landry has only three veterans returning in shortstop Gerry Pantalone, first baseman George Beattie and 1949 All-Valley First Team catcher George Cross. The other two infield positions - third and second base – seem to be set with Maurice “Moe” Messier at the hot corner and Johnny Neery as the keystone man. Landry has nine hopefuls vying for the outfield including sophomores Ed Dombrowski, Tony Pate, John Sienkiewicz, Nelson Pion, Dave Stafford and Guy Owens, junior Bill Axon and seniors Norm Arage and Don Feather.

1960 Longtime Central Falls baseball mentor Omer Landry has five holdover regulars and is looking to improve on last season’s 9-5 record. The infield starts Cliff Vaudreuil at first, Bruce Gamache at second, veteran Joe Pinto at shortstop and Ted Carlson, the regular second sacker for the past two campaigns, moving to the hot corner.

Landry rates his outfield defense highly with veterans Chick Silva and Dan Shorten along with Earl Andrews who is heading the pack for the last flychaser. Lefty workhorse Allie Lachance, who hurled 84 of the 96 innings played last season, heads the mound staff with right-handers Dick Laptik and promising sophomore Terry McGrath also hoping to see action.

1970 Pawtucket West and Saint Raphael Academy saw six innings of their Northern Division encounter washed away when a heavy rain forced a stoppage of play with the score deadlocked at 2-2. The Ranger nine was in a good position to go ahead and possibly post a victory when play was stopped in the McCoy Stadium tilt. West had the bases loaded with just one out when umpire Frank Oliver put a halt to the proceedings. The game was called after a wait of some 20 minutes.