St. Raphael 0, Westerly 1 - June 11, 1951

La Salle, Westerly Leading Playoffs¹

Maroon Trounces Woonsocket, 14-1; St. Raphael Edged

By DICK REYNOLDS

Second successes by La Salle over Woonsocket and Westerly over St. Raphael tomorrow will finish the semi-finals of the schoolboy baseball playoffs.

Off the 14-1 flogging which they gave Woonsocket yesterday at Barry Field, the La Sallians seem more certain to qualify for the big bracket in being rematched with the Northern Division delegates at Aldrich Field (3:15 p.m.).

Although on the home soil of Craig Field tomorrow at the same starting time, Westerly is accorded a much more modest margin after squeezing past the Saints, 1-0, yesterday at McCoy Stadium.

Only identical elements in both victories yesterday were the twin three-hitters tossed by Dave Stenhouse, of Westerly, and Tom McAleer, of La Salle.

In a "picture" ballgame, which had only one error, the Bulldogs bagged their ninth conquest of the season by a single run when Don Gingerella tripled in the second and hustled home on Bob Champlin's high bounder, which went for a single.

Eight Errors

Supposedly not strong with the stick, the La Sallians lashed out 16 hits and were aided by eight errors in taking over, 5-1, in the first three innings and adding nine more runs in the last three.

Each righthander struck out 11. Stenhouse walked two and McAleer six.

Stenhouse also stroked three sharp singles, the first of which he drove out in leading off the second. But Bill Parenteau, tagged for six hits in the first six innings, picked the Bulldog boxman off first with a perfect peg to George Lovett.

Gingerella made it worth while for taking the day off from his summer job by pasting the next pitch to left center for three bases. Fred Savage went down on an infield out, and it looked as if Parenteau would pull out without a scratch. But Champion, after a 3-2 count, hit a high hopper along the third-base line and as Parenteau dashed in, the ball flicked off the fingers of the portsider's glove for a hit on which Gingerella scored.

Bears Down

In the third, fourth, seventh and eight there were Saints on the paths but Stenhouse, who recieved perfect backing, put on sizzling speed and was the master in every inning.

When Parenteau was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth, Pete Miniati came in. Paul Fiore, who will start tomorrow, pitched the last inning.

In his efforts to make it a short series, Bob Mudge will counter with Jim Pignataro.

Woonsocket baseballers, with Pete Glode, their best flinger, badly battered yesterday, will have their backs to the wall when they face undefeated Joe Feeny.

Gil Foresti, only Woonsocket batter to hit safely twice yesterday, will move from shortstop to the mound to see whether he can quiet the Maroon.

Diamond Dust . . . 'Twas June in January for the playoffs yesterday, just as it was a year ago. . . . A concessionaire selling out hot coffee, overcoats or longies at either McCoy or Barry Field yesterday would have needed a trunk to carry home his profits. Among the fans who ignored the arctic elements at McCoy was Chet Nichols. . . . The Braves pitcher, who was hurling in the state playoffs just three years ago, met the Tribe at the railroad station for the trip to Pittsburgh after the game.

Paid attendance at McCoy was 219 and at Barry 289, though it was colder at the latter lot.

Although Dave Stenhouse is considered by some to be more effecetive in cold weather, Bob Mudge isn't so sure. . . . But the Bulldog boss does agree that the overcast skies were tailor-made for Stenhouse speed.